New York City near the city, which would be more likely to cause damage to taller structures from an earthquake in the vicinity of the city. is often referred to collectively as the five boroughs, and in turn, there are throughout the boroughs, many with a definable history and character to call their own. If the boroughs were each independent cities, four of the boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx) would be among the ten most populous cities in the United States (Staten island would be ranked 37th) ; these same boroughs are coterminous with the four most densely populated counties in
Flags of New York City to which is added an arc of five five-pointed stars (representing each of the five boroughs) in blue above the seal. The dimensions of the Mayor's flag are set at 33 inches by 44 inches. The New York City Council uses a variant of the city flag, with the word "COUNCIL" underneath the seal. Currently, only Brooklyn and the Bronx have official borough flags. The other three boroughs have standard designs in current use, though they have never been officially adopted. Staten Island borough lawmakers pushed to have their flag officially recognized by the state in the 1990s and early