New Jersey (pronounced /nu?'d??zi/)
is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and 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
areas of New York and Philadelphia.
Inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years, the first
European settlements in the area were established by the Swedes
and Dutch in the early 1600s.[3] The State's name was taken from
the largest of the English Channel Islands, Jersey. The English
later seized control of the region, which was granted to Sir George
Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton as the
colony of New 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, which was called the military
capital of revolution. Later, working-class cities such as Paterson
and Trenton helped to drive the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth
century. New Jersey's position at the center of the BosWash megalopolis,
between Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington,
D.C., fueled its rapid growth through the suburban boom of the 1950s
and beyond. As of 2008, New Jersey had more millionaire residents
than any other state in the nation.[4]
Contents [hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Climate
2 History
2.1 Colonial era
2.2 Revolutionary War era
2.3 Nineteenth century
2.4 Twentieth century
3 Demographics
3.1 State population
3.2 Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
3.3 Religion
4 Economy
4.1 Industry
4.2 Federal taxation disparity
4.3 Natural resources
5 Transportation
5.1 Roadways
5.2 Airports
5.3 Rail and bus
5.4 Ferries
5.5 Private bus carriers
6 Law and government
6.1 Executive
6.2 Legislative
6.3 Judicial
6.4 Counties
6.5 Municipalities
6.5.1 Types of government
6.5.2 Forms of government
6.6 Politics
6.6.1 Political parties
6.6.2 Social attitudes and issues
6.7 Capital punishment
7 Prominent cities and towns
7.1 Large cities (100,000 or greater)
7.2 Towns and small cities (60,000 up to 100,000)
7.3 Wealth of municipalities
8 Education
9 Recreation and entertainment
9.1 Jersey Shore
9.2 Theme parks
9.3 Historic sites
9.4 Museums
9.5 Performing Arts
9.6 Camping and hiking
9.7 Nudism
9.8 Professional sports teams
9.9 Gambling
10 Trivia
10.1 Legends and ghosts
11 Media
11.1 Newspapers
11.2 Television and film
11.3 Music
12 State symbols
13 See also
14 References
15 External links
Geography
Main article: Geography of New Jersey
See also: 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.
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 and 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 AreaNew
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 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 can also be broadly divided into three geographic regions:
North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. However, some people
do not consider Central Jersey to exist at all, but still 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 Areas, 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 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, Essex County, Union
County, Middlesex County, Bergen County, and Passaic County.
Skylands Region, encompassing Sussex County, Morris County, Warren
County, Hunterdon County, and Somerset County.
Shore Region, encompassing Monmouth County and Ocean County.
Delaware River Region, encompassing Mercer County, Burlington County,
Camden County, Gloucester County, and Salem County.
Greater Atlantic City Region, encompassing Atlantic County.
Southern Shore Region, encompassing Cumberland County and Cape May
County.
High Point, in Montague Township, Sussex County, is the highest
elevation, at 1,803 feet (550 m). The Palisades are a line of steep
cliffs on the lower west side of the Hudson River.
Major rivers include the Hudson, Delaware, Raritan, Passaic, Hackensack,
Rahway, Musconetcong, Mullica, Rancocas, Manasquan, Maurice, and
Toms rivers.
