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New jersey
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{{Infobox U.S. state |
Name = New Jersey |
Fullname = State of New Jersey |
Flag = Flag of New Jersey.svg |
Flaglink =
Flag of New Jersey |
Seal = New Jersey state seal.png |
Map = Map of USA highlighting New Jersey.png |
Nickname = The Garden State |
Capital =
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton |
LargestCity =
Newark, New Jersey Newark |
Governor =
Jon Corzine (D) |
Senators =
Frank Lautenberg (D)
Bob Menendez (D) |
PostalAbbreviation = NJ |
OfficialLang = ''None defined'',
English language English ''de facto''|
AreaRank = 47
th |
TotalArea = 22,608 |
LandArea = 19,231 |
WaterArea = 3,378 |
PCWater = 14.9 |
PopRank = 10
th (as of 2005)|
2000Pop = 8,717,925 (as of 2005)|
DensityRank = 1
st |
2000Density = 438 |
AdmittanceOrder = 3
rd |
AdmittanceDate =
December 18,
1787 |
TimeZone =
Eastern Standard Time Zone Eastern:
UTC-5/
Daylight saving time -4 |
Latitude = 38°55'N to 41°21'23"N |
Longitude = 73°53'39"W to 75°35'W |
Width = 110 |
Length = 240 |
HighestElev = 550 |
MeanElev = 75 |
LowestElev = 0 |
ISOCode = US-NJ |
Website = www.state.nj.us
}}
'''New Jersey''' is the fourth smallest and the most densely populated
U.S. state state of the
United States. It is abbreviated '''NJ''' by the
United States Postal Service U.S. Postal Service and '''N.J.''' conventionally. The state is named after the island of
Jersey in the
English Channel. The state's official nickname is the "Garden State."
New Jersey is considered part of the
Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by
New York, on the east by the
Atlantic Ocean, on the south by
Delaware, and on the west by
Pennsylvania. Parts of New Jersey are included in the
metropolitan areas of
New York metropolitan area New York,
Philadelphia, and the
Delaware Valley. The highest point of elevation in New Jersey is
High Point, with an elevation of 1,803 feet (550 m).
Inhabitated by Native Americans for
Native Americans in the United States 11,000-50,000 years, New Jersey was later settled by the Swedes and Dutch. The British later seized control of the region of New Jersey, which was granted to Sir
George Carteret and Lord
John Berkeley. New Jersey was an important site during the
American Revolution, since several decisive battles were fought in New Jersey. Cities like
Paterson, New Jersey helped to drive the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, the economy of New Jersey prospered through the 1920s but declined in the 1930s in the
Great Depression.
Geography
{{main|Geography of New Jersey}}
{{seealso|List of New Jersey counties}}
New Jersey is bordered on the north and northeast by
New York, on the east by the
Atlantic Ocean, on the south by
Delaware, and on the west by
Pennsylvania. The western border of New Jersey is largely defined by the
Delaware River.
Image:New_York_Harbor.jpg New_York Harbor.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|280px|right|[[New York Harbor from the
Staten Island Ferry, with views of
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City (in
North Jersey) and its
Gold Coast, New Jersey Gold Coast featuring the 781-foot
Goldman Sachs Tower..html" title="Meaning of 280px|right|[[New York Harbor">thumb|280px|right|[[New York Harbor from the
Staten Island Ferry, with views of
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City (in
North Jersey) and its
Gold Coast, New Jersey Gold Coast featuring the 781-foot
Goldman Sachs Tower.">280px|right|[[New York Harbor">thumb|280px|right|[[New York Harbor from the
Staten Island Ferry, with views of
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City (in
North Jersey) and its
Gold Coast, New Jersey Gold Coast featuring the 781-foot
Goldman Sachs Tower.
New Jersey is broadly divided into three geographic regions:
North Jersey,
Central Jersey, and
South Jersey. North Jersey is within
New York City's general sphere of influence, with many of its residents commuting into the city for work. Central Jersey is a largely
suburb suburban area. South Jersey is within
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's general sphere of influence. Such geographic definitions are broad, however, and there is often dispute over where one region begins and another ends. Some people do not consider Central Jersey to exist at all, but most believe it is a separate geographic and cultural area from the North and South.
Additionally, the New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth & Tourism Commission divides the state into six distinct regions to facilitate the state's tourism industry. The regions are:
*Gateway Region, encompassing
Hudson County, New Jersey Hudson County,
Essex County, New Jersey Essex County,
Union County, New Jersey Union County,
Middlesex County, New Jersey Middlesex County,
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County, and
Passaic County, New Jersey Passaic County.
*Skylands Region, encompassing
Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County,
Morris County, New Jersey Morris County,
Warren County, New Jersey Warren County,
Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County, and
Somerset County, New Jersey Somerset County.
*Shore Region, encompassing
Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County and
Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County.
*Delaware River Region, encompassing
Mercer County, New Jersey Mercer County,
Burlington County, New Jersey Burlington County,
Camden County, New Jersey Camden County,
Gloucester County, New Jersey Gloucester County, and
Salem County, New Jersey Salem County.
*Greater Atlantic City Region, encompassing
Atlantic County, New Jersey Atlantic County.
*Southern Shore Region, encompassing
Cumberland County, New Jersey Cumberland County and
Cape May County, New Jersey Cape May County.
High Point Mountain, in
Montague Township, New Jersey Montague Township,
Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County, has the highest elevation in New Jersey, at 1,803 feet (550 m).
There are
List of New Jersey rivers many rivers in New Jersey. The major rivers include the
Manasquan River Manasquan,
Maurice River Maurice,
Mullica River Mullica,
Passaic River Passaic,
Rahway River Rahway,
Rancocas River Rancocas,
Raritan River Raritan,
Musconetcong River Musconetcong, and
Delaware River Delaware rivers. The
New Jersey Palisades Palisades are a line of steep cliffs on the lower west side of the
Hudson River.
Sandy Hook (New Jersey) Sandy Hook, along the eastern coast of New Jersey, is a popular beach of recreation. It is a barrier spit and the extension of a barrier peninsula along the state's coast.
Prominent geographic features include:
*
Delaware Water Gap
*
New Jersey Meadowlands
*
Pine Barrens (New Jersey) Pine Barrens
*
South Mountain Reservation South Mountain
History
{{main|History of New Jersey}}
New Jersey was once inhabited by the
Lenape Native Americans in the United States Native Americans. New Jersey was settled by the
Netherlands Dutch in the early 1630s, who formed a settlement at present-day
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City. At the time, much of what is now New Jersey was claimed as part of the Dutch colony of
New Netherland, which also included parts of present-day
New York New York State and had its capital at
New Amsterdam, now known as
New York City. Some of southwestern New Jersey also was settled by the
Sweden Swedes in the mid-1600s as part of the Swedish colony of
New Sweden, which included parts of
Delaware and southeastern
Pennsylvania. These Swedish territories were seized by the Dutch under
Peter Stuyvesant in 1654 and incorporated into New Netherland.
Colonial era
{{main|Colonial history of New Jersey}}
The entire region became a territory of
Britain in 1664 when a British fleet under the command of Colonel
Richard Nicolls sailed into what is today
New York Harbor and took over the colony. They met extremely little resistance.
