New York state geology and topography map courtesy of USGS: A Tapestry of Time and Terrain.
What does "New York" mean?
New York was named after the English Duke of York and Albany (and the brother of England's King Charles II) in 1664 when the region called New Amsterdam was taken from the Dutch. The state was a colony of Great Britain until it became independent on July 4, 1776. All State Name Origins
The New York Convention of delegates ratified the U.S. Constitution on July 26, 1788, making New York the eleventh state to join the Union.
