Geography of New Jersey

Introduction to Geography of New Jersey

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.

Physical Geography

New Jersey occupies part of two physical regions of the United States, the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Appalachian Highlands. The state lies within three sections of the Appalachian Highlands—the Piedmont; the Highlands, the southernmost extension of the New England Upland; and the Ridge and Valley.

The Coastal Plain is a generally flat to rolling area south of a line connecting Trenton and Perth Amboy. Roughly three-fifths of New Jersey lies in this region. The inner part of the Coastal Plain is a fertile area of truck farms, dairy farms, and orchards; the rest (the seaward section), with soil made up of loosely consoliated sands, is of low fertility and little agricultural use. Along the coast, from Cape May to Sandy Hook, are dunes and sandy beaches, offshore sand bars, and numerous islands.

The Piedmont, which lies northwest of the Coastal Plain, is the lowest and most northerly part of the Piedmont Plateau. Also called the Piedmont Lowland and the Triassic Lowland, the Piedmont is a low plains region marked by occasional outcrops of ancient basalt, called traprock. Some of the outcrops reach heights of more than 500 feet (150 m) above sea level. Among them are the Watchung Mountains, southwest of New-ark, and the clifflike Palisades, which overlook the Hudson River. The Piedmont is heavily urbanized and contains nearly all the largest cities of the state. Immediately to the east, beyond the Hudson River, is New York City.

The Highlands region lies northwest of the Piedmont. It consists of low, rounded mountain ridges and intervening valleys. Elevations of 1,100 to 1,400 feet (335 to 427 m) occur in the Allamuchy, Bearfort, Green Pond, Jenny Jump, Ramapo, and Schooleys mountains. Much of the regions was glaciated during the last Ice Age and is studded with clear, small lakes.

The Ridge and Valley region is in the extreme northwest. It consists of the Kittatinny Mountains and Kittatinny Valley— New Jersey's section of the Great Valley of the Appalachians, which extends from New York to Alabama. High Point, a 1,803-foot (550-m) peak in the Kittatinny Mountains, is the highest point in the state. Above Columbia, the Delaware River cuts through the Kittatinny Mountains in a deep notch called the Delaware Water Gap.

Two major rivers, the Delaware and the Hudson, border New Jersey. The Delaware, in the west, separates New Jersey from Delaware and Pennsylvania and, with its tributaries, drains roughly half of the state. The Hudson, in the northeast, forms part of the New York-New Jersey state line. Numerous short rivers flowing to the Atlantic drain the rest of the state. In the north are the Hackensack, Passaic, and Raritan rivers, which empty into arms of New York Bay. Farther south are the Toms, Mullica, Great Egg Harbor, and Maurice rivers.

Lake Hopatcong and Wanaque Reservoir, though relatively small, are the largest of the state's many inland waters, which total 319 square miles (826 km 2 ).

New Jersey has a continental climate that varies from north to south, with closeness to the ocean, and with increased elevation inland. Summers are warm to hot; winters are generally cold.

Average July temperatures range from about 70° to 77° F. (21° to 25° C.), the cooler parts of the state being in the mountains and, to a lesser extent, along the coast. Average January temperatures range from about 25° to 35° F. (-4° to 2° C.), the warmest area being the southern tip of the state. Extreme temperatures of more than 105° F. (41° C.) and less than -30° F. (-34° C.) have been recorded in the state. The length of the frost-free season ranges from about 130 days in some mountain locations to 230 days along the southern coast.

Precipitation is fairly well distributed throughout the year. The annual average varies from about 40 inches (1,020 mm) along the southeast coast to somewhat more than 50 inches (1,270 mm) in the north-central part of the state. Part of the precipitation occurs as snow. Only in the mountains does the annual snowfall reach 50 inches a year; the rest of the state gets considerably less.

Hurricanes and tornadoes occasionally strike the state.

More than a third of New Jersey is forest-covered, mostly with second-growth trees. In the northern and central parts of the state, forests are mainly mixed hardwoods, primarily oak, tulip, hickory, birch, gum, and maple. In the far north near the New York state line, there are stands of white pine, hemlock, and other evergreen trees as well as stands of mixed evergreens and hardwoods.

Forests in the southern part of the state are mostly pines, particularly pitch, short-leaf, and Virginia pines. One of the chief forested tracts is the Pine Barrens, north of the Mullica River.

A great variety of smaller plants grow throughout the state. Native hollies, blueberries, and cranberries are among the more distinctive plants.

Economy

Though small in size, New Jersey is a major industrial and commercial state. Roughly 90 per cent of the work force is engaged in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, services, government, and transportation. New Jersey's proximity to New York City and Philadelphia helps the state's economy.

Service industries are the most important part of the state's economy. Finance, insurance, and real estate is the leading service industry. Northern New Jersey is one of the nation's leading centers of commercial real estate.

Community, business, and personal services ranks second among the state's service industries. It includes such businesses as private health care, hotels and casinos, and private research laboratories. Atlantic City has many hotels and casinos.

