The Statue of Liberty is a 46-meter tall iconic figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. It was designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and gifted to the United States by France in 1886 as a welcoming symbol for immigrants and a representation of American independence. Located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the statue holds a torch and tablet inscribed with the date of the Declaration of Independence while breaking free from chains at its feet.