New Jersey 21648 226071849 2008-07-16T18:26:53Z Soccera2g 3511059 /* Types of government */ removed "the" as it appears in offical documents {{sprotect2}} {{this|the U.S. state}} {{redirect|NJ|other uses|Nj}} {{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.svg | Map = Map of USA NJ.svg | Nickname = Garden State<ref>[http://www.nj.gov/njfacts/garden.htm The Garden State and Other New Jersey State Nicknames], Robert Lupp, New Jersey Reference Services, New Jersey State Library, October 12, 1994</ref>| Motto = Liberty and prosperity| Capital = [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] | LargestCity = [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] | Demonym = New Jerseyan or New Jerseyite or simply "Jerseyite"<ref>http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Demonyms%20of%20the%20United%20States</ref> | Governor = [[Jon Corzine]] | Lieutenant Governor = None<ref>Pursuant to a constitutional amendment approved by NJ voters, beginning in 2009, candidates for governor will select a Lt. Governor candidate to run as a joint ticket in the November general election. Until this procedure is effective, the President of the [[New Jersey Senate|State Senate]] is first in line for succession for a permanent vacancy in the Office of Governor.</ref> | Senators = [[Frank Lautenberg]] (D)<br/>[[Bob Menendez]] (D) | PostalAbbreviation = NJ | TradAbbreviation = N.J. | OfficialLang = [[English language|English]]| AreaRank = 47<sup>th</sup> | TotalAreaUS = 8,729 | TotalArea = 22,608 | LandAreaUS = 7,425| LandArea = 19,231 | WaterAreaUS = 1,304| WaterArea = 3,378 | PCWater = 14.9 | PopRank = 11<sup>th</sup> | 2000Pop = 8,414,350 (8,724,560 as of 2006)| DensityRank = 1<sup>st</sup> | 2000DensityUS = 1,134| 2000Density = 438 | MedianHouseholdIncome = $64,470| IncomeRank = 2<sup>nd</sup> | AdmittanceOrder = 3<sup>rd</sup> | AdmittanceDate = [[December 18]], [[1787]] | TimeZone = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]: [[UTC]]-5/[[Daylight saving time|-4]] | Latitude = 38° 56′ N to 41° 21′ N | Longitude = 73° 54′ W to 75° 34′ W | WidthUS = 70 | Width = 110 | LengthUS = 150| Length = 240 | HighestPoint = [[High Point (New Jersey)|High Point]]<ref name=usgs>{{cite web| date =[[29 April]] [[2005]] | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessmonthday=November 6 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref> | HighestElevUS = 1,803| HighestElev = 550 | MeanElevUS = 246| MeanElev = 75.2 | LowestPoint = [[Atlantic Ocean]]<ref name=usgs/> | LowestElevUS = 0| LowestElev = 0 | ISOCode = US-NJ | Website = www.nj.gov | }} '''New Jersey''' ({{pronEng|nuːˈdʒɝzi}}) (sometimes referred to as '''Jersey''') is a state in the [[Mid-Atlantic States|Mid-Atlantic]] and [[Northeastern United States|Northeastern]] regions of the [[United States]]. It is bordered on the north by [[New York]], on the east by the [[Atlantic Ocean]], on the southwest by [[Delaware]], and on the west by [[Pennsylvania]]. Parts of New Jersey lie within the sprawling [[metropolitan area]]s of [[New York metropolitan area|New York]] and [[Delaware Valley|Philadelphia]]. Inhabited by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] for more than 2,800 years, the first European settlements in the area were established by the [[Sweden|Swedes]] and [[Netherlands|Dutch]] in the early 1600s.<ref>[http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/state/NJ-History.htm NJ History Outline]</ref> The English later seized control of the region, naming it the [[Province of New Jersey]], which was granted to Sir [[George Carteret]] and [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton]] as a colony. The name was taken from the largest of the English Channel Islands, [[Jersey]]. New Jersey was an important site during the [[American Revolutionary War]]; several decisive battles were fought there. The winter quarters of the revolutionary army were established twice by [[George Washington]] in [[Morristown, New Jersey|Morristown]], which was called the military capital of revolution. Later, people who worked in factories in cities such as [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]] and [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] helped to drive the [[Industrial Revolution]] in the nineteenth century. New Jersey's position at the center of the [[BosWash]] [[Megalopolis (city type)|megalopolis]], between [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[New York City]], [[Philadelphia]], [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] and [[Washington, D.C.]], fueled its rapid growth through the [[suburb]]an boom of the 1950s and beyond. ==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 and southwest by [[Delaware]] across [[Delaware Bay]]; and on the west by [[Pennsylvania]] across the [[Delaware River]]. [[Image:New Jersey Counties by metro area labeled.svg|right|thumb|[[Metropolitan statistical areas and divisions of New Jersey]]; counties shaded in blue hues are in the [[New York City]] metro; counties shaded in green hues are in the [[Philadelphia]] metro. It should be noted that [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]] and [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]] are located in the 'Greater' New York Metropolitan Area and that Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland Counties are in the 'Greater' Philadelphia Metropolitan Area]] New Jersey can be thought of as five regions, based on natural geography and population. Northeastern New Jersey, the [[Gateway Region]], lies within the [[New York metropolitan area]], and some residents commute to the city to work. Northwestern New Jersey, or the "Skylands", is, compared to the northeast, more wooded, rural, and mountainous, but still a popular place to live. The "Shore" along the Atlantic Coast in the southeast has its own residence and lifestyle characteristics owing to the ocean. The southwest is within Metropolitan [[Philadelphia]], and is included in the [[Delaware Valley]]. The fifth region is the [[Pine Barrens (New Jersey)|Pine Barrens]] in the interior of the southern part and is covered rather extensively by mixed pine and oak forest, and as such has a much lower population density than much of the rest of the state. New Jersey also can be broadly divided into three geographic regions: [[North Jersey]], [[Central Jersey]], and [[South Jersey]]. Some people do not consider Central Jersey a region in its own right, but many believe it is a separate geographic and cultural area from the North and South. The federal [[Office of Management and Budget]] divides New Jersey's counties into seven [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]]s, including sixteen counties in the New York City or Philadelphia metro areas. Four counties have independent metro areas, and Warren County joins another Pennsylvania-based metro area. (See [[Metropolitan Statistical Areas of New Jersey]] for details.) It is also at the center of the [[BosWash|Boston to Washington megalopolis]]. 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]], in [[Montague Township, New Jersey|Montague Township]], [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]], is the highest elevation, at 1,803 feet (550 m). The [[New Jersey Palisades|Palisades]] are a line of steep cliffs on the lower west side of the [[Hudson River]]. Major [[List of New Jersey rivers|rivers]] include the [[Hudson River|Hudson]], [[Delaware River|Delaware]], [[Raritan River|Raritan]], [[Passaic River|Passaic]], [[Hackensack River|Hackensack]], [[Rahway River|Rahway]], [[Musconetcong River|Musconetcong]], [[Mullica River|Mullica]], [[Rancocas River|Rancocas]], [[Manasquan River|Manasquan]], [[Maurice River|Maurice]], and [[Toms River|Toms]] rivers. [[Sandy Hook (New Jersey)|Sandy Hook]], along the eastern coast, is a popular recreational beach. It is a barrier [[spit (landform)|spit]] and an extension of the [[Barnegat Peninsula]] along the state's [[Atlantic Ocean]] coast. Areas managed by the [[National Park Service]] include: *[[Appalachian National Scenic Trail]] *[[Delaware National Scenic River]] *[[Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area]] *[[Edison National Historic Site]] in [[West Orange, New Jersey|West Orange]] *[[Ellis Island National Monument]] *[[Gateway National Recreation Area]] in Monmouth County *[[Great Egg Harbor River]] *[[Morristown National Historical Park]] in [[Morristown, New Jersey|Morristown]] *[[New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route]] *[[New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve]] Prominent geographic features include: * [[Delaware Water Gap]] * [[Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge]] * [[New York - New Jersey Highlands|The Highlands]] * [[New Jersey Meadowlands]] * [[Pine Barrens (New Jersey)|Pine Barrens]] * [[South Mountain Reservation|South Mountain]] ===Climate=== Most of New Jersey has a [[humid subtropical climate]] except in northwestern regions of the state that have a [[humid continental climate]] with slightly cooler temperatures. The summers are typically hot and humid ''(although some days with dryer air)'' with statewide average high temperatures of 82 - 88°F (28 - 31°C) and lows of 60 - 70°F (15 - 21°C). Temperatures exceeding 90°F (32°C) occur on average 18-25 days each summer, but temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) or above 100°F (38°C) are uncommon. The winters are cold with temperatures approaching the freezing point in most of the state, and will dip below freezing in the northwestern highlands. Average yearly precipitation ranges from 43 to 51 inches (1,120 - 1,320 mm), fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Average snowfall per winter season range from 10 - 15 inches (25 - 38 cm) in the south and near the seacoast, 15 - 30 inches (38 - 78 cm) in the northeast and central part of the state, to about 40 - 50 inches (1 - 1,27 m) in the northwestern highlands. On average, 25 to 30 thunderstorms occur every year, most during the summer. During winter and early spring, New Jersey could experiences ''[[nor'easter]]s'', which cause blizzards and flooding in northeastern parts of the United States. New Jersey could also have drought for weeks. [[Hurricane]]s and [[tropical storm]]s (such as [[Hurricane Floyd]] in 1999) are very rare and uncommon. {| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"| | colspan="14" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Average high and low temperatures in various cities of New Jersey '''°C''' (°F) |- ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="10" | City ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jan ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Feb ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Mar ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Apr ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | May ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jun ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jul ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Aug ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Sep ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Oct ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Nov ! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Dec |- ! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="5;" | [[Sussex, New Jersey|Sussex]] | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''1'''/'''-10'''(33/14) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''3'''/'''-9'''(38/16) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''8'''/'''-4'''(46/25) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''15'''/'''2'''(59/36) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''21'''/'''7'''(70/45) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''26'''/'''12'''(78/54) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''28'''/'''15'''(83/59) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''28'''/'''14'''(82/57) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''23'''/'''9'''(73/48) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''17'''/'''3'''(63/38) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''11'''/'''-1'''(52/30) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''4'''/'''-6'''(39/21) |- ! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="5;" | [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''3'''/'''-4'''(38/25) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''5'''/'''-3'''(41/27) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''10'''/'''1'''(50/34) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''16'''/'''7'''(61/45) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''22'''/'''12'''(72/54) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''27'''/'''18'''(81/64) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''29'''/'''21'''(84/70) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''28'''/'''20'''(82/68) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''24'''/'''16'''(75/61) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''18'''/'''9'''(64/48) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''12'''/'''4'''(54/39) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''6'''/'''-1'''(43/30) |- ! