• Giovanni da Verrazano discovered New York in 1524. It became a Dutch colony after Henry Hudson explored it in 1609. The English took control in 1644.

• Glacial lakes, like those in the Adirondacks, were made when a glacier pushed forward and scoured away land with rocks frozen into the bottom — like using sandpaper on wax. When the glacier melted, it left behind “finger” lakes.

• What makes the Niagara Falls fall? Water from the Superior, Michigan, and Huron lakes ends up in Lake Erie, which is much smaller. Lake Erie drains into the Niagara River, which flows northwest over the falls — the height of a twenty-story building! — and ends up in Lake Ontario.

New York has one of the biggest cities in the world, and some amazing natural wonders, too. You can visit Adirondack Park, a giant area of 2,800 lakes, and Niagara Falls, a waterfall area so big and loud that you won't be able to hear people talk!

New York City offers a million things to do. You can watch people trading stocks at the New York Stock Exchange, or see plenty of dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History. Even walking down the street is an adventure!

New York is the second largest state in population and has about 18.2 million people. New York City is the largest city in the United States, with more than 8 million people. Albany, the state's capital, has only about one eighty-fifth the population of New York City.