Sandy Hook, along the eastern coast, is a popular recreational
beach. It is a barrier 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
Ellis Island National Monument
Gateway National Recreation Area in Monmouth County
Great Egg Harbor River
Morristown National Historical Park in Morristown
New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route
New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve
Prominent geographic features include:
Delaware Water Gap
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The Highlands
New Jersey Meadowlands
Pine Barrens
South Mountain
Climate
Sussex Cape May
High Low High Low
January 34 (1) 14 (-10) 42 (6) 27 (-3)
February 38 (3) 16 (-9) 43 (6) 28 (-2)
March 47 (8) 25 (-4) 51 (11) 35 (2)
April 59 (15) 35 (2) 60 (16) 43 (6)
May 70 (21) 45 (7) 69 (21) 53 (12)
June 78 (26) 54 (12) 78 (26) 62 (17)
July 83 (28) 59 (15) 84 (29) 67 (19)
August 82 (28) 57 (14) 83 (28) 66 (19)
September 74 (23) 49 (9) 77 (25) 60 (16)
October 63 (17) 37 (3) 66 (19) 49 (9)
November 51 (11) 30 (-1) 56 (13) 40 (4)
December 39 (4) 21 (-6) 47 (8) 31 (-1)
Most of New Jersey has a temperate climate, with hot humid summers
and cold winters. Southern areas of the state, including Cape May
and Cumberland counties, are now considered to be in the humid subtropical
climate zone. During the hurricane season, tropical cyclones can
hit New Jersey, though it is uncommon for one to remain at hurricane
strength so far to the north. During the winter months, nor'easters
can dump heavy amounts of precipitation across the state. Because
of its dense population and because most communities of northern
New Jersey do not have the widespread reservoir system of neighboring
Greater New York City, the slightest dry season leads to drought
warnings; but because there are many streams and rivers close to
these communities, the slightest above average rainfall causes frequent
flooding as many parts of Northern New Jersey are part of a flood
plain.
The temperatures vary greatly from the northernmost part of New
Jersey to the southernmost part of New Jersey. For example, these
are the average high and low temperatures for Cape May, near the
state's southernmost ocean-facing point, and Sussex, in the mountainous
northwest:
History
Main article: 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 glaciers that reached
New Jersey. As the glaciers retreated, they left behind Lake Passaic,
as well as many rivers, swamps, and gorges.[5]
New Jersey was originally settled by Native Americans, primarily
the Lenni-Lenape. The Lenape were loosely organized groups that
practiced small-scale agriculture (mainly based on 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 phratries identified by their
animal sign: Turtle, 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 article: 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 100 acres (0.4 km²), 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 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 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 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. The North American lands were divided by Charles II,
who gave his brother, the Duke of York (later 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: Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton.
Settlement for the first 10 years of English rule was in the Hudson
River region and came primarily from New England. On March 18, 1673,
Berkeley sold his half of the colony to Quakers in England (with
William Penn acting as trustee for a time), who settled the Delaware
Valley region as a Quaker colony. New Jersey was governed as two
distinct provinces, West Jersey and East Jersey, for the 28 years
between 1674 and 1702. In 1702, the two provinces were united under
a royal, rather than a proprietary, governor.
Revolutionary War era
Main article: New Jersey during the American Revolution
Rutgers University was originally chartered as Queen's College in
1766, and possesses a variety of architectural styles.New Jersey
was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule
in the American Revolution. The New Jersey Constitution of 1776
was passed July 2, 1776, just two days before the Second Continental
Congress declared American Independence from 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 a reconciliation with Great Britain.
New Jersey representatives Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon,
Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, and Abraham Clark were among the men
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, on January 3, 1777, the American forces gained an important
victory by stopping Cornwallis's charges at the Second Battle of
Trenton. By evading Cornwallis's army, Washington made a surprise
attack on Princeton, and successfully defeated the British forces
there.
Later, American forces under Washington met the forces under General
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 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 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.)[6]
Nineteenth century
Main article: 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 slavery. This lead to a gradual scale-down of the slave population,
but by the close of the Civil War about a dozen African-Americans
in New Jersey were still apprenticed freedmen. New Jersey initially
refused to ratify the Constitutional Amendments banning slavery
and granting rights to America's Black population.
In 1844, the second 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) 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 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 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 textiles and silk. 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 steamboats were introduced to New Jersey.
Iron mining was also a prevalent industry during the middle to
late 1800s. 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 article: New Jersey in the Twentieth Century
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 (1917) (originally called "Camp Dix"),[7]
Camp Merritt(1917)[8] and Camp Kilmer(1941),[9] were all constructed
to help American soldiers through both World Wars. New Jersey also
became a principal location for defense in the Cold War. Fourteen
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 became a prosperous state through the Roaring Twenties
but fell from prosperity under the Great Depression. Begging licenses
were even offered to the unemployed by the state government in order
to provide money for those who could not be helped by the exhausted
state funds.[10] During this time period, the zeppelin Hindenburg
infamously went up in flames over Lakehurst, and the SS Morro Castle
beached itself on the Jersey Shore after going up in flames while
at sea.