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="5;" | [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''5'''/'''-2'''(42/28) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''6'''/'''-1'''(44/30) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''9'''/'''3'''(48/38) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''14'''/'''7'''(57/45) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''19'''/'''13'''(66/56) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''24'''/'''18'''(75/64) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''27'''/'''21'''(80/70) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''27'''/'''21'''(80/70) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''23'''/'''18'''(73/64) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''18'''/'''12'''(64/54) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''13'''/'''6'''(55/44) | style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | '''8'''/'''1'''(46/34) |- ! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="5;" | [[Cape May, New Jersey|Cape May]] | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''6'''/'''-3'''(43/27) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''6'''/'''-2'''(43/28) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''11'''/'''2'''(52/36) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''16'''/'''6'''(61/43) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''21'''/'''12'''(70/54) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''26'''/'''17'''(79/63) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''29'''/'''19'''(84/66) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''28'''/'''19'''(82/66) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''25'''/'''16'''(77/61) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''19'''/'''9'''(66/48) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''13'''/'''4'''(55/39) | style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | '''8'''/'''-1'''(46/30) |- | colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:lightgreen;"|Weather.com''[http://www.weather.com]'' |} ==History== {{main|History of New Jersey}} Around 180 million years ago, during the [[Jurassic Period]], New Jersey bordered [[North Africa]]. The pressure of the collision between North America and Africa gave rise to the [[Appalachian Mountains]]. Around 18,000 years ago, the [[Ice Age]] resulted in [[glacier]]s that reached New Jersey. As the glaciers retreated, they left behind [[Glacial Lake Passaic|Lake Passaic]], as well as many rivers, swamps, and gorges.<ref>[http://www.greatswamp.org/GSW/Geology.htm Geological History] by Great Swamp Watershed Association, retrieved [[December 22]], [[2005]].</ref> New Jersey was originally settled by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], with the [[Lenape|Lenni-Lenape]] being dominant at the time Europeans arrived. The Lenape were loosely organized groups that practiced small-scale agriculture (mainly based on [[maize|corn]]) in order to increase their largely mobile hunter-gatherer society in the region surrounding the [[Delaware River]], the lower [[Hudson River]], and western [[Long Island Sound]]. The Lenape society was divided into [[matrilinear]] clans that were based upon common female ancestors. These clans were organized into three distinct [[Phratry|phratries]] identified by their animal sign: [[Turtle]], [[Turkey (bird)|Turkey]], and [[Wolf]]. They first encountered the Dutch in the early 1600s, and their primary relationship with the Europeans was through [[fur trade]]. ===Colonial era=== {{main|Colonial history of New Jersey}} Since the state's inception, New Jersey has been characterized by ethnic and religious diversity. New England [[Congregationalists]] settled alongside Scottish [[Presbyterians]] and [[Dutch Reformed]] migrants from New York. While the majority of residents lived in towns with individual landholdings of {{convert|100|acre|km2|1}}, a few rich proprietors owned vast estates. English [[Quakers]] and [[Anglicans]] owned large landholdings. New Jersey remained agrarian and rural throughout the colonial era, and commercial farming only developed sporadically. Some townships, though, like Burlington and Perth Amboy, emerged as important ports for shipping to New York and Philadelphia. The colony's fertile lands and tolerant religious policy drew more settlers, and New Jersey boasted a population of 120,000 by 1775. Much of New Jersey was claimed by the [[Netherlands|Dutch]]. The Dutch colony of [[New Netherland]] consisted of parts of modern [[New York]] (New Amsterdam) and New Jersey. Although the European principle of land ownership was not recognized by the [[Lenape]], Dutch policy required formal purchase of all land settled upon, and the first such purchase was of [[Manhattan]], by [[Peter Minuit]]. The entire region became a territory of [[Kingdom of England|England]] in 1664, when an English fleet under the command of Colonel [[Richard Nicolls]] sailed into what is today [[New York Harbor]] and took over the colony, against extremely low resistance. During the [[English Civil War]] the [[Channel Islands|Channel Isle]] of [[Jersey]] remained loyal to the 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 in 1649, following the execution of his father, [[Charles I of England|Charles I]]. The North American lands were divided by [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], 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 remained loyal through the [[English Civil War]]: [[George Carteret|Sir George Carteret]] and [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton|Lord Berkeley of Stratton]]. The area was named, the [[Province of New Jersey]]. 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 the colony 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 very briefly as two distinct provinces, East and West Jersey, for 28 years between 1674 and 1702. In 1702, the two provinces were reunited under a royal, rather than a proprietary, governor. [[Edward Hyde]], Lord Cornbury became the first governor of the colony as a royal colony. Lord Cornbury was an ineffective and corrupt ruler, taking bribes and speculating on land, so in 1708 he was recalled to England. New Jersey was then ruled by the governors of [[New York]], but this infuriated the settlers of New Jersey, who accused those governors of favoritism to New York. [[Lewis Morris (1671-1746)|Judge Lewis Morris]] led the case for a separate governor, and was appointed governor by [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]] in 1738.<ref>Streissguth pg 30-36</ref> ===Revolutionary War era=== {{main|New Jersey during the American Revolution}} [[Image:Old Queens Rutgers.jpg|thumb|[[Rutgers University]], originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766, possesses a variety of architectural styles.]] New Jersey was one of the [[Thirteen Colonies]] that revolted against British rule in the [[American Revolution]]. The [[wikisource:New Jersey Constitution of 1776|New Jersey Constitution of 1776]] was passed [[July 2]], [[1776]], just two days before the [[Second Continental Congress]] declared American Independence from [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]]. It was an act of the Provincial Congress, which made itself into the state Legislature. To reassure neutrals, it provided that it would become void if New Jersey reached reconciliation with [[Great Britain]]. New Jersey representatives [[Richard Stockton]], [[John Witherspoon]], [[Francis Hopkinson]], [[John Hart]], and [[Abraham Clark]] were among those who signed the [[United States Declaration of Independence]]. 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." On [[December 25]], [[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 gained an important victory by stopping [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|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 forces there. Later, American forces under Washington met the forces under General [[Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)|Henry Clinton]] at the [[Battle of Monmouth]] in an indecisive engagement. 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. New Jersey was the third state to ratify the [[United States Constitution]], which was overwhelmingly popular in New Jersey, as it prevented New York and Pennsylvania from charging and keeping tariffs on goods imported from Europe. In [[November 20]], [[1789]], the state became the first in the newly-formed Union to ratify the [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]]. The 1776 [[New Jersey State Constitution]] gave the vote to "all inhabitants" who had a certain level of wealth. This included both women and blacks; although not married women, who could not own property. Both sides, in several elections, claimed that the other side had had unqualified women vote, and mocked them for use of "petticoat electors" (entitled to vote or not); on the other hand, both parties passed Voting Rights Acts. In 1807, the legislature passed a bill interpreting the constitution to mean universal ''white male'' suffrage, excluding paupers. (This was less revolutionary than it sounds: the "constitution" was itself only an act of the legislature.)<ref>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.)</ref> ===Nineteenth century=== {{main|New Jersey in the Nineteenth Century}} On [[February 15]], [[1804]], New Jersey became the last northern state to abolish new [[slavery]] and enacted legislation that slowly phased out existing slavery. This lead to a gradual scale-down of the slave population, but by the close of the [[American Civil War|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. In 1844, the second [[New Jersey State Constitution|state constitution]] was ratified and brought into effect. Counties thereby became districts for the State Senate, and some realignment of boundaries (including the creation of [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]]) immediately followed. This provision was retained in the 1947 Constitution, but was overturned by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in 1962 by the decision [[Baker v. Carr]]. While the Governorship was stronger than under the 1776 constitution, the constitution of 1844 created many offices that were not responsible to him, or to the people, and it gave him a three-year term, but he could not succeed himself. Unlike the Revolutionary War, no Civil War battles took place within the state. However, throughout the course of the Civil War, over 80,000 enlisted in the Northern army to defeat the Southern [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. New Jersey was one of the few states to reject President [[Abraham Lincoln]] twice in national elections, and sided with [[Stephen Douglas]] and [[George B. McClellan]] during their campaigns. McClellan later became governor. During the war, the state was led first by Republican Governor [[Charles Smith Olden]], then by Democrat [[Joel Parker]]. In the [[Industrial Revolution]], cities like [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]] grew and prospered. Previously, the economy had been largely agrarian, which was problematically subject to crop failures and poor soil. This caused a shift to a more industrialized economy, one based on manufactured commodities such as [[textile]]s and [[silk]]. [[List of inventors|Inventor]] [[Thomas Edison]] also became an important figure of the Industrial Revolution, having been granted 1,093 patents, many of which for inventions he developed while working in New Jersey. Transportation was greatly improved as [[locomotion]] and [[steamboat]]s were introduced to New Jersey. [[Iron ore|Iron]] mining was also a prevalent industry during the middle to late 1800s. [[Mining|Mines]] such as Mt. Hope, Mine Hill and the Rockaway Valley Mines created a thriving industry, which spawned new towns and was one of the driving forces behind the need for the [[Morris Canal]]. ===Twentieth century=== {{main|New Jersey in the Twentieth Century}} [[Image:0328Jersey City Statue of Liberty.JPG|thumb|right|200px|The [[Statue Of Liberty]] and [[Jersey City]].]] 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, [[Fort Dix, New Jersey|Fort Dix]] (1917) (originally called "Camp Dix"),<ref>[http://www.dix.army.mil/history/history.htm Our History]</ref> [[Camp Merritt (New Jersey)|Camp Merritt]](1917)<ref>[http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~cacunithistories/camp_merritt.htm Camp Merritt]</ref> and [[Camp Kilmer]](1941),<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/camp-kilmer.htm Camp Kilmer]</ref> were all constructed to house and train American soldiers through both World Wars. New Jersey also became a principal 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]]. ''[[PT-109]]'', commanded by Lt.(jg) [[John F. Kennedy]], was built at the Elco Boatworks in Bayonne, and the aircraft carrier [[USS Enterprise (CV-6)]] was briefly docked at the Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne in the 1950s before she was sent to Japan to be scrapped. In 1962, the world's first nuclear powered cargo ship, the [[NS Savannah]] was launched at Camden. New Jersey prospered through the [[Roaring Twenties]]. The first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921, the first drive in movie was shown in Camden in 1933, and in 1927 the [[Holland Tunnel]] opened. During the [[Great Depression]] of the nineteen thirties, the state offered begging licenses to unemployed residents,<ref>Gerdes, Louise I. The 1930s, Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000.