The Statue of Liberty was presented in 1886 by the people of France to the United States. This statue is erected on Liberty Island at the New York Harbor. This statue is made of copper.
Actually, this statue commemorates the centennial of the signing of United States Declaration of Independence. It was presented by France on 28 October, 1886 as a token of friendship.
This statue was made or sculpted by French artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. He was given the task of making a suitable gift for America. He came up with this idea on his visit to Egypt. He was inspired by the Roman goddess Libertas. So he thought of a statue which was a modified form of this goddess, holding a torch upwards.
This statue has become a sign of freedom and democracy. It is actually modelled as a light-house and was actually used as a lighthouse in old times.
You can find more details at en.wikipedia.org