The Statue of Liberty, officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World, was presented to the United States by "the people of France" in 1886. Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbour, the statue welcomes visitors, immigrants and returning Americans travelling by ship.
The copper-clad statue was dedicated to the Americans on 28 October 1886 and commemorates the centennial of the signing of the United States Decloration of Independence. It was given by the French to represent the friendship between France and America during the American Revolution.
The statue is of a robed woman holding a torch, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel. The statue is 151ft [46m] tall, but with the pedestal and foundation it is 305ft [93m] tall.
The statue is one of the most recognisable icons worldwide, and was, from 1886 until the jet age, often one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants after ocean voyages from Europe.
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