The great metropolis of the New York City State is the nerve center of the nation. It is a leader in manufacturing, foreign trade, banking and commerce, book and magazine publishing, and theatrical production. A leading seaport, it’s the Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport that is one of the busiest in the world. New York is also home to the New York Stock Exchange, the largest in the entire world. The publishing and printing industry is the city's largest manufacturing employer, leaving the apparel industry second.

Nearly all the rest of New York’s manufacturing is done on Long Island, alongside the Hudson River north to Albany, and throughout the Mohawk Valley, Central New York, and Southern Tier regions to Buffalo. The St. Lawrence Seaway and the power projects have opened up the North Country to industrial expansion and have also given the state a second seacoast.

New York ranks seventh in the nation in manufacturing, with 586,400 employees in the year 2005. The principal industries are publishing and printing, industrial machinery and equipment, instruments, and electronic equipment. The convention and tourist business is also a very important source of income.
The state’s farms produce cattle and calves, poultry and corn, and vegetables and fruits. The state is also a leading wine producer.

Area: 49,576 sq mi (128,402 sq km)
Pop: (2000) 18,976,457, a 5.5% increase since the 1990 census
Capital: Albany
Largest city: New York City
Statehood: July 26, 1788 (11th of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution)
Highest pt.: Mt. Marcy, 5,344 ft (1,630 m); lowest pt., sea level
Nickname: Empire State
Motto: Excelsior [Ever Upward]
State bird: Bluebird
State flower: Rose
State tree: Sugar maple
Abbr., N.Y.; NY