Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located at the western end of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area. If the borough were a separate city, it would be the fourth-largest city in the United States. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State, and the second most densely populated county in the United States, after New York County (Manhattan).

Though a part of New York City, Brooklyn maintains a distinct culture, independent art scene, and unique architectural heritage. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves where particular ethnic groups and cultures predominate.

History

main: History of Brooklyn The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in the area on the western end of Long Island, then largely inhabited by the Native American people, called the Lenape (often erroneously referred to by the Lenape place-name, "Canarsee", in contemporary colonial documents.) The first Dutch settlement, established in 1634, was called Midwout (Midwood). The Dutch also purchased land during the 1630s from the Mohawks in present- day Gowanus, Red Hook, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and Bushwick. The Village of Breuckelen, named for Breukelen in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands, was authorized by the Dutch West India Company in 1646; it became the first true municipality in what is now New York State. At the time, Breuckelen was part of New Netherland. Other villages which were later incorporated into Brooklyn were Boswijk (Bushwick), Nieuw Utrecht (New Utrecht), and Nieuw Amersfoort (Flatlands). A few houses and cemeteries still bear witness to the Dutch origins of the borough of Brooklyn.

The Dutch lost Breuckelen in the British conquest of New Netherland in 1664. In 1683, the British reorganized the Province of New York into twelve counties, each of which was sub-divided into towns. Over time, the name evolved from Breuckelen, to Brockland, to Brocklin, to Brookline, and eventually, to Brooklyn. Kings County was one of the original counties, and Brooklyn was one of the original six towns within Kings County. The county was named in honor of King Charles II of England.

In August and September of 1776, the Battle of Long Island (also called the Battle of Brooklyn) was fought in Kings County. It was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the Declaration of Independence and the largest battle of the entire conflict. While General George Washington's defeat on the battlefield cast early doubts on his abilities as a military tactician and leader, he did keep the Continental Army intact with a brilliant overnight tactical retreat, across the East River, a manoeuvre seen by historians as one of his greatest practical accomplishments.