</ref> the zeppelin [[Hindenburg disaster|Hindenburg]] went up in flames over [[Lakehurst, New Jersey|Lakehurst]], and the [[SS Morro Castle]] beached itself on the Jersey Shore after going up in flames while at sea. In 1951, the New Jersey Turnpike opened, permitting fast travel by car or truck from the northern cities to southern New Jersey and Philadelphia area. In the 1960s, residents of a few New Jersey cities rioted. Because many of the rioters had dark skin, these events were often referred to as [[race riot]]s. The first race riots in New Jersey occurred in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] on [[August 2]], [[1964]]. Several others ensued in 1967, in [[1967 Newark riots|Newark]] and [[1967 Plainfield riots|Plainfield]]. [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] rioted in 1971. ==Demographics== {{USCensusPop |1790=184139 |1800=211149 |1810=245562 |1820=277575 |1830=320823 |1840=373306 |1850=489555 |1860=672035 |1870=906096 |1880=1131116 |1890=1444933 |1900=1883669 |1910=2537167 |1920=3155900 |1930=4041334 |1940=4160165 |1950=4835329 |1960=6066782 |1970=7168164 |1980=7364823 |1990=7730188 |2000=8414350 |estimate=8724560 |estyear=2006 }} ===State population=== Residents of New Jersey are most commonly referred to as "New Jerseyans" or "New Jerseyites." The [[United States Census Bureau]], as of July 1, 2006, estimated New Jersey's population at 8,724,560,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=PEP_2006_EST&-mt_name=PEP_2006_EST_G2006_T001&-CONTEXT=dt&-tree_id=806&-currentselections=PEP_2006_EST_G2006_T001&-geo_id=04000US34&-search_results=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en |title=2006 Population Estimates |author=U.S. Census Bureau |authorlink=United States Census Bureau |date=[[2007-05-17]] |accessdate=2007-05-30}}</ref> which represents an increase of 310,213, or 3.7%, since the last census in 2000.<ref name=census_cum>{{cite web |title=Cumulative Estimates of the Components of Population Change for the United States, Regions and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (NST-EST2006-04) |url=http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2006-04.xls |author=U. S. Census Bureau |authorlink=United States Census Bureau |date=[[2006-12-15]] |accessdate=2007-05-30 |format=Microsoft Excel}}</ref> This includes a natural increase since the last census of 254,766 people (that is 705,812 births minus 451,046 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 79,211 people into the state.<ref name=census_cum/> [[Immigration to the United States|Immigration]] from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 357,111 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 277,900 people.<ref name=census_cum/> There are 1.6 million foreign-born living in the state (accounting for 19.2% of the population).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/DataTools/MigrationInformationSource-ACS-2005-PercentForeignBorn.xls |title=Percent Foreign Born by State (1990, 2000, 2005) |work=MPI Data Hub: Migration Facts, Stats, and Maps |format=Microsoft Excel |author=Migration Policy Institute |authorlink=Migration Policy Institute}}</ref> As of 2006, New Jersey is the eleventh-most populous state, but the most densely populated, at 1,174 residents per square mile (453 per km²), although the density varies widely across the state. It is also the second wealthiest state in the United States according to the United States Census Bureau.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/28/real_estate/wealthiest_states/index.htm The richest (and poorest) places in the U.S.: 2007]</ref> The [[center of population]] for New Jersey is located in [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], in the town of [[Milltown, New Jersey|Milltown]], just east of the [[New Jersey Turnpike]] (see [http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.438458,-74.428055&spn=0.11,0.18 map of location]).<ref>[http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt Population and Population Centers by State: 2000], accessed [[November 16]], [[2006]]</ref> ===Racial group, ethnicity, and ancestry=== {{US Demographics}} New Jersey is one of the most religiously and ethnically [[Multiculturalism|diverse]] states in the country. It has the second largest [[Jewish American|Jewish]] population by percentage after [[New York]];<ref>{{cite web|title=Jewish Population of the United States by State |work=Jewish Virtual Library |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/usjewpop.html |year=2002 |accessdate=2007-06-10}}</ref> the second largest [[Islam in the United States|Muslim]] population by percent (after [[Michigan]]); the third highest [[Asian people|Asian]] population by percent, 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]], [[White American]], [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic American]], [[Arab American]], and [[Asian American]]. It has the second highest [[Indian American]] population of any state by absolute numbers.<ref>[http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=185 The Foreign Born from India in the United States], dated [[December 1]], [[2003]]</ref><ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t6/tab02.pdf Census 2000 PHC-T-6. Population by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States, Regions, Divisions, States, Puerto Rico, and Places of 100,000 or More Population: Table 2. Percent of Population by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin, for the United States, Regions, Divisions, and States, and for Puerto Rico: 2000]|10.6&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 10929 bytes -->}}</ref><ref>[http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/atlas/divers.xls Mapping Census 2000: The Geography of U.S. Diversity] (Microsoft Excel)</ref><ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf Ancestry: 2000 &mdash; Census 2000 Brief]|468&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 480146 bytes -->}}</ref> The five largest ancestry groups are: [[Italian-American|Italian]] (17.9%), [[Irish-American|Irish]] (15.9%), [[African-American|African]] (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 second highest median household income among the states.<ref>[http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-census0828,0,441396.story?coll=bal-health-utility Md. is ranked as richest state]</ref> This is largely because so much of New Jersey consists of suburbs, most of them affluent, of New York City and [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]. New Jersey is also the most densely populated state in the nation, and the only state that has had every one of its counties deemed "urban" as defined by the [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]]'s [[Combined Statistical Area]].<ref>[http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/metro-city/99mfips.txt Metropolitan Areas and Components, 1999, with FIPS codes]</ref> The state has very sizable enclaves of different language speaking communities. Some of these include (by ranking) * Spanish-spoken in many of the Hudson County towns, especially Union City. * Portuguese-spoken throughout the entire state, but Portuguese is common in the [[Ironbound]] section of Newark. * Italian-spoken throughout the state also, but is concentrated in the towns of Hudson and Essex counties. [[Image:New Jersey Population Map.png|thumb|right|New Jersey population distribution]] The dominant race, ethnicity, or ancestry by county, according to the 2000 Census, is the following: *Italian - Bergen, Morris, Somerset, Ocean, Monmouth, Mercer, Middlesex, Union, Passaic, Hudson, Atlantic, Cumberland<ref name="censusbrief">[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf Census 2000 Brief]</ref> *Irish - Sussex, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Cape May<ref name="censusbrief"/> *Black - Essex<ref name="censusbrief"/> *German - Warren, Hunterdon, Salem<ref name="censusbrief"/> 6.7% of its population was reported as under age 5, 24.8% under 18, and 13.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.5% of the population. According to the [[2000 U.S. Census]], 12.31% of the population aged 5 and over speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] at home, while 1.48% speak [[Italian language|Italian]].<ref>[http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=34&mode=state_tops Modern Language Association]</ref> ===Religion=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+Distributions of religions in New Jersey (2001)<ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm |title=American Religious Identification Survey, Key Findings, Exhibit 15 |accessmonthday=January 4 |accessyear=2007 |author=Mayer, Egon |authorlink= |coauthors=Kosmin, Barry A., Keysar, Ariela |year=2001 |publisher= [[City University of New York]]}}</ref> |- ! Religious group !width="30%"|% |- |Catholic |align="right"|37 |- |None |align="right"|15 |- |Baptist |align="right"|8 |- |Methodist |align="right"|6 |- |Refused to identify |align="right"|5 |- |Christian<br />(no denomination stated) |align="right"|4 |- |Jewish<br />(by religion only) |align="right"|2 |- |Other |align="right"|4 |- |Presbyterian |align="right"|4 |- |Lutheran |align="right"|3 |- |Episcopalian/Anglican |align="right"|2 |- |Protestant |align="right"|2 |- |Jehovah's Witness |align="right"|1 |- |Mormon/LDS |align="right"|1 |- |Muslim/Islamic |align="right"|1 |- |Non-denominational |align="right"|1 |- |Pentecostal |align="right"|1 |- |Assemblies of God |align="right"|* |- |Buddhist |align="right"|* |- |Church of Christ |align="right"|* |- |Church of God |align="right"|* |- |Congregational/UCC |align="right"|* |- |Evangelical |align="right"|* |- |Seventh Day Adventist |align="right"|* |} &nbsp;*Less than 0.5% ==Economy== [[Image:1999 NJ Proof.png|thumb|left]] The [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] estimates that New Jersey's total state product in 2006 was $434 billion.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2005/gsp1005.pdf Bureau of Economic Analysis]}}</ref> Its per capita personal income in 2004 was $41,636, 2<sup>nd</sup> in the U.S. and 126% of the national average of $33,041.<ref>[http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/bearfacts/stateaction.cfm?fips=34000&yearin=2004 Bureau of Economic Analysis]</ref> Its median household income is the highest in the nation with $55,146. It is 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 in the wealthiest 100 of the country. New Jersey faces a [[deficit]] that could be as large as 3 billion for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2008.<ref>[http://njrereport.com/index.php/2008/01/02/nj-facing-3b-budget-deficit-no-new-taxes/ New Jersey Real Estate Report » NJ facing $3b budget deficit.. No new taxes?]</ref> New Jersey has seven tax brackets for determining [[income tax]] rates. The rates range from 1.4 to 8.97%. The standard [[sales tax]] rate is 7%, applicable to all retail sales unless specifically exempt by law. Exemptions include most food items for at-home preparation, medicines, clothing (except fur items), footwear, and disposable paper products for use in the home. Approximately 30 New Jersey municipalities are designated as [[Urban Enterprise Zone]]s and shoppers are charged a 3½% tax rate, half of the rate charged outside the UEZs. Sections of [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]] and [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] are examples of communities that are subject to the lower sales tax rate. All [[real property]] located in the state is subject to [[property tax]] unless specifically exempted by statute. New Jersey does not assess an intangible personal property tax, but it does impose an [[inheritance tax]]. ===Industry=== [[Image:Cranberrys beim Ernten.jpeg|thumb|right|Cranberry harvest]] New Jersey's economy is centered on the pharmaceutical industry, chemical development, telecommunications, food processing, electric equipment, printing and publishing, and tourism. New Jersey's agricultural outputs are nursery stock, horses, vegetables, fruits and nuts, seafood, and dairy products. Although New Jersey is home to many energy-intensive industries, its energy consumption is only 2.7% of the U.S. total, and its carbon dioxide emissions are only 0.8% of the U.S. total. Its comparatively low greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to nuclear power. According to the [[Energy Information Administration]], nuclear power dominates New Jersey’s electricity market, typically supplying more than one-half of State generation. New Jersey has three nuclear power plants, including the [[Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station]], which came online in 1969 and is the oldest operating nuclear plant in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=NJ |title= EIA State Energy Profiles: New Jersey |date=2008-06-12 |accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref> New Jersey has a strong scientific economy. New Jersey is home to major pharmaceutical firms such as [[Johnson and Johnson]], [[Sanofi-Aventis]], [[Novartis]], [[Pfizer]], [[Merck & Co.