1.
Gozo
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Gozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of Malta, after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago. Compared to its neighbour, Gozo is more rural and known for its scenic hills. The island of Gozo has long associated with Ogygia, the island home of the nymph Calypso in Homers Odyssey. In that story, Calypso, possessed of supernatural powers. As of March 2015, the island has a population of around 37,342 and it is rich in historic locations such as the Ġgantija temples, which, along with the other Megalithic Temples of Malta, are among the worlds oldest free-standing structures. The island is rural in character and, compared to the main island Malta and it was known for the Azure Window, a natural limestone arch that was a remarkable geological feature, until its collapse in 2017. The island has other notable features, including the Inland Sea. There are many beaches on the island, as well as seaside resorts that are popular with locals and tourists, the most popular being Marsalforn and Xlendi. Gozo is considered one of the top diving destinations in the Mediterranean, Gozo has been inhabited since 5000 BC, when farmers from nearby Sicily crossed the sea to the island. They are thought to have first lived in caves on the outskirts of what is now known as San Lawrenz, the temples name is Maltese for belonging to the giants, because legend in Maltese and Gozitan folklore says the temples were built by giants. Another important Maltese archaeological site in Gozo, which dates back to the period, is the Xagħra Stone Circle. Also, native tradition and certain ancient Greek historians maintain that Gozo is the island Homer described as Ogygia, the island of Gozo was repopulated between 1565 and 1580 by people from mainland Malta, undertaken by the Knights of Malta. The law authorised the Council to raise taxes, although it never made use of this power. In 1971 the Malta Labour Party was voted into office, in the Gozo Civic Council referendum,1973, the overwhelming majority of voters voted for the abolition of the Gozo Civic Council. In the mid-1980s attempts were made to set up a Gozo committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, however, it was only in 1987 that the Ministry of Gozo was set up. Local government in the Gozitan localities was restored with the introduction of Local councils in 1993 with Gozo having 14 councils, the island has its own Latin bishopric, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gozo, the only suffragan of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta. Gozo contains a number of Catholic churches
2.
King Long
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King Long United Automotive Industry Co. Ltd or commonly known as King Long is a Chinese bus manufacturer headquartered in Xiamen, founded in December 1988, it is focused mainly on developing, manufacturing and selling large-and-medium-sized coaches and light vans. Established in 1988, King Long United Automotive Industry Co. Ltd. is one of the joint ventures in China with a history in the coach manufacturing industry. The company is now owned by Xiamen Automotive Industry Corporation. Ltd and San Yang Industry Co. Ltd. from Taiwan, with the proportion of each holder being 50%. The King Long Group owns three subsidiaries, King Long United Automotive Industry Co, Ltd, Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Co. Ltd. and the Higer Bus Co. Ltd. King Long has taken a position among domestic coach manufacturers in China. King Long currently offers 5 series of products, which are subdivided into 50-plus categories, covering various buses and coaches, for the tourism, passenger transport and city bus market. At the end of 2004, the relocating and technology upgrading project of King Long was formally launched as one of the key projects of Fujian Province, the new plant site is located in Xiamen Automobile Industry City in Guannan Industrial Park, Jimei District, Xiamen. With a total investment of about RMB260,000,000 yuan, Phase 1 was expected to be completed, the reserved area for Phase 2 is 15-20 hectares. Upon completion, the new plant will become one of the largest coach manufacture bases in China with an output of 13,000 coaches and buses of large. In 2008, King Long had an 18 percent share of the market in China. Overseas sales contributed 25 percent of King Longs sales
3.
Northern Counties Palatine
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The Northern Counties Palatine is a step-entrance 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus body built by Northern Counties of Wigan, UK. It was built mainly on Leyland Olympian and Volvo Olympian chassis, although some were built on DAF, Volvo B10M Citybus. MTL were a notable buyer, a batch of high-specification Palatine IIs entered service in 1996 on the Cross River services through the Mersey Tunnels, another batch of 22, branded as The Millennium Fleet began operating on Merseyside in 1998. Tri-axle Volvo Olympians with Northern Counties Palatine bodies were exported to Hong Kong, between 1996 and 1998, Citybus received 55 and Kowloon and Canton Railway Corporation received 15. Some Northern Counties Palatine buses were built as buses for sightseeing purposes. It was superseded by the Plaxton President body, list of buses Media related to Northern Counties Palatine at Wikimedia Commons
4.