In the 1960s, several race riots sprang up in New Jersey, the first
of which occurred in Jersey City on August 2, 1964. Several other
riots ensued in 1967, in the cities of Newark and Plainfield. Camden
also dealt with race riots in 1971.
Throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, New
Jersey was afflicted by nor'easters that caused blizzards and flooding.
Those are rather common storms in New Jersey and elsewhere on the
east coast of the US, although hurricanes and tropical storms occasionally
come to visit, such as Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
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,[11] which represents an increase of 310,213, or 3.7%,
since the last census in 2000.[12] 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.[12] 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.[12] There are
1.6 million foreign-born living in the state (accounting for 19.2%
of the population).[13]
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 2nd wealthiest state in the United States (behind
only Maryland) according to the United States Census Bureau.[14]
The center of population for New Jersey is located in Middlesex
County, in the town of Milltown, just east of the New Jersey Turnpike
(see map of location).[15]
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Demographics of New Jersey (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native — NHPI is Native
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 79.16% 14.98% 0.61% 6.28% 0.13%
2000 (Hispanic only) 11.87% 1.29% 0.20% 0.10% 0.05%
2005 (total population) 77.68% 15.19% 0.66% 7.70% 0.15%
2005 (Hispanic only) 13.66% 1.45% 0.22% 0.12% 0.06%
Growth 2000–2005 (total population) 1.68% 5.01% 11.60% 27.06%
18.52%
Growth 2000–2005 (non-Hispanic only) -1.41% 3.89% 8.86% 27.17%
17.30%
Growth 2000–2005 (Hispanic only) 19.21% 16.92% 17.36% 20.28%
20.68%
New Jersey is one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse
states in the country. It has the second largest Jewish population
by percentage after New York;[16] the second largest Muslim population
by percent (after Michigan); the third highest Asian population
by percent, the third highest Italian-American population by percent
of any state according to the 2000 Census; and a large percentage
of the population is Black, White American, Hispanic American, Arab
American, and Asian American. It has the second highest Indian American
population of any state by absolute numbers.[17][18][19][20]
The five largest ancestry groups are: Italian (17.9%), Irish (15.9%),
African (13.6%), German (12.6%), Polish (6.9%).
Newark and 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.[21] This is largely because so much of New Jersey
consists of suburbs, most of them affluent, of New York City and
Philadelphia. New Jersey is also the most densely populated state
in the nation, and the only state that has had every one of its
counties deemed "urban" as defined by the Census Bureau's
Combined Statistical Area.[22]
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 Brazilian Portuguese
is common in Newark.
Italian-spoken throughout the state also, but is concentrated in
the towns of Hudson and Essex counties.
New Jersey population distributionThe dominant race, ethnicity,
or ancestry by county, according to the 2000 Census, are the following:
Italian - Bergen, Morris, Somerset, Ocean, Monmouth, Mercer, Middlesex,
Union, Passaic, Hudson, Atlantic, Cumberland[23]
Irish - Sussex, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Cape May[23]
Black - Essex[23]
German - Warren, Hunterdon, Salem[23]
6.7% of its population were reported as under 5, 24.8% under 18,
and 13.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.5%
of the population.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 12.31% of the population aged
5 and over speak Spanish at home, while 1.48% speak Italian.[24]
Religion
Distributions of religions in New Jersey (2001)[25] Religious group
%
Catholic 37
None 15
Baptist 8
Methodist 6
Refused to identify 5
Christian
(no denomination stated) 4
Jewish
(by religion only) 4
Other 4
Presbyterian 4
Lutheran 3
Episcopalian/Anglican 2
Protestant 2
Jehovah's Witness 1
Mormon/LDS 1
Muslim/Islamic 1
Non-denominational 1
Pentecostal 1
Assemblies of God *
Buddhist *
Church of Christ *
Church of God *
Congregational/UCC *
Evangelical *
Seventh Day Adventist *
*Less than 0.5%
Economy
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that New Jersey's total
state product in 2004 was $416 billion.[26] Its per capita personal
income in 2004 was $41,636, 2nd in the U.S. and 126% of the national
average of $33,041.[27] 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 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 Zones and shoppers
are charged a 3½% tax rate, half of the rate charged outside
the UEZs. Sections of Elizabeth and 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
New Jersey's economy is centered around the pharmaceutical industry,
chemical development, food processing, telecommunications, electric
equipment, printing and publishing, and tourism. New Jersey's agricultural
outputs are nursery stock, horses, vegetables, fruits and nuts,
seafood, and dairy products.
