New York

New York is a state located in the Northeastern United States. It is sometimes called New York State in order to distinguish it from New York City, its largest city. With a total area of 54,556 square miles (141,300 km), New York is the 27th largest U.S. state geographically. It is home to 20.2 million people and is the fourth-most populous US state.

New York City (NYC), the largest city in the United States, is the most populous. Nearly two-thirds the state’s population resides in New York City, which is also the largest urban area in the country. It has been called the cultural, financial and media capital of all of America, as well the most economically powerful and influential city in the world. Buffalo, Yonkers and Rochester are the next most populous cities in the State.

New York is home to a diverse geographic landscape. The southeastern part of the state, the area known as Downstate, includes Long Island and several smaller associated islands, as well as New York City and the lower Hudson River Valley. The larger Upstate New York region extends from Lake Champlain to the border of Pennsylvania and includes a diverse topography as well as a range of regions, including the Adirondack Mountains located in the northeastern lobe. New York also includes several ranges of the wider Appalachian Mountains. The primary river valley that bisects more mountainous areas is the east-west Mohawk River Valley. It connects to the Capital Region’s north-south Hudson River Valley. Western New York is part the Great Lakes Region and borders the Great Lakes of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and Niagara Falls. The Finger Lakes are a popular tourist and vacation destination in New York. They can be found in the state’s central and western regions.