Volvo Olympian
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The Volvo Olympian was a rear-engined 2-axle and 3-axle double decker bus chassis manufactured by Volvo at its Irvine, Scotland factory. The first was built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, the early Volvo Olympians were offered with Cummins L10 or Volvo TD102KF engine, coupled to Voith DIWA or ZF Ecomat gearbox. From late 1996, only the Volvo D10A-245 Euro II engine with electronic control was offered. It was available with Alexander R-type, Northern Counties Palatine and East Lancs E Type/Pyoneer bodywork, the Volvo Olympian is likely to be built as either closed top or open top. The Volvo Olympian remained as popular as the Leyland Olympian in the United Kingdom, large number of Olympians were exported to Hong Kong and Singapore, most of them being air-conditioned. The buses were popular in the United Kingdom, most of the UK versions had two rather than three axles. London United, Metroline, Stagecoach London, London Central, London General, Capital Citybus, MTL London, Harris Bus, because of a low-floor rule that had to be complied with by 2006, these buses were not in service for long. Only two buses from London United survived for rail replacement services, many other operators outside London do receive Volvo Olympians. Dublin Bus had continued their orders with the RA batch being ordered first,150 buses in 1994, in January 1997, Dublin Bus ordered further 315 Volvo Olympians, which is RV. During the period, new liveries had been introduced, of which it is CitySwift, all buses were withdrawn in 2011. Kowloon Motor Bus had ordered 531 Volvo Olympian 11m,338 Volvo Olympian 12m and 30 Volvo Olympian non-aircon buses between 1994 and 1999, long Win sold 10 12-metre Volvo Olympians to KMB in 1999. Due to the modernisation of the fleet, all Volvo Olympians have been withdrawn, Citybus had ordered 10 Volvo Olympian 10. 4m,2 Volvo Olympian 12m,310 Volvo Olympian 12m and 142 Volvo Olympian 11m between 1994 and 1998. Due to the modernisation of the fleet, most of the buses were either withdrawn, china Motor Bus ordered 64 Volvo Olympians between 1996 and 1998. 62 were sold to New World First Bus in 1998 and 5 of them were converted to open-top for Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus, New World First Bus received 2 12-metre Volvo Olympians from HACTL in 1999 and 10 from Citybus in 2014. All buses were withdrawn as they aged 16 –17 years, Singapore Bus Services had ordered 100 Volvo Olympian 2-Axles and 201 Volvo Olympian 3-Axles in 1993. The Volvo Olympian 3-Axles has been delivered between June 1994 and June 1995 and these buses were extended to 2 years in 2011, and some to 6 months/permanent 1 year extension in 2013 -2014. About 7 buses were retired before June 2013,29 buses were extended to 1 year to facilitate retirement of Volvo Olympian 3-Axle as well as to facilitate deployment of Volvo B9TLs on Jurong Industrial services after all the buses were retired. It thus followed by 200 Volvo Olympian 3-Axles again in 1995, in July 2004, only 246 and 251 became non air-con until the Volvo Olympians were transferred over in 2009
5.
Newcastle upon Tyne
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Newcastle is the most populous city in the North East and forms the core of the Tyneside conurbation, the eighth most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. Newcastle is a member of the English Core Cities Group and is a member of the Eurocities network of European cities. Newcastle was part of the county of Northumberland until 1400, when it became a county of itself, the regional nickname and dialect for people from Newcastle and the surrounding area is Geordie. Newcastle also houses Newcastle University, a member of the Russell Group, the city developed around the Roman settlement Pons Aelius and was named after the castle built in 1080 by Robert Curthose, William the Conquerors eldest son. The city grew as an important centre for the trade in the 14th century. The port developed in the 16th century and, along with the lower down the River Tyne, was amongst the worlds largest shipbuilding and ship-repairing centres. Newcastles economy includes corporate headquarters, learning, digital technology, retail, tourism and cultural centres, among its icons are Newcastle United football club and the Tyne Bridge. Since 1981 the city has hosted the Great North Run, a marathon which attracts over 57,000 runners each year. The first recorded settlement in what is now Newcastle was Pons Aelius and it was given the family name of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who founded it in the 2nd century AD. This rare honour suggests Hadrian may have visited the site and instituted the bridge on his tour of Britain, Pons Aelius population at this period was estimated at 2,000. Fragments of Hadrians Wall are visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road, the course of the Roman Wall can be traced eastwards to the Segedunum Roman fort in Wallsend—the walls end—and to the supply fort Arbeia in South Shields. After the Roman departure from Britain, completed in 410, Newcastle became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, conflicts with the Danes in 876 left the river Tyne and its settlements in ruin. After the conflicts with the Danes, and following the 1088 rebellion against the Normans, Monkchester was all, because of its strategic position, Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, erected a wooden castle there in the year 1080. The town was known as Novum Castellum or New Castle. The wooden structure was replaced by a castle in 1087. The castle was again in 1172 during the reign of Henry II. Much of the keep which can be seen in the city dates from this period. Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was Englands northern fortress, incorporated first by Henry II, the city had a new charter granted by Elizabeth in 1589
6.
