Geography and Demographics
– Located in New York, United States
– Most densely populated and second-most populous county in New York State
– Borders New York City’s borough of Queens to the west
– Borders Suffolk County to the east
County Features
– Contains two cities, three towns, 64 incorporated villages, and over 60 unincorporated hamlets
– Home to some of the world’s most expensive real estate on the Gold Coast
– Designated police department, fire commission, and elected executive and legislative bodies
– Prominent life sciences research and academic institutions
– High school students often win STEM-based academic awards
Etymology
– Named after the Dutch family of King William III of England, the House of Nassau
– County colors (orange and blue) are also the colors of the House of Orange-Nassau
– Considered alternate names: Bryant, Matinecock, Norfolk, and Sagamore
– Nassau was the historical name of Long Island itself
– Proposed as the name for the county in 1875
History
– Originally part of Queens County, formed in 1683
– Town of North Hempstead seceded from the Town of Hempstead in 1784
– Nassau County formed in 1899 after the western portion of Queens became a borough of New York City
– Native American tribes occupied the area before European settlers arrived
– Long Island split between Dutch and English control until 1664
County Seat and Government
– County seat is Mineola
– Largest town is Hempstead
– Seat of county government moved to Long Island City in 1874
– Towns advocated for separation from Queens County in 1875
– New county of Nassau constituted in 1899, with Mineola chosen as the county seatSources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nassau_County,_New_York
