A state of rocky shores and bustling cities, new jersey is home to the iconic Statue of Liberty, the world’s busiest port and the nation’s busiest rail corridor. Its cities are pulsing with culture and the nightlife of affluent suburbs, while the state’s rural areas feature pristine forests and wildlife preserves. New Jersey is also a leader in information technology and biological science firms, with companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Merck located here.
In the northeastern section of the state, the Hudson, Passaic and Raritan rivers run through a landscape of rolling hills and narrow valleys. This area, known as the Middlesex County Plain, is where most of the state’s major cities are located. Toward the western edge of the state is the New England Upland, a region of flat-topped rock ridges and many lakes. The state’s coastline is dotted with tourist attractions, including Atlantic City and the Wildwoods, and its inland parks include the Gateway National Recreation Area and Island Beach State Park.
New Jersey’s diverse population reflects the immigrant patterns of the 19th and 20th centuries. About two-thirds of the state’s residents are classified as white, and among them are large numbers of Germans, Slavs, Irish, Italians, and other Europeans. The state’s cities have become increasingly African American and Hispanic, with whites leaving the urban centres for suburban living. This shift has contributed to a growing divide between city and country, with urban blacks and Hispanics suffering from high unemployment, decrepit inner-city housing stock, and substandard public services.
The southern portion of the state is a mixture of small towns, affluent suburbs and agricultural areas, while the northern section of the state has become heavily industrialized. In the eastern part of the state, Mercer and Middlesex counties are mostly urbanized, with Rutgers University at its centre in the borough of Princeton. Hunterdon and Somerset counties are mostly rural, with a mix of urban sprawl and farmland.
The state’s wildlife includes mammals such as black bears and bobcats, reptiles including spotted turtles and five-lined skinks, and amphibians such as New Jersey chorus frogs and marbled salamanders. Birds such as red-bellied woodpeckers, chickadees and northern cardinals nest in its forests, and the sandy dunes of the Jersey Shore are topped with grass that attracts osprey and herons. Wildflowers such as purple iris, orange daylilies and Queen Anne’s lace can be found in the state’s forests and meadows. In the summer, New Jersey’s beaches draw millions of visitors each year.