|Merck]], [[Wyeth]], [[Hoffman-LaRoche]], [[Bristol-Myers Squibb]], and [[Schering-Plough]]. New Jersey is home to major telecommunications firms such as [[Verizon Wireless]], [[Avaya]], [[Alcatel-Lucent]] and [[AT&T Communications]]. Furthermore, New Jersey draws upon its large and well-educated labor pool which also supports the myriad of industries that exist today. New Jersey is the ultimate [[bedroom community]] since the state is right next to New York City and Philadelphia. Thus, there is a strong service economy in New Jersey serving residents who work in New York City or Philadelphia. Some of these industries include retail sales, education and real estate. [[Newark Liberty International Airport]] is ranked seventh among the nation's busiest airports and among the top 20 busiest airports in the world. Shipping is a strong industry in New Jersey because of the state's strategic location. The [[Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal]] was the world's first container port and is one of the world's largest container ports. New Jersey also has a strong presence in chemical development, refining and food processing operations. New Jersey hosts several business headquarters, including twenty-four [[Fortune 500]] companies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/states/NJ.html |title=Fortune 500 2007 - States: New Jersey |date=[[2007-03-30]] |accessdate=2007-05-30}}</ref> [[Paramus, New Jersey|Paramus]] is noted for having one of the highest retail sales per person ratios in the nation. Several New Jersey counties such as [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset]] (7), [[Morris County, New Jersey|Morris]] (10), [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey|Hunterdon]] (13), [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]] (21), [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth]] (42) counties are ranked among the [[highest-income counties in the United States]]. Four others are also in the top 100. ===Federal taxation disparity=== New Jersey has the highest imbalance of any state in the United States between what it gives to the federal government and what it receives. In fiscal year 2005, New Jersey taxpayers gave the federal government $77 billion dollars but only received $55 billion dollars back. This difference is higher than any other state and means that for every $1.00 New Jersey taxpayers send to Washington, the state only receives $0.61 dollars back. This calculation is applied correctly after making the federal government deficit neutral as sometimes the federal government spends more than it takes in.<ref>[http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/347.html link Chart of State to Federal government spend/receive ratios], [[Tax Foundation]]</ref> As of 2005, New Jersey has never been above 48th in rank for [[per capita]] federal spending (with a rank of 50th for the majority of that time) since 1982 while being 2nd or 3rd in the per capita federal taxes paid to Washington. As a result, New Jersey runs into deficits frequently and has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.<ref>[http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/44.html link Tax Burdens in New Jersey]</ref> Factors for this include the large federal tax liability which is not adjusted for New Jersey's higher cost of living and Medicaid funding formulas. Incomes tend to be higher in New Jersey as shown by the study which puts people in higher tax brackets especially vulnerable to the [[alternative minimum tax]], however such higher salaries are negated by the high taxes when you include the high property and state/local income taxes and the low rate of return by the federal government which may cause those high taxes.<!-- if you know more factors, put them here with citations, but "etc" is definitely not one of them --> ===Natural resources=== New Jersey's greatest natural resource is its location, which has made the state a crossroads of commerce. Other commercial advantages include its extensive transportation system, which puts one quarter of all United States consumers within overnight delivery range. Lake and seaside resorts such as Atlantic City have contributed to New Jersey's rank of fifth among the states in revenues from tourism. Despite more than three centuries of development almost half of New Jersey is still wooded. The chief tree of the northern forests is the oak. A large part of the southern section is in pine. Jersey oak has been used extensively in shipbuilding. The mineral resources in New Jersey are small. The state, however, does rank high in smelting and refining minerals from other states. Some mining activity does still take place in the area in and around the [[Franklin Furnace]], which was long a center of [[zinc]] production (see [[New Jersey Zinc Company]]). ==Transportation== ===Roadways=== [[Image:Map of New Jersey NA.png|thumb|right|Map of New Jersey showing major transportation networks and cities]] [[Image:Habs gw bridge1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[George Washington Bridge]] connecting New Jersey to [[New York City]] is one of the world's busiest bridges in terms of vehicular traffic.<ref>[http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/BIZ/610240312/-1/NEWS03 George Washington Bridge turns 75 years old: Huge flag, cake part of celebration], ''[[Times Herald-Record]]'', [[October 24]], [[2006]]. "The party, however, will be small in comparison to the one that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey organized for 5,000 people to open the bridge to traffic in 1931. And it won't even be on '''what is now the world's busiest bridge''' for fear of snarling traffic."</ref>]] {{seealso|List of New Jersey State Highways}} 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]], and the East Coast in general. Commonly referred to as simply "the Turnpike," it is known for its numerous rest-areas named after prominent New Jerseyans as diverse 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," carries more in-state traffic and runs from the town of [[Montvale, New Jersey|Montvale]] along New Jersey's northern border to its southernmost tip at [[Cape May, New Jersey|Cape May]] for {{convert|172.4|mi|km}}. It is the trunk that connects the New York metropolitan area to Atlantic City and it consistently one of the safest roads in the nation. New Jersey is connected to [[New York City]] via various bridges and tunnels. The [[George Washington Bridge]] carries one of the heaviest loads of traffic in the world<ref>[http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/BIZ/610240312/-1/NEWS03 George Washington Bridge turns 75 years old: Huge flag, cake part of celebration], ''[[Times Herald-Record]]'', [[October 24]], [[2006]]. "The party, however, will be small in comparison to the one that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey organized for 5,000 people to open the bridge to traffic in 1931. And it won't even be on '''what is now the world's busiest bridge''' for fear of snarling traffic."</ref> from New Jersey to the [[Washington Heights, Manhattan|Washington Heights]] neighborhood in [[Upper Manhattan]] in [[New York City]]. The [[Lincoln Tunnel]] connects to [[Midtown Manhattan]] and the [[Holland Tunnel]] connects to [[Lower Manhattan]]. These are the three major Hudson River crossings that see heavy vehicular traffic. New Jersey is also connected to [[Staten Island]] by three bridges. From the southernmost to northernmost; the [[Outerbridge Crossing]], [[Goethals Bridge]], and [[Bayonne Bridge]]. The [[Goethals Bridge]] also provides a route from New Jersey to [[Brooklyn]], New York. Other expressways in New Jersey include the [[Atlantic City Expressway]], the [[Palisades Interstate Parkway]], [[Interstate 76 (east)|Interstate 76]], [[Interstate 78 in New Jersey|Interstate 78]], [[Interstate 80 in New Jersey|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]]. Other major roadways include [[U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey|U.S. 1]], [[U.S. Route 9 in New Jersey|U.S. 9]], [[U.S. Route 1/9]]. Non-major roadways include [[Interstate 676]] and [[U.S. Route 46]]. New Jersey has [[interstate compact]]s 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. Bridge tolls are collected in one direction only &mdash; it is free to cross into New Jersey, but motorists must pay when exiting the state. Exceptions to this are the [[Dingman's Ferry Bridge]] and the [[Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge]] where tolls are charged both ways. The Washington Crossing and [[Scudders Falls Bridge|Scudders Falls (on I-95)]] bridges near Trenton, as well as Trenton's [[Calhoun Street Bridge|Calhoun Street]] and [[Lower Trenton Bridge|Bridge Street ("Trenton Makes")]] bridges, are toll-free. ===Airports=== [[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 [[airport]]s in the [[New York metropolitan area]] ([[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. [[Teterboro Airport]], in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]], is a [[general aviation]] airport popular with private and corporate aircraft, due to its proximity to New York City. [[Millville Municipal Airport]], in [[Cumberland County, New Jersey|Cumberland County]], is a [[general aviation]] airport popular with private and corporate aircraft, due to its proximity to the shore. ===Rail and bus=== [[Image:IMG 3900.jpg|thumb|NJT trains at Hoboken Terminal]] {{main|New Jersey Transit}} {{see|New Jersey Transit Bus Operations|New Jersey Transit Rail Operations|Port Authority Trans-Hudson|Port Authority Transit Corporation}} The [[New Jersey Transit]] Corporation (N. J. Transit) operates extensive rail and bus service throughout the state. N. J. 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 has eleven lines that run throughout different parts of the state. Most of the trains start at various points in the state and most end at either [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Pennsylvania Station]], in [[New York City]], or [[Hoboken Terminal]] in [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]]. 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. N. J. Transit also operates three light rail systems in the state. The [[Hudson-Bergen Light Rail]] connects [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]] to [[North Bergen, New Jersey|North Bergen]], with planned expansion into [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] communities. The [[Newark City Subway]] is the only [[Rapid transit|subway]] system in the state. Its Main Line connects [[Pennsylvania Station (Newark)|Newark Penn Station]] with Grove Street station in [[Bloomfield, New Jersey|Bloomfield]]. The Broad Street Line of the subway, the first component of the [[Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link]], opened in the summer of 2006. The last of the three light rail lines is the [[River Line (New Jersey Transit)|River Line]] which connects [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] and [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]]. The [[Port Authority Trans-Hudson|PATH]] links [[North Jersey]] and [[New York City]]. The PATH operates four lines that connect various points in North Jersey and New York. The lines all start in either [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]] or [[Essex County, New Jersey]] and end either at the [[World Trade Center (PATH station)|World Trade Center]] station or at [[33rd Street (PATH station)|33rd Street]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]]. The [[Port Authority Transit Corporation|PATCO]] High Speedline links [[Camden County, New Jersey|Camden County]] and [[Philadelphia]]. PATCO operates a single elevated and subway line that runs from [[Lindenwold, New Jersey|Lindenwold]] to Center City Philadelphia. PATCO operates stations in Lindenwold, [[Voorhees, New Jersey|Voorhees]], [[Cherry Hill, New Jersey|Cherry Hill]], [[Haddonfield, New Jersey|Haddonfield]], [[Haddon Township, New Jersey|Haddon Township]], [[Collingswood, New Jersey|Collingswood]], and [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]], along with four stations in Philadelphia. [[Amtrak]] also operates numerous long-distance passenger trains in New Jersey to and from neighboring states and around the country. In addition to the Newark Airport connection, other major Amtrak railway stations include [[Trenton (Amtrak station)|Trenton Rail Station]], [[Metropark (NJT station)|Metropark]], and the grand historic [[Pennsylvania Station (Newark)|Newark Penn Station]]. [[Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority|SEPTA]] also has two lines that operate into New Jersey. The [[R7 (SEPTA)|R7]] lines terminates at the Trenton Rail Station, and the [[R3 (SEPTA)|R3]] lines terminates at the [[West Trenton Rail Station]] in [[Ewing, New Jersey|Ewing]]. [[AirTrain Newark]] is a monorail connecting the Amtrak/NJ Transit station on the [[Northeast Corridor]] to the airport's terminals and parking lots. Some private bus carriers still remain in New Jersey. Most of these carriers operate with state funding