New Jersey
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Official language(s) | None, English de facto | ||||||||||
| Capital | Trenton | ||||||||||
| Largest city | Newark | ||||||||||
| Area | Ranked 47th | ||||||||||
| - Total | 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²) |
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| - Width | 70 miles (110 km) | ||||||||||
| - Length | 150 miles (240 km) | ||||||||||
| - % water | 14.9 | ||||||||||
| - Latitude | 38°55'N to 41°21'23"N | ||||||||||
| - Longitude | 73°53'39"W to 75°35'W | ||||||||||
| Population | Ranked 11th (as of 2006) | ||||||||||
| - Total (2000) | 8,414,350 (8,724,560 as of 2006) | ||||||||||
| - Density | 1,134/sq mi 438/km² (1st) |
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| - Median income | $56,772 (2nd) | ||||||||||
| Elevation | |||||||||||
| - Highest point | High Point[1] 1,803 ft (550 m) |
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| - Mean | 246 ft (75 m) | ||||||||||
| - Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean[1] 0 ft (0 m) |
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| Admission to Union | December 18, 1787 (3rd) | ||||||||||
| Governor | Jon Corzine (D) | ||||||||||
| U.S. Senators | Frank Lautenberg (D) Robert Menendez (D) |
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| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | ||||||||||
| Abbreviations | NJ N.J. US-NJ | ||||||||||
| Web site | www.state.nj.us | ||||||||||
New Jersey is one of the 50 states of the United States of America. It is located in the northeastern section of the country along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a small state, shaped like a letter [S], and bordered on the west by Pennsylvania and Delaware across the Delaware River, on the north by New York, on the northeast by the Hudson River and New York City, on the east and southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the southwest by Delaware Bay.
The capital of New Jersey is Trenton and the largest city is Newark, though New Jersey is better known for bordering the large cities of New York City and Philadelphia. The state nickname is "The Garden State". The current governor is Jon Corzine.
New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state, but has the ninth-highest population. It therefore has the highest population density (population per land area) in the United States. New Jersey is also well-known for its beaches, industries, swamps, and pine forests.
[edit] History
Before Europeans came, the land that is now New Jersey was inhabited by the Lenape, who were nomads, hunters, and farmers. The Dutch came to the northern area of the state in the 1630's while Swedish colonists inhabited the southern part of the state. Later, the English came and controlled the area. The King of England, Charles II, gave the land to George Carteret, who was the governor of Jersey, an island in the English Channel. The English established a town at what is now called Elizabeth. Later Quakers would settle in the southern part of the state, near the Delaware River.
New Jersey took part in the American Revolutionary War, and was an important crossroads for soldiers on both sides. On Christmas in 1776, George Washington's army entered New Jersey to attack British soldiers at Trenton. The rebel army won, which is one of the most famous battles in American history. Later the rebels would drive the British out of Princeton and for a time establish a national capital there. New Jersey would be the third state to join the United States of America and the first to approve the Bill of Rights.
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