New York Bay is the large tidal body of water in the
New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary where the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...
,
Raritan River
Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.
History
Geologists assert that the lower Raritan provided t ...
, and
Arthur Kill
The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It is a major navigational channel of the Port o ...
empty into the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
between
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.
The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...
and
Rockaway Point.
Geography
New York Bay is usually divided into two major components, which are connected by
the Narrows. They are
Upper New York Bay and
Lower New York Bay
Lower New York Bay is a section of New York Bay south of the Narrows (the strait between Staten Island and Brooklyn). The eastern end of the Bay is marked by two spits of land, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Rockaway, Queens. The waterway ...
.
The term
New York Harbor
New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in ...
usually refers to Upper New York Bay and the surrounding
Port of New York and New Jersey
The Port of New York and New Jersey is the port district of the New York-Newark metropolitan area, encompassing the region within approximately a radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
It includes the system of navigable wate ...
, but sometimes is taken to be a synonym for New York Bay.
Upper New York Bay includes several islands.
Liberty Island is the location of the
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, ...
. Nearby
Ellis Island is known as a former immigration station.
Governors Island is a former military base, now a park and historic site.
Robbins Reef Light is also in the upper bay. Lower New York Bay includes
Hoffman Island and nearby
Swinburne Island. Both are artificial islands that are closed to the public.
History
Commissioned by King
Francis I of France
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin on ...
, the Florentine explorer
Giovanni da Verrazzano
Giovanni da Verrazzano ( , , often misspelled Verrazano in English; 1485–1528) was an Italian ( Florentine) explorer of North America, in the service of King Francis I of France.
He is renowned as the first European to explore the Atlanti ...
is the first
European to discover the Bay in 1524. He gave it the name of
New Angoulême, in honor of the King who was also
Count of Angoulême.
See also
*
Geography and environment of New York City
The geography of New York City is characterized by its coastal position at the meeting of the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean in a naturally sheltered harbor. The city's geography, with its scarce availability of land, is a contributing fact ...
*
New York Harbor Storm-Surge Barrier
The New York Harbor Storm-Surge Barrier was a proposed barrier and floodgate system to protect the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary from storm surges. The proposed system would consist of one barrier located across the mouth of Lower New Yo ...
*
References
Bays of New Jersey
Bays of New York (state)
Bays of the Atlantic Ocean
Bodies of water of New York City
Bodies of water of Hudson County, New Jersey
Bodies of water of Monmouth County, New Jersey
Borders of New Jersey
Borders of New York (state)
East Coast of the United States
Geography of New York City
Hudson River
Port of New York and New Jersey
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