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, 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.
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 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.
New Jersey hosts several business headquarters, including twenty-four
Fortune 500 companies.[28] Paramus is noted for having one of the
highest retail sales per person ratios in the nation.
Several New Jersey counties such as Somerset (7), Morris (10),
Hunterdon (13), Bergen (21), Monmouth (42) counties have been 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.[29]
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.[30] 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.
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.
Transportation
Roadways
Map of New Jersey showing major transportation networks and cities
The George Washington Bridge connecting New Jersey to New York City
is one of the world's busiest bridges in terms of vehicular traffic.[31]See
also: 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; 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 along New
Jersey's northern border to its southernmost tip at Cape May for
172.4 miles (277.5 km). It is the trunk that connects the New York
metropolitan area to Atlantic City.
New Jersey is connected to New York City via many various bridges
and tunnels. The George Washington Bridge carries one of the heaviest
loads of traffic in the world[32] from New Jersey to the 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, Interstate 78,
Interstate 80, Interstate 195, Interstate 280, Interstate 287, and
Interstate 295. Other major roadways include U.S. 1, U.S. 9, U.S.
Route 1/9.
New Jersey has interstate compacts with all three neighboring states.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Delaware River
Port Authority (with Pennsylvania), and the Delaware River and Bay
Authority (with Delaware) operate most of the major transportation
routes into and out of New Jersey. Bridge tolls are collected in
one direction only — 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 (on I-95) bridges near Trenton, as well as Trenton's
Calhoun Street and 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 airports 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 hubs. United Airlines and FedEx operate cargo hubs.
The adjacent 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, is a general aviation airport
popular with private and corporate aircraft, due to its proximity
to New York City. Millville Airport,in Cumberland County, is a general
aviation airport popular with private and corporate aircraft, due
to its proximity to the shore.
Rail and bus
NJT trains at Hoboken TerminalMain article: New Jersey Transit
Further information: New Jersey Transit Bus Operations, New Jersey
Transit Rail Operations, Port Authority Trans-Hudson, and Port Authority
Transit Corporation
The New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) operates extensive
rail and bus service throughout the state. NJ Transit is a state-run
corporation that began with the consolidation of several private
bus companies in North Jersey. In the early 1980s, it acquired the
commuter train operations of Conrail that connect towns in northern
and central New Jersey to New York City. NJ Transit 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, in New York City, or Hoboken Terminal in Hoboken. NJ Transit
began service between Atlantic City and Lindenwold in 1989 and extended
it to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1990s.
NJ Transit also operates three light rail systems in the state.
The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail connects Bayonne to North Bergen, with
planned expansion into Bergen County communities. The Newark City
Subway is the only subway system in the state. Its Main Line connects
Newark Penn Station with Grove Street station in 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 which connects Trenton and Camden.
The 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 or Essex County, New
Jersey and end either at the World Trade Center station or at 33rd
Street in Midtown Manhattan.
The PATCO High Speedline links Camden County and Philadelphia.
PATCO operates a single elevated and subway line that runs from
Lindenwold to Center City Philadelphia. PATCO operates stations
in Lindenwold, Voorhees, Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Haddon Township,
Collingswood, and 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 Rail Station, Metropark, and the
grand historic Newark Penn Station.
