New Jersey, a state in the eastern United States. It extends inland from the Atlantic Ocean to the Appalachian Mountains and is bordered by New York, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. With an area of 8,722 square miles (22,590 km 2), New Jersey is the fourth smallest state in the nation—only Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut are smaller.

One of the original 13 colonies, New Jersey is rich in historical sites. The scene of much military activity during the American Revolution, the state is sometimes called the “Crossroads of the Revolution.”

During subsequent decades, especially after the Civil War, New Jersey became one of the nation's leading industrial states. It also became one of the most populous, largely because of the buildup of cities and suburban areas in the vicinity of New York City.

New Jersey'sNew Jersey's state bird is the eastern goldfinch.
New Jersey in brief
General information
Statehood: Dec. 18, 1787, the third state.
State abbreviations: N.J. (traditional); NJ (postal).
State capital: Trenton, the capital since 1790. Perth Amboy and Burlington served as twin capitals from 1703 to 1775. There was no definite capital from 1775 to 1790.
State motto: Liberty and Prosperity.
Popular name: The Garden State.
State song: none.
Symbols of New Jersey
State bird: Eastern goldfinch.
State flower: Common meadow violet.
State tree: Red oak.
State flag and seal: New Jersey's state flag, adopted in 1896, bears a version of the state seal on a yellow background. The seal, adopted in 1928, bears three plows on a shield to represent agriculture. A helmet symbolizing sovereignty and a crest with a horse's head appear above the shield. Supporting the shield are Liberty, and Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain and a symbol of abundance.
Land and climate
Area: 7,790 mi2 (20,175 km2), including 371 mi2 (960 km2) of inland water but excluding 425 mi2. (1,102 km2) of coastal water.
Elevation: Highest--High Point, 1,803 ft (550 m) above sea level. Lowest--sea level along the Atlantic Ocean.
Coastline: 130 mi (209 km).
Record high temperature: 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) at Runyon on July 10, 1936.
Record low temperature: –34 degrees F (–37 degrees C) at River Vale on Jan. 5, 1904.
Average July temperature: 75 degrees F (24 degrees C).
Average January temperature: 31 degrees F (–1 degree C).
Average yearly precipitation: 45 in (114 cm).
People
Population: 8,414,350.
Rank among the states: 9th.
Density: 1,080 per mi2 (417 per km2), U.S. average 78 per mi2 (30 per km2).
Distribution: 94 percent urban, 6 percent rural.
Largest cities in New Jersey: Newark (273,546); Jersey City (240,055); Paterson (149,222); Elizabeth (120,568); Edison (97,687); Woodbridge (97,203).
Economy
Chief products
Agriculture: greenhouse and nursery products, milk, vegetables.
Manufacturing: chemicals, computer and electronic products, fabricated metal products, food products, machinery, petroleum products, plastics and rubber products, printed materials.
Mining: crushed stone, sand and gravel.
Government
State government
Governor: 4-year term.
State senators: 40; 2- or 4-year terms.
Members of the General Assembly: 80; 2-year terms.
Counties: 21.
Federal government
United States senators: 2.
United States representatives: 13.
Electoral votes: 15.
Sources of information
For information about tourism, write to: New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission, Office of Travel and Tourism, 20 W. State Street, P.O. Box 820, Trenton, NJ 08625-0820. The Web site at http://www.visitnj.org also provides information.
For information on the economy, write to: New Jersey Council of Economic Advisors, P.O. Box 269, Trenton, NJ 08695-0269.
The state's official Web site at http://www.state.nj.us also provides a gateway to much information on New Jersey's economy, government, and history.