New Jersey Facts

New Jersey is a U.S. state in the northeastern part of the country. It is home to 130 miles of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Philadelphia is the largest city in the state and is located across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan. Liberty State Park is located in Jersey City and is close to Ellis Island, which is home to the iconic Statue of Liberty and the historic Immigration Museum. There are many notable resort towns along the Jersey Shore, including Asbury Park, which is notable for its Victorian architecture.

The State of New Jersey is highly diverse, with a large number of religious and ethnic groups. In 2004, 56.4% of New Jersey children were members of a minority group (a parent who was non-Hispanic white). In addition, the state has the second-largest Muslim and Jewish population percentages after New York and Michigan. The state has the largest Peruvian and Cuban populations outside of Florida, the third largest Italian population, and the third largest Asian population.

Despite the diversity of its landscape, the state is known for its foods, including Taylor Ham, tomato pies, and Texas wieners. In addition to their tasty fare, New Jersey is also known for its artists. Frank Sinatra, whose family hails from Hoboken, was an amateur performer and sang with a vocal group before becoming a well-known actor. Bruce Springsteen hails from Freehold and has often sang of New Jersey life on his albums. The Jonas Brothers are from Wyckoff and live in the suburb of Asbury Park.

The New Jersey state government is governed by 21 counties. The thirteen original counties were merged in 1692 and the state is divided into counties. Only New Jersey is home to a Supreme Court with elected county officials called “Freeholders”. The Board of Chosen Freeholders, which governs each county, elects freeholders to serve as their representatives. Each county can have three, five, seven, or nine freeholders.

The counties in New Jersey are primarily classified according to their location. The Northeastern area is closest to the city of Manhattan. Up to one million residents in this region commute daily. In the north, the state is mountainous and wooded. The South is hilly, while the Northwestern part is a suburban area. The southwestern part of the state contains a small metropolis. In addition, the states of northern and central New Jersey are often described by their distinct climates.

In the state of New Jersey, the majority of residents are white. The state has an estimated ninety percent of Hispanics. The population is overwhelmingly white, with approximately seventy percent of the population being Hispanic or Latino. The other five percent is composed of people of other races. The state is characterized by its diversity. However, the most diverse region in the state is the Atlantic Coastal Plain. This region contains low hills, pine forests, salt marshes, and sandy beaches.