During the
English Civil War the
Channel Islands Channel Isle of
Jersey remained loyal to The English Crown and gave sanctuary to the King. It was from the Royal Square in St. Helier that
Charles II of England was first proclaimed King of England in 1649, following the execution of his father,
Charles I of England. The North American lands were divided by
Charles II of England King Charles II of England, who gave his brother, the Duke of York (later
James II of England King James II) the region between
New England and
Maryland as a proprietary colony (as opposed to a royal colony). James then granted the land between the
Hudson River and the
Delaware River (the land that would become New Jersey) to two friends who had been loyal through the
English Civil War:
George Carteret Sir George Carteret and
John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton Lord Berkeley of Stratton.
Settlement for the first 10 years of English rule was in the
Hudson River region and came primarily from New England. On
March 18,
1673, Berkeley sold his half of New Jersey to
Religious Society of Friends Quakers in England (with
William Penn acting as trustee for a time) who settled the Delaware Valley region as a Quaker colony. New Jersey was governed as two distinct provinces,
West Jersey and
East Jersey, for the 28 years between 1674 and 1702. In 1702, the two provinces were united under a royal, rather than a proprietary, governor.
Revolutionary War era
{{main|New Jersey during the American Revolution}}
New Jersey was one of the
13 colonies thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the
American Revolution. During the
American Revolutionary War, British and American armies crossed New Jersey numerous times and several pivotal battles took place in the state. Because of this, New Jersey today is often referred to as "The Crossroads of the Revolution."
The
New Jersey State Constitution of 1776
[[http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/njdoc10a.htm New Jersey Constitution of 1776]] gives the vote to "all inhabitants of this Colony, of full age, who are worth fifty pounds proclamation money." This included blacks, spinsters, and widows. (Married women could not own property under the
common law.) It used to be held that this was an accident of hasty drafting: the British were at
Staten Island when the constitution was proclaimed, and it declares itself temporary, void if there was reconciliation with
Great Britain.
[Klinghoffer and Elkis ("The Petticoat Electors: Women’s Suffrage in New Jersey, 1776–1807." ''Journal of the Early Republic'' 12, no. 2 (1992): 159–193.)]
On
December 25 Christmas Day,
1776, the
Continental Army under
George Washington crossed the
Delaware River and engaged the unprepared
Hessian troops in the
Battle of Trenton. Slightly more than a week after victory at
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton, on
January 3,
1777, the American forces scored an important victory by stopping Cornwallis's charges at the
Second Battle of Trenton. By evading Cornwallis's army, Washington made a surprise attack on
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton, and successfully defeated the British garrison there.
Later on, the American forces underneath George Washington engaged the forces underneath General
Henry Clinton at the
Battle of Monmouth, resulting indecisively. Washington attempted to take the British column by surprise; when the British army attempted to flank the Americans the Americans retreated in disorder. The ranks were later reorganized and withstood the British charges.
In the summer of 1783, the
Continental Congress met in
Nassau Hall at
Princeton University, making
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton the nation's capital for four months. It was there that the Continental Congress learned of the signing of the
Treaty of Paris (1783) which ended the war. On
November 20,
1789, the state became the first in the newly-formed Union to ratify the
United States Bill of Rights Bill of Rights.
Nineteenth century
{{main|New Jersey in the Nineteenth Century}}
On
February 15,
1804, New Jersey became the last northern state to abolish
slavery by enacting legislation that slowly phased out slavery. However, by the close of the Civil War, about a dozen African-Americans in New Jersey were still apprenticed
freedmen. New Jersey initially refused to ratify the Constitutional Amendments banning slavery and granting rights to America's Black population.
Unlike the Revolutionary War, no battles of the
American Civil War took place within the state of New Jersey. However, throughout the course of the American Civil War, over 80,000 enlisted in the Northern army to defeat the Southern rebels. In total, the soldiers from New Jersey formed 4 militia regiments, 33 infantry regiments, 3 cavalry regiments, and 5 batteries of light artillery.
New Jersey was one of the few states to reject President
Abraham Lincoln twice in national elections. It sided toward
Stephen Douglas and
George B. McClellan during their campaigns. George McClellan later became a governor of the state. During the war the state was led first by Republican Governor
Charles Smith Olden, then by Democratic Governor
Joel Parker.
In 1844, the Second
New Jersey State Constitution was ratified and placed into action. This newer constitution removed the right of suffrage for women and blacks. This right had previously been granted to those groups in the original State Constitution.
In the
Industrial Revolution, cities like
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson grew and prospered. Previously, the economy had been largely based upon agriculture, which was problematic due to crop failures and poor soil. This caused a shift to a more industrialized economy, such as
textiles and
silk. Inventor
Thomas Edison also became an important figure of the Industrial Revolution, having been granted 1,093 patents. Transportation was greatly improved as
locomotion and
steamboats were introduced to New Jersey.
Twentieth century
{{main|New Jersey in the Twentieth Century}}
Through both World Wars, New Jersey was a center for war production, especially in naval construction. Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers were all made in this state. In addition,
Camp Kilmer,
Fort Dix, and
Camp Merritt were all constructed to help American soldiers through both World Wars. New Jersey also became a prinicipal location for defense in the
Cold War. Fourteen
Project Nike Nike Missile stations were constructed, especially for the defense of
New York City and
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
New Jersey became a prosperous state through the
Roaring Twenties, but fell in prosperity under the
Great Depression. Begging licenses were even offered to the unemployed by the state government in order to provide money for those who could not be helped by the exhausted state funds.
[Gerdes, Louise I. The 1930s, Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000.] During this time period, the zeppelin
Hindenburg disaster Hindenburg went up in flames over
Lakehurst, New Jersey Lakehurst.
In the 1960s, several
race riots sprung up in New Jersey, the first of which occurred in
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City on
August 2,
1964. Several other riots ensued in 1967.
Demographics
{{main|Demographics of New Jersey}}
{| class="toccolours" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 85%;"
|-
! colspan=2 bgcolor="#ccccff" align="center"| Historical population
|-
! align="center"| Census
year !! align="right"| Population
|-
| colspan=2|
|-
| align="center"| 1790 || align="right"| 184,139
|-
| align="center"| 1800 || align="right"| 211,149
|-
| align="center"| 1810 || align="right"| 245,562
|-
| align="center"| 1820 || align="right"| 277,575
|-
| align="center"| 1830 || align="right"| 320,823
|-
| align="center"| 1840 || align="right"| 373,306
|-
| align="center"| 1850 || align="right"| 489,555
|-
| align="center"| 1860 || align="right"| 672,035
|-
| align="center"| 1870 || align="right"| 906,096
|-
| align="center"| 1880 || align="right"| 1,131,116
|-
| align="center"| 1890 || align="right"| 1,444,933
|-
| align="center"| 1900 || align="right"| 1,883,669
|-
| align="center"| 1910 || align="right"| 2,537,167
|-
| align="center"| 1920 || align="right"| 3,155,900
|-
| align="center"| 1930 || align="right"| 4,041,334
|-
| align="center"| 1940 || align="right"| 4,160,165
|-
| align="center"| 1950 || align="right"| 4,835,329
|-
| align="center"| 1960 || align="right"| 6,066,782
|-
| align="center"| 1970 || align="right"| 7,168,164
|-
| align="center"| 1980 || align="right"| 7,364,823
|-
| align="center"| 1990 || align="right"| 7,730,188
|-
| align="center"|
United States 2000 Census 2000 || align="right"| 8,414,350
|}
State population
According to the
United States Census Bureau, as of 2005, New Jersey has an estimated population of 8,717,925, which is an increase of 32,759, or 0.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 303,578, or 3.6%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 220,220 people (that is 604,110 births minus 383,890 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 95,293 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 290,194 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 194,901 people. There are 1.6 million foreign-born living in the state (accounting for 19.2% of the state population).
