The State of New York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous and ranks as the 27th largest state by size.
New York was inhabited by the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Lenape Native American groups at the time Dutch and French nationals moved into the region in the early 17th century.
It was colonized by the Dutch in 1624 at both Albany and Manhattan; it later fell to British annexation in 1664.
New York became an independent state on July 9, 1776 and enacted its constitution in 1777.
The state ratified the United States Constitution on July 26, 1788 to become the 11th state.
