About Bronx

The Bronx is New York City's northernmost borough, coterminous with Bronx County. The Bronx is located northeast of Manhattan. It is the only one of the city's five boroughs situated primarily on the United States mainland (the others are on islands). As of 2006, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the borough's population was 1,361,473, fourth of the five boroughs. Recently, its population, which had been declining since it peaked in 1950, showed a small increase.

"The Bronx" is referred to, both legally, and colloquially, with a definite article, as "The Bronx". (The name of "Bronx County", which is coterminous, does not include a "the", nor does the USPS in its address database.) The name for this region first appeared in the "Annexed District of the Bronx" created in 1874 out of part of Westchester County and named after the Bronx River, and was continued in the "Borough of the Bronx", which included a larger annexation from Westchester County in 1898. The use of the definite article is attributed to the style of referring to rivers. The river itself was named after Jonas Bronck, a Swedish sea captain and 1641 resident whose 500 acre (2 km²) farm lay between the Harlem River and the Bronx River, the latter of which was then known as the Aquahung by Native Americans. Another explanation for the use of the definite article in the borough's name is that the original form of the name was possessive: The Broncks'.