New Jersey is the tenth most populous state, but the most densely populated, at 1,134.4 residents per square mile, although the population density varies widely across the state. It is also the second wealthiest state in the United States, behind
Connecticut.
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
The racial makeup of New Jersey is:
*66.0%
Whites White Non-Hispanic
*13.6%
Blacks Black
*13.3%
Hispanics Hispanic
*5.7%
Asian American Asian
*0.2%
Native American (U.S. Census)
*2.5%
Mixed race
New Jersey has the 15th largest percentage of minority residents of any state. It also has the second largest
Jewish population by percent (after
New York) and the second largest
Muslim population by percent (after
Michigan), and, additionally, it has the third highest
Italian-American population by percent of any state according to the
United States 2000 Census 2000 Census, and a large percentage of the population is
African-Americans Black,
Hispanic,
Arab, and
Asian. All of these facts combine to make New Jersey one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse states in the country.
[[http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t6/tab02.pdf Race/ethnicity citation with state percentages] (Adobe PDF)]
[[http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/atlas/divers.xls Diversity index citation with state percentages] (Microsoft Excel)]
[[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf Ancestry citation with state percentages] (Adobe PDF)]
The five largest ancestry groups in New Jersey are:
Italian-American Italian (17.9%),
Ireland Irish (15.9%),
African American (13.6%),
German-American German (12.6%),
Polish-American Polish (6.9%).
Newark, New Jersey Newark and
Camden, New Jersey Camden are two of the poorest cities in America, but New Jersey as a whole has the highest median household income in the nation, as well as the second highest per capita income, after
Connecticut. This is largely due to the fact that so much of New Jersey is comprised of suburbs, most of them affluent, of
New York City and
Philadelphia. New Jersey is also the most densely populated state in the nation, and the first and only state that has had every one of its 21 counties deemed "urban," as opposed to rural.
Image:New Jersey Population Map.png thumb|300px|right|New Jersey population distribution
The dominant race, ethnicity, or ancestry by county, according to the 2000 Census, are the following:
*New Jersey
**Italian - Bergen, Morris, Somerset, Ocean, Monmouth
**Irish - Sussex
**Black - Essex, Union, Mercer, Hudson
**German - Warren, Hunterdon
**Polish/Slavic - Middlesex
**Puerto Rican/Hispanic - Hudson, Passaic
Ancestry citation with county maps:
[[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf] (Adobe PDF)]
Specific ancestry maps by county, place, and census tract available at:
[[http://factfinder.census.gov]]
6.7% of its population were reported as under 5, 24.8% under 18, and 13.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.5% of the population.
Religion
The religious affiliations of adults of New Jersey are:
*
Christianity Christian – 77%
**
Roman Catholicism in the United States Roman Catholic – 39%
**
Protestantism Protestant – 36%
***
Baptist – 9%
***
Methodism Methodist – 6%
***
Presbyterianism Presbyterian – 4%
***Other Protestant or general Protestant – 17%
**Other Christian – 2%
*
Judaism Jewish – 6%
*
Islam Muslim – 1%
*Other Religions (e.g. Hindu, Sikh) – 1%
*Non-Religious – 16%
{{dubious}}
Law and government
{{main|Law and government of New Jersey}}
{{see|Governor of New Jersey|Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey Legislature}}
The state capital of New Jersey is
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton.
Jon Corzine (
Democratic Party (United States) Democrat) is the
Governor.
The
Governor of New Jersey is considered one of the most powerful governors in the nation, as it is currently the only state-wide elected office in the state and appoints many government officials. Additionally, an acting governor is even more powerful as he simultaneously serves as president of the senate, thus directing the entire legislative and executive process. Former Acting Governor Codey was the last Acting Governor to serve simultaneously as Senate President, as a result of the Constitutional amendment approved by the voters in 2005.
The governor's mansion is
Drumthwacket, located in
Princeton Township, New Jersey Princeton Township.
Politics
{{main|Politics of New Jersey}}
New Jersey is a politically competitive state; the Governorship alternated between the parties from the election of
Richard J. Hughes in 1961 until Democrat
Jon Corzine was elected to replace a Democrat in 2005; the legislature has also switched hands, and one house was evenly divided from 1999–2001. Three of the last five gubernatorial elections have been close. The Congressional seats have also been as evenly divided as thirteen seats can be.
In national elections, the state now leans towards the national
Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party. It was, however, a
Republican Party (United States) Republican stronghold for years in the past, having given comfortable margins of victory to the Republican candidate in the close elections of
U.S. presidential election, 1948 1948,
U.S. presidential election, 1968 1968, and
U.S. presidential election, 1976 1976. New Jersey was a crucial
swing state in the elections of
U.S. presidential election, 1960 1960,
U.S. presidential election, 1968 1968, and
U.S. presidential election, 1992 1992. In national elections, the state has given large victories to Democrats since the 1990's. The last elected Republican to hold a Senate seat from New Jersey was
Clifford P. Case in 1979. (
Nicholas Brady was appointed a U.S. Senator by Governor
Thomas Kean in 1982 after
Harrison A. Williams resigned the Senate seat following the
Abscam investigations.)
The state's Democratic strongholds include
Mercer County, New Jersey Mercer County around
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton and
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton;
Essex County, New Jersey Essex County and
Hudson County, New Jersey Hudson County, the state's two most urban counties, around the state's two largest cities,
Newark, New Jersey Newark and
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City;
Camden County, New Jersey Camden County and most of the other urban communities just outside of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia and
New York City New York; and more suburban northern counties in New York's orbit, such as
Union County, New Jersey Union County and
Middlesex County, New Jersey Middlesex County.
The more suburban northwestern and southeastern counties of the state are reliably Republican: Republicans have strong backing along the coast in
Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County and in the mountainous northwestern part of the state, especially
Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County,
Morris County, New Jersey Morris County, and
Warren County, New Jersey Warren County.
Somerset County, New Jersey Somerset County and
Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County, other suburban counties in the region, are also Republican in local elections but can be competitive in national races. In the 2004 General Election, Bush received about 51% in Somerset and 56% in Hunterdon, while up in rural Republican Sussex County, Bush won with 64% of the vote.
About half of the counties in New Jersey, however, are considered swing counties, but some go more one way than others. For an example,
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County, which leans Republican in the northern half of the county, is mostly Democratic in the more populated southern parts, causing it to usually vote slightly Democratic (same with
Passaic County, New Jersey Passaic County, with a highly populated Hispanic Democratic south and a rural, Republican north), other "swing" counties like
Cape May County, New Jersey Cape May County tend to go Republican, as they also have population in conservative areas.
Socially, Jersey is considered one of the more liberal states in the nation. Polls indicate 2/3rds of the population are self-described as
pro-choice and a majority support
gay marriage.
[[http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyState.htm SurveyUSA Pro-Life vs. Pro Choice Sorted by State]][[http://www.gardenstateequality.org/poll.htm Garden State Equalty Poll Results] from surveys done April 12 - April 14, 2005]
State Constitution
The current version of the
New Jersey State Constitution was adopted in 1947. It provides for a
bicameral Legislature consisting of a Senate of 40 members and an Assembly of 80 members. Each of the 40 legislative districts elects one Senator and two Assembly members. Assembly members are elected by the people for a two-year term in all odd-numbered years; Senators are elected in the years ending in 1, 3, and 7 and thus serve either four or two year terms. See [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/lawsconstitution/constitution.asp for the constitution]
Supreme Court
The
New Jersey Supreme Court [[http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/supreme/index.htm]] consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. All are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of a majority of the membership of the state senate. Justices serve an initial seven-year term, after which they can be reappointed to serve until age 70.
