The Land Long Island is part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is a wide, flat plain that runs along the east coast of the United States from Massachusetts all the way down to Florida. In New York, it includes Long island, Staten Island, and the other boroughs of New York City. Long Island is located at the southern end of New York State and extends 120 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean. People say that Long Island is shaped like a giant fish. The “head” of the fish is near New York City and the tail fins are the eastern tip of the island. Long Island is divided into two counties: the western part of the island is Nassau County and the eastern part is Suffolk County. Fire Island is Long Island’s barrier island. A barrier island is created when waves push sand to form pieces of land that rise above the surface. Barrier islands protect the coastline of the larger island from erosion from ocean waves. Erosion is when water and wind wear away at rocks and soil by continually washing over when or blowing on them. New York City's bedrock is the land its built upon. Underlying much of Manhattan is a mica schist known as Manhattan schist of the Manhattan Prong physiographic region. It is a strong metamorphic rock created when Pangaea formed, and it is well suited for the foundations of tall buildings.
The Waterways As you probably have guessed, Long Island is surrounded by water. Long Island Sound hugs the northern side of the island and separates it from Connecticut. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Ocean borders the island’s south side with miles of beautiful beaches. Bays are parts of an ocean that cut deeply into the land, and Long Island has several bays such as the Great Peconic Bay, Gardiner’s Bay, Manhasset Bay, New York Bay, Little Neck Bay, and Patchogue Bay. In New York City the Hudson River flows south into the Atlantic Ocean at New York Bay. New York Bay is a great harbor, a place where ships can dock. Manhattan is bordered by the Hudson River on its western side and the East River on its eastern side. Glaciers formed New York Bay and that is the reason it is very deep. Because of its deep harbor, large ships from all over the world can enter to anchor or dock to unload cargo. That is the reason New York is one of the most important cities in the US and the world.
Seasons and Weather Long Island has a seasonal climate. That means that it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Overall, however, the weather in Long Island is fairly mild. The Atlantic Ocean exerts a strong influence on Long Island’s climate. In the summer, temperatures typically stay below 90 degrees especially near the shore line. In the winter, the temperature rarely drops below ten degrees because the ocean maintains warmth. In New York City, summers are hot and humid. New York City, like other large cities, is warmer than surrounding areas due to the urban heat island effect, which is defined as an increase in urban air temperature as compared to surrounding suburban and rural temperatures. The winters here are cold, and snow is not unusual.
Tourism and Points of Interest
Long Island’s Nassau County is home to Jones Beach, which is considered one of the most beautiful beaches. It is a popular recreation spot. Another attraction is Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, the former home of President Theodore Roosevelt. Long Island’s Suffolk County gets more sunshine than any other county in the state. The Hamptons on the east end attracts many tourists during the summer months. Suffolk Country grows more food, in dollar amounts, than any other county in the state. New York City New York City is the nation’s largest city with a population of 8.6 million. The city consists of five boroughs (areas): the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Manhattan Island, a.k.a. New York City sits on solid bedrock, making it a great anchor for some of the tallest buildings in the world. Manhattan is the oldest part of the five boroughs. Millions of people visit the island of Manhattan to see Radio City Music Hall, the 9-11 Memorial, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, and the Statue of Liberty. Manhattan has world-class museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art.