The statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty stands on its very own 12-acre island, Liberty Island, in New York City. France gave the U.S. the statue as a gift on Oct. 28, 1886, in recognition of the friendship the two countries established during the American Revolution. In 1924, the statue gained its status as a National Monument.

Measurements
The statue stands 151 feet and one inch high when measured from the top of its base to the torch--305 feet from the ground to the tip of the torch. The length of her hand is 16 feet, five inches, and the index finger alone is eight feet long. Lady Liberty's tablet is more than 13.5 feet wide and 23.5 feet in length.

Weight
The statue was made of copper, but also consists of steel and concrete. The copper parts of the statue weigh 62,000 pounds, or 31 tons. The steel parts of the statue weigh 250,000 pounds, or 125 tons. The foundation of the statue is made of concrete that weights 54 million pounds, or 27,000 tons.

Design
The statue was designed by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The designer of the Eiffel Tower, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, designed the internal structure, or framework, of the statue. Eugene Viollet le Duc was the man responsible for choosing the copper to be used in the construction of the statue.

FunFacts
The Statue of Liberty's official title is Liberty Enlightening the World. The crown of the statue has 25 windows symbolizing gemstones that are found on the earth and the rays of heaven shining over the world. The seven seas and continents of earth are represented by the seven rays of the statue's crown. The Statue of Liberty was first pieced together in Paris. It was disassembled in 1885 and shipped to the United States in 214 crates.

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