Counties
{{see|List of New Jersey counties}}
New Jersey is broken up into 21 counties, most of which are vestiges of the colonial area, and the remaining were partitioned from existing counties in the 1800s. New Jersey is the only state in the nation where elected county officials are called "
Freeholders," governing each county as part of its own
Board of Chosen Freeholders. The number of freeholders in each county is determined by referendum, and cannot exceed nine members.
Depending on the county, the
executive (government) executive and
legislative functions may be performed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders or split into separate branches of government. In some counties, members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders perform both legislative and executive functions on a commission basis, with each Freeholder assigned responsibility for a department or group of departments. In other counties (
Atlantic County, New Jersey Atlantic,
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen,
Essex County, New Jersey Essex,
Hudson County, New Jersey Hudson and
Mercer County, New Jersey Mercer), there is a directly-elected
County Executive who performs the executive functions while the Board of Chosen Freeholders retains a legislative and oversight role. In counties without an Executive, a County Administrator (or County Manager) may be hired to perform day-to-day administration of county functions.
Municipalities
New Jersey has 566
municipality municipalities; until recently, 567. Unlike other states, all of its municipalities are incorporated entities with fixed boundaries, and no local government can simply absorb land from another. New Jersey has the highest per capita rate of municipalities in the United States.
Types of government
When the types of government were devised in the nineteenth century, the intention was that
city (New Jersey) cities would be large built-up areas, with progressively smaller
Borough (New Jersey) boroughs,
Town (New Jersey) towns, and
Village (New Jersey) villages; the rural areas in between would be relatively large
township (New Jersey) townships. This is still often true, although
Shrewsbury Township, New Jersey Shrewsbury Township has been divided over the years; today it is less than a square mile, consisting only of a single housing development. Some townships—notably
Middletown Township, New Jersey Middletown,
Brick Township, New Jersey Brick,
Hamilton Township, New Jersey Hamilton, and
Dover Township, New Jersey Dover (which includes
Toms River, New Jersey Toms River)—have, without changing their boundaries, become large stretches of
suburbia, as populous as cities, often focused around shopping centers and highways rather than traditional downtowns and main streets.
As with
Toms River, New Jersey Toms River, many locations in New Jersey are simply neighborhoods, with no exact boundaries; often the cluster of houses, the traditional neighborhood, the postal district, and the
Census designated place will differ.
The
Federal Government has often failed to understand that a New Jersey township is just another municipality, and some municipalities have changed forms to become the
Verona, New Jersey Township of the Borough of Verona or the
South Orange, New Jersey Township of South Orange Village to receive more Federal aid.
Forms of government
{{NJmunigov}}
The five types of municipality differ mostly in name. Originally, each type had its own form of government, but more modern forms are available to any municipality, even though the original type is retained in its formal name. This is the only difference between boroughs and cities or townships: only boroughs can have the "borough form" of government.
Starting in the 1900s, largely driven by reform-minded goals, a series of six modern forms of government was implemented. This began with the
Walsh Act (New Jersey) Walsh Act, enacted in 1911, which provided for a 3- or 5-member commission elected on a non-partisan basis. This was followed by the
1923 Municipal Manager Law, which offered a non-partisan council, provided for a weak mayor elected by and from the members of the council, and introduced
Council-Manager government with an (ideally apolitical) appointed manager responsible for day-to-day administration of municipal affairs.
The
Faulkner Act (New Jersey) Faulkner Act, originally enacted in 1950 and substantially amended in 1981, offers four basic plans:
Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) Mayor-Council,
Faulkner Act (Council-Manager) Council-Manager,
Faulkner Act (Small Municipality) Small Municipality, and
Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council-Administrator) Mayor-Council-Administrator. The Act provides many choices for communities with a preference for a strong executive and professional management of municipal affairs and offers great flexibility in allowing municipalities to select the characteristics of its government: the number of seats on the Council; seats selected at-large, by wards, or through a combination of both; staggered or concurrent terms of office; and a Mayor chosen by the Council or elected directly by voters. Most large municipalities and a majority of New Jersey's residents are governed by municipalities with Faulkner Act charters.
While municipalities retain their types of government, they may have changed to one of the modern forms of government, or further in the past to one of the other traditional forms, leading to municipalities with formal names quite baffling to the general public. For example, though there are four municipalities with the Village type of government,
Loch Arbour, New Jersey Loch Arbour is New Jersey's only one remaining with the village form of government. The three other villages—
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey Ridgefield Park (now with a Walsh Act form),
Ridgewood, New Jersey Ridgewood (now with a Faulkner Act Council-Manager charter), and most confusingly,
South Orange, New Jersey South Orange (now the Township of South Orange Village)—have all migrated to other, non-Village forms.
Lists of municipalities
{{seealso|List of Municipalities in New Jersey (by population)}}
Major cities (and their populations):
= Large cities (100,000 or greater)
=
For its overall population, and its nation leading density, New Jersey has a relative paucity of classic large cities. As of the
United States 2000 Census, only four municipalities had populations in excess of 100,000. With the 2004 Census Estimate, Woodbridge has surpassed Edison in population, as both joined the 100,000 club.
*
Newark, New Jersey Newark: 273,546 (Census Estimate 2004: 280,451)
*
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City: 240,055 (Census Estimate 2004: 239,079)
*
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson: 149,222 (Census Estimate 2004: 150,869)
*
Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth: 120,568 (Census Estimate 2004: 124,724)
*
Edison, New Jersey Edison 97,687 (Census Estimate 2004: 100,142)
*
Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Woodbridge Township: 97,203 (Census Estimate 2004: 100,775)
= Towns and small cities (60,000 up to 100,000)
=
*
Dover Township, New Jersey Dover Township: 89,706 (Census Estimate 2004: 94,320) - the Census 2000 total includes the population of
Toms River, New Jersey Toms River, a
census-designated place within Dover Township. Toms River had a 2000 census population of 86,327. Dover Township is not to be confused with the town of
Dover, New Jersey Dover, which is in a different county.
*
Hamilton Township, New Jersey Hamilton: 87,109
*
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton: 85,403
*
Camden, New Jersey Camden: 79,904
*
Clifton, New Jersey Clifton: 78,672
*
Brick Township, New Jersey Brick: 76,119
*
Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey Cherry Hill Township: 69,965
*
East Orange, New Jersey East Orange: 69,824
*
Passaic, New Jersey Passaic: 67,861
*
Union City, New Jersey Union City: 67,088
*
Middletown Township, New Jersey Middletown: 66,327
*
Gloucester Township, New Jersey Gloucester Township: 64,350
*
Bayonne, New Jersey Bayonne: 61,842
*
Irvington, New Jersey Irvington: 60,695
*
Old Bridge Township, New Jersey Old Bridge Township 60,456
*
Lakewood Township, New Jersey Lakewood 60,352
= Other (less than 60,000)
=
''The following communities are other notable places in New Jersey with under 60,000 people''.
