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With a population of 19 million in the three-state metropolitan area (and 8,140,000 in the city as in 2005), it is the most populous urban area in the [[United States]]. The city is divided into five different counties, called boroughs.  Manhattan is the financial, commercial, and tourist center.  Brooklyn is the most populous of the boroughs, and suburban Queens (Queen's County) is the largest in area.  The other two boroughs are The Bronx, a downscale residential area, and suburban Staten Island.  The modern city was formed in 1898 through a merger of the original New York City with Brooklyn.

With a population of 19 million in the three-state metropolitan area (and 8,140,000 in the city as in 2005), it is the most populous urban area in the [[United States]]. The city is divided into five different counties, called boroughs.  Manhattan is the financial, commercial, and tourist center.  Brooklyn is the most populous of the boroughs, and suburban Queens (Queen's County) is the largest in area.  The other two boroughs are The Bronx, a downscale residential area, and suburban Staten Island.  The modern city was formed in 1898 through a merger of the original New York City with Brooklyn.

New York is the cultural capital of the world; it has global importance in fashion, finance, news, diplomacy, education, medicine and arts.  The city is a world-class tourist destination. It contains many landmarks, including the [[Statue of Liberty]], [[Wall Street]], in Lower Manhattan, and many others. The city (along with its #2 rival Chicago) invented the skyscraper, and still has some of the tallest buildings in the world, like [[Empire State Building]]; the [[World Trade Center]] towers were destroyed by terrorists in the September 11, 2001 attacks. [[File:Gotham1.jpg|thumb|220px]]

New York City is the cultural capital of the world; it has global importance in fashion, finance, news, diplomacy, education, medicine and arts.  The city is a world-class tourist destination. It contains many landmarks, including the [[Statue of Liberty]], [[Wall Street]], in Lower Manhattan, and many others. The city (along with its #2 rival Chicago) invented the skyscraper, and still has some of the tallest buildings in the world, like [[Empire State Building]]; the [[World Trade Center]] towers were destroyed by terrorists in the September 11, 2001 attacks. [[File:Gotham1.jpg|thumb|220px]]

==Transportation==

==Transportation==

New York owes its success  to its status as the major hub of world transportation by air and water. It grew because it has one of the world's finest natural harbors.  It is ice-free year-round and deep enough to enable large ships to reach its piers regardless of the tide.  The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was established in 1921 by the two states in order to administer jointly the shared waterfront. Most traffic is now handled through containers.  Three major airports serve the city: John F. Kennedy International Airport (for international travel) and La Guardia Airport (for domestic travel), as well as nearby Newark International Airport. All are operated by the Port Authority, which also runs the bridges and subways.

New York owes its success  to its status as the major hub of world transportation by air and water. It grew because it has one of the world's finest natural harbors.  It is ice-free year-round and deep enough to enable large ships to reach its piers regardless of the tide.  The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was established in 1921 by the two states in order to administer jointly the shared waterfront. Most traffic is now handled through containers.  Three major airports serve the city: John F. Kennedy International Airport (for international travel) and La Guardia Airport (for domestic travel), as well as nearby Newark International Airport. All are operated by the Port Authority, which also runs the bridges and subways.