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{{dambigbox|New Jersey (U.S. state)|New Jersey}}
{{Image|SunfishPond.jpg|right|350px|Sunfish pond, a glacial lake along the Appalachian Trail in northwest New Jersey.  The pond is on the Kittatinny Ridge in Worthington State Forest, at a 1000' elevation above the surrounding forested area.}}
{{Image|2014-08-29 11 51 25 View north-northeast from the fire tower on Apple Pie Hill in Wharton State Forest, Tabernacle Township, New Jersey.JPG|right|350px|View from a fire tower in the New Jersey Pine Barrens (Wharton State Forest, Tabernacle, NJ).}}
{{Image|Rand-mcnally-and-cos-new-jersey-35822d-1024.jpg|right|250px|Old Rand McNally map of the state of New Jersey, showing the locations of NY City (upper right) and Philadelphia (lower left).}}
{{Image|Rand-mcnally-and-cos-new-jersey-35822d-1024.jpg|right|250px|Old Rand McNally map of the state of New Jersey, showing the locations of NY City (upper right) and Philadelphia (lower left).}}
{{Image|New Jersey Assembly 2022-2023 Session.png|right|250px|New Jersey Assembly 2022-2023 Session.  Blue areas are represented by Democrats, and red by Republicans.}}
{{Image|New Jersey Assembly 2022-2023 Session.png|right|250px|New Jersey Assembly 2022-2023 Session.  Blue areas are represented by Democrats, and red by Republicans.}}


'''New Jersey''' is a small, densely-populated state in the northeast [[United States of America|USA]] bisected by an urban corridor running from [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] northwest to [[New York, New York|New York City]]. It has the highest population density in the nation<ref name=PopDens />, and yet its state motto "The Garden State" reflects the presence of numerous farms and wooded lands, despite dense suburban sprawl in other areas.  The state capital is [[Wikipedia:Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], which is close to Philadelphia.
'''New Jersey''' is a small, densely-populated state in the northeast [[United States of America|U.S.]], named after the [[Wikipedia:Channel Islands|Channel Island]] of [[Wikipedia:Jersey|Jersey]]. Its capital city [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] is centrally located and lies on the [[Delaware River]] across from the northeastern corner of [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]].


== Two urban clusters ==
== Urban vs. rural ==
Broadcast media in the state is typically sourced from either New York City or Philadelphia, and state-wide political campaigns must target both markets.  The dense urban belt across the center of the state between the two city nexuses (i.e., the corridor running from New York to Philadelphia) tend to vote Democrat, whereas the more suburban and rural areas tend to vote Republican.  The state has recently had governors from both parties.  The two state senators have been Democrats in recent decades, and most (but not all) of the U.S. congressional representatives as well.
In its middle, the state has an urban corridor running from [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] northwest to [[New York, New York|New York City]].  Broadcast media in the state come from either or both cities, and state-wide political campaigns must target both markets.  This urban belt tends to be more liberal and to vote Democrat, whereas the more suburban and rural areas tend to be more conservative and to vote Republican.<ref name=WhichParty /> The state capital is [[Wikipedia:Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], which is close to Philadelphia.


== Surrounded by water ==
New Jersey has the highest population density in the nation<ref name=PopDens />, and yet its state motto "The Garden State" is reflected by the presence of numerous farms and wooded lands, despite dense suburban sprawl in some areas.  There are numerous protected parks, including a segment of the [[Appalachian_Mountains#Appalachian_Trail|Appalachian Trail]] in the northwest corner of the state near the [[Wikipedia:Delaware Water Gap|Delaware Water Gap]], the [[Wikipedia:New Jersey Pine Barrens|New Jersey Pine Barrens]] in the south, and various preserved woods and wetlands throughout the state.
New Jersey's northern border with [[New York (U.S. state)|New York state]] is a straight line across land, but otherwise, New Jersey is surrounded by water on three sides, like a peninsula:
 
