
New York City is a city in the state of New York and is the most
populous city in the United States of America. Its business,
finance, trading, law, and media organizations are influential
around the globe. The city is one of the world's most important
cultural centers, with hundreds of world-class museums, galleries,
and performance venues. Home of the United Nations, the city is also
one of the world's major venues for international diplomacy.
The city is comprised of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn,
Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. With 8 million residents and a
land area of 322 square miles (830 km²), New York City has the
highest population density of any major city in North America. The
city's metropolitan area, with a population of 18.8 million, ranks
among the largest urban areas in the world.
New York City has been a dominant global financial center since
World War II. It is also the birthplace of many American cultural
movements, including the Harlem Renaissance in literature and visual
art, abstract expressionism in painting, and hip hop in music. The
city's cultural vitality has been fueled by immigration since its
founding by Dutch colonists in 1625. In 2005, nearly 170 languages
were spoken in the city and 36 percent of its population was foreign
born.