*
Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park
*
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City
*
Cape May, New Jersey Cape May
*
Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey Egg Harbor Township
*
Englewood, New Jersey Englewood
*
Ewing Township, New Jersey Ewing
*
Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee
*
Hackensack, New Jersey Hackensack
*
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken
*
Holmdel Township, New Jersey Holmdel
*
Jackson Township, New Jersey Jackson
*
Lambertville, New Jersey Lambertville
*
Long Branch, New Jersey Long Branch
*
Mendham, New Jersey Mendham
*
Montclair, New Jersey Montclair
*
Moorestown, New Jersey Moorestown
*
Morristown, New Jersey Morristown
*
New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick
*
The Oranges
**
Orange, New Jersey Orange
**
East Orange, New Jersey East Orange
**
South Orange, New Jersey South Orange
**
West Orange, New Jersey West Orange
*
Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield
*
Point Pleasant, New Jersey Point Pleasant
*
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton
**
Borough of Princeton, New Jersey Princeton Borough
**
Princeton Township, New Jersey Princeton Township
*
Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank
*
Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck
*
Union Township, Union County, New Jersey Union
*
Wildwood, New Jersey Wildwood
*
Willingboro Township, New Jersey Willingboro
Wealth of municipalities
Wealth of municipalities by
per capita income:
{{seealso|New Jersey locations by per capita income}}
1 Mantoloking, New Jersey $114,017
2 East Brunswick Township, New Jersey$90,956
3 Far Hills, New Jersey $81,535
4 Essex Fells, New Jersey $77,434
5 Alpine, New Jersey $76,995
6 Millburn, New Jersey $76,796
7 Rumson, New Jersey $73,692
8 Harding Township, New Jersey $72,689
9 Teterboro, New Jersey $72,613
10 Bernardsville, New Jersey $69,854
|
693 Newark, New Jersey $13,009
694 Laurel Lake, New Jersey $12,965
695 Passaic, New Jersey $12,874
696 Seabrook Farms, New Jersey $12,499
697 McGuire Air Force Base McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey $12,364
698 New Hanover Township, New Jersey $12,140
699 Lakewood, New Jersey $11,802
700 Bridgeton, New Jersey $10,917
701 Fort Dix, New Jersey $10,543
702 Camden, New Jersey $9,815
|
Economy
Image:wiki_newjersey.jpg thumb|350px|Greetings from New Jersey
{{main|Economy of New Jersey}}
[http://www.bea.gov/ The Bureau of Economic Analysis] estimates that New Jersey's total state product in 2004 was $416 billion.
[[http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2005/gsp1005.pdf Bureau of Economic Analysis]] Its per capita personal income in 2004 was $41,636, 4
th in the
United States of America and 126% of the national average of $33,041.
[[http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/bearfacts/stateaction.cfm?fips=34000&yearin=2004 Bureau of Economic Analysis]] Its median household income is also the highest in the nation with $55,146. It is also ranked 2nd in the nation by the number of places with per capita incomes above national average with 76.4%. Nine of New Jersey's counties are also in the wealthiest 100 of the country. Women in New Jersey earn the highest per capita income as stated in a 2002 article in the Newark
Star-Ledger.
Its agricultural outputs are nursery stock, horses, vegetables, fruits and nuts, seafood, and dairy products. In particular,
cranberry cranberries and
eggplant are two of the state's largest crops. Hammonton in the southern part of the state is known as the
blueberry capital of the world. Its industrial outputs are pharmaceutical and chemical products, food processing, electric equipment, printing and publishing, and tourism. New Jersey's economy has a large base of industry and chemical manufacturing. Additionally, New Jersey is home to the largest petroleum containment system in the world, outside of the Middle East. Although the state is certainly not defined by these activities, their existence and visibility to those passing through the state along some of its major highways does contribute to many jokes about
pollution and
irony ironic plays on the state's nickname, the "Garden State." In terms of quantity and quality, New Jersey ranks ninth in the union, in the number of manufactured goods that come from this state's factories.
New Jersey hosts a significant number of business headquarters. Fifty
Fortune 500 companies have headquarters or conduct business from
Morris County, New Jersey Morris County alone. New Jersey is said to have the largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the world: nearly one hundred companies on the Fortune 500 list have headquarters or conduct business from New Jersey.
Paramus, New Jersey Paramus is noted for having one of the highest business per person ratios in the nation. Several New Jersey counties such as Essex, Morris, Middlesex, Union, and Bergen counties have been ranked in the
World Almanac 2002, as being among the top 15 highest per person per capita income areas in the country. New Jersey has the nation's most diverse economy, with its major industries being agriculture, tourism, nursery products, electronics, manufacturing equipment, pharmacuticals, etc. This diversity enables New Jersey to weather volitility in the national economy and it contributes to New Jersey's low unemployment rate, which is well below the national average. New Jersey's geographical location between Philadelphia and New York City has helped New Jersey to grow and thrive since the time of its creation as a state in 1702. Another of New Jersey's great strengths is its large and well-educated labor pool that supports the myriad of industries that exist today. The
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is the world's largest container port.
Newark Liberty International Airport is ranked as number 7 in the top ten list of the nation's busiest airports and among the top 20 busiest airports in the world.
Six Flags Great Adventure in
Jackson Township, New Jersey Jackson is one of the largest theme parks in the world. It is home to the largest wild safari outside of Africa and is now home to the world's tallest and fastest rollercoaster,
Kingda Ka. As of 2001, New Jersey makes $30 billion each year from tourism as stated in the ''Star-Ledger'' article "The Best Of New Jersey". New Jersey is one of the top ten most visited states in the nation.
Oil refineries
*
Bayway Refinery (
ConocoPhillips),
Linden, New Jersey 230,000 bpd
*
Eagle Point Refinery (
Sunoco),
Westville, New Jersey 145,000 bpd
*
Paulsboro Asphalt Refinery (
Citgo),
Paulsboro, New Jersey 51,000 bpd
*
Paulsboro Refinery (
Valero),
Paulsboro, New Jersey 160,000 bpd
*
Perth Amboy Refinery (
Chevron Corporation Chevron),
Perth Amboy, New Jersey 80,000 bpd
*
Port Reading Refinery (
Amerada Hess Corporation Hess),
Port Reading, New Jersey 62,000 bpd
Transportation
Image:National-atlas-new-jersey.png thumb|300px|Map of New Jersey showing major roads and cities
Image:Njud.jpg license plate.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|right|Current issue New Jersey [[license plate..html" title="Meaning of right|Current issue New Jersey [[license plate">thumb|right|Current issue New Jersey [[license plate.">right|Current issue New Jersey [[license plate">thumb|right|Current issue New Jersey [[license plate.
{{main|Transportation in New Jersey}}
Roadways
The
New Jersey Turnpike is one of the best-known and most-trafficked roadways in the
United States. This
toll road carries interstate traffic between
Delaware and
New York. Commonly referred to as simply "the Turnpike," it is also known for its numerous rest-areas named after prominent New Jerseyans as varied as inventor
Thomas Edison;
United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton;
Presidents of the United States United States Presidents Grover Cleveland and
Woodrow Wilson; writers
James Fenimore Cooper,
Joyce Kilmer, and
Walt Whitman; patriot
Molly Pitcher; Red Cross advocate
Clara Barton; and football coach
Vince Lombardi.
The
Garden State Parkway, or simply "the Parkway" (or "The Garden State Parking Lot" on Fridays during the summer), carries more in-state traffic and runs from the town of
Montvale, New Jersey Montvale along New Jersey's northern border with
New York to the southernmost tip of the state at
Cape May, New Jersey Cape May. It also acts as the trunk that connects the New York metropolitan area to Atlantic City. Though there is a certain level of truth that some New Jersey residents who live near the Parkway or the Turnpike locate their hometowns according to their respective highway exits, most people in the state do not.
Other expressways in New Jersey include the
Atlantic City Expressway, the
Palisades Interstate Parkway,
Interstate 76 (east) Interstate 76,
Interstate 78,
Interstate 80,
Interstate 195 (New Jersey) Interstate 195,
Interstate 280 (New Jersey) Interstate 280,
Interstate 287, and
Interstate 295 (Delaware-New Jersey-Pennsylvania) Interstate 295.
New Jersey is one of only two states (along with
Oregon) where self-service filling of gasoline is prohibited. For little or no additional cost, motorists must have their fuel pumped by a gas station employee. Generally, there is little, if any, opposition to this system from a majority of resident New Jerseyans.
New Jersey has
interstate compacts with all three neighboring states. The
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the
Delaware River Port Authority (with Pennsylvania), and the
Delaware River and Bay Authority (with Delaware) operate most of the major transportation routes into and out of New Jersey. Tolls for the bridges are charged in one direction — it is free to cross into New Jersey, but motorists must pay when exiting the state. The Washington Crossing and Scudders Falls (on I-95) bridges near Trenton, as well as Trenton's Calhoun Street and Bridge Street ("Trenton Makes") bridges, are still free as of this writing.
{{seealso|List of New Jersey State Highways}}
Air
Newark Liberty International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States. Operated by the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the other two major
airports in the
New York City region (
John F. Kennedy International Airport and
LaGuardia Airport), it is one of the main airports serving the New York City area.
Continental Airlines is the facility's largest tenant, operating an entire terminal at Newark, which it uses as one of its primary
Airline hub hubs.
United Airlines and
FedEx operate cargo hubs. The adjacent
Newark Liberty International Airport (NJT station) Newark Airport railroad station provides access to the trains of
Amtrak and
New Jersey Transit along the
Northeast Corridor Line.
Two smaller commercial airports,
Atlantic City International Airport and
Trenton-Mercer Airport, also operate in other parts of New Jersey.
Public transportation
The
New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) operates extensive rail and bus service throughout the state. NJ Transit is a state-run corporation that began with the consolidation of several private bus companies in North Jersey. In the early 1980s, it acquired the commuter train operations of
Conrail that connect towns in northern and central New Jersey to
New York City. NJ Transit began service between
Atlantic City and
Lindenwold, New Jersey Lindenwold in 1989 and extended it to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, in the 1990s.
Amtrak also operates numerous long-distance passenger trains in New Jersey to and from neighboring states and around the country. In addition to the above-mentioned Newark Airport connection, other major Amtrak railway stations include
Trenton (Amtrak station) Trenton Rail Station,
Metropark (NJT station) Metropark, and the grand historic
Newark Penn Station.
Education
Although some problems exist in certain inner city neighborhoods, New Jersey overall is considered to have one of the best public education systems in the United States. In addition, 54% of high school graduates continue on to college or university, tied with
Massachusetts for the second highest rate in the nation (
North Dakota holds first place at 59%.) New Jersey also has the highest average scores for advanced placement testing in public schools in the nation.
New Jersey is home to more scientists and engineers than any other state. [http://measuringup.highereducation.org/2002/compare.htm]
Colleges and universities
''Institution Name, Location''
|
*Berkeley College, various campuses
*Bloomfield College, Bloomfield, New Jersey Bloomfield
*Caldwell College, Caldwell, New Jersey Caldwell
*Centenary College of New Jersey Centenary College, Hackettstown, New Jersey Hackettstown
*The College of New Jersey, Ewing Township, New Jersey Ewing Township
*College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown, New Jersey Morristown-Florham Park, New Jersey Florham Park
*DeVry University, North Brunswick, New Jersey North Brunswick
*Drew University, Madison, New Jersey Madison
*Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham Park, New Jersey Florham Park-Madison, New Jersey Madison & Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck-Hackensack, New Jersey Hackensack campuses
*Felician College, Rutherford, New Jersey Rutherford & Lodi, New Jersey Lodi campuses
*Georgian Court University, Lakewood, New Jersey Lakewood
*Kean University, Union, New Jersey Union-Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth
*Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey West Long Branch
*Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey Montclair
*New Jersey City University, Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City
*New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey Newark
*Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey Princeton
|
*Rabbinical College of America, Morristown, New Jersey
*Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey Mahwah
*Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, New Jersey
*Rider University, Lawrenceville, New Jersey Lawrenceville
*Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey Glassboro
**Rowan University, Camden Campus
*Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
**Rutgers, New Brunswick/Piscataway Campus
**Rutgers, Camden Campus
**Rutgers, Newark Campus
*Saint Peter's College, New Jersey Saint Peter's College, Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City
*Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey South Orange
**Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey Newark
*Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken
*Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, New Jersey Trenton
*University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey Newark
*William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey Wayne
|
In addition to the above institutions, there are 19
New Jersey County Colleges county colleges, serving the 21 counties in the state.
''Institution Name, Location''
*
Atlantic Cape Community College,
Mays Landing, New Jersey Mays Landing
*
Bergen Community College,
Paramus, New Jersey Paramus
*
Brookdale Community College,
Lincroft, New Jersey Lincroft - the community college of
Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County
*
Burlington County College,
Pemberton, New Jersey Pemberton
*
Camden County College,
Blackwood, New Jersey Blackwood,
Camden, New Jersey Camden and
Cherry Hill, New Jersey Cherry Hill
*
County College of Morris,
Randolph, New Jersey Randolph
*
Cumberland County College,
Vineland, New Jersey Vineland
*
Essex County College,
Newark, New Jersey Newark &
West Caldwell, New Jersey West Caldwell campuses
*
Gloucester County College,
Sewell, New Jersey Sewell
*
Hudson County Community College,
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City
*
Mercer County Community College,
Trenton, New Jersey West Windsor
*
Middlesex County College,
Edison, New Jersey Edison
*
Ocean County College,
Toms River, New Jersey Toms River
*
Passaic County Community College,
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson-
Wanaque, New Jersey Wanaque-
Wayne, New Jersey Wayne
*
Raritan Valley Community College,
North Branch, New Jersey North Branch
*
Salem Community College,
Carneys Point, New Jersey Carneys Point
*
Sussex County Community College,
Newton, New Jersey Newton
*
Union County College,
Cranford, New Jersey Cranford,
Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth, and
Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield
*
Warren County Community College,
Washington, New Jersey Washington
Professional sports teams
New Jersey currently has four
major professional sports league teams playing in the state, although the two
National Football League teams identify as being from New York. It is currently the most populous state without a team in each of the major leagues, although this is largely due to the close proximity of New York City and Philadelphia.
Culture
Music
{{main|Music of New Jersey}}
New Jersey has long been an important area for both
rock and roll rock and
hip hop music rap music. Some prominent musicians from or with significant connections to New Jersey are:
*
Frank Sinatra, the only child of working-class
Italian-American immigrants, was born
December 12,
1915 in a tenement at 415 Monroe St. in
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken. He sang with a neighborhood vocal group, the Hoboken Four, and appeared in neighborhood theater amateur shows before he became an entertainment legend as an
Academy Awards Academy Award winning actor, and one of the most famous male vocalists of all time. Some of his greatest hits include "Strangers In The Night," "My Way," "Luck Be A Lady," and "New York, New York."
*
Bruce Springsteen, who has sung of New Jersey life on most of his albums, hails from
Freehold Borough, New Jersey Freehold, and is the most popular rock musician to ever come out of the state. Some of his songs that represent New Jersey life are "Born To Run", "Spirit In The Night", "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)", "Thunder Road", "Atlantic City", and "Jungleland".