Northern New Jersey is one of the country's leading centers for the wholesale trade of chemicals and machinery. The Newark-Elizabethtown port is a major U.S. port for international trade.

New Jersey is a major manufacturing state. Most of the manufacturing is done in two sections of the state. The principal area consists of the counties of the northeast, which are part of the New York City metropolitan area. Leading centers there include Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Elizabeth. The second manufacturing complex extends along the Delaware River roughly from Trenton to south of Camden, mostly in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

The making of chemicals is the state's leading manufacturing activity. Pharmaceuticals are the most valuable types of chemicals made in the state. By value, New Jersey usually ranks among the top states in the production of chemicals. Personal care products also make up an important part of New Jersey's chemical industry.

Food processing ranks second to the making of chemicals in overall significance. Food processors in the New York City and Philadelphia areas draw products from many parts of the world for processing.

The manufacture of computer and electronic products is also a large industry in New Jersey. Other industries of major significance include the making of industrial machinery, fabricated metal products, petroleum products, rubber and plastic products, and printed materials.

New Jersey has many facilities for industrial research and development. They include some of the nation's outstanding research laboratories.

Although farms take up only about a sixth of New Jersey's land area, agriculture is important. Greenhouse and nursery products are New Jersey's most valuable source of agricultural income. Millions of roses are grown in the state yearly.

Milk is also a valuable source of farm income. Dairying and the raising of hay and other feeds predominate in the northern counties, where much of the land is hilly. Other areas produce mostly truck crops, particularly sweet corn, peppers, and lettuce. Fruits as well as vegetables are produced in the southern counties. Peaches, apples, blueberries, and cranberries are the leading fruit crops. Much of the farm production goes to commercial canners and freezers.

Fishing and mining are of little importance in the overall economy, but are significant in some localities.

Commercial fishing is carried on along the coast and in some river estuaries. By value, shellfish—especially clams, scallops, and crabs—make up the greater part of the catch. Menhaden, used for the production of industrial oil and meal, are caught and processed in large amounts. Edible fish caught include flounder, lobster, and mackerel.

By value, stone, sand, and gravel account for most of the mineral production in New Jersey. Granite and traprock are the chief stones quarried. Greensand marl, clay, and peat are also mined.

Tourism is a major industry. The state offers numerous seaside resorts, miles of sandy beaches, sport fishing, and legalized gambling. Legalized gambling, begun in the late 1970's, is the main attraction in Atlantic City. Other tourist centers include Cape May and Ocean City. The mountains and lakes of the northwest also attract many visitors.

Transportation facilities are highly developed and carry an exceptionally large volume of traffic. The corridor linking New York City and Philadelphia is one of the busiest transportation routes in the nation.

The highway system includes the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, the Atlantic City Expressway, and several Interstate routes. The turnpike and the parkway run virtually the length of the state, converging in the New York metropolitan area.

Railway freight service is provided by many rail lines. Passenger service is provided by Amtrak and by commuter railways in the areas adjoining New York City and Philadelphia.

Shipping in New Jersey is heaviest through ports at Newark and Elizabeth. There are also port facilities at several locations along the Delaware River.

Numerous bridges and tunnels connect New Jersey and New York. A number of bridges also link the Camden area and Philadelphia.

Newark International Airport is the leading commercial airport in New Jersey. Air service is also provided at Atlantic City and Trenton.

The People

In rank among the states, New Jersey is ninth. The population density is 1,134.2 persons per square mile (437.9 per km 2)—the highest in the nation, and over 14 times that of the United States as a whole. Whites make up 72.6 per cent of the population and blacks, 13.6 per cent.

Education

Attendance at school is compulsory from age 6 to age 16.

A commissioner of education is the chief state education official, heading the state department of education. The commissioner is appointed by the governor. The governor also appoints the members of the state board of education.

Rutgers University, a land-grant institution located at New Brunswick, is the principal state-supported institution of higher learning.

Princeton University, at Princeton, is among the nation's leading private universities.

Government

New Jersey is governed under its 1947 constitution, the third in its history. The legislature consists of a senate of 40 members, elected to four-year terms, and a lower house, the General Assembly, of 80 members, elected for two-year terms. The legislature meets in January of each year. The governor is elected for four years and may serve any number of terms, but not more than two in succession. He is the only state official elected by popular vote. There is no lieutenant governor; if the governorship becomes vacant the president of the Senate succeeds to the office. But in the 2009 election, candidates for governor will choose a lieutenant governor and campaign as a team. The winners will take office in 2010. With the Senate's consent, the governor appoints the secretary of state, attorney general, and heads of the other administrative departments.

The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, Superior Court, and lower courts of limited jurisdiction. The Supreme Court has seven justices. The Superior Court is divided into appellate, law, and chancery divisions. The governor appoints the judges of these courts with the consent of the Senate. Some municipalities operate their own courts with judges appointed by the local governing body.

New Jersey has 21 counties. Other local governmental units are cities, towns, boroughs, villages, and townships. The state is represented in the national Congress by 2 senators and 13 representatives.