KID's ZONE

It is often said that New York City is the capital of the world. It has more

tall buildings than any other city and its pavements are the busiest in the world.

More than sixteen million people live in the city, most of whom have their heritage

from other countries. New York is always the focus of the world media because if

something is popular in New York, it will always be popular elsewhere. Many people

in other parts of America and other countries aspire to visit New York at least

once in their life.

New York was established in 1624 when Dutch merchants purchased the island

of Manhattan from the Native American Indians who had previously inhabited the

area. Immediately the population grew rapidly as the European arrived to take

advantage of the trade that was taking place around New York Harbor. During

the 1800's, the city saw millions of innigrants arrive from Irland, Italy,

Germany, Poland, China, Africa and other countries. At this time, New York

was one of the most prosperous cities in the world. To celebrate the

freedom of New York and America, the French government presented the city

with the magnificent Statue of Liberty in 1886. It was the best symbol of

freedom which still stands today overlooking the busy harbor.

Today New York is the headquarters for the United Nations, where ambassadors

from all countries meet to discuss important political issues. The financial

district of New York is centered around Wall Street where the famous

New York Stock Exchange is located. The New York Stock Exchange is the

barometer of world business. Traders know that if it fluctuates dramatically

here, the effects will be felt elsewhere immediately. Standing above the

city's two hundred skyscrapers is the Empire State Building, the most

famous skyscraper in the world. It was built between 1930 and 1931 and

stands one hundred and two stories high.