SEPTA also has two lines that operate into New Jersey. The R7 lines
terminates at the Trenton Rail Station, and the R3 lines terminates
at the West Trenton Rail Station in 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 waterfront and Penn's Landing
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On the Hudson River, New York Waterway has numerous ferry terminals
in Belford, Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken. The stops are at
Port Liberte, Liberty Harbor, Colgate/Exchange Place in Jersey City,
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 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 Met's season
Shea Stadium. The ferries on the Bayshore leave from Atlantic Highlands
and two terminals in Highlands. New York Water Taxi also has seasonal
service from Paulus Hook to Wall Street. Ferry service from Keyport
and Perth Amboy have been proposed and ferry service from Elizabeth
has been discussed with a proposed light rail connection to Newark
Airport and 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--commuter bus service from Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth,
and Ocean counties to lower and midtown Manhattan
Bergen Avenue IBOA--local bus service in Jersey City
Broadway Bus--local bus service in Bayonne
Coach USA
Community Coach--commuter bus service from Essex and Morris counties
ONE Bus/Olympia Trails--local bus service in Essex and Union counties,
commuter bus service from the Raritan Valley to Manhattan
Red & Tan in Hudson County--local bus service in Hudson County
Rockland Coaches--commuter and local bus service from 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--interstate bus service from terminals in Newark, Atlantic
City, and Mount Laurel
Lakeland Bus Lines--commuter and local bus service from Morris,
Somerset, Union, and Sussex counties to Manhattan
Martz Trailways--service from Warren County to Manhattan
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
Further information: Governor of New Jersey, Lieutenant Governor
of New Jersey, New Jersey Legislature, and 2006 New Jersey State
Government Shutdown
Executive
Jon Corzine (Democrat) is the Governor. In April 2007, Corzine was
seriously injured in a car accident but returned to office duty
in early May. 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. Richard Codey was the last to serve that way as the result
of a state constitutional amendment approved by the voters in 2005.
The governor's mansion is Drumthwacket, located in Princeton Township.
New Jersey is currently 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
The New Jersey State House in TrentonThe 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
Senate of 40 members and a lower house 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[33] 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, 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
Further information: 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 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 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,
Bergen, Essex, Hudson and 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 municipalities; the number was 567 before Pahaquarry
Township was absorbed by Hardwick Township in 1997. Unlike other
states in the west and south, all New Jersey land is part of a municipality,
as well as a county. No local government can simply absorb land
from another.
Types of government
When the types of government were devised in the nineteenth century,
the intention was that cities would be large built-up areas, with
progressively smaller boroughs, towns, and villages; the rural areas
in between would be relatively large townships. This is still often
true, although Shrewsbury Township has been divided over the years;
today it is less than a square mile, consisting only of a single
housing development. Some townships — notably Middletown,
Brick, Hamilton, and Toms River — have, without changing their
boundaries, become large stretches of suburbia, as populous as cities,
often focused around shopping centers and highways rather than traditional
downtowns and main streets.
As with Toms River, many locations in New Jersey are simply neighborhoods,
with no exact boundaries; often the cluster of houses, the traditional
neighborhood, the postal district, and the Census designated place
will differ.
The Federal Government has often failed to understand that a New
Jersey township is just another municipality, and some municipalities
have changed forms to become the Township of the Borough of Verona
or the Township of South Orange Village to receive more federal
aid.
Forms of government
New Jersey Municipal Government
Traditional forms
Borough Township
City Town Village
Modern Forms
Walsh Act/Commission
1923 Municipal Manager
Faulkner Act Forms
Mayor-Council Council-Manager
Small Municipality
Mayor-Council-Administrator
Nonstandard Forms
Special Charter
Changing Form of Municipal Government
Charter Study Commission
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, 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, originally enacted in 1950 and substantially
amended in 1981, offers four basic plans: Mayor-Council, Council-Manager,
Small Municipality, and 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 with the
approval of the New Jersey Legislature.
While municipalities retain their types of government, they may
have changed to one of the modern forms of government, or further
in the past to one of the other traditional forms, leading to municipalities
with formal names quite baffling to the general public. For example,
though there are four municipalities that are officially named villages,
Loch Arbour is the only one remaining with the village form of government.
The three other villages—Ridgefield Park (now with a Walsh
Act form), Ridgewood (now with a Faulkner Act Council-Manager charter),
and most confusingly, South Orange (now the Township of South Orange
Village) —have all migrated to other non-village forms.
Politics
Main article: Politics of New Jersey
Political parties
New Jersey was once a politically competitive state in past federal
elections but has become a Democratic stronghold since the 1980s.