* On the west, its border is the [[Wikipedia:Delaware River|Delaware River]], across from [[Pennsylvania]].     
== Bordered by water bodies ==
New Jersey's northern border with [[New York (U.S. state)|New York state]] is a short, straight line across rather rugged land, but otherwise, New Jersey is surrounded by water on three sides, like a peninsula:
* On the west, its border is the [[Wikipedia:Delaware River|Delaware River]], across from [[Pennsylvania (U.S. state)|Pennsylvania]] and, in the south central part, Philadelphia.     
* On the south, its border is the [[Wikipedia:Delaware Bay|Delaware Bay]], across from [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]].
* On the south, its border is the [[Wikipedia:Delaware Bay|Delaware Bay]], across from [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]].
* On the southeast shoulder, its border is the [[Atlantic Ocean]].  
* On the southeast shoulder, its border is the [[Atlantic Ocean]].  
* On the northeast shoulder, its border is the [[Wikipedia:Raritan Bay|Raritan Bay]] and the [[Hudson River]], across from New York City.
* On the northeast shoulder, its border is the [[Wikipedia:Raritan Bay|Raritan Bay]] and the [[Hudson River]], across from New York City.


== Historic battle ground sites ==
== Historic battle grounds ==
New Jersey was one of the original thirteen colonies which broke away from Britain in 1776 to form the U.S.  It has several important historic battlefield sites preserved since the [[American Revolution]].  
New Jersey was one of the original thirteen colonies which broke away from Britain in 1776 to form the U.S.  It has several important historic battlefield sites preserved since the [[American Revolution]], including the site where [[Wikipedia:George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River|George Washington crossed the Delaware River]] for a surprise attack on Trenton on Christmas night of 1776, and sites for the [[Battle of Trenton/Definition|Battle of Trenton]], the [[Battle of Princeton/Definition|Battle of Princeton]], and the [[Wikipedia:Battle of Monmouth|Battle of Monmouth]].


== Pollution and Superfund sites ==
== Superfund sites ==
Due to past industrial activity, New Jersey has had more [[Superfund]] toxic waste sites than any other state in the union--and this despite it's small geographic size.  Fewer than a quarter of New Jersey’s Superfund sites--35 out of about 150 that have been on the EPA’s list at various times since the law was passed in 1980--have actually been cleaned up.  
Due to past industrial activity, New Jersey has more [[Superfund]] toxic waste sites than any other state in the union—and this despite its small geographic size.  Only 35 of New Jersey's Superfund sites (out of about 150 that have been on the EPA’s list since the Superfund law was passed in 1980) have actually been cleaned up.  People have real reasons to be concerned about the quality of drinking water in the Garden State.  As of 2024, New Jersey still has 115 priority Superfund sites.


== Social and economic issues ==
== What it's like to live in NJ ==
As of 2022, all aspects of reproductive choice including abortion are protected by law.<ref>[https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2020/AL21/375_.PDF Text of the reproductive choice law passed by NJ in 2022], from the state of NJ website, last access 12/9/2022</ref>
A state sales tax of 6.625% might be considered high, except for the fact that essential items such as food, clothing, drugs, and manufacturing machinery are exempt, and certain struggling urban areas pay even less tax.  These features mean it can be said to be a "progressive" sales tax.<ref name=SalesTax />.


There are strict gun registration laws (no open carry).   
There are strict gun registration laws (no open carry).   


In 2022, the Sales Tax rate was 6.625%<ref name=SalesTax />, and it is a "progressive" tax because items such as food, clothing, drugs, and manufacturing machinery are exempt.  
Residential land is scarce, and property taxes tend to be high relative to other parts of the United States. Rental housing rates are high.


Residential land is scarce, and property taxes tend to be high relative to other parts of the United States.
As of 2022, all aspects of reproductive choice (including abortion) are protected by law.<ref name=Repro />


== Religion==
The state has a population with diverse origins, with about 20% Hispanic, 12% African American, and 10% Asian (and about half of those Indian, or South Asian), along with a wide variety of other ethnicities and nationalities.  The state also has a substantial American Jewish population.  About a third of adults in the state identify as Catholic, another third as Protestant, and the remaining third prefer other world religions or have agnostic or atheistic leanings.<ref name=Relig />
About a third of adults in the state identify as Catholic, another third as Christian, and the remaining third divided between various world religions on the one hand and agnostic/atheistic leanings on the other hand<ref>[https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/state/new-jersey/ Religious Landscape of New Jersey] since 2000, by Pew Research.</ref>.
 
