New York is oneof the largest cities in the world and the biggest seaport. It'sthe financial capital of the country. It's the business centreof the United States. The city is situated in New York State, atthe mouth of the Hudson river. It's population is over eightmillion. In early times the New York area was populated byIndians. It is here in Wall Street many business offices, banksand world famous New York stock exchange are situated.New York is anindustrial and cultural centre of the country. The mostimportant branches of industry are those producing vehicles,glass, chemicals. New York is also a great cultural centre. Ithas many museums, art galleries, theatres. There are twoworld-famous streets in New York — Broadway and Fifth Avenue.Broadway is thecentre of the theatres and night life. Fifth Avenue is the greatshopping, hotel and club avenue. The Empire State Building is at Fifth Avenue. It's a102-storeyed building, was built in 1931. The MetropolitanMuseum of Art is at Fifth Avenue. It includes hundreds of worldfamous masterpieces and attracts many visitors. The Statue ofLiberty is the symbol of American democracy. It stands onLiberty Island in New York port. Liberty carries the torch offreedom in her right hand. In her left hand she is holding atablet with the inscription "July 4,1776" — AmericanIndependence Day. Today New YorkCity is informally called "The Big Apple". The origin of thisname is unknown, but it is popular all over the world.
