MEGACITIES: NEW YORK PART 2 OF 3

New York or New York City (officially The City of New York) is a city in the state of New York, and is the most populous city in the United States. New York is today one of the world's leading business, financial and cultural centres and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the major global cities. As the home of the United Nations, the city is a hub for international diplomacy.

New York City comprises five boroughs, each of which is coterminous with a county: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. With over 8.2 million residents within an area of 322 square miles (830 km²), New York City is the most densely populated major city in North America. The New York metropolitan area, with a population of nearly 22 million, ranks among the largest urban areas in the world.

The city has many neighborhoods and landmarks known around the world. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, has been a dominant global financial center since World War II and is home to the New York Stock Exchange.

The city has been home to several of the tallest buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building (standing 1,453 feet 8 9/16 inches from the base to the top of the lightning rod) and the former twin towers of the World Trade Center (collapsed september 11,2001). The city is the birthplace of many American cultural movements, including the Harlem Renaissance in literature and visual art, abstract expressionism (also known as the New York School) in painting, and hip hop along with the Tin Pan Alley in music.

In 2005, nearly 170 languages were spoken in the city and 36 percent of its population was foreign born. Because of areas like Times Square, New York has earned the nickname "The City that Never Sleeps".