New York is the most populous city in the United States[9] and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world.[10][11][12] New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters,[13] New York is an important center for international affairs and is widely deemed the cultural capital of the world.[14][15][16][17][18] The city is also referred to as New York City or the City of New York[19] to distinguish it from the state of New York, of which it is a part.[20]
Located on one of the world's largest natural harbors,[21] New York City consists of five boroughs which were consolidated in 1898:[22] The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.[23] With a 2010 United States Census population of 8,175,133[7] distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km2),[24][25][26] New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States.[27] As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.[28] The New York City Metropolitan Area's population is the United States' largest, estimated at 18.9 million people distributed over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km2),[8][29] and is also part of the most populous combined statistical area in the United States, containing 22.2 million people as of 2009 Census estimates.[30] New York has the largest internet presence of any location in the world; registering 7.1 billion search results as of December 2011.[31]
New York traces its roots to its 1624 founding as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic, and was named New Amsterdam in 1626.[32] The city and its surrounds came under English control in 1664[33][34] and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York.[35][36] New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790.[37] It has been the country's largest city since 1790.[38] The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries[39] and is a globally recognized symbol of the United States and its democracy.[40]
Many districts and landmarks in New York City have become well known to its approximately 50 million annual visitors.[41][42][43] Times Square, iconified as "The Crossroads of the World",[44][45][46][47][48] is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theater district,[49] one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections,[50] and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.[51] The city hosts many world renowned bridges, skyscrapers,[52] and parks. New York City's financial district, anchored by Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, functions as the financial capital of the world[53][54][55][56][57][58][59] and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest