New York geography

New York State's borders touch (clockwise from theChamplain. Lake George empties at its north end into
northwest) two Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario, whichLake Champlain, whose northern end extends into
are connected by the Niagara River); one formerCanada, where it drains into the Richelieu and then the
Great Lake (Lake Champlain); the provinces of OntarioSt Lawrence Rivers. Four of New York City's five
and Quebec in Canada; three New England statesboroughs are on the three islands at the mouth of the
(Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut); theHudson River: Manhattan Island, Staten Island, and Long
Atlantic Ocean, and two Mid-Atlantic states (NewIsland.
Jersey and Pennsylvania). In addition, Rhode Island"Upstate" is a common term for New York State
shares a water border with New York.north of the New York City metropolitan area. Which
New York is also the site of the only extra-territorialof the suburban counties north of The Bronx along the
enclave within the boundaries of the U.S., the UnitedHudson River (Rockland, Westchester, Putnam,
Nations compound on Manhattan's East River.Orange, and Dutchess) are included in the Upstate
The southern tip of New York State—Newregion depends on who is using this term. Upstate
York City, its suburbs, and the southern portion of theNew York typically includes the Catskill and
Hudson Valley—can be considered to formAdirondack Mountains, the Shawangunk Ridge, the
the central core of a "megalopolis," a super-cityFinger Lakes and the Great Lakes in the west; and
stretching from the northern suburbs of Boston to theLake Champlain, Lake George, and Oneida Lake in the
southern suburbs of Washington and thereforenortheast; and rivers such as the Delaware, Genesee,
occasionally called "BosWash".Hudson, Mohawk, and Susquehanna. The highest
First described by Jean Gottmann in 1961 as a newelevation in New York is Mount Marcy in the
phenomenon in the history of world urbanization, theAdirondacks.
megalopolis is characterized by a coalescence ofEast of Manhattan extends the appropriately named
previous already-large cities of the Eastern Seaboard:Long Island, stretching approximately 120 miles (190 km)
a heavy specialization on tertiary activity related tofrom Kings (Brooklyn) and Queens Counties (part of
government, trade, law, education, finance, publishingNew York City) on the western end to Orient and
and control of economic activity; plus a growth patternMontauk Points in the semi-rural "East End" of the
not so much of more population and more area asIsland. The two counties that are encountered as one
more intensive use of already existing urbanized areatravels east from New York City are Nassau and
and ever more sophisticated links from one specialtySuffolk. Three of Suffolk County's ten
to another. Several other groups of megalopolis-typetowns—Brookhaven, Riverhead, and
super-cities exist in the world, but that centered aroundSouthampton— despite being subject to the
New York City was the first described and still is theoverdevelopment of New York City's expanding
best example.suburbs, are host to the 102,500 acre (415 km2) state
The five New York City boroughs (and their counties)designated and protected Central Pine Barrens region.
are: 1. The Bronx (Bronx), on the mainland, north of 2.This remarkably undeveloped region overlies part of
Manhattan (New York) on Manhattan Island andLong Island's federally designated Sole Source Aquifer
Roosevelt Island. The Hudson River is their westernwhich provides drinking water to nearly three million
boundary.residents, and it contains terrestrial and aquatic
3. Brooklyn (Kings) and 4. Queens (Queens) areecosystems of statewide and national significance,
across the East River from Manhattan on the westerninterconnected surface and ground waters,
end of Long Island, and 5. Staten Island (Richmond) isrecreational areas, historic locales, farmlands, and
south of Manhattan.residential communities. This region is the largest
The eastern end of Long Island includes the suburbanremnant of a forest thought to have once
counties of Nassau and Suffolk, which, however, areencompassed over a quarter million acres (1,000 km2)
not part of New York City.on Long Island following the last glacial advance some
The megalopolis, however, is not the only aspect of15,000 to 20,000 years ago. Much of the region's
New York State. While best known for New Yorkecosystem is similar to the larger New Jersey
City's urban atmosphere, especially Manhattan'sPinelands (also called "Pine barrens") to the south and
skyscrapers, by contrast the rest of the state issouthwest of New York City, along with Cape Cod's
dominated by farms, forests, rivers, mountains, andpine barrens. All three areas share geologic and
lakes. Few people know that New York's Adirondackecological characteristics common along the Atlantic
State Park is larger than any National Park in the U.S.Coastal Plain of the U.S.
outside of Alaska. Niagara Falls, on the Niagara RiverTrees have played a major role in the surrounding
as it flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, is a popularareas of New York. Very large trees can even grow
attraction. The Hudson River begins with Lake Tear ofin the New York metropolitan area (for example, the
the Clouds and flows south through the eastern partQueens Giant is the tallest tree and the oldest living
of the state without draining Lakes George orthing in the New York metro area).