In 2020, the state's voting population passed a public question<ref name=MJ /> that amended the state constitution to legalize [[marijuana]] and erase past legal convictions for possession.  The measure passed by a two-thirds vote.  At the time the measure was enacted, about a dozen other U.S. states had also legalized the sale and possession of marijuana. As of 2024, local governments and municipalities are still in the process of regulating marijuana-related businesses within their jurisdictions.
 
==Image slideshow==
<gallery widths=300px heights=200 mode="slideshow">
Line3174 - Shipping Containers at the terminal at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey - NOAA.jpg|Port Elizabeth, NJ contains acres of shipping containers.
Elizabeth, New Jersey - Aerial I (43861389542).jpg|New Jersey is the most densely populated U.S. state.  This is an aerial view of Elizabeth, NJ, from 2014.
2009-08-17 View of downtown Trenton in New Jersey and the mouth of the Assunpink Creek from across the Delaware River in Morrisville, Pennsylvania.jpg|Downtown [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], and the mouth of Assunpink Creek, as viewed from across the Delaware River in Morrisville, Pennsylvania in 2009.
Trentonmakesnight.jpg|The Lower [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] Bridge over the [[Delaware River]], by which Amtrak and local trains cross from Trenton into [[Pennsylvania (U.S. state)|Pennsylvania]], is visible to automobile traffic crossing the river on U.S. Route 1.  For many years, one of the letters of the sign "Trenton Makes, the World Takes" was burned out and was finally replaced in 2016 immediately before [[Donald Trump]] visited the city.
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 41: Line 55:


<ref name=PopDens>
<ref name=PopDens>
In 2020, the state had an average of 1,134.5 people per square mile.  The sparsest state, [[Montana]], only has an average of just 6.86 people per square mile.
In 2020, the state average was 1,134 people per square mile, whereas the sparsest state ([[Montana (U.S. state)|Montana]]) averaged a mere 7 people per square mile.
</ref>
</ref>


<ref name=SalesTax>
<ref name=SalesTax>
Certain specially designated Urban Enterprise Zones have their sales tax rate cut in half (in 2022, these zones existed in parts of Elizabeth, Bridgeton, Camden, Newark, Trenton, Plainfield, New Brunswick and Gloucester City).
The sales tax rate is from 2023.  In addition to excluding essential items, certain towns also charge less sales tax--those designated as ''Urban Enterprise Zones'' have their sales tax rate cut in half.  In 2022, these zones existed in parts of Elizabeth, Bridgeton, Camden, Newark, Trenton, Plainfield, New Brunswick and Gloucester City, all of which lie in the urban belt between Philadelphia and New York City.
</ref>
 
<ref name=WhichParty>
The state has recently had governors from both parties (and as of 2023, the governor is a Democrat).  The two state senators are typically Democrats.  Most (but not all) of the U.S. congressional representatives are Democrats.
</ref>
 
<ref name=Repro>
[https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2020/AL21/375_.PDF Text of the reproductive choice law passed by NJ in 2022], from the state of NJ website, last access 12/9/2022
</ref>
 
<ref name=Relig>
[https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/state/new-jersey/ Religious Landscape of New Jersey] since 2000, by Pew Research.
</ref>
 
<ref name=MJ>
[https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey_Public_Question_1,_Marijuana_Legalization_Amendment_(2020) New Jersey Public Question 1, Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2020)] on Ballotpedia.org, last access 2/26/2024.
</ref>
</ref>


</references>
</references>[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]

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This article is about New Jersey (U.S. state). For other uses of the term New Jersey, please see New Jersey (disambiguation).
Sunfish pond, a glacial lake along the Appalachian Trail in northwest New Jersey. The pond is on the Kittatinny Ridge in Worthington State Forest, at a 1000' elevation above the surrounding forested area.
View from a fire tower in the New Jersey Pine Barrens (Wharton State Forest, Tabernacle, NJ).
Old Rand McNally map of the state of New Jersey, showing the locations of NY City (upper right) and Philadelphia (lower left).
New Jersey Assembly 2022-2023 Session. Blue areas are represented by Democrats, and red by Republicans.