Leyland Olympian
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The Leyland Olympian was a 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1980 and 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production, the Olympian shared the same chassis and running gear as with the Leyland Titan integral double deck bus which was ordered en masse by London Transport. At the time there was a demand for vehicles, with operators wishing to have the chassis bodied by other manufacturers. Thus Leyland created the B45 project, which was named Olympian and this was in many ways an update of the popular Bristol VRT, with many VR customers choosing Olympians. Later the Olympian also replaced the Leyland Atlantean, the Olympian was unveiled at the 1980 Commercial Motor Show. It was available in two lengths,9. 56m and 10. 25m, engines were either the Leyland TL11 unit, or the Gardner 6LXB or 6LXCT. Some later Olympians had Cummins L10 engines, one had a 5LXCT, for the export market a three-axle version was built with lengths of 10. 4m,11. 32m and 11. 95m. This was very popular with such as Kowloon Motor Bus. In 1988, Leyland developed a version of the Olympian. Between 1979 and 1981, nine demonstrators were built, before the first production Olympian entered service with Ribble Motor Services in August 1981, the Olympian was initially manufactured at the former Bristol factory in Brislington with the first thousand completed here. In 1983, production transferred to Leylands Farington and Workington plants, the last was completed for Singapore Bus Service in March 1994. It was purchased by many National Bus Company subsidiaries, although London Buses primarily purchased the Leyland Titan, in 1984 it took delivery of three Olympians. Between 1987 and 1992, a further 350 Olympians were purchased, the last were withdrawn in 2005, although some were converted to open top buses and remain in use with The Original Tour. Lothian Buses purchased over 200, but all were removed by 2009, south Wales Transport ordered 7 of these in 1985 registered C901-C907 FCY. These remained in service with First Cymru until 2005, beginning in 2017, Leyland Olympians wont be allowed to operate public bus routes in the UK due to the Disabled Access Regulations. EAS of Athens received 19 Leyland Olympians in 1983, they were withdrawn by 1994, between 1981 and 1993, Kowloon Motor Bus purchased 906 Olympians, with all but four having Alexander bodywork. Some were later repatriated to the United Kingdom, including 22 converted to open top configuration by The Big Bus Company, China Motor Bus purchased 37 Olympians between 1981 and 1993. After importing a few second-hand Olympians from the United Kingdom, Citybus purchased 294 new Olympians, in 2003,54 were repatriated to the United Kingdom to operate express services for Megabus
7.
