Albany is the capital of the U.S. state of New York and the seat of Albany County. Roughly north of New York City, Albany developed on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. The population of the City of Albany was 97,856 according to the 2010 census. Albany constitutes the economic and cultural core of the Capital District of New York State, which comprises the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area, including the nearby cities and suburbs of Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs. With a 2013 Census-estimated population of 1.1 million the Capital District is the third-most populous metropolitan region in the state and 38th in the United States. 

Fortune 500 companies with offices in Albany include American Express, J.P. Morgan and Chase, Merrill Lynch, General Electric, Verizon, Goldman Sachs, International Paper, and Key Bank. In the 21st century, the Capital District has emerged as a major anchor of Tech Valley, the moniker describing the technologically-focused region of eastern New York State. 

This was the first European settlement in the state. It was settled by Dutch colonists who in 1614, built Fort Nassau for fur trading and Fort Orange in 1624. They formed successful relations with both the Mahican and the Mohawk peoples, two major Native American nations in the region. The fur trade attracted settlers who founded a village called Beverwijck near Fort Orange. In 1664 the English took over the Dutch settlements, renaming the city as Albany, in honor of the then Duke of Albany, the future James II of England and James VII of Scotland. The city was officially chartered in 1686 under English rule. It became the capital of New York State in 1797, following the United States gaining independence in the American Revolutionary War. Albany is one of the oldest surviving settlements of the original British thirteen colonies, and the longest continuously chartered city in the United States. Its charter is possibly the longest-running instrument of municipal government in the Western Hemisphere. QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. Name a few fortune 500 companies with offices in Albany?
2. What companies on the Fortune 500 list have branches in Albany?
3. 
Q2:
1. What state is Albany the capital of?
2. What is the state for which Albany serves as capital?
3. 
Q3:
1. What river was Albany developed on the bank of?
2. Upon which river bank was Albany established?
3. 
Q4:
1. Who was Albany first settled by?
2. Who were the first settlers in Albany?
3. 
Q5:
1. When did the first settlers come to Albany?
2. In what year was Albany first settled?
3. 
Q6:
1. Were there other European colonies in America when Albany was settled?
2. At the time of Albany's settlement, did other European nations have colonies in America?
3. 
Q7:
1. When did Albany become the capital of New York State?
2. In what year was Albany made the capital of New York?
3. 
Q8:
1. How does Albany rank in population with other cities in the US?
2. How does the population of Albany rank against other American cities?
3. 
Q9:
1. How does Albany rank in population with other cities in the state
2. How does the population of Albany rank against New York's other cities?
3. 
Q10:
1. What is notable about Albany's charter?
2. What makes Albany's charter unique?
3. 
Q11:
1. Is it possible that Albany has the longest running charter in the western hemisphere?
2. Might Albany have the charter with the longest history in the Western hemisphere?
3. 
Q12:
1. What is the population of Albany according to the 2010 census?
2. What does the 2010 census list Albany's population as?
3. 
Q13:
1. What other districts join Albany to make up New York State's Capital district?
2. What are the districts contained within the New York Capital district, alongside Albany?
3. 
Q14:
1. When did the English gain control of Albany from the Dutch?
2. In what year did the English take over Albany from the Dutch?
3. 