*
Jon Bon Jovi, who hails from
Sayreville, New Jersey Sayreville, reached fame in the 1980's with hard rock outift
Bon Jovi. The band has also written many songs about life in New Jersey including "Livin' On A Prayer" and even named one of his albums after the state (see
New Jersey (album) New Jersey).
*
Dionne Warwick was born in
East Orange, New Jersey East Orange and has had a long career, including nearly 60 charted hits, from "Do You Know The Way to San Jose?" (winning the first of her five
Grammys), "Alfie," "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," and "That's What Friends Are For." She is a cousin of Whitney Houston.
*
Whitney Houston was born in the city of
Newark, New Jersey Newark, but grew up in neighboring
East Orange, New Jersey East Orange. She had a successful solo career in the 1980's and 1990's, and is best known for her cover of
Dolly Parton's "
I Will Always Love You" which set new records for sales and weeks at number one. Houston has sold well over 180 million records internationally. Her mother is
Cissy Houston, winner of two Grammy's in her own right.
* Legendary
jazz pianist and
bandleader Count Basie, was born in
Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank in 1904. In the 1960s, he collaborated on several albums with fellow New Jersey native
Frank Sinatra. There is a theater in Red Bank named in his honor.
*
Asbury Park, is home of
The Stone Pony, where
Bruce Springsteen and
Bon Jovi frequented early in their careers, and which is still considered by many to be a "Mecca" for up-and-coming
Jersey Shore musicians.
*Former Fugee
Lauryn Hill, is a
South Orange, New Jersey South Orange resident and is hip-hop's best-selling solo female artist. Her 1998 debut album, ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'', sold 10 million copies internationally.
*Other rap artists, including
Irvington, New Jersey Irvington's
Queen Latifah, the first female rapper to succeed in music, film, and TV, and the Grammy-winning
Naughty By Nature of
East Orange, New Jersey East Orange, who cut 1992's smash hit "O.P.P." Redman, an influential underground figure and
Newark, New Jersey Newark native, has recently found commercial success through collaborations with
Eminem and the
Wu-Tang Clan's
Method Man.
*
The Sugarhill Gang - All members were born in
Englewood, New Jersey Englewood. The group wrote the single ''Rapper's Delight'' which many credit as the first
Hip hop music hip hop single. The term Rap/Rapper is taken from this song.
*
Catch 22 (band) Catch 22 - This
ska band originated in
East Brunswick, New Jersey East Brunswick and band members are from New Jersey.
TV and film
To begin with, motion picture technology was invented in New Jersey, by Thomas Edison. The early work was done at his West Orange laboratory. His "Black Maria" was the first motion picture studio.
More recent motion pictures and televisions shows also have been set in New Jersey. The popular television drama ''
The Sopranos'' depicts the life of a New Jersey
organized crime family and is filmed on location at various places throughout the state. "The Family Man" was filmed in
Teaneck, New Jersey. The
1979 in film 1979 film
The Amityville Horror was filmed in
Toms River, New Jersey.
Although not credited, at least one scene from ''
The Godfather'' (
1972 in film 1972) was filmed in New Jersey. The scene with Clemenza's famous line, "Leave the gun. Take the cannolis," was filmed in the marsh along the
Hudson River in
Jersey City, just west of the
Statue of Liberty, in what is now
Liberty State Park.
The 2004
Sundance Film Festival favorite ''
Garden State (film) Garden State'' (starring
Zach Braff and
Natalie Portman) was shot on location in
Morris Township, New Jersey Morris Township around
Morristown, New Jersey Morristown. Also, the popular animated series ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' and ''
Megas XLR'' take place primarily in New Jersey.
Director
Kevin Smith's movies have a recurring set of characters (most famously
Jay and Silent Bob,) and nearly all of them come from New Jersey. New Jersey appears in all of Smith's films, and his first three films, ''
Clerks.'', ''
Mallrats'' and ''
Chasing Amy'', were dubbed the "New Jersey Trilogy". Smith's first movie, ''Clerks.'' also had a short-lived
animated series
spin-off with the same name. It took place in the same locations as the movie.
2001 in film 2001's ''
A Beautiful Mind'' had several scenes shot at
Princeton University. The movie is a
Biographical film biopic of the mathematician
John Nash, who currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Actor
Jack Nicholson grew up on the Jersey shore, and went to
Manasquan High School in Monmouth County. The school's auditorium is named after him.
The
2004 in film 2004 stoner film ''
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'' took place in New Jersey. Several locations seen in the movie include
Princeton University,
Newark, New Jersey Newark,
New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick, and a fictional
White Castle (restaurant) White Castle in
Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey Cherry Hill.
Although supposedly set in
New York, the
2003 in film 2003 movie ''
School of Rock'' was filmed primarily in
Edison, New Jersey Edison and
Mahwah, New Jersey Mahwah, perhaps due to the significance these towns have on rock music.
The
1988 in film 1988 comedy film ''
Big'' starring
Tom Hanks,
Elizabeth Perkins,
Robert Loggia,
Jon Lovitz, and
Mercedes Ruehl was also filmed in
Bergen County, New Jersey, specifically in
Cliffside Park, New Jersey Cliffside Park.
The
1983 in film 1983 cult classic ''
Eddie and the Cruisers'' was filmed mostly in
Somers Point, New Jersey Somers Point and
Ocean City, New Jersey Ocean City.
The
1979 in film 1979 horror film ''
Amityville Horror'' was filmed mainly at a house in
Toms River, New Jersey Toms River.
Bruce Willis grew up in
Penns Grove, New Jersey Penns Grove.
Tom Cruise went to high school and lived his teen years in
Glen Ridge, New Jersey Glen Ridge
The movie ''
War of the Worlds (2005 film) War of the Worlds'' was filmed in many locations in New Jersey, including
Bayonne, New Jersey Bayonne,
Howell, New Jersey Howell Township and
Newark, New Jersey Newark. The infamous radio show broadcast starring
Orson Welles, ''
The War of the Worlds (radio) The War of the Worlds'' was set in
Grover's Mill (a section of
West Windsor Township, New Jersey West Windsor Township) and other locations around New Jersey.
The
Ron Howard film ''
Cinderella Man'' and the
Elia Kazan film ''
On the Waterfront'' both take place in the old Hudson County docks.
''
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension'' (
1984 in film 1984) was set in New Brunswick, and includes a scene set in "Greasy Tony's" -- a real (and indeed, proudly, greasy) Rutgers-area eatery.
Legends and ghosts
A long circulated legend says a creature, the
Jersey Devil or the Leeds Devil, terrorizes the population of the
Pine Barrens (New Jersey) Pine Barrens. New Jersey is also home to several other urban legends, such as the ghost of
Annie's Road in
Totowa, New Jersey Totowa,
Midgetville in
Edgewater, New Jersey Edgewater,
Albino Village in
Clifton, New Jersey Clifton, the supposed
Ku Klux Klan KKK hotbed
Whipporwill Valley Road in
Middletown Township, New Jersey Middletown, the haunted and demon-possessed
Clinton Road in
West Milford, and the
Witch of Igoe Road in
Marlboro, New Jersey Marlboro. There is also the popular attraction of the
Atco Ghost where the ghost of a little boy runs across the street late at night chasing a basketball located on
Burnt Mill Road in
Atco, New Jersey Atco. It is also rumored that
Jimmy Hoffa, the late leader of the
Teamsters union, is buried beneath
Giants Stadium or the
New Jersey Turnpike.