Manchester
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Manchester is a major city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 514,414 as of 2013. It lies within the United Kingdoms second-most populous urban area, with a population of 2.55 million, Manchester is fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east and an arc of towns with which it forms a continuous conurbation. The local authority is Manchester City Council and it was historically a part of Lancashire, although areas of Cheshire south of the River Mersey were incorporated during the 20th century. Throughout the Middle Ages Manchester remained a township but began to expand at an astonishing rate around the turn of the 19th century. Manchesters unplanned urbanisation was brought on by a boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution, Manchester achieved city status in 1853. The Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894, creating the Port of Manchester and its fortunes declined after the Second World War, owing to deindustrialisation. The city centre was devastated in a bombing in 1996, but it led to extensive investment, in 2014, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network ranked Manchester as a beta world city, the highest-ranked British city apart from London. Manchester is the third-most visited city in the UK and it is notable for its architecture, culture, musical exports, media links, scientific and engineering output, social impact, sports clubs and transport connections. Manchester Liverpool Road railway station was the worlds first inter-city passenger railway station and in the city scientists first split the atom, the name Manchester originates from the Latin name Mamucium or its variant Mancunium and the citizens are still referred to as Mancunians. These are generally thought to represent a Latinisation of an original Brittonic name, both meanings are preserved in languages derived from Common Brittonic, mam meaning breast in Irish and mother in Welsh. The suffix -chester is a survival of Old English ceaster and their territory extended across the fertile lowland of what is now Salford and Stretford. Central Manchester has been settled since this time. A stabilised fragment of foundations of the version of the Roman fort is visible in Castlefield. After the Roman withdrawal and Saxon conquest, the focus of settlement shifted to the confluence of the Irwell, much of the wider area was laid waste in the subsequent Harrying of the North. Thomas de la Warre, lord of the manor, founded and constructed a church for the parish in 1421. The church is now Manchester Cathedral, the premises of the college house Chethams School of Music. The library, which opened in 1653 and is open to the public today, is the oldest free public reference library in the United Kingdom. Manchester is mentioned as having a market in 1282, around the 14th century, Manchester received an influx of Flemish weavers, sometimes credited as the foundation of the regions textile industry
8.
Colchester
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Colchester /ˈkoʊltʃɛstər/ is an historic large town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in the county of Essex. As the oldest recorded Roman town in Britain, Colchester is claimed to be the oldest town in Britain and it was for a time the capital of Roman Britain, and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. Colchester is some 50 miles northeast of London and is connected to the capital by the A12 road and it is seen as a popular town for commuters, and is less than 30 miles away from Stansted Airport and 20 miles from the passenger ferry port of Harwich. Colchester is home to Colchester Castle and Colchester United Football Club and it has a Conservative Member of Parliament, Will Quince, who was elected in the 2015 General Election. The River Colne runs through the town and it is a widely held belief that the name Colchester is derived from the Latin words Colonia and Castra, meaning fortifications. The earliest forms of the name Colchester are Colenceaster and Colneceastre from the 10th century, in this way of interpreting the name, the River Colne which runs through the town takes its name from Colonia as well. Cologne also gained its name from a similar etymology, ekwall went as far as to say it has often been held that Colchester contains as first element colonia. This derivation is ruled out of court by the fact that Colne is the name of old villages situated a good many miles from Colchester. The identification of Colonia with Colchester is doubtful, from these deposits beneath the town have been found Palaeolithic flint tools, including at least six Acheulian handaxes. Further flint tools made by hunter gatherers living in the Colne Valley during the Mesolithic have been discovered and this included a pit found at Culver Street containing a ritually placed Neolithic grooved ware pot, as well as find spots containing later Deverel-Rimbury bucket urns. Before the Roman conquest of Britain it was already a centre of power for Cunobelin – known to Shakespeare as Cymbeline – king of the Catuvellauni, who minted coins there. Its Celtic name, Camulodunon, variously represented as CA, CAM, CAMV, CAMVL and CAMVLODVNO on the coins of Cunobelinus, during the 30s AD Camulodunon controlled a large swathe of Southern and Eastern Britain, with Cunobelin called King of the Britons by Roman writers. Camulodunon is considered one of possible sites around Britain for the legendary Camelot of King Arthur. Soon after the Roman conquest of Britain in AD43, a Roman legionary fortress was established, later, when the Roman frontier moved outwards and the twentieth legion had moved to the west, Camulodunum became a colonia named in a second-century inscription as Colonia Victricensis. This contained a large and elaborate Temple to the Divine Claudius, Colchester is home to two of the five Roman theatres found in Britain, the one at Gosbecks being the largest in Britain, able to seat 5,000. Camulodunum served as a provincial Roman capital of Britain, but was attacked and destroyed during Boudicas rebellion in AD61, sometime after the destruction, London became the capital of the province of Britannia. Colchesters town walls c.3,000 yd. long were built c. 65–80 A. D. when the Roman town was rebuilt after the Boudicca rebellion. In 2004, Colchester Archaeological Trust discovered the remains of a Roman Circus underneath the Garrison in Colchester, the Roman town of Camulodunum, officially known as Colonia Victricensis, reached its peak in the Second and Third centuries AD
9.
