New York was the 11^th state in the USA, it became a state on July 26, 1788.
State Abbreviation - NY
State Capital - Albany
Biggest City - New York City
Area - 54,475 square miles [New York is the 27th largest state in the USA]
Population - 18,976,457 (as of 2000) [New York is the third most populous state in the USA,
                       after California and Texas
Major Industries - finance, communications, international trade, publishing, fashion, communications, farming (fruit and dairy), tourism

Presidential Birthplaces:
Martin Van Buren was born in Kinderhook on December 5, 1782 (he was the 8th US President,    serving from 1837 to 1841).

Millard Fillmore was born in Locke Township (now Summerhill) on January 7, 1800 (he was the 13th US President, serving from 1850 to 1853).

Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 27, 1858 (he was the 26th US President, serving from 1901 to 1909).

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park on January 30, 1882 (he was the 32th US President, serving from 1933 to 1945).

Main Rivers - Hudson River, Mohawk River, Genesee River
Highest Point - Mt. Marcy, 5,344 feet (1,629 m) above sea level
Bordering States - Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island (water border)
Bordering Country - Canada
Bordering Bodies of Water - Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Champlain, Atlantic Ocean

Origin of the Name New York - The English took over of the area that had been called "New Netherland" in 1664, and renamed it New York to honor of the Duke of York (York is a city in England).
State Nickname - The Empire State
State Motto - Excelsior (Ever Upwards)
State Song - "I Love New York"

Counties 62
Depth (North-South) 310 miles
Highest mountain Mount Marcy, 5,344 feet
Highest waterfall Taughannock, 215 feet
Lakes and ponds 4,000
Land area 47,224 square miles, ranks 30th among states
Largest city New York City
Largest Lake Oneida, 79.8 square miles
Length (East-West) 440 miles, including Long Island
Longest river Hudson, 315 miles
Longest toll superhighway in the U.S.A Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, 641 miles
State Canal System 524 miles
State Capital Albany
State motto Excelsior which means Ever Upward
State nickname Empire
Tallest Building Empire State Building, 102 Stories
Towns and villages almost 1,500