Manhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, geographically smallest but most densely populated in the city. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the borough is conterminous with New York County, an original county of the U.S. state of New York. The borough and county consist of Manhattan Island and several small adjacent islands: Roosevelt Island, Randall’s Island, Wards Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island, part of Ellis Island, Mill Rock, and U Thant Island; as well as Marble Hill, a small area on the mainland bordering the Bronx. The City of New York originated at the southern tip of Manhattan and expanded northward.
New York County is the most densely populated county in the United States and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with a 2010 population of 1,585,873 living in a land area of 22.96 square miles (59.5 km2), or 69,464 residents per square mile (26,924/km²), more dense than any individual American city. It is also one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, with a 2005 per capita income above $100,000. Manhattan is the third-largest of New York’s five boroughs in population, after Brooklyn and Queens, and its smallest borough in land area.
Manhattan has been described as the economic and cultural center of the United States and is home to the United Nations Headquarters. Anchored by Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City functions as one of the financial capitals of the world, has an estimated GDP of over $1.2 trillion, and is home of both the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. Manhattan’s real estate market is among the most expensive in the world, and many multinational media conglomerates are based in the borough.
Many districts and landmarks in Manhattan have become well known to New York City’s approximately 50 million annual visitors. Times Square, iconified as “The Crossroads of the World” and “The Center of the Universe”, is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theatre district, one of the world’s busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world’s entertainment industry. The borough hosts many world-renowned bridges, skyscrapers, and parks. Manhattan’s Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere. The Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village served as the catalyst for the modern gay rights movement. Numerous colleges and universities are located in Manhattan, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, which have been ranked among the top 50 in the world. Manhattan also houses New York City Hall, the seat of city government.
Source: en.wikipedia.org