New York City is located in the Northeastern United
States, in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between
Washington, D.C. and Boston. The locations at the mouth of the Hudson River,
which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean,
has helped the city grow in significance as a trading port. Much of New York is
built on the three islands of Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long Island, making
land scarce and encouraging a high population density.