to offset losses and state owned buses are provided to these carriers of which [[Coach USA]] companies make up the bulk. Other carriers include private charter and tour bus operators that take gamblers from other parts of New Jersey, [[New York City]], [[Philadelphia]], and [[Delaware]] to the casino resorts of Atlantic City. ===Ferries=== There are many ferry services that operate in New Jersey. On the [[Delaware Bay]], the [[Delaware River and Bay Authority]] operates the [[Cape May-Lewes Ferry]]. The Delaware River and Bay Authority also operates ferries between [[Fort Mott]] in New Jersey and [[Fort Delaware]] and Fort DuPont in [[Delaware]]. The [[Delaware River Port Authority]] operates the [[RiverLink Ferry]] between the [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] waterfront and [[Penn's Landing]] in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]. On the [[Hudson River]], [[NY Waterway|New York Waterway]] has numerous ferry terminals in [[Belford, New Jersey|Belford]], [[Jersey City]], [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]] and [[Weehawken]]. The stops are at [[Port Liberte]], Liberty Harbor, [[Exchange Place|Colgate/Exchange Place]] in Jersey City, [[Belford, New Jersey|Belford]], Port Imperial and Lincoln Harbor in [[Weehawken]], [[Hoboken Terminal]] (Hoboken South) and 14th Street (Hoboken North) in Hoboken. These ferries run to one or several of the Manhattan stops at [[Wall Street]], the [[World Financial Center]] or Midtown at 39th St. Liberty Landing in [[Jersey City]] has ferries from Portside in [[Paulus Hook]] and Liberty Landing in [[Liberty State Park]]. The [[Circle Line (New York)|Circle Line]] ferry has service from Liberty State Park to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Although there is a bridge from Ellis Island to Jersey City, it was built for renovations on the building on the island and is considered unsafe for public use. [[SeaStreak]] offers services from the [[Raritan Bayshore]] to Manhattan and during [[The Mets|the Met's]] season [[Shea Stadium]]. The ferries on the Bayshore leave from [[Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey|Atlantic Highlands]] and two terminals in [[Highlands, New Jersey|Highlands]]. [[New York Water Taxi]] also has seasonal service from Paulus Hook to Wall Street. Ferry service from [[Keyport, New Jersey|Keyport]] and [[Perth Amboy]] have been proposed and ferry service from [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]] has been discussed with a proposed light rail connection to [[Newark Liberty International|Newark Airport]] and [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Downtown Elizabeth]]. ===Private bus carriers=== Several private bus lines provide transportation service in the state of New Jersey. Below is a list of major carriers and their areas of operation: * [[Academy Bus|Academy]]--commuter bus service from [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington]], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex]], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth]], and [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean]] counties to [[Wall Street (Manhattan)|lower]] and [[midtown Manhattan]] * Bergen Avenue IBOA--local bus service in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] * Broadway Bus--local bus service in [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]] * [[Coach USA]] **[[Community Coach]]--commuter bus service from [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex]] and [[Morris County, New Jersey|Morris]] counties **[[Orange Newark Elizabeth Bus|ONE Bus/Olympia Trails]]--local bus service in Essex and [[Union County, New Jersey|Union]] counties, commuter bus service from the Raritan Valley to Manhattan **[[Red & Tan in Hudson County]]--local bus service in [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]] **[[Rockland Coaches]]--commuter and local bus service from [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] to Manhattan **[[Suburban Trails]]--commuter bus service from Middlesex County to Manhattan, local bus service in Middlesex County * [[DeCamp Bus Lines]]--commuter bus service from Essex County to Manhattan * [[Greyhound Bus|Greyhound]]--interstate bus service from terminals in Newark, Atlantic City, and Mount Laurel * [[Lakeland Bus Lines]]--commuter and local bus service from Morris, [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset]], Union, and [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex]] counties to Manhattan * Martz Trailways--service from [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]] to Manhattan * [[A&C Bus Corporation|Montgomery & West Side IBOA]]--local bus service in Jersey City * [[Trans-Bridge Lines]]--service from the [[Skylands Region]] to and from Manhattan ==Law and government== {{see|Governor of New Jersey|Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey Legislature|2006 New Jersey State Government Shutdown}} ===Executive=== [[Jon Corzine]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]) is the [[Governor of New Jersey|Governor]]. The Governor of New Jersey is considered one of the most powerful governorships in the nation, as it is currently the only state-wide elected office in the state and appoints many government officials. Formerly, an Acting Governor was even more powerful as he simultaneously served as President of the [[New Jersey State Senate]], thus directing half of the legislative and all of the executive process. In 2002 and 2007, President of the State Senate [[Richard Codey]] held the position of Acting Governor for a short time, and from 2004 to 2006 Codey became a long term Acting Governor due to [[Jim McGreevey]]'s resignation. A 2005 amendment to the state Constitution prevents the Senate President from becoming Acting Governor in the event of a permanent gubernatorial vacancy without giving up their seat in the state Senate. The governor's mansion is [[Drumthwacket]], located in [[Princeton Township, New Jersey|Princeton Township]]. New Jersey is one of the few states that has no [[Lieutenant Governor]]. The first [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey]] will take office in January 2010 and will be elected conjointly with the Governor of New Jersey. The position was created as the result of a [[Constitutional amendment]] to the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] passed by the voters on [[November 8]], [[2005]] and effective as of [[January 17]], [[2006]]. ===Legislative=== [[Image:New Jersey State House.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[New Jersey State House]] in [[Trenton, NJ|Trenton]]]] The current version of the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] was adopted in 1947. It provides for a [[bicameral]] [[New Jersey Legislature]], consisting of an [[upper house]] [[New Jersey Senate|Senate]] of 40 members and a [[lower house]] [[New Jersey General Assembly|General Assembly]] of 80 members. Each of the 40 legislative districts elects one State Senator and two Assembly members. Assembly members are elected for a two-year term in all odd-numbered years; State Senators are elected in the years ending in 1, 3, and 7 and thus serve either four- or two-year terms. New Jersey is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd numbered years (The others are [[Kentucky]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Virginia]]). New Jersey holds elections for these offices every 4 years in the years following federal Presidential election years. Thus, the last year when New Jersey elected a Governor was 2005; the next gubernatorial election will occur in 2009, with future gubernatorial elections to take place in 2013, 2017, 2021, etc. ===Judicial=== The [[New Jersey Supreme Court]]<ref>[http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/supreme/index.htm Supreme Court of New Jersey]</ref> 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. Most of the day-to-day work in the New Jersey courts is carried out in the Municipal Courts, where simple traffic tickets, minor criminal offenses, and small civil matters are heard. More serious criminal and civil cases are handled by the Superior Court for each county. New Jersey is unusual in that it still has separate courts of law and [[Equity (law)|equity]], like its neighbor [[Delaware]] but unlike most other U.S. states. The [[New Jersey Superior Court]] is divided into Law and Chancery Divisions at the trial level. ===Counties=== {{see|List of New Jersey counties}} New Jersey is broken up into 21 counties, 13 of which date from the colonial era. New Jersey was completely divided into counties by 1692; the present counties were created by dividing the existing ones; most recently [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]] in 1857. 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 must consist of three, five, seven or 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]]; the number was 567 before [[Pahaquarry Township, New Jersey|Pahaquarry Township]] was absorbed by [[Hardwick Township, New Jersey|Hardwick Township]] in 1997. Unlike other states in the west and south, all New Jersey land is part of a municipality. In 2008, governor [[Jon Corzine]] proposed cutting state aid to all towns under 10,000 people, to encourage mergers to reduce administrative costs.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90090911 Small Towns in N.J. Told to Merge or Face Cuts]</ref> ====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 &mdash; notably [[Middletown Township, New Jersey|Middletown]], [[Brick Township, New Jersey|Brick]], [[Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Hamilton]], and [[Toms River, New Jersey|Toms River]] &mdash; 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. Toms River, Short Hills, Murray Hill, and many other locations in New Jersey are not municipalities but rather 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 of the United States|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 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. Only boroughs can (but are not required to) 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 by the [[New Jersey Legislature]], 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. Municipalities can also formulate their own unique form of government and operate under a [[Special Charter (New Jersey)|Special Charter]] with the approval of the [[New Jersey Legislature]]. While municipalities retain their names derived from 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 that are officially named villages, [[Loch Arbour, New Jersey|Loch Arbour]] is the only one remaining with the village form of government. The three other villages&mdash;[[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) &mdash;have all migrated to other non-village forms. ===Politics=== {{main|Politics of New Jersey}} ====Political parties==== New Jersey was once a politically competitive state in past federal elections but has become a [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] stronghold beginning in 1992. In state elections, offices remain competitive; the [[New Jersey Legislature]] was evenly divided from 1999 to 2001. Currently, [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee|New Jersey Democrats]] hold the [[Governor of New Jersey|Governorship]], have majority control of both houses of the [[New Jersey Legislature|Legislature]] (Senate: 22-18 & Assembly: 49-31), while federal Democrats hold both [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats and also 7 out of 13 of the state's delegation to the [[United States House of Representatives]]. [[United States Republican Party|Republicans]] have not won a statewide election since 1997. With the exception of then-Vice President [[George H.W. Bush|George H.W. Bush's]] [[United States presidential election, 1988|1988 presidential victory]], no Republican has received a majority of the vote in a statewide election since 1985, though the state had a Republican governor from 1994 to 2002, as [[Christie Todd Whitman]] won twice with vote percentages of 47 and 49 percent. In federal elections, the state leans heavily 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]]. The last elected Republican to hold a Senate seat from New Jersey was [[Clifford P. Case]] in 1979. ([[Nicholas F. 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 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, President [[George W. Bush]] received about 52% in Somerset and 60% 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. To be eligible to vote in a U.S. election, all New Jerseyans are required to start their residency in the state 30 days prior to an election and register 29 days prior. ====Social attitudes and issues==== Socially, New Jersey is considered one of the most liberal states in the nation. Polls indicate two-thirds of the population are self-described as [[pro-choice]];<ref>[http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyState.htm SurveyUSA Pro-Life vs. Pro Choice Sorted by State]</ref> and in a [[John Zogby|Zogby]] poll of 802 people, a majority supported [[same-sex marriage]].