New Jersey – A Diverse State

New Jersey has long been a leading industrial state. Its population density is among the highest in the nation, and many of its citizens commute to work in New York City or Philadelphia. Yet this small state has major social, economic and political forces in its own right, and its natural resources are diverse. The sandy shoreline of Atlantic City and the Cape May area attracts millions of visitors each year, while the Pine Barrens are home to many rare plant species. The high cliffs of the Palisades look down on Manhattan, and broad marshes cover much of the northeast part of the state.

The state was formerly part of the Dutch Republic, and later part of the English colonies, which took over New Netherland when the Netherlands surrendered it to the British in 1664. The name is derived from the island of Jersey in the English Channel. The earliest settlers were Dutch, Swedes and Finns. In the early colonial period, governing power was shared with New York, but the colonies gained more independence as time went by. In 1776, New Jersey became one of the 13 colonies to ratify the United States Constitution and the first state to approve the Bill of Rights.

During the Revolutionary War, New Jersey was the site of many battles. George Washington’s army defeated the British at Trenton and Princeton, two victories that boosted American morale and put the Americans well on their way to victory. In the 19th century, the industrial revolution hit New Jersey, and factories sprung up in cities like Paterson, Camden, and Newark. Immigrants from Europe flocked to the cities, and farm populations dwindled.

Today, New Jersey is a thriving state with an economy built on banking and finance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, communications, and tourism. But the state has also paid a price in environmental pollution and congested roads. It is a mix of urban and rural, poor and wealthy, progressive and conservative, parochial and cosmopolitan.

The state has a wide range of recreational activities, including beaches, amusement parks, and historic sites. Its metropolitan area is home to the world’s busiest airport, Newark Liberty International Airport. The state has a diverse culture, and it is known for its food, shopping, arts and entertainment, and music scenes.

New Jersey has four distinct physical regions: the Ridge and Valley section, where folded Appalachian Mountains cut through the state; the flat central Piedmont region of hills and valleys; the western Highlands, a southern extension of the ancient rocks of New England; and the level Atlantic Coastal Plain. The state’s soils vary, with sandy clay in the northern part of the state and fertile sand and loam in the southern area. Oak and pine are dominant trees in the Pine Barrens, while white cedar thrives in the poorly drained bogs. In the north, maples and hemlocks dominate the forests, and wild azaleas, rhododendrons, and mountain laurels are common throughout the state.