The Dutch were the first settlers in New York, establishing Fort Orange near Albany in 1624 and New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan a year later. After the English took over in the 1660s, the colony was renamed New York, after the Duke of York. One of the original 13 states to join the Union (it entered in 1788), New York is known as the "Empire State." The state includes everything from skyscrapers in Manhattan to rivers, mountains, and lakes in upstate New York. Niagara Falls is one of the chief attractions. New York is the leading center of banking, finance and communication in the United States. Much of the state's greatness lies in exciting New York City, the largest city in the United States and the fourth largest city in the world; its many theaters, museums, and musical organizations make it one of the cultural centers of the Western Hemisphere. 

GOVERNMENT
Capital: Albany
Governor: George E. Pataki, R (to Jan. 2007)
Senators: Charles E. Schumer, D (to Jan. 2005); Hillary Rodham Clinton, D (to Jan. 2007)
House of Representatives: 29 districts | Search by zip code

ECONOMY
Total Gross State Product 1999 (millions of dollars): 754,590; National rank: 2; Percent change since 1990: 50%; National Rank based on Growth Rate: 41 (Including Washington, DC)
Per Capita Personal Income 2001: $35,878; National Rank: 5 (118% of the national average)
State Exports 2001 (millions of dollars): 42,172; National Rank: 3
Agriculture: Dairy products, cattle and other livestock, vegetables, nursery stock, apples.
Industry: Printing and publishing, scientific instruments, electric equipment, machinery, chemical products, tourism.