Creating a repository offers three optional starter files: a README, a .gitignore chosen from the templates GitHub publishes, and a license chosen from the licenses on choosealicense.com. Anything selected is committed as the repository's first commit, so it can be cloned straight away instead of being pushed to empty.
After creating one you land on the repository itself. An empty repository shows its HTTPS clone URL and the commands to start a project or push an existing one, each with a copy button, and the Git Repositories page explains how access tokens fit in.