POPULATION:	18,976,457 in the 2000 US Census.
NICKNAME:	the "Empire State."
STATE MOTTO:	"Excelsior" which means "ever upward."
OTHER FACTS:	Over 1,500,000 gallons of water a second go over Niagara Falls, which is one of the biggest waterfalls in the world. The Hudson River is the state's longest river at 306 miles. The first election for governor took place between Philip Schuyler and George Clinton in 1777. Albany became the state capital in 1797.