New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania; and on the southwest by Delaware Bay and the state of Delaware. At 7,354 square miles (19,050 km), New Jersey is the fifth-smallest state based on land area, but with close to 9.3 million residents, is the 11th-most populous and the most densely populated state. New Jersey’s state capital is Trenton, while the state’s most populous city is Newark. All counties in New Jersey are located within the combined statistical areas New York City and Philadelphia, with the exception of Warren County. Therefore, the state’s largest metropolitan region is Greater New York.

New Jersey was home to Native Americans for at most 2,800 years. The dominant group of Native Americans when Europeans arrived in the 17th century was the Lenape. The first European settlements were established in New Jersey by Dutch and Swedish colonists. The English later took control of the region and established New Jersey Province. This was named after Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands. New Jersey was one of the Thirteen Colonies that fought Great Britain. It hosted many pivotal battles as well as military commands during the American Revolutionary War. The state remained in Union during the American Civil War and was a major center for manufacturing and immigration. It helped drive the nation’s Industrial Revolution and was the location of many technological and commercial innovations until the mid-20th century.

New Jersey’s central location in the Northeast megalopolis fueled its rapid growth and suburbanization in the second half of the 20th century. Its economy diversified significantly at the beginning of the 21st Century, with major sectors such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and informational technology. New Jersey is a popular destination for immigrants. It has one of the largest multicultural populations in the U.S. The state’s re-urbanization continues to follow historical trends. Since 2008, growth in the cities has outpaced that in the suburbs. New Jersey is one of the wealthiest states in the U.S., with the second highest median household income in 2017. Almost one-tenth of all households, or over 323,000 of 3.3 million, are millionaires, the highest rate per capita in the country. New Jersey’s public school system consistently ranks at or among the top of all U.S. states.