The State of New York is located in the Northeastern United States and shares a border with Canada. While the much larger part of New York known as "Upstate" is characterized primarily by its impressive nature, the smaller southeastern part called "Downstate" comprises the metropolitan area of New York City. The state's territory stretches from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic coast and features numerous mountains, rivers, forests and meadows. Niagara Falls, on the border with Canada, is among the most famous natural sights in the United States. It can be viewed since 1846 as part of the "Maid of the Mist" boat cruise – one of the oldest tourist attractions in the world. 

Before the arrival of Europeans, the area was inhabited by tribes of the Algonquian peoples and the Iroquois Confederacy Native Americans. In 1621, the Dutch established the colony of New Netherland with its administrative headquarters in New Amsterdam, present-day New York City. At the end of the Anglo-Dutch Wars, it was ceded to the British in 1674. As one of the Thirteen Colonies, New York saw about one-third of the battles of the Revolutionary War, including the Battle of Long Island in 1776, which was the largest of the entire Revolution. In 1788, New York became the 11^th state to be admitted to the Union. The state motto “EXCELSIOR” is Latin and means “ever upward”.

New York City is the most populous city in the United States. The skyline of Manhattan, one of the five boroughs of New York City, includes approximately 7,000 high-rise buildings. Among the most prominent skyscrapers are the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.

At 1,776 feet (541 m), One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States. It was erected on the site of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed in 2001. Its construction began in 2006 and was completed in 2014.

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