New York, often called New York City[b] or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with a respective county. The city is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area. New York is a global center of finance[11] and commerce, culture, technology,[12] entertainment and media, academics and scientific output,[13] the arts and fashion, and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations, international diplomacy.[14][15][16][17][18] With an estimated population in 2023 of 8,258,035[5] distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km2),[4] the city is the most densely populated major city in the United States. New York City has more than double the population of Los Angeles, the nation's second-most populous city.[19] With more than 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area[20] and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York City is one of the world's most populous megacities.[21] The city and its metropolitan area are the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City,[22] making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. In 2021, the city was home to nearly 3.1 million residents born outside the United States,[19] the largest foreign-born population of any city in the world.[23]New York City lies in the northeastern United States, in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston. Its location at the mouth of the Hudson River, which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean, has helped the city become a significant trading port. Most of the city is built on the three islands of Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island.During the Wisconsin glaciation, 75,000 to 11,000 years ago, the New York City area was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet.[160] The erosive forward movement of the ice (and its subsequent retreat) contributed to the separation of what is now Long Island and Staten Island. That action left bedrock at a relatively shallow depth, providing a solid foundation for most of Manhattan's skyscrapers.[161]