Camp NoBeBoSco in
Blairstown Township, New Jersey Blairstown was the location of the original ''
Friday the 13th (film) Friday the 13th'' movie (some believe the series of films to be set in New Jersey, although this is never confirmed onscreen), which was partially based on real murders that have occurred near the campground, in the state's rural northwest. Such horror stories were the inspiration behind the now nationally-famous ''
Weird NJ'' magazine and website.
Miscellaneous information
*
List of U.S. state birds State bird:
Eastern Goldfinch
*
State animal:
Horse
*
State flower:
Violet (plant) Common Violet
*
State tree:
Northern red oak Red Oak
*
State fish:
Brook Trout
*
State dance: The
Square Dance
*
State dinosaur: ''
Hadrosaurus Hadrosaurus foulkii''
*
State insect:
Honey bee
*
Number State number: 3
*
List of U.S. state mottos State motto: Liberty and prosperity
*
List of U.S. state slogans State slogan: Come see for yourself
*
License plate State license plate slogan: Garden State
*The
USS New Jersey USS ''New Jersey'', one of the most decorated vessels in the
United States Navy, was named in honor of this state and is now a
tourist attraction in
Camden, New Jersey Camden.
*New Jersey is the birthplace of many modern inventions such as: the motion picture camera, the lithium battery, the light bulb, transistors, and the electric train. Other New Jersey creations include: the drive-in movie, the cultivated blueberry, cranberry sauce, the postcard, the boardwalk, the zipper, the phonograph, saltwater taffy, the first submarine, the ice cream cone, and the
Flag of the United States American Flag.
*The properties in the United States version of the board game
Monopoly (game) Monopoly are named after the streets of
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City.
*The four-mile long Boardwalk in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City was the world's first boardwalk and is still its largest.
*New Jersey has more
horses per square mile than any other state. The
United States Equestrian Team now is headquartered in
Gladstone, New Jersey Gladstone after being founded in
Morristown, New Jersey Morristown.
*The book ''
Jaws (film) Jaws'' by
Peter Benchley, which inspired the classic film of the same name, was based on a series of actual
Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916 great white shark attacks during the summer of 1916 that took place in
Matawan, New Jersey Matawan and elsewhere off the
Jersey Shore.
*New Jersey is home to the second largest waterfall east of the
Mississippi River: the
Great Passaic Falls in
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson. Only
Niagara Falls is larger.
Image:Dinner Freehold NJ.jpg Freehold, New Jersey thumb|A diner in [[Freehold, New Jersey|Freehold.html" title="Meaning of Freehold.html" title="Meaning of thumb|A diner in [[Freehold, New Jersey|Freehold">thumb|A diner in [[Freehold, New Jersey|Freehold">Freehold.html" title="Meaning of thumb|A diner in [[Freehold, New Jersey|Freehold">thumb|A diner in [[Freehold, New Jersey|Freehold
*
Diners are common in New Jersey. The state is home to many diner manufacturers and has more diners than any other state: over 600.
*In his stand up comedy act ''
What Am I Doing in New Jersey?'',
George Carlin comments that he believes New Jersey deserves the title "Toll Booth Capital of the United States of America." He also comments that the state should change its nickname to "The Toll Booth State."
*Sculptor
Jim Gary grew up in
Colts Neck Township, New Jersey Colts Neck Township where he also opened his gallery, ''Iron Butterfly'', before moving it to
Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank. Jim Gary was the only living
sculpture sculptor ever invited to have a solo show at the ''
Smithsonian Institution’s
National Museum of Natural History''.
References
See also
*
List of New Jersey-related topics
*
List of people from New Jersey
External links
{{commons|Category:New Jersey}}
-
Official New Jersey state web site
-
Official New Jersey state tourism site
-
A list of official and unofficial NJ county and municipal web sites
-
Descriptions of NJ forms of government (e.g., township, borough, etc.) from NJ State League of Municipalities
-
AboutNewJersey.com
-
New Jersey History
-
US Census Bureau
-
Weird NJ
-
NJ resource guide
{{New Jersey}}
{{USPoliticalDivisions}}
Category:New Jersey
Category:States of the United States
Category:1787 establishments
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{| class="toccolours" align="center" width=94% style="margin:0.5em 1em; clear:both"
|align="center" |
Image:Flag of New Jersey.svg 75px
!bgcolor="#ccccff" align="center" |
U.S. state State of
New Jersey
|-
| align="center" bgcolor="#ccccff" style="font-size: 90%; vertical-align: middle;" | '''
Capital'''
| align="left" style="font-size: 90%;" |
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton
|-
| align="center" bgcolor="#ccccff" style="font-size: 90%; vertical-align: middle;" | '''Regions'''
| align="left" style="font-size: 90%;" |
Central Jersey .html">Delaware Valley
Jersey Shore |
New Jersey Meadowlands Meadowlands |
North Jersey .html">Pine Barrens (New Jersey)
Pine Barrens |
South Jersey .html">New York metropolitan area
New York metro area |
Tri-State Region
|-
| align="center" bgcolor="#ccccff" style="font-size: 90%; vertical-align: middle;" | '''Major Cities'''
| align="left" style="font-size: 90%;" |
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City |
Bayonne, New Jersey Bayonne |
Camden, New Jersey Camden |
Clifton, New Jersey Clifton |
East Orange, New Jersey East Orange |
Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth |
Hackensack, New Jersey Hackensack |
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken |
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City |
Linden, New Jersey Linden |
Long Branch, New Jersey Long Branch |
New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick |
Newark, New Jersey Newark |
Passaic, New Jersey Passaic |
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson |
Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy |
Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield |
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton |
Union City, New Jersey Union City |
Vineland, New Jersey Vineland | In addition to the major cities listed,
List of municipalities in New Jersey (by population) All Municipalities (by Population)
|-
| align="center" bgcolor="#ccccff" style="font-size: 90%; vertical-align: middle;" | '''
List of counties in New Jersey Counties'''
| align="left" style="font-size: 90%;" |
Atlantic County, New Jersey Atlantic |
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen |
Burlington County, New Jersey Burlington |
Camden County, New Jersey Camden |
Cape May County, New Jersey Cape May |
Cumberland County, New Jersey Cumberland |
Essex County, New Jersey Essex |
Gloucester County, New Jersey Gloucester |
Hudson County, New Jersey Hudson |
Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon |
Mercer County, New Jersey Mercer |
Middlesex County, New Jersey Middlesex |
Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth |
Morris County, New Jersey Morris |
Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean |
Passaic County, New Jersey Passaic |
Salem County, New Jersey Salem |
Somerset County, New Jersey Somerset |
Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex |
Union County, New Jersey Union |
Warren County, New Jersey Warren
|}
sv:Mall:New Jersey
Category:United States navigational boxes New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the
United States.
Category:States of the United States
bg:КатегориÑ?:Ð?ÑŽ ДжърÑ?и
de:Kategorie:New Jersey
eo:Kategorio:Nov-Ä´erzejo
fr:Catégorie:New Jersey
ko:분류:ë‰´ì €ì§€ 주
lv:Category:Ņūdžersija
nl:Categorie:New Jersey
ja:Category:ニュージャージー州
no:Kategori:New Jersey
pt:Categoria:Nova Jérsei
simple:Category:New Jersey
fi:Luokka:New Jersey
sv:Kategori:New Jersey
zh:Category:新泽西州
see
New Jersey
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