Leyland Atlantean
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The Leyland Atlantean is a double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland Motors between 1958 and 1986. In the years immediately following World War II, bus operators in the United Kingdom faced a downturn in the numbers of passengers carried, a few experimental rear-engined buses had been produced before the war but none successfully made it beyond the prototype stage. The need to minimise the intrusion of the engine into passenger carrying space was a priority, however, such designs raised the height of the floor of the vehicle, forcing additional steps at the entrance. On double decker buses, these problems were amplified, causing either an increase in the height of the vehicle or an inadequate interior height. In 1952, Leyland began experimenting with ideas for a rear-engined double-decker bus, a prototype was built, with a body by Saunders-Roe, to the maximum permitted width of 7 feet 6 inches. It was fitted with a version of the Leyland 0.350 engine. The chassis was a frame of steel and light alloy with deep stressed side-members. An automatic clutch and self change gearbox were also fitted, the vehicle was designated the PDR1. In 1956, a prototype was constructed, this time with a Metro-Cammell body and. It had a clutch, Pneumocyclic gearbox and angle drive. This vehicle was 13 feet 2.75 inches in height, with a 16-foot-2. 875-inch wheelbase, Leyland christened this prototype the Lowloader. Though two prototypes were tested, the same problem of a front-engined bus remained, they had rear entrances with the space alongside the driver being wasted. An amendment to the Construction and Use Regulations in 1956 saw the length for double-deckers increased to 30 feet. This was initially to allow the driver to supervise boarding whilst the conductor collected fares, Leyland took advantage of the new regulation to launch the first prototype Atlantean at the 1956 Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court Exhibition Centre. Though it featured the front entrance design that would redefine the bus industry, the main problem was the high level of engine noise inside the lower saloon, as the engine was still inside the body, with the compartment being used for bench seating. The Atlantean had a light and strong fabricated frame, light alloy floor plates were rivetted directly to the framework, fulfilling the dual purpose of reinforcing the frame and providing a foundation for the saloon floor. The platform-type sub-frame concept from the Lowloader was retained for the prototype, a drop-centre rear axle allowed the flat floor, only one step up from ground level, to continue for the full length of the bus. The prototype was demonstrated around the country to various operators and it also had an unregistered sister vehicle, which was used as a testbed
10.
VDL DB250
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The VDL DB250 is a twin-axle double-decker bus chassis sold in the UK through VDL Bus Internationals UK dealer Arriva. A small number of DB250s have also been exported to Istanbul, the original DB250 was originally only available with Optare Spectra bodywork, with the Northern Counties Palatine body becoming available later. The original design was based on the MCW Metrobus for which Optare, the DB250LF, the low-floor version of the DB250 chassis, is perhaps more well known as the first low-floor double-decker bus chassis available in the UK. The DB250LF is readily identified by the centrally-exiting exhaust at the rear, the new version of DB250LF was launched in 2004, which is officially known as DB250+. The design has received a number of modifications, one of which is the use of independent front suspension, the first DB250LFs were bodied by Optare, with the modified Spectra body, which was sold exclusively on the DB250. The first low-floor variant entered service in 1997 with Abus of Bristol, later, the Alexander ALX400, Plaxton President, East Lancs Myllennium Lowlander and Wright Pulsar Gemini also became available. The development of a Wright alternative arose because Arriva wished to buy both the Wright body and VDL chassis, unable to do so, they took delivery of over 100 Wright-bodied Volvo B7TLs. Wrightbus subsequently developed the Pulsar Gemini in order to win more orders from Arriva, despite the DB250LF arriving early to the market, DAF had always struggled to find orders. Travel West Midlands ordered 20, but following the launch of the Dennis Trident 2, other sizeable operators are Travel West Midlands, Reading Buses and Wilts & Dorset. The DB250LF chassis was adopted by Wrightbus for the development of its hybrid-powered double-decker bus. Production of the DB250 ended in 2006, although examples continued entering service in the UK in 2008 and its successor, the Wright Gemini 2 integral double decker with VDL chassis modules, was announced in December 2007 and launched in November 2008. The original DAF DB250 was available to limited bodywork when first released, - Optare Spectra - Northern Counties Palatine 2 When the DAF DB250LF was released in 1997 many more bodywork options become available. - Modified Optare Spectra - Alexander ALX400 - Plaxton President - East Lancs Myllennium Lowlander - Wright Pulsar Gemini Some body options for the DB250 List of buses
11.
