La Statue of Liberty It was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States for the 100 years of their Independence. It is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.
Situated on New York's Liberty Island, occupying 12 acres of land, the monument welcomes all who come to New York as tourists, and also welcomes returning residents.
The copper clad statue is of a robed woman holding a book in one hand and a torch in the other and is one of the most recognized icons worldwide.
And among some curious and interesting facts we have:
• The height of the Statue of Liberty is 152 feet or 46 meters high.
• Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty and the iron work on the interior by Gustave Eiffel.
• It took 15 years to build the Statue of Liberty. Work began in 1870 and was inaugurated on October 28, 1886.
• It is made up of three types of material. The iron bars are used to support the skin, the copper is used as a skin over the structure and the underlying stone and concrete are used for the pedestal.
• There are 25 windows in the crown of the Statue of Liberty, which symbolize the precious stones found on earth and the rays of heaven that shine on the world.
• The seven rays in the crown of the statue represent the seven seas and continents of the world.
• The interior of the pedestal contains a bronze plaque inscribed with the poem "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus.
• There are hundreds of other Statues of Liberty that have been erected around the world.
• The image of the Statue of Liberty has been used on American banknotes and coins.
• Statue of Liberty has turned green over the years due to the effects of acid rain on its copper cladding.
• It was repaired and restored in the mid-1980s, by a combined French and American task force, for the centennial celebration held in July 1986.
• The new Statue of Liberty torch is gold-plated applied to the outside of the 'flame', which is illuminated by the exterior lamps on the surrounding balcony platform.