New York city is the largest city in the United States and one of the largest in the world. Facing the Atlantic, it is on the northeastern coast of the United States, and most of city is built on islands. It is one of the world's most important centers of finance, inductry, and culture. In some ways New York City seems to belong to the entire world. Both the statue of Liberty and the United Nations are located here. The giant lady with the torch has been welcoming people from many counties for a hundred years. Leaders from all over the world have been working together at the United Nations since 1952.

      During the 19th century, thounds of people from other countries entered the United States by way of New York City and many of them settled there. That's why it has often been said that New York area has more Jews than any other city outside Israel in the world, more Italians than Rome, more Irish than Dublin. More than 80 different languages are spoken in the city. Over 50 non-English newspapers in 20 languages are published there.

       Located at the mouth of the Hudson River, New York City is busiest port of the country. It handles 35% of the country's international shipping and handle more ships than any other port in the world. Every day hundreds of ships bring in oil, sugar, coffee, tea, fruit, paper and many other products. New York also ships wheat, flour, cars, machines, and many kinds of ready-made goods to other ports in the country and in the world. The city produces nearly a quarter of country's total manufactures, The center of New York's business world is Wall street, whose influence is felt by the whole nation and probably by countries everywhere in the world.

       New York is an exciting city. Splendid is the architecture of Manhattan, the heart of the city, with its one hundred and more skyscrapers. The most famous among them are the Empire State Building, the United Nations headquarters, Rockefeller Center, and World Trade Center. The materials used - copper, steel, concrete, and glass -- give the building a striking beauty. Nearly all the streets are in straight lines runing from East to West. Those running from North to Sourth are called avenues, The streets and avenues, forming squares, or 'block', are lined with many expensive stores and huge apartment houses.

      The Most crowed part of the city is perhaps Harlem, Where mostly Black American live. Here the houses are in worse condition than anywhere else -- old,dirty, needing repairs, and sometimes dangerous. The crime rate here is among the highest in the western world.