<ref>[http://www.gardenstateequality.org/poll.htm Garden State Equality Poll Results] from surveys done [[April 12]] - [[April 14]], [[2005]]</ref> A [[Rasmussen Reports]] poll, however, showed that New Jersey voters consider marriage a union between a man and a woman as opposed to one between any two people by a margin of 54-42%.<ref>[http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/current_events/other_current_events/same_sex_marriage_garden_state_s_highest_court_approves_rights_for_gay_couples] Same-Sex Marriage: Garden State’s Highest Court Approves Rights for Gay Couples: 54% of New Jersey Voters Support Traditional Marriage] from [[July 25]], [[2005]] survey</ref> In April 2004, New Jersey enacted a [[Domestic partnerships in New Jersey|domestic partnership law]], which is available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples aged 62 and over. During 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court voted 4 to 3 that state lawmakers must provide the rights and benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples. Moreover, effective [[February 19]], [[2007]], New Jersey became the third state in U.S. (the other two being [[Civil unions in Connecticut|Connecticut]] and [[Civil unions in Vermont|Vermont]]) to offer [[civil union]]s to same-sex couples, conferring over 850 rights, privileges and responsibilities of marriage; legislators declined, however, to use the term "marriage" for same-sex unions. Thus, three separate government-recognized relationships are now in effect in the Garden State: domestic partnerships, civil unions, and marriage. {{See also|Civil unions in New Jersey}} New Jersey also has some of the most stringent gun-control laws in the U.S. These include bans on assault firearms, hollow nose bullets and even slingshots. No gun offense in New Jersey is graded less than a felony. [[BB guns]] and black powder guns are all treated as modern firearms. Visitors to the state should beware of bringing any firearms into the state. New Jersey recognizes no out of state gun licenses and aggressively enforces its own gun laws.<ref>{{PDFlink|http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/NJSL.pdf|176&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 180259 bytes -->}}</ref> ===Capital punishment=== On [[December 17]], [[2007]] Governor Corzine signed into law a bill that would completely eliminate the death penalty in New Jersey. New Jersey is the first state to pass such legislation since [[Iowa]] and [[West Virginia]] eliminated executions in 1965.<ref>[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gYppYSKRwPNEaUjbxFuUGpS_iouQD8TJ9TBO1 ] Hester Jr., Tom (2007) ''N.J. Bans Death Penalty'' for Associated Press</ref> There are only a handful of people on [[Death Row]] in New Jersey. Corzine also recently signed a bill that would downgrade the Death Row prisoners' sentences from "Death" to "Life in Prison with No Parole." ==Prominent cities and towns== {{seealso|List of municipalities in New Jersey}} ====Large cities (100,000 or greater)==== [[Image:Newark-broad-street.jpg|right|thumb|Broad Street in Newark]] [[Image:Jersey-city-new-jersy-night.jpg|thumb|right|Jersey City by night]] For its overall population and 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. The 2006 Census estimate states that both Edison and Woodbridge Township have dropped below the 100,000 mark. *[[Newark, New Jersey|Newark, Essex County]]: 273,546 (Census Estimate 2006: 281,402) *[[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City, Hudson County]]: 240,055 (Census Estimate 2006: 241,791) *[[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson, Passaic County]]: 149,222 (Census Estimate 2006: 148,708) *[[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth, Union County]]: 120,568 (Census Estimate 2006: 126,179) *[[Edison, New Jersey|Edison, Middlesex County]] 97,687 (Census Estimate 2006: 99,523) *[[Woodbridge Township, New Jersey|Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County]]: 97,203 (Census Estimate 2006: 99,208) ====Towns and small cities (60,000 up to 100,000)==== *[[Toms River, New Jersey|Toms River Township, Ocean County]]: 89,706 (Census Estimate 2006: 94,660) *[[Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Hamilton Township (Mercer County)]]: 87,109 (Census Estimate 2006: 90,559) *[[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton, Mercer County]]: 85,403 *[[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]]: 79,904 *[[Clifton, New Jersey|Clifton]]: 78,672 *[[Brick Township, New Jersey|Brick Township]]: 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 Township]]: 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 Township]] 60,352 ===Wealth of municipalities=== Wealth of municipalities and communities by [[per capita income]]: {{seealso|New Jersey locations by per capita income}} <table> <tr><td valign=top> 1 [[Mantoloking, New Jersey]] $114,017 <br> 2 [[Saddle River, New Jersey]] $85,934 <br> 3 [[Far Hills, New Jersey]] $81,535 <br> 4 [[Essex Fells, New Jersey]] $77,434 <br> 5 [[Alpine, New Jersey]] $76,995 </td><td valign=top> 698 [[New Hanover Township, New Jersey]] $12,140 <br> 699 [[Lakewood CDP, New Jersey]] $11,802 <br> 700 [[Bridgeton, New Jersey]] $10,917 <br> 701 [[Fort Dix, New Jersey]] $10,543 <br> 702 [[Camden, New Jersey]] $9,815 <br> </td></tr></table> ==Education== {{main|Post-secondary education in New Jersey}} 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.{{Who|date=April 2007}} 54% of high school graduates continue on to college, which is 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. Secretary of Education Rick Rosenberg, appointed by Governor [[Jon Corzine]], has created the Education Advancement Initiative (EAI) to increase College admission rates by 10% for New Jersey's high school students, decrease dropout rates by 15%, and increase the amount of money devoted to schools by 10%. Rosenberg was since forced to retract this plan when publicly criticized for taking the money out of healthcare to fund this initiative. New Jersey is ranked first in the nation in funding K-12 education but is ranked last in higher-education funding.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.njascu.org/Policy%20Outlook%20Jan%2007%20vol%204%20issue%201.pdf New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities: Policy Outlook January 7 news]|533&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 546777 bytes -->}}</ref> New Jersey is home to more scientists and engineers ''per square mile'' than anywhere else in the world.<ref>[http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2001/010712/full/nj0021.html Delaware / Hudson Valley Hot Spot for biotechnology]</ref> ==Recreation and entertainment== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} ===Jersey Shore=== *[[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]] *[[Allenhurst, New Jersey|Allenhurst]] *[[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] *[[Avalon, New Jersey|Avalon]] *[[Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey|Avon-by-the-Sea]] *[[Barnegat, New Jersey|Barnegat]] *[[Bay Head, New Jersey|Bay Head]] *[[Belmar, New Jersey|Belmar]] *[[Brigantine, New Jersey|Brigantine]] *[[Cape May, New Jersey|Cape May]] *[[Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey|Cliffwood Beach]] *[[Forked River, New Jersey|Forked River]] *[[Island Beach State Park]] *[[Keansburg, New Jersey|Keansburg]] *[[Keyport, New Jersey|Keyport]] *[[Long Beach Island]] *[[Long Branch, New Jersey|Long Branch]] *[[Longport, New Jersey|Longport]] *[[Manasquan, New Jersey|Manasquan]] *[[Margate, New Jersey|Margate]] *[[Monmouth Beach, New Jersey|Monmouth Beach]] *[[Middletown, New Jersey|Middletown]] *[[Neptune, New Jersey|Neptune]] *[[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]] *[[Ocean Grove, New Jersey|Ocean Grove]] *[[Oceanport, New Jersey|Oceanport]] *[[Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey|Point Pleasant Beach]] *[[Red Bank, New Jersey|Red Bank]] *[[Sandy Hook (New Jersey)|Sandy Hook]] *[[Sea Isle City, New Jersey|Sea Isle City]] *[[Sea Bright, New Jersey|Sea Bright]] *[[Seaside Heights, New Jersey|Seaside Heights]] *[[Seaside Park, New Jersey|Seaside Park]] *[[Spring Lake, New Jersey|Spring Lake]] *[[Stone Harbor, New Jersey|Stone Harbor]] *[[Toms River, New Jersey|Toms River]] *[[Union Beach, New Jersey|Union Beach]] *[[Wall Township, New Jersey|Wall]] *"[[The Wildwoods]]": **[[Diamond Beach, New Jersey|Diamond Beach]] **[[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]] **[[West Wildwood, New Jersey|West Wildwood]] **[[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] **[[Wildwood Crest, New Jersey|Wildwood Crest]] {{col-2}} [[Image:Kingda Ka.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Kingda Ka]], located at [[Six Flags Great Adventure]] in [[Jackson, New Jersey]] is the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster.]] [[Image:ContinentalAirlinesArena.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The [[Izod Center]].]] [[Image:OceanCityboardwalk.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Along the boardwalk in Ocean City.]] [[Image:Liberty Science Center.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The [[Liberty Science Center]] in [[Jersey City]].]] [[Image:The Tropicana.JPG|thumb|200px|right|The Tropicana along the Atlantic City casino strip.]] ===Theme parks === *[[Bowcraft Amusement Park]] *[[Land of Make Believe]] *[[Morey's Piers]] *[[Six Flags Great Adventure]] *[[Mountain Creek Waterpark]] *[[Clementon Amusement Park]] ===Historic sites=== *The [[Indian King Tavern]] *[[Edison National Historic Site]] *[[Ellis Island National Monument]] *[[Emilio Carranza]] Crash Site and Monument *[[Caldwell, New Jersey|Grover Cleveland's Birthplace]] *[[Long Pond Ironworks State Park]] *[[Ringwood Manor]] *[[Monmouth Battlefield State Park]] *[[Morristown National Historical Park]] **[[Ford Mansion]] **[[Fort Nonsense]] **[[Jockey Hollow]] *[[New Bridge Landing]] *[[Old Dutch Parsonage]] *[[Battle of Princeton|Princeton Battlefield]] *[[St. Michael's Church, Trenton, New Jersey|St. Michael's Church and Churchyard, Trenton, NJ]] *The [[USS New Jersey (BB-62)|USS ''New Jersey'']] *[[Wallace House, Somerville|Wallace House]] *[[Walt Whitman]]'s Tomb and [[Walt Whitman|House]] *[[Washington Crossing State Park]] *[[Pomonah Hall]] ===Museums=== * The [[Liberty Science Center]] * The [[Montclair Art Museum]] * The [http://www.morristown.com/Museum/morrismuseum.html ''Morris Museum''] * The [[Newark Museum]] * The [[Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum|Thomas Edison Museum]] ===Performing arts=== * [[New Jersey Performing Arts Center]] * [[Paper Mill Playhouse]] * [[PNC Bank Arts Center]] * [[Prudential Center]] ===Camping and hiking=== * The [[Appalachian National Scenic Trail|Appalachian Trail]] * [[Camp Glen Gray]] * [[South Mountain Reservation]] ===Nudism=== *[[Gunnison Beach]] *[[Rock Lodge Club]] {{col-end}} ===Professional sports teams=== New Jersey currently has five teams from [[major professional sports league]]s playing in the state, although the [[Major League Soccer]] team and two [[National Football League]] teams identify as being from New York. <table> <tr><td valign=top> *[[National Hockey League]] **[[New Jersey Devils]] ([[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]) *[[National Basketball Association]] **[[New Jersey Nets]] ([[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]]) *[[Major League Soccer]] **[[Red Bull New York]] ([[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]]) *[[Major League Lacrosse]] **[[New Jersey Pride]] ([[Piscataway Township, New Jersey|Piscataway]]) **[[Bergen River Dogs]] (planned, expected to play at the [[Meadowlands Xanadu]] Complex) *[[National Football League]] **[[New York Giants]] ([[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]]) **[[New York Jets]] ([[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]]) *[[American Basketball Association (21st century)|American Basketball Association]] **[[Jersey Express]] ([[Madison, New Jersey|Madison]]) </td><td valign=top> *[[Great Lakes Indoor Football League]] **[[New Jersey Revolution]] ([[Morristown, New Jersey|Morristown]]) *[[minor league baseball|Minor League Baseball teams]] **[[Lakewood BlueClaws]] **[[New Jersey Jackals]] ([[Montclair, New Jersey|Montclair]]) **[[Sussex Skyhawks]] ([[Augusta, New Jersey|Augusta]]) **[[Trenton Thunder]] **[[Atlantic City Surf]] **[[Camden Riversharks]] **[[Newark Bears]] **[[Somerset Patriots]] ([[Bridgewater Township, New Jersey|Bridgewater]]) **[[Bergen Cliff Hawks]] (planned, expected to play at the [[Meadowlands Xanadu]] Complex) *[[ECHL]] **[[Trenton Devils]] *[[MISL]] **[[New Jersey Ironmen]] ([[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]) </td></tr></table> Three of the state's four major professional sports teams play at the [[Meadowlands Sports Complex]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]]. The Nets play in the [[Izod Center]], and the Giants and Jets play in [[Giants Stadium]]. The Meadowlands and its sports venues are widely considered to be outdated by today's professional sports standards. This led to the Devils move away from the Meadowlands to the new [[Prudential Center]] in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] at the start of the 2007-08 seasons. The Nets also have plans to leave the Meadowlands for [[Brooklyn]] as soon as the [[Barclays Center]] is completed for them. The Giants and Jets though announced in 2005 that they will be staying in the Meadowlands, and a new stadium for both teams should be ready by the 2010 season. The new stadium is part of the [[Meadowlands Xanadu|Xanadu Project]] taking shape at the sports complex. The Xanadu Project, when completed in 2008, will be the largest retail and entertainment complex in New Jersey. The sports complex is also home to the [[Meadowlands Racetrack]] one of three major [[horse racing]] tracks in the state. The Meadowlands Racetrack along with [[Freehold Raceway]] in [[Freehold Borough, New Jersey|Freehold]] are two of the major [[harness racing]] tracks in North America. [[Monmouth Park Racetrack]] in [[Oceanport, New Jersey|Oceanport]], is also a popular spot for [[thoroughbred racing]] in New Jersey and the northeast. It hosted the [[Breeders' Cup]] in 2007, and its turf course was renovated in preparation. ===Collegiate sports teams=== New Jersey's collegiate allegiances are more or less split among the two major Division 1 programs in the state- the [[Rutgers University]] (which is New Jersey's official state university) Scarlet Knights and the [[Seton Hall University]] (which is the state's largest [[Roman Catholic]] university) Pirates. Both compete in the [[Big East Conference]], and the rivalry between the two teams has always been an intense one. Rutgers, which fields 24 teams from various sports, is nationally known for its excellent football and women's basketball programs. The university is planning a large expansion to the on-campus [[Rutgers Stadium]] to accommodate the rising number of fans, and the teams play in [[Piscataway Township, New Jersey|Piscataway]], which is adjacent to the New Brunswick campus. The university also fields rising basketball and baseball programs. Rutgers' fan base is mostly derived from the western parts of the state and [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], not to mention its alumni base, which is the largest in the state. Seton Hall, unlike Rutgers, does not field a football team. However, their basketball team has been one of the most storied programs in the Big East, and they play their home games at the state-of-the-art [[Prudential Center]], located in downtown [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]. The Pirates, while lacking as large of an alumni base as the state university, have a large well of support in the predominantly Roman Catholic areas of the northern part of the state and the [[Jersey Shore]]. ===Gambling=== {{Expand|date=January 2007}} In 1978, the New Jersey legislature approved casino gambling in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]]. At that time, [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] was the only mega-casino resort. By 1978, Atlantic City was in decline. It was no longer the seaside resort that it once was. With the institution of casino gambling, Atlantic City has come back as a resort city. There are numerous famous casinos, with its main contributor being [[Donald Trump]]. Many lie along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the longest boardwalk throughout the Jersey Shore. ==Trivia== {{Trivia|date=June 2007}} *[[Area code 201]], assigned to Bergen and Hudson Counties, was the first area code assigned as part of the [[North American Numbering Plan]]. *New Jersey was recently rated one of the most excellent U.S. states to visit by Zagat's, second only to Ohio. *New Jersey has the lowest rate of depression in the United States found by a study from NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness (http://www.nami.org) *In an [[April 12]], [[2007]] car accident, Corzine was the third straight New Jersey governor to break a leg while in office. James E. McGreevey broke his left leg in 2002 during a nighttime walk on the beach, and Christie Whitman broke her right leg while skiing in the Swiss Alps in 1999. *New Jersey has the largest grove of cherry blossom trees in the United States, in Newark's Branch Brook Park, eclipsing the more famous one in Washington D.C. *The [[USS New Jersey (BB-62)|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: [[FM radio]], the motion picture camera, the [[lithium battery]], the [[light bulb]], [[transistor]]s, 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 dirigible, the seedless watermelon<ref>[http://www.njinvent.njit.edu/1992/pioneer_inductees_1992/andrews.html]</ref>, the [[David Bushnell|first use]] of a [[submarine]] in warfare, and the ice cream cone. *[[Joseph Bonaparte]], the brother of [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon I]], lived for 17 years in the [[South Jersey]] town of [[Bordentown, New Jersey|Bordentown]]. *New Jersey is home to the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world: [[Kingda Ka]] at [[Six Flags Great Adventure]] theme park in [[Jackson Township, New Jersey|Jackson Township]]. *The first officially recorded [[baseball]] game in history was played at the Elysian Fields, [[Hoboken, New Jersey]], with the New York Base Ball Club defeating the [[New York Knickerbockers]] with a score of 23-1. [[Alexander Cartwright]] formalized the [[Knickerbocker Rules|rules]] and [[Umpire (baseball)|umpired]]. *The first intercollegiate football game in history was played in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]] on [[November 6]], [[1869]], with home team [[Rutgers University]] defeating [[Princeton University]] 6-4. [[Rutgers University]] is considered "The Birthplace of College Football." *The properties in the United States version of the board game [[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]] are named after the streets of Atlantic City. *The four-mile (6 km) long Boardwalk in Atlantic City was the world's first boardwalk and is still its largest. *The [[Lindbergh kidnapping]] drama unfolded in New Jersey in 1932. *New Jersey was the national pioneer of [[Megan's Law]] sex offender registries, following the 1994 rape and murder of [[Megan Kanka]]. *New Jersey has more [[horse]]s 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|shark attacks during the summer of 1916]] that took place in [[Matawan, New Jersey|Matawan]] and elsewhere off the [[Jersey Shore]]. [[Image:Dinner Freehold NJ.jpg|thumb|A diner in [[Freehold Borough, New Jersey|Freehold]]]] *[[Diner]]s are common in New Jersey. The state is home to many diner manufacturers and has more diners than any other state: over 600. There are more diners in the state of New Jersey than any other place in the world.<ref>[http://www.50states.com/facts/newjerse.htm 50states.com: New Jersey Facts and Trivia]</ref> *[[Ben Shahn]] settled in [[Roosevelt, New Jersey]], and did most of his work there. The art building at [[William Paterson University of New Jersey]] is named after him. *Sculptor [[Jim Gary]] grew up in [[Colts Neck Township, New Jersey|Colts Neck]] 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]]''. Later, his ''Twentieth Century Dinosaurs'' exhibition was featured as the first floor exhibit at the grand opening of New Jersey's first major [[science museum]], the [[Liberty Science Center]]. *New Jersey is one of only two states (along with [[Oregon]]) where [[Fuel station#Minimum service vs. full service|self-service]] filling of gasoline is prohibited. *The world's highest quality fluorescent minerals and the most number of minerals found in any one location is located in [[Franklin Furnace]].{{Fact|date=June 2008}} There are mineral museums in Franklin and Ogdensburg. *New Jersey is the only state without a state song. "I'm From New Jersey" is incorrectly listed on many websites as being the New Jersey State Song, but wasn't even a contender when in 1996 the [[New Jersey Arts Council]] submitted their suggestions to the [[New Jersey Legislature]].<ref>[http://www.aboutnewjersey.com/editorials/stateSong_3_15_04.php The History of the New Jersey State Song?]</ref> *As of 2008, New Jersey had more [[millionaire]] residents than any other state in the nation.<ref>[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g7IbIRkHVTxh_dvsrhArulKQt2tAD8U3POVO0 The Associated Press: NJ Tops US in Number of Millionaires]</ref> *"Dancin' Larry", the mascot of the New York Rangers, is from Clifton. ===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]]. The [[New Jersey Devils]] are named for this mythical creature. New Jersey is also home to several other legends, such as the ghost of [[Annie's Road]] in [[Totowa, New Jersey|Totowa]] and the haunted and demon-possessed [[Clinton Road]] in [[West Milford, New Jersey|West Milford]]. Cooper Road in [[Middletown, New Jersey|Middletown]] is assumed haunted by strange, ghostly people who jump out from behind trees at cars traveling down the unpaved, portion of the road. The unpaved section has no street lights and thus is very dangerous as it has sharp turns where the ghostly people, are assumed to jump in front of the cars from behind trees causing them to crash. There is also the [[Atco Ghost]]&mdash;the ghost of a little boy runs across the street late at night 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]]. However, on the popular television show ''[[MythBusters]]'', the myth of Jimmy Hoffa being buried under Giants Stadium was debunked using [[ground penetrating radar]]. The magazine ''[[Weird NJ]]'' (the creators of which later started ''[[Weird U.S.]]'') had started to catalog and explore the ghosts, legends, and prevalence of otherwise "weird" things in the state. ==Media== ===Newspapers=== There are many major New Jersey newspapers, including: <table> <tr><td valign=top> *''[[Asbury Park Press]]'' *''[[Bridgeton News]]'' *''[[Burlington County Times]]'' *''[[Courier-Post]]'' *''Cranford Chronicle'' *''[[Daily Record (Morristown)|Daily Record]]'' (Morris).<ref>[http://www.nj.com/mediakit/ NJ.com: New Jersey Advertising]</ref> *''[[The Express-Times]]'' *''[[Gloucester County Times]]'' *''[[Herald News]]'' *''Hunterdon County Democrat'' *''Independent Press'' </td><td valign=top> *''[[Jersey Journal]]'' *''[[The New Jersey Herald]]''.<ref>[http://www.njherald.com The New Jersey Herald: Top Stories<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> *''The Ocean County Observer'' *''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'' *''[[The Record (Bergen County)|The Record]]''<ref>[http://www.northjersey.com NorthJersey.com: providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> *''The Record-Press and Suburban News'' *''The Reporter'' (Somerset) *''[[The Star-Ledger]]'' *''[[Today's Sunbeam]]'' *''[[Trentonian]]'' (Mercer) *''The Warren Reporter'' *''The Trenton Times'' </td></tr></table> ===College newspapers=== *Bergen Community College: The Torch<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Camden County College: Campus Press<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *College of New Jersey: The Signal<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Drew University: The Acorn<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Fairleigh Dickinson University: The Equinox<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Montclair State: The Montclarion<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *NJ Institute of Tech: The Vector Online<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Princeton: Nassau Weekly<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Princeton: The Daily Princetonian<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Princeton: The Princeton Spectator<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Rider University: The Rider News<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Rowan University: The Whit<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Rutgers: ''[[The Daily Targum]]''<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Rutgers: The Observer<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Seton Hall: The Setonian<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Stevens Institute of Technology: The Stute<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *Union County College: The Scroll<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> *William Paterson University: Pioneer Times<ref>http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php</ref> ===Television and film=== {{main|Television and film of New Jersey}} {{Unreferencedsection|date=November 2007}} *In the 1996 science fiction film ''[[Independence Day (film)|Independence Day]]'' the scene in which Jeff Goldblum and Judd Hirsch are playing chess was filmed in [[West New York, New Jersey|West New York]]. *[[Motion picture]] technology was invented in New Jersey, by [[Thomas Edison]]. The early work was done at his West Orange laboratory. His "[[Edison's Black Maria|Black Maria]]" was the first motion picture studio. *More recent motion pictures and television 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]]'', starring [[Nicolas Cage]] was filmed in [[Teaneck, New Jersey|Teaneck]] in 2000. **The 1979 film ''[[The Amityville Horror]]'' was filmed in [[Toms River, New Jersey|Toms River]] and the scene in the church is filmed in [[Point Pleasant, New Jersey|Point Pleasant]]. **The popular [[FOX]] television show ''[[House]]'' is set in a fictional hospital located in the [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]]-[[Plainsboro, New Jersey|Plainsboro]] area. (The exterior shots of the "hospital" are actually shots of the exterior of [[Princeton University]]'s [[Frist Campus Center]].) **Another FOX show, ''[[Point Pleasant]]'' was based on a fictional version of the town. (It was not shot on location within the actual town of the same name.) **Cartoon Network's [[Adult Swim]] cartoon ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force]]'' and [[Toonami]] cartoon ''[[Megas XLR]]'' are both set in New Jersey. **The opening of the popular [[NBC]] comedy [[Ed (TV series)]] was filmed in Hillsdale and [[Westfield, New Jersey]]. *Cable network [[CNBC]] originates most of its in-studio programming from [[Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey|Englewood Cliffs]]. Sister news network [[MSNBC]] broadcast from studios in [[Secaucus, New Jersey|Secaucus]] from 1997 until late 2007, when the network moved to [[Rockefeller Center]]'s [[GE Building]] in a cost-cutting measure by parent company [[NBC Universal]]. *[[MyNetworkTV]] flagship station [[WWOR-TV]] (Channel 9) is licensed to and broadcasts from Secaucus; former owner [[RKO General]] moved the New York-based station across the Hudson in 1983 in an unsuccessful attempt to retain the station's license. *All of [[Kevin Smith (film maker)|Kevin Smith]]'s movies take place in New Jersey (though not all of them are filmed there), as Smith grew up in [[Red Bank, New Jersey|Red Bank]]. *The popular character The [[Toxic Avenger]] is often touted as the first superhero from New Jersey. *[[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 {{Fact|date=January 2007}} ''[[Weird NJ]]'' magazine and website. *In the animated television comedy ''[[Futurama]]'', New Jersey is slandered many times by the characters. In one episode, Fry finds a seemingly ideal apartment in New Jersey while house hunting, but later comments that he found "not one place even remotely liveable". In another, when discussing the global garbage problem, a television ad states that "...landfills were full...New Jersey was full...", implying a lack of places to store garbage. Additionally, [[Robotology#Robot Hell|Robot Hell]] is located in Atlantic City. * In the [[War of the Worlds (2005 film)|2005 film adaptation]] of ''War of the Worlds'', the beginning of the movie is set in New Jersey, a homage to the [[The War of the Worlds (radio 1968)|1968 radio broadcast]]. * The film [[World Trade Center (film)]] staring [[Nicolas Cage]] had numerous scenes shot in [[Glen Rock, New Jersey]] ===Music=== {{main|Music of New Jersey}} <!-- IF YOU ARE GOING TO ADD AN ENTRY HERE, PLEASE ONLY DO SO IF THE PERSON/GROUP IS TRULY NOTABLE (I.E. AS NOTABLE AS THE LIMITED LIST INCLUDED BELOW. OTHERWISE, ADD THE NEW ENTRY TO THE ARTICLE [[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: *Singer [[Frank Sinatra]] was born 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. *[[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 (song)|Born to Run]]," "Spirit In The Night," "[[Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)]]," "[[Thunder Road (song)|Thunder Road]]," "[[Atlantic City (song)|Atlantic City]]," and "[[Jungleland]]." * The [[Jonas Brothers]] all reside in Wyckoff, New Jersey, where the eldest brother of the group, Kevin Jonas was born, as well as the youngest Jonas, Frankie. *[[Irvington, New Jersey|Irvington]]'s [[Queen Latifah]] was the first female rapper to succeed in music, film, and television. *[[Lauryn Hill]] is from [[South Orange, New Jersey]]. Her 1998 debut solo album, ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'', sold 10 million copies internationally. She also sold millions with [[The Fugees]] second album [[The Score]]. *[[Redman (rapper)|Redman]] (Reggie Noble) was born, raised, and resides in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]. He is the most successful African-American solo hip-hop artist out of New Jersey. *All members of [[The Sugarhill Gang]] were born in [[Englewood, New Jersey|Englewood]]. *[[Jon Bon Jovi]], who hails from [[Sayreville, New Jersey|Sayreville]], reached fame in the 1980s with hard rock outfit [[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]]) * Singer [[Dionne Warwick]] was born in [[East Orange, New Jersey|East Orange]]. * Singer [[Whitney Houston]] (who is Dionne Warwick's cousin) was born in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], and grew up in neighboring [[East Orange, New Jersey|East Orange]]. * 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]]. The [[Count Basie Theatre]] in Red Bank is named in his honor. *[[Parliament-Funkadelic]], the pioneering funk music collective, was formed in [[Plainfield, New Jersey|Plainfield]] by [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]]. *[[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]] is home of [[The Stone Pony]], which [[Bruce Springsteen]] and [[Bon Jovi]] frequented early in their careers and is still considered by many to be a "Mecca" for up-and-coming [[Jersey Shore]] musicians. *[[Hip-hop]] pioneers [[Naughty By Nature]] hail from [[East Orange, New Jersey|East Orange]]. *In 1964, [[the Isley Brothers]] founded the record label [[T-Neck Records]], named after [[Teaneck, New Jersey|Teaneck]], their home at the time. *The [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[Musical theatre|musical]] "[[Jersey Boys]]" is based on the lives of the members of the [[The Four Seasons (group)|Four Seasons]], three of whose members were born in New Jersey ([[Tommy DeVito (musician)|Tommy DeVito]], [[Frankie Valli]], and [[Nick Massi]]) *Famous [[jazz pianist]] [[Bill Evans]] was born in [[Plainfield, New Jersey|Plainfield]] in 1929. *Famous hardcore rock band [[Thursday (band)|Thursday]] were formed in [[New Brunswick, NJ]]. Numerous songs reference the city. *Horror punk band [[The Misfits]] hail from [[Lodi, New Jersey|Lodi]], as well as their founder [[Glenn Danzig]]. *Punk rock poet [[Patti Smith]] is from [[Mantua, New Jersey|Mantua]]. *Acclaimed indie rock veterans [[Yo La Tengo]] are based in [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]]. They also have a song called "The Night Falls on Hoboken". *New Jersey was the hub for ska music in the 90's. Some of the most popular ska bands, such as [[Catch 22 (band)|Catch 22]] and [[Streetlight Manifesto]], come from [[East Brunswick, New Jersey|East Brunswick]]. *Black Label Society's and Ozzy Osbourne's famed guitarist [[Zakk Wylde]] was born in [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]] and raised in [[Jackson, New Jersey|Jackson]] *[[The Bouncing Souls]] original four members grew up in [[Basking Ridge, New Jersey|Basking Ridge]] and formed in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick]] in the late 1980s. * [[My Chemical Romance]]'s [[Frank Iero]], [[Gerard Way]], [[Mikey Way]], and [[Ray Toro]] all hail from [[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]], New Jersey. * [[Cobra Starship]] frontman Gabe Saporta is from New Jersey <!-- IF YOU ARE GOING TO ADD AN ENTRY HERE, PLEASE ONLY DO SO IF THE PERSON/GROUP IS TRULY NOTABLE (I.E. AS NOTABLE AS THE LIMITED LIST INCLUDED ABOVE. OTHERWISE, ADD THE NEW ENTRY TO THE ARTICLE [[Music of New Jersey]] --> ===Radio stations in N.J.=== See [[List of radio stations in New Jersey]]. ==State symbols== {| class="toccolours" style="float:left; clear:left; width:400px; margin-left: 1em;" |- |'''[[List of U.S. state animals|State animal]]'''||[[Horse]]<br/>(''Equus caballus'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state birds|State bird]]'''||[[American Goldfinch]]<br/>(''Carduelis tristis'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state fish|State freshwater fish]]'''||[[Brook trout]]<br/>(''Salvelinus fontinalis'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state dances|State dance]]'''||[[Square dance]] |- |'''[[List of U.S. state insects|State insect]]'''||[[Western honey bee|European honey bee]]<br/>(''Apis mellifera'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state flowers|State flower]]'''||[[Viola sororia|Common meadow violet]]<br/>(''Viola sororia'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state mottos|State motto]]'''||"[[Liberty]] and [[Prosperity]]" |- |'''[[List of U.S. state songs|State song]]'''|| None<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/faqs/facts.html State of New Jersey - FAQs<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |- |'''[[List of U.S. state trees|State tree]]'''||[[Northern Red Oak]]<br/>(''Quercus borealis maxima'')<br/>(syn. ''Quercus rubra'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state fossils|State dinosaur]]'''||''[[Hadrosaurus|Hadrosaurus foulkii]]'' |- |'''[[List of U.S. state soils|State soil]]'''||[[Downer (soil)|Downer]] |- |'''[[List of U.S. state colors|State color]]'''||Buff and Jersey Blue |- |'''[[List of U.S. state ships|State ship]]'''||[[A. J. Meerwald]] |- |'''[[List of U.S. state foods|State fruit]]'''||[[Northern highbush blueberry]] <br/>(''Vaccinium corymbosum'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state foods|State vegetable]]'''||[[Tomato|Jersey tomato]]<br/>(''Lycopersicon esculentum'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state shells|State shell]]'''||[[Knobbed whelk]]<br/>(''Busycon carica gmelin'') |- |'''State memorial tree'''|| [[Dogwood]] <br/>(''Cornus Florida'') |- |'''[[List of U.S. state slogans|State slogan]]'''|| Come See For Yourself |} <br clear=all/> ==See also== *[[List of New Jersey-related topics]] {{portal|New Jersey|New Jersey Outline Shaded map.svg|left=yes}} {{clear}} <!-- Please place links to all topics directly related to the State of New Jersey in the [[List of New Jersey-related topics]] --> ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== {{sisterlinks}} ;State Government *[http://www.nj.gov Official New Jersey state web site] *[http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/New_Jersey New Jersey State Databases] - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by New Jersey state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association. *[http://www.nj.gov/localgov.htm A list of official and unofficial NJ county and municipal web sites] *[http://www.njslom.org/types.html Descriptions of NJ forms of government] (e.g., township, borough, etc.) from NJ State League of Municipalities ;U.S. Government *[http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=NJ Energy Data & Statistics for New Jersey] *[http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=NJ USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of New Jersey] *[http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34000.html US Census Bureau] *[http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/NJ.htm New Jersey State Facts] ;Other *[http://www.njdigitalhighway.org The New Jersey Digital Highway, the statewide cultural heritage portal to digital collections from the state's archives, libraries and museums] *[http://www.abandonedmines.net Abandoned and Historic Mines of New Jersey] {{-}} {{New Jersey|expand}} {{United States}} {{US Northeast}} {{succession | preceded = [[Pennsylvania]] | office = [[List of U.S. states by date of statehood]] | years = Ratified [[Constitution of the United States of America|Constitution]] on [[December 18]], [[1787]] (3rd) | succeeded = [[Georgia, U.S.|Georgia]] }} {{coor title d|40|N|74.5|W|region:US-NJ_type:state}} [[Category:New Jersey| ]] [[Category:States of the United States]] [[Category:1787 establishments]] [[Category:Former British colonies]] [[af:New Jersey]] [[ang:Nīwe Iersey]] [[ar:نيوجيرزي]] [[az:Nyu-Cersi]] [[bn:নিউ জার্সি]] [[zh-min-nan:New Jersey]] [[be-x-old:Нью-Джэрсі]] [[bs:New Jersey]] [[br:New Jersey]] [[bg:Ню Джърси]] [[ca:Nova Jersey]] [[cv:Çĕнĕ Джерси]] [[cs:New Jersey]] [[cy:New Jersey]] [[da:New Jersey]] [[de:New Jersey]] [[et:New Jersey osariik]] [[es:Nueva Jersey]] [[eo:Nov-Ĵerzejo]] [[eu:New Jersey]] [[fa:نیوجرسی]] [[fo:New Jersey]] [[fr:New Jersey]] [[fy:Nij Jersey]] [[ga:New Jersey]] [[gd:Jersey Nuadh]] [[gl:Nova Jersey]] [[ko:뉴저지 주]] [[haw:Nū ‘Ieleke]] [[hy:Նյու Ջերսի]] [[hi:नया जर्सी]] [[hr:New Jersey]] [[io:Nova-Jersey]] [[bpy:নিউ জার্সি]] [[id:New Jersey]] [[ik:Tchiaq Jersey]] [[os:Нью-Джерси]] [[is:New Jersey]] [[it:New Jersey]] [[he:ניו ג'רזי]] [[jv:New Jersey]] [[pam:New Jersey]] [[ka:ნიუ-ჯერსი]] [[ks:न्‍यू जर्सी]] [[kw:Jersi Nowydh]] [[ht:Nou Jèze]] [[ku:New Jersey]] [[lad:Nueva Jersey]] [[la:Nova Caesarea]] [[lv:Ņūdžersija]] [[lt:Naujasis Džersis]] [[lij:Nuevo Jersey]] [[hu:New Jersey]] [[mk:Њу Џерси]] [[mi:New Jersey]] [[mr:न्यू जर्सी]] [[ms:New Jersey]] [[nl:New Jersey]] [[ja:ニュージャージー州]] [[no:New Jersey]] [[nn:New Jersey]] [[oc:Nòva Jersey]] [[uz:N'yu-Jersi]] [[pms:New Jersey]] [[nds:New Jersey]] [[pl:New Jersey]] [[pt:Nova Jérsei]] [[ro:New Jersey (stat SUA)]] [[ru:Нью-Джерси]] [[sa:न्‍यू जर्सी]] [[sq:New Jersey]] [[simple:New Jersey]] [[sk:New Jersey]] [[sl:New Jersey]] [[sr:Њу Џерси]] [[sh:New Jersey]] [[fi:New Jersey]] [[sv:New Jersey]] [[tl:New Jersey]] [[ta:நியூ ஜெர்சி]] [[te:న్యూజెర్సీ]] [[th:มลรัฐนิวเจอร์ซีย์]] [[vi:New Jersey]] [[tr:New Jersey]] [[uk:Нью-Джерсі]] [[ur:نیو جرسی]] [[vo:New Jersey]] [[wuu:新-极齐]] [[yi:ניו זשערסי]] [[diq:New Jersey]] [[bat-smg:Naus Džersės]] [[zh:新泽西州]]