New Jersey is a small, densely-populated state in the northeast U.S., named after the Channel Island of Jersey. Its capital city Trenton is centrally located and lies on the Delaware River across from the northeastern corner of Philadelphia.

Urban vs. rural

In its middle, the state has an urban corridor running from Philadelphia northwest to New York City. Broadcast media in the state come from either or both cities, and state-wide political campaigns must target both markets. This urban belt tends to be more liberal and to vote Democrat, whereas the more suburban and rural areas tend to be more conservative and to vote Republican.[1] The state capital is Trenton, which is close to Philadelphia.

New Jersey has the highest population density in the nation[2], and yet its state motto "The Garden State" is reflected by the presence of numerous farms and wooded lands, despite dense suburban sprawl in some areas. There are numerous protected parks, including a segment of the Appalachian Trail in the northwest corner of the state near the Delaware Water Gap, the New Jersey Pine Barrens in the south, and various preserved woods and wetlands throughout the state.

Bordered by water bodies

New Jersey's northern border with New York state is a short, straight line across rather rugged land, but otherwise, New Jersey is surrounded by water on three sides, like a peninsula:

Historic battle grounds

New Jersey was one of the original thirteen colonies which broke away from Britain in 1776 to form the U.S. It has several important historic battlefield sites preserved since the American Revolution, including the site where George Washington crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack on Trenton on Christmas night of 1776, and sites for the Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Princeton, and the Battle of Monmouth.

Superfund sites

Due to past industrial activity, New Jersey has more Superfund toxic waste sites than any other state in the union—and this despite its small geographic size. Only 35 of New Jersey's Superfund sites (out of about 150 that have been on the EPA’s list since the Superfund law was passed in 1980) have actually been cleaned up. People have real reasons to be concerned about the quality of drinking water in the Garden State. As of 2024, New Jersey still has 115 priority Superfund sites.

What it's like to live in NJ

A state sales tax of 6.625% might be considered high, except for the fact that essential items such as food, clothing, drugs, and manufacturing machinery are exempt, and certain struggling urban areas pay even less tax. These features mean it can be said to be a "progressive" sales tax.[3].

There are strict gun registration laws (no open carry).

Residential land is scarce, and property taxes tend to be high relative to other parts of the United States. Rental housing rates are high.

As of 2022, all aspects of reproductive choice (including abortion) are protected by law.[4]

The state has a population with diverse origins, with about 20% Hispanic, 12% African American, and 10% Asian (and about half of those Indian, or South Asian), along with a wide variety of other ethnicities and nationalities. The state also has a substantial American Jewish population. About a third of adults in the state identify as Catholic, another third as Protestant, and the remaining third prefer other world religions or have agnostic or atheistic leanings.[5]

In 2020, the state's voting population passed a public question[6] that amended the state constitution to legalize marijuana and erase past legal convictions for possession. The measure passed by a two-thirds vote. At the time the measure was enacted, about a dozen other U.S. states had also legalized the sale and possession of marijuana. As of 2024, local governments and municipalities are still in the process of regulating marijuana-related businesses within their jurisdictions.

Image slideshow

See also

U.S. States and Territories

References

  1. The state has recently had governors from both parties (and as of 2023, the governor is a Democrat). The two state senators are typically Democrats. Most (but not all) of the U.S. congressional representatives are Democrats.
  2. In 2020, the state average was 1,134 people per square mile, whereas the sparsest state (Montana) averaged a mere 7 people per square mile.
  3. The sales tax rate is from 2023. In addition to excluding essential items, certain towns also charge less sales tax--those designated as Urban Enterprise Zones have their sales tax rate cut in half. In 2022, these zones existed in parts of Elizabeth, Bridgeton, Camden, Newark, Trenton, Plainfield, New Brunswick and Gloucester City, all of which lie in the urban belt between Philadelphia and New York City.
  4. Text of the reproductive choice law passed by NJ in 2022, from the state of NJ website, last access 12/9/2022
  5. Religious Landscape of New Jersey since 2000, by Pew Research.
  6. New Jersey Public Question 1, Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2020) on Ballotpedia.org, last access 2/26/2024.