Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty, officially named Liberty Enlightening the World, is a colossal copper statue that stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbour. It was a gift from the people of France to the United States to celebrate the centennial of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence and to honour the friendship between the two nations. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, with the internal iron framework engineered by Gustave Eiffel, the statue depicts Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. She holds a torch aloft in her right hand, which represents enlightenment, and carries a stone tablet in her left hand inscribed with the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals. At her feet lie broken chains and shackles, which symbolise the end of slavery and oppression.