Brooklyn

Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It also covers the same area as Kings County. Brooklyn is New York City's second largest borough in land area (after Queens). In the early 21st century, about 2.5 million live there. This is more than in any of the other four boroughs.

For other uses, see Brooklyn (disambiguation).
Brooklyn
Kings County
Borough and county
Flag of Brooklyn
Flag
Official seal of Brooklyn
Seal
Motto(s): 
Eendraght Maeckt Maght
("Unity makes strength")
Location of Brooklyn, shown in yellow, in New York City
Location of Brooklyn, shown in yellow, in New York City
Coordinates: 40°37′29″N 73°57′8″W
CountryUnited States of America
StateNew York
CountyKings (Coterminous)
CityNew York City
Settled1634
Named forBreukelen, Netherlands
Government
 • TypeBorough (New York City)
 • Borough PresidentAntonio Reynoso (D)
— (Borough of Brooklyn)
 • District AttorneyEric Gonzalez (D)
— (Kings County)
Area
 • Total97 sq mi (250 km2)
 • Land71 sq mi (180 km2)
 • Water26 sq mi (70 km2)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total2,648,771[1]
 • Density37,306.6/sq mi (14,404.2/km2)
 • Demonym
Brooklynite Brooklyn people (plural)
ZIP Code prefix
112
Area code(s)718/347/929, 917
Websitewww.Brooklyn-USA.org

Brooklyn is the west end of Long Island. The East River separates it from Manhattan in the north. Brooklyn's only land boundary is with Queens in the east. Jamaica Bay separates Brooklyn from Rockaway in the south. The Narrows separates Brooklyn from Staten Island in the west.

Coney Island is the south end of Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Museum is near the middle of Brooklyn, near Prospect Park.

History

Brooklyn is named after a Dutch town called "Breukelen". Dutch people were the first people from Europe to live in the area. When they got there, there were already some Native American people living there called the Lenape. The Dutch started the town in 1634 as part of the colony of New Netherland.

During the 19th century Brooklyn expanded and filled Kings County. It remained a separate city before the people there voted to join New York City in 1898. Today, many parts of Brooklyn are home to people who are mostly from one culture or ethnicity. Other parts are mixed.

The Brooklyn Bridge is old and famous. It goes over the East River and connects Downtown Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan. The longest bridge in New York, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Bay Ridge connects Brooklyn to Staten Island.

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brooklyn, New York City.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide about: Brooklyn
  1. QuickFacts for Kings County (Brooklyn Borough), New York, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 28, 2018.


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