New York's history is defined by the droves of immigrants that came to the United States through Ellis Island, and is still the leading metropolitan gateway for legal immigrants admitted into the United States. Many neighborhoods have been called "melting pots" due to the great diversity in them.
One of the results of this great diversity is the number of languages spoken in New York City. There are as many as 800 languages spoken there, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world! English is still the most spoken language, though there are areas in which up to 25 percent of the people living there don't speak English primarily. English is least spoken in neighborhoods such as Flushing, Sunset Park and Corona.
According to a 2001 study by Claritas, four of the city's five boroughs ranked among the nation's 20 most diverse counties, with Queens ranked 1st, Brooklyn 3rd, Manhattan 7th, and The Bronx 17th. In addition, Hudson County and Essex County, New Jersey, both of which are part of the New York Metropolitan Area, ranked 6th and 15th, respectively.
