New Jersey Relocation Real Estate and Realtors®.
New Jersey was named by James, Duke of York (the brother of King
Charles II of England), who was given New Jersey by his brother. James
later gave New Jersey to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret.
James named the colony New Jersey to honor Carteret, who had been the
Governor of Jersey, a British island in the English Channel.
New Jersey's official state flag was adopted on March 26, 1896. The flag has a buff (light yellow-brown) background; this is the color of part of the uniform selected by General George Washington in 1779 for his New Jersey Continental Line. Part of the state seal (which was designed by Pierre Eugene de Simitiere in 1777) is in the center. In the center is a blue shield with three plows in it. On the sides of the shield are the goddess of liberty (holding a staff and the cap of freedom) and the goddess of agriculture (holding a cornucopia filled with food). Above this is the head armor of a knight, a horse's head, and blue filigrees. Below are the words "LIBERTY AND PROSPERITY" and the date "1776." The goddesses symbolize liberty and prosperity.
10 Largest cities in New Jersey (2003): Newark, 277,911; Jersey City, 239,097; Paterson, 150,782; Elizabeth, 123,215; Woodbridge, 100,866; Edison, 100,138; Dover, 93,671; Hamilton, 89,632; Trenton, 85,314; Camden, 80,089
Number of counties in New Jersey : 21
Largest county in New Jersey by population: Bergen, 902,998 (2004)
Largest county in New Jersey by area: Burlington, 805 sq mi.
New Jersey State Parks & Beaches: 39
New Jersey Land Area: 8,721 sq mi. (22,587 sq km) (47th)
New Jersey Geographic Center: In Mercer Co., 5 mi. SE of Trenton
New Jersey Population: (2004 est) 8,698,879 (#9)
New Jersey's early colonial history was involved with that of New York (New Netherlands), of which it was a part. One year after the Dutch surrender to England in 1664, New Jersey was organized as an English colony under Gov. Philip Carteret.
In 1676 the colony was divided between Carteret and a company of English Quakers who had obtained the rights belonging to John, Lord Berkeley. New Jersey became a united crown colony in 1702, administered by the royal governor of New York. Finally, in 1738, New Jersey was separated from New York under its own royal governor, Lewis Morris. Because of its key location between New York City and Philadelphia, New Jersey saw much fighting during the American Revolution.
Today, New Jersey, an area of wide industrial diversification, is known as the Crossroads of the East. Products from over 15,000 factories can be delivered overnight to almost 60 million people, representing 12 states and the District of Columbia.
Tourism is the second-largest industry in New Jersey. The state has
numerous resort areas on 127 miles of Atlantic coastline. In 1977, New
Jersey voters approved legislation allowing legalized casino gambling in
Atlantic City. Points of interest include the Delaware Water Gap, the
Edison National Historic Site in West Orange, Princeton University,
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, and the N.J. State Aquarium in Camden.
New Jersey Agriculture: Productive farmland covers nearly one million acres, about 20% of New Jersey's land area. Almost all garden vegetables, cranberries, blueberries, and peaches. Poultry, dairy products, and seafood.
New Jersey Industry: The greatest single industry is chemicals; New Jersey is one of the foremost research centers in the world. Many large oil refineries are located in northern New Jersey. Other important manufactured items are pharmaceuticals, instruments, machinery, electrical goods, and apparel.
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