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| Lovely New York City |
The city is often referred to as New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the state of New York, of which it is a part. Its 2009 estimated population approached 8.4 million with a land area of 305 square miles (790 km2).
New York City is a global hub of international business and commerce and is one of three command centers for the world economy along with London and Tokyo. The city is a major center for finance, insurance, real estate, media and the arts in the United States. Many major corporations are headquartered in New York City, including 42 Fortune 500 companies. New York is also unique among American cities for its large number of foreign corporations. One out of ten private sector jobs in the city is with a foreign company.
History and landmarks
New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790.
Many districts and landmarks in the city have become well known to outsiders. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Times Square is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theater district, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.
Anchored by Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City vies with London as the financial capital of the world and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies.
The original Manhattan Chinatown attracts throngs of tourists to its bustling sidewalks and retail establishments.
