New Jersey – The Most Northeastern US State
New Jersey is the most northeastern U.S. state, and it boasts 130 miles of Atlantic coastline. It is home to a variety of attractions, including Liberty State Park, across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan. Nearby is Ellis Island, where you can visit the iconic Statue of Liberty and the Immigration Museum. Other notable locations along the Jersey Shore include historic resort towns such as Asbury Park, which still has Victorian architecture.
While the state’s biggest cities are primarily urban and serve as business hubs, many people prefer to live in suburban areas or smaller towns, and the state’s comparatively high median household income makes it an ideal place for families. Some cities are home to a large population of rich people, while others are more rural and sparsely populated. There are no public transportation systems in these rural areas, which make it difficult to get around and get food.
NJ has five distinct regions. The northern part is the most densely populated, where up to a million people commute to Manhattan every day. The southwestern region is largely covered in mixed oak and pine forest, with a lower population density than the rest of the state. In the southern interior, the Pine Barrens area, which spans from southern New Jersey to the Philadelphia metropolitan area, is covered in less dense forests. The Pine Barrens region of New Jersey is also home to some of the country’s highest-rise buildings.
The Lenape, who were the dominant ethnic group in the area during the colonial era, were the first people to settle in the area. Their homeland was known as Scheyichbi. They practiced maize agriculture and were divided into matrilinear clans. The Lenape’s relationship with Europeans began in the early seventeenth century, when English sailors under Colonel Richard Nicolls sailed into the New York Harbor. This led to the annexation of the entire region.
The New Jersey Superior Court is the most important court in the state. There, judges are appointed by the governor on the advice of the state senate. These judges are expected to serve for seven years, but can be re-elected until they are 70. The courts of law and equity are separate and operate independently of one another. In the northern part, criminal cases are handled by the municipal courts. For civil matters, the Department of State oversees the division of elections, the Newark Police, and the Trenton borough.
While the state is relatively safe to visit, it does have some unsavory elements. Crime is relatively common in urban and suburban areas, but it is relatively rare in smaller towns. Aspen, for example, is a charming, historic village in the middle of the Jersey countryside. The town of Menlo Park is located in southern New Jersey, and it is a popular tourist destination. The city of Trenton is the largest city in the state, with nearly a million people.