In state elections, offices remain competitive; the New Jersey Legislature
was evenly divided from 1999 to 2001. Currently, New Jersey Democrats
hold the Governorship, have majority control of both houses of the
Legislature (Senate: 22-18 & Assembly: 49-31), while federal
Democrats hold both U.S. Senate seats and also 7 out of 13 of the
state's delegation to the United States House of Representatives.
Republicans have not won a statewide election since 1997. With the
exception of then-Vice President George H.W. Bush's 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. It was, however, a Republican stronghold for years
in the past, having given comfortable margins of victory to the
Republican candidate in the close elections of 1948, 1968, and 1976.
New Jersey was a crucial swing state in the elections of 1960, 1968,
and 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 around
Trenton and Princeton; Essex County and Hudson County, the state's
two most urban counties, around the state's two largest cities,
Newark and Jersey City; Camden County and most of the other urban
communities just outside of Philadelphia and New York; and more
suburban northern counties in New York's orbit, such as Union County
and Middlesex County.
The more suburban northwestern and southeastern counties of the
state are reliably Republican: Republicans have backing along the
coast in Ocean County and in the mountainous northwestern part of
the state, especially Sussex County, Morris County, and Warren County.
Somerset County and 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, 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, with a highly populated Hispanic Democratic south and a
rural, Republican north), other "swing" counties like
Cape May County tend to go Republican, as they also have population
in conservative areas.
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;[34] and in a Zogby poll of 802 people, a majority
supported same-sex marriage.[35]
In April 2004, New Jersey enacted a 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 Connecticut
and Vermont) to offer civil unions 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 includes 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.[36]
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.[37] 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
See also: List of Municipalities in New Jersey (by population)
Large cities (100,000 or greater)
Broad Street in Newark
Jersey City by nightFor 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.
Towns and small cities (60,000 up to 100,000)
Toms River Township: 89,706 (Census Estimate 2006: 94,660)
Hamilton Township (Mercer County): 87,109 (Census Estimate 2006:
90,559)
Trenton: 85,403
Camden: 79,904
Clifton: 78,672
Brick Township: 76,119
Cherry Hill Township: 69,965
East Orange: 69,824
Passaic: 67,861
Union City: 67,088
Middletown Township: 66,327
Gloucester Township: 64,350
Bayonne: 61,842
Irvington: 60,695
Old Bridge Township 60,456
Lakewood Township 60,352
Wealth of municipalities
Wealth of municipalities and communities by per capita income:
See also: New Jersey locations by per capita income
1 Mantoloking, New Jersey $114,017
2 Saddle River, New Jersey $85,934
3 Far Hills, New Jersey $81,535
4 Essex Fells, New Jersey $77,434
5 Alpine, New Jersey $76,995
698 New Hanover Township, New Jersey $12,140
699 Lakewood CDP, New Jersey $11,802
700 Bridgeton, New Jersey $10,917
701 Fort Dix, New Jersey $10,543
702 Camden, New Jersey $9,815
Education
Main article: 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.[attribution needed] 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 drop out 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.[38] New Jersey is home to more scientists
and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the world.[39]
Recreation and entertainment
Jersey Shore
Asbury Park
Atlantic City
Avalon
Avon-by-the-Sea
Barnegat
Bay Head
Belmar
Brigantine
Cape May
Cliffwood Beach
Forked River
Island Beach State Park
Keansburg
Keyport
Long Beach Island
Long Branch
Longport
Manasquan
Margate
Monmouth Beach
Middletown
Neptune
Ocean City
Ocean Grove
Oceanport
Point Pleasant Beach
Red Bank
Sandy Hook
Sea Isle City
Sea Bright
Seaside Heights
Seaside Park
Spring Lake
Stone Harbor
Toms River
Union Beach
Wall
"The Wildwoods":
Diamond Beach
North Wildwood
West Wildwood
Wildwood
Wildwood Crest
Kingda Ka, located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New
Jersey is the worlds tallest and fastest roller coaster.
The Izod Center.
Along the boardwalk in Ocean City.
The Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.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
Grover Cleveland's Birthplace
Monmouth Battlefield State Park
Morristown National Historical Park
Ford Mansion
Fort Nonsense
Jockey Hollow
New Bridge Landing
Old Dutch Parsonage
Princeton Battlefield
St. Michael's Church and Churchyard, Trenton, NJ
The USS New Jersey
Wallace House
Walt Whitman's Tomb and House
Washington Crossing State Park
Museums
The Liberty Science Center
The Montclair Art Museum
The Newark Museum
The Thomas Edison Museum
Performing Arts
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Paper Mill Playhouse
PNC Bank Arts Center
Prudential Center
Camping and hiking
The Appalachian Trail
Camp Glen Gray
South Mountain Reservation
Nudism
Gunnison Beach
Rock Lodge Club
Professional sports teams
New Jersey currently has five teams from major professional sports
leagues playing in the state, although the Major League Soccer team
and two National Football League teams identify as being from New
York.
National Hockey League
New Jersey Devils (Newark)
National Basketball Association
New Jersey Nets (East Rutherford)
Major League Soccer
Red Bull New York (East Rutherford)
Major League Lacrosse
New Jersey Pride (Piscataway)
Bergen River Dogs (planned, expected to play at the Meadowlands
Xanadu Complex)
National Football League
New York Giants (East Rutherford)
New York Jets (East Rutherford)
American Basketball Association
Jersey Express (Madison)
Great Lakes Indoor Football League
New Jersey Revolution (Morristown)
Minor League Baseball teams
Lakewood BlueClaws
New Jersey Jackals (Montclair)
Sussex Skyhawks (Augusta)
Trenton Thunder
Atlantic City Surf
Camden Riversharks
Newark Bears
Somerset Patriots (Bridgewater)
Bergen Cliff Hawks (planned, expected to play at the Meadowlands
Xanadu Complex)
ECHL
Trenton Devils
MISL
New Jersey Ironmen (Newark)
Three of the state's four major professional sports teams play
at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in 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 at the start of the 2007-08 season. 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 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 are two of the
major harness racing tracks in North America. Monmouth Park Racetrack
in Oceanport, is also a popular spot for thoroughbred racing in
New Jersey and the northeast. It will host the Breeders' Cup in
2007, and its turf course was recently renovated in preparation.
Gambling
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests
for expansion. (January 2007)
In 1978, the New Jersey legislature approved casino gambling in
Atlantic City. At that time, 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.
Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and
removing inappropriate ones.
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(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, 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 is the birthplace of many modern inventions such as:
FM radio, the motion picture camera, the lithium battery, the light
bulb, transistors, and the electric train. Other New Jersey creations
include: the drive-in movie, the cultivated blueberry, cranberry
sauce, the postcard, the boardwalk, the zipper, the phonograph,
saltwater taffy, the dirigible, the seedless watermelon[2], the
first use of a submarine in warfare, and the ice cream cone.
Joseph Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon I, lived for 17 years
in the South Jersey town of 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.
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 rules and 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
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 horses per square mile than any other state.
The United States Equestrian Team now is headquartered in Gladstone
after being founded in Morristown.
The book Jaws by Peter Benchley, which inspired the classic film
of the same name, was based on a series of actual shark attacks
during the summer of 1916 that took place in Matawan and elsewhere
off the Jersey Shore.
A diner in FreeholdDiners 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.[40]
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 where he also opened his
gallery, Iron Butterfly, before moving it to Red Bank. Jim Gary
was the only living 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 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.
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.[41]
Legends and ghosts
A long-circulated legend says a creature, the Jersey Devil or the
Leeds Devil, terrorizes the population of the 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 and the haunted and demon-possessed Clinton Road
in West Milford. Cooper Road in 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—the
ghost of a little boy runs across the street late at night in 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.) was 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:
Asbury Park Press
Bridgeton News
Burlington County Times
Courier Post
Cranford Chronicle
Daily Record (Morris).[42]
The Express-Times
Gloucester County Times
Herald News
Hunterdon County Democrat
Independent Press
Jersey Journal
The New Jersey Herald.[43]
The Ocean County Observer
The Press of Atlantic City
The Record[44]
The Record-Press and Suburban News
The Reporter (Somerset)
The Star-Ledger
Today's Sunbeam
Trentonian (Mercer)
The Warren Reporter
Television and film
Main article: Television and film of New Jersey
This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources.
Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)
In the 1996 science fiction film Independence Day the scene in
which Jeff Goldblum and Judd Hirsch are playing chess was filmed
in West New York, NJ.
Motion picture technology was invented in New Jersey, by Thomas
Edison. The early work was done at his West Orange laboratory. His
"Black Maria" was the first motion picture studio.
More recent motion pictures and 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 Nicholas Cage was filmed in Teaneck in
2000.
The 1979 film The Amityville Horror was filmed in Toms River and
the scene in the church is filmed in Point Pleasant.
The popular FOX television show House is set in a fictional hospital
located in the Princeton-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 both take place 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. Sister news network MSNBC broadcast from
studios in 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's movies take place in New Jersey (though not
all of them are filmed there), as Smith grew up in Red Bank, New
Jersey.
The popular character The Toxic Avenger is often touted as the first
superhero from New Jersey.
Camp NoBeBoSco in Blairstown was the location of the original 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[citation needed] 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, Robot
Hell is located in Atlantic City.
In the 2005 film adaptation of War of the Worlds, the beginning
of the movie is set in New Jersey, a homage to the 1968 radio broadcast.
Music
Main article: Music of New Jersey
New Jersey has long been an important area for both rock and rap
music. Some prominent musicians from or with significant connections
to New Jersey are:
Singer Frank Sinatra was born in 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
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 and is the most popular rock musician
to ever come out of the state. Some of his songs that represent
New Jersey life are "Born to Run," "Spirit In The
Night," "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)," "Thunder
Road," "Atlantic City," and "Jungleland."
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'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 (Reggie Noble) was born, raised, and resides in 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.
Jon Bon Jovi, who hails from 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)
Singer Dionne Warwick was born in East Orange.
Singer Whitney Houston (who is Dionne Warwick's cousin) was born
in Newark, and grew up in neighboring East Orange.
Legendary jazz pianist and bandleader Count Basie was born in 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 by George Clinton.
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.
In 1964, the Isley Brothers founded the record label T-Neck Records,
named after Teaneck, their home at the time.
The Broadway musical "Jersey Boys" is based on the lives
of the members of the Four Seasons, three of whose members were
born in New Jersey (Tommy DeVito, Frankie Valli, and Nick Massi)
Famous jazz pianist Bill Evans was born in Plainfield in 1929.
Famous hardcore rock band Thursday were formed in New Brunswick,
NJ. Numerous songs reference the city.
Horror punk band The Misfits hail from Lodi, as well as their founder
Glenn Danzig.
Punk rock poet Patti Smith is from Mantua.
Acclaimed indie rock veterans Yo La Tengo are based in 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 and Streetlight Manifesto, come
from East Brunswick.
Black Label Society's and Ozzy Osbourne's famed guitarist Zakk Wylde
was born in Bayonne and raised in Jackson
The Bouncing Souls original four members grew up in Basking Ridge
and formed in New Brunswick in the late 1980's.
My Chemical Romance's Frank Iero, Gerard Way, Mikey Way, and Ray
Toro all hail from Belleville, New Jersey.
Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta is from New Jersey
State symbols
State animal Horse
(Equus caballus)
State bird American Goldfinch
(Carduelis tristis)
State freshwater fish Brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
State dance Square dance
State insect European honey bee
(Apis mellifera)
State flower Common meadow violet
(Viola sororia)
State motto "Liberty and Prosperity"
State song None[45]
State tree Northern Red Oak
(Quercus borealis maxima)
(syn. Quercus rubra)
State dinosaur Hadrosaurus foulkii
State soil Downer
State color Buff and Jersey Blue
State ship A. J. Meerwald
State fruit Northern highbush blueberry
(Vaccinium corymbosum)
State vegetable Jersey tomato
(Lycopersicon esculentum)
State shell Knobbed whelk
(Busycon carica gmelin)
State memorial tree Dogwood
(Cornus Florida)
State slogan Come see for yourself.
CONTACT
msn: milantoplica@hotmail.com or mob: +381
63 427 577
