Statue of Liberty is the majestic copper sculpture that towers above Liberty Island at the entrance to New York Harbor in Upper New York Bay. This famous figure of a robed woman holding a torch is one of the largest statues ever built. The statue's complete name is Liberty Enlightening the World.

The Statue of Liberty was given to the people of the United States by the people of France in 1884. This gift was an expression of friendship and of the ideal of liberty shared by both peoples. French citizens donated the money to build the statue, and people in the United States raised the funds to construct the pedestal (base). The French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue and chose its site.

The Statue of Liberty is a major tourist attraction for people from all over the world. Each year, about 2 million people visit the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty and the former immigration station at Ellis Island make up the Statue of Liberty National Monument, which is administered by the National Park Service. Major repairs and improvements of the statue began during the early 1980's. This huge restoration project was completed in 1986 -- the hundredth anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in the United States.