Cambridge
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Cambridge is a university city and the county town of Cambridgeshire, England, on the River Cam about 50 miles north of London. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, its population was 123,867, there is archaeological evidence of settlement in the area in the Bronze Age and in Roman Britain, under Viking rule, Cambridge became an important trading centre. The first town charters were granted in the 12th century, although city status was not conferred until 1951, the University of Cambridge, founded in 1209, is one of the top five universities in the world. The university includes the Cavendish Laboratory, Kings College Chapel, the citys skyline is dominated by the last two buildings, along with the spire of the Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church, the chimney of Addenbrookes Hospital and St Johns College Chapel tower. Anglia Ruskin University, evolved from the Cambridge School of Art, Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology Silicon Fen with industries such as software and bioscience and many start-up companies spun out of the university. More than 40% of the workforce has a higher education qualification, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, one of the largest biomedical research clusters in the world, is soon to be home to AstraZeneca, a hotel and the relocated Papworth Hospital. Parkers Piece hosted the first ever game of Association football, the Strawberry Fair music and arts festival and Midsummer Fairs are held on Midsummer Common, and the annual Cambridge Beer Festival takes place on Jesus Green. The city is adjacent to the M11 and A14 roads, settlements have existed around the Cambridge area since prehistoric times. The earliest clear evidence of occupation is the remains of a 3, the principal Roman site is a small fort Duroliponte on Castle Hill, just northwest of the city centre around the location of the earlier British village. The fort was bounded on two sides by the lines formed by the present Mount Pleasant, continuing across Huntingdon Road into Clare Street, the eastern side followed Magrath Avenue, with the southern side running near to Chesterton Lane and Kettles Yard before turning northwest at Honey Hill. It was constructed around AD70 and converted to use around 50 years later. Evidence of more widespread Roman settlement has been discovered including numerous farmsteads, evidence exists that the invading Anglo-Saxons had begun occupying the area by the end of the century. Their settlement—also on and around Castle Hill—became known as Grantebrycge, Anglo-Saxon grave goods have been found in the area. During this period, Cambridge benefited from good trade links across the hard-to-travel fenlands, by the 7th century, the town was less significant and described by Bede as a little ruined city containing the burial site of Etheldreda. Cambridge was on the border between the East and Middle Anglian kingdoms and the settlement slowly expanded on both sides of the river, the arrival of the Vikings was recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 875. Viking rule, the Danelaw, had been imposed by 878 Their vigorous trading habits caused the town to grow rapidly. During this period the centre of the town shifted from Castle Hill on the bank of the river to the area now known as the Quayside on the right bank. In 1068, two years after his conquest of England, William of Normandy built a castle on Castle Hill, like the rest of the newly conquered kingdom, Cambridge fell under the control of the King and his deputies
12.
New York City
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The City of New York, often called New York City or simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2015 population of 8,550,405 distributed over an area of about 302.6 square miles. Located at the tip of the state of New York. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has described as the cultural and financial capital of the world. Situated on one of the worlds largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, the five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product of nearly US$1.39 trillion, in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion. NYCs MSA and CSA GDP are higher than all but 11 and 12 countries, New York City traces its origin to its 1624 founding in Lower Manhattan as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic and was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the countrys largest city since 1790, the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the Americas by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a symbol of the United States and its democracy. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world, the names of many of the citys bridges, tapered skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Manhattans real estate market is among the most expensive in the world, Manhattans Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 472 stations in operation. Over 120 colleges and universities are located in New York City, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, during the Wisconsinan glaciation, the New York City region was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet over 1,000 feet in depth. The ice sheet scraped away large amounts of soil, leaving the bedrock that serves as the foundation for much of New York City today. Later on, movement of the ice sheet would contribute to the separation of what are now Long Island and Staten Island. The first documented visit by a European was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown and he claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême. Heavy ice kept him from further exploration, and he returned to Spain in August and he proceeded to sail up what the Dutch would name the North River, named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange
Media related to City Sightseeing at Wikimedia Commons
