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Albany

Capital of New York State, in Albany County situated on the west bank of the Hudson River, about 225 km/140 mi north of New York City; population (2000 est) 95,700. Albany is an important deep-water port and state administrative centre; its chief industries include clothing, brewing, and engineering. The city was incorporated as Albany in 1686 and became the state capital in 1797.

History

The area was first reached by Henry Hudson during his 1609 voyage up the river and was since named after him. Fort Orange, a Dutch trading post, was established on the future site of the city in 1624. In 1652 Pieter Stuyvesant, Governor of New Netherland, proclaimed that Fort Orange should be called Beverwyck. The Dutch surrendered to the British in 1664 and the land was granted to James, Duke of York and Albany (later James II). New Amsterdam became New York and Beverwyck became Albany. In 1754 a general conference of the states known as the Albany Congress was held here, at which US statesman Benjamin Franklin's Plan of Union, a forerunner of the US Constitution, was adopted. Albany played an important part in the American Revolution and suffered heavy damage at the hands of the British. The completion of the Champlain Canal (1822) and the Erie Canal (1825), as well as the Hudson Railroad (1831), helped to foster its subsequent economic development.

Features Albany has 52 entries on the National Register of Historic Places, including historic districts, city hall (1831), and the State Capitol (1867). A government complex, the Empire State Plaza, was built in the 1960s. Albany is the birthplace of the writer Bret Harte and US Revolutionary patriot Philip Livingston, one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence. US president Chester Arthur is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery. Albany houses the New York State Archives, the New York State Library, the Albany Institute of History and Art (1791), and the Albany Symphony Orchestra. The State University of New York (1844) has its headquarters, and a campus, at Albany.

Albany

Town and port in Western Australia, on King George Sound, 409 km/254 mi southeast of Perth; population (2001) 22,400. It suffered from the initial development of the port of Fremantle, but has grown with the greater exploitation of the surrounding area. It is the centre for an agricultural region and the main port for southwestern Western Australia, exporting cattle, wool, and grain; industries include woollen milling, meat processing, and fish canning. Albany is also a popular tourist resort, with a temperate climate and fine beaches.

The Albany Doctor is a cooling breeze from the sea, rising in the afternoon.

Features Albany is known for its excellent fishing and beautiful coastal scenery. To the south of the town are the Torndirrup National Park, the Gap, the Natural Bridge, and the Blowholes.

History Albany was founded in 1826 as a penal colony, and was originally called Frederickstown after the Duke of York. It was renamed Albany in 1832 after the Chief of the British Army at the time, Commander Albany.

Albany

City and administrative headquarters of Dougherty County, southwest Georgia, USA; population (1992) 79,600. It is located 125 km/78 mi southeast of Columbus, on the Flint River. Albany is a commercial centre for the production of pecans and peanuts, lumber, chemicals, textiles, and other industrial products, including aircraft. The city is home to Albany State College (1903), Darton College (1963), and the Albany Naval Air Station. Founded in 1836 and incorporated in 1838, Albany was an important cotton market in the 19th century. Tourists are drawn to Radium Springs, a resort 4 mi/6 km to the south, featuring Georgia's largest natural spring.