{{infobox u.s. state |name

New Jersey |Fullname State of New Jersey |Flag Flag of New Jersey.svg |Flaglink Flag |Seal Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg |Map Map of USA NJ.svg |Nickname The Garden State |Motto Liberty and prosperity |Former Province of New Jersey |Capital Trenton |LargestCity Newark |Demonym New Jerseyan, New Jerseyite |Governor Chris Christie (R) |Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno (R) |Legislature New Jersey Legislature |Upperhouse Senate |Lowerhouse General Assembly |Senators Frank Lautenberg (D)Bob Menendez (D) |Representative7 Democrats, 6 Republicans |PostalAbbreviation NJ |TradAbbreviation N.J. |OfficialLang None |AreaRank 47th |TotalAreaUS 8,721 |TotalArea 22,608 |LandAreaUS 7,425 |LandArea 19,231 |WaterAreaUS 1,304 |WaterArea 3,378 |PCWater 14.9 |2000Pop 8,791,894 (2010 Census) |PopRank 11th |DensityRank 1st |2000DensityUS 1,185 |2000Density 458 |MedianHouseholdIncome $70,378 |IncomeRank 2nd |AdmittanceOrder 3rd |AdmittanceDate December 18, 1787 |TimeZone Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |Latitude 38° 56′ N to 41° 21′ N |Longitude 73° 54′ W to 75° 34′ W |WidthUS 70 |Width 112 |LengthUS 170 |Length 273 |HighestPoint High Point |HighestElevUS 1,803 |HighestElev 550 |MeanElevUS 246 |MeanElev 75.2 |LowestPoint Atlantic Ocean |LowestElevUS 0 |LowestElev 0 |ISOCode US-NJ |ElectoralVotes 15 |Website www.nj.gov }}

name	New Jersey
flag	Flag of New Jersey.svg
seal	Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg
nickname	The Garden State
motto	Liberty and prosperity
capital	Trenton
animal	Horse
marine mammal	None
beverage	None
bird	Eastern Goldfinch
colors	Buff and Blue
dance	Square Dance
fish	Brook trout
flower	Viola sororia
folkdance	None
fossil	duck-billed dinosaur
rock	None
gemstone	None
grass	None
insect	European honey bee
marine fish	None
mineral	None
quarter	1999 NJ Proof.png
quarterreleasedate	1999
reptile	None
tree	Quercus rubra
wildflower	None
rock	None
song	None
soil	Honeoye
tartan	None
route marker	Circle sign 33.svg }}

New Jersey (, ) is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware. New Jersey lies mostly within the sprawling metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia and is the most densely populated state in the United States. It is also the second wealthiest by 2009 median household income.

The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years, with historical tribes such as the Lenape along the coast. In the early 17th century, the Dutch and the Swedes made the first European settlements. The British later seized control of the region, naming it the Province of New Jersey. It was granted as a colony to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton. At this time, it was named after the largest of the British Channel Islands, Jersey, where Carteret had been born. New Jersey was the site of several decisive battles during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, factories in cities such as Elizabeth, Paterson, and Trenton helped to drive the Industrial Revolution. New Jersey's position at the center of the Northeast megalopolis, between Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., fueled its rapid growth through the suburban boom of the 1950s and beyond.

The Governor of New Jersey is Republican Chris Christie, who assumed office in 2010.

Geography

New Jersey is bordered on the north and northeast by New York (parts of which are across the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, and the Arthur Kill); on the east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the southwest by Delaware across Delaware Bay; and on the west by Pennsylvania across the Delaware River.

New Jersey can be thought of as five regions, based on natural geography and population. Northeastern New Jersey, the Gateway Region, lies within the New York metropolitan area, and some residents commute into the city to work. Northwestern New Jersey, or the "Skylands", is, compared to the northeast, more wooded, rural, and mountainous. The "Shore", along the Atlantic Coast in the central-east and southeast, has its own natural, residential, and lifestyle characteristics owing to its location by the ocean. The central-west and southwest are within metropolitan Philadelphia, and are included in the Delaware Valley. The fifth region is the Pine Barrens in the interior of the southern part. Covered rather extensively by mixed pine and oak forest, it has a much lower population density than much of the rest of the state.

New Jersey also can be broadly divided into three geographic regions: North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. Some New Jersey residents do not consider Central Jersey a region in its own right, but others believe it is a separate geographic and cultural area from the North and South.

The federal Office of Management and Budget divides New Jersey's counties into seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas, including sixteen counties in the New York City or Philadelphia metro areas. Four counties have independent metro areas, and Warren County joins another Pennsylvania-based metro area. (See Metropolitan Statistical Areas of New Jersey for details.)

It is also at the center of the Northeast megalopolis.

Additionally, the New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth, & Tourism Commission divides the state into six distinct regions to facilitate the state's tourism industry. The regions are:

Gateway Region, encompassing Middlesex County, Union County, Essex County, Hudson County, Bergen County, and Passaic County.

Skylands Region, encompassing Sussex County, Morris County, Warren County, Hunterdon County, and Somerset County.

Shore Region, encompassing Monmouth County and Ocean County.

Delaware River Region, encompassing Mercer County, Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Salem County.

Greater Atlantic City Region, encompassing Atlantic County.

Southern Shore Region, encompassing Cumberland County and Cape May County.

High Point, in Montague Township, Sussex County, is the highest elevation, at . The Palisades are a line of steep cliffs on the lower west side of the Hudson River.

Major rivers include the Hudson, Delaware, Raritan, Passaic, Hackensack, Rahway, Musconetcong, Mullica, Rancocas, Manasquan, Maurice, and Toms rivers.

Sandy Hook, along the eastern coast, is a popular recreational beach. It is a barrier spit and an extension of the Barnegat Peninsula along the state's Atlantic Ocean coast.

Long Beach Island ("LBI"), a barrier island along the eastern coast, has popular recreational beaches. The primary access point to the island is by a single bridge connection to the mainland. Barnegat Lighthouse is on the northern tip.

Areas managed by the National Park Service include:

Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Delaware National Scenic River

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Ellis Island National Monument

Gateway National Recreation Area in Monmouth County

Great Egg Harbor River

Morristown National Historical Park in Morristown

New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route

New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve

Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange

Prominent geographic features include:

Delaware Water Gap

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

The Highlands

New Jersey Meadowlands

Pine Barrens

South Mountain

Climate

As with many other geographic features, New Jersey's climate divides into regions. The south, central, and northeast parts of the state have a humid mesothermal climate, while the northwest has a humid continental climate (microthermal), with slightly cooler temperatures due to higher elevation. New Jersey receives between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually.

Summers are typically hot and humid, with statewide average high temperatures of and lows of ; however, temperatures exceed on average −25 days each summer, though rarely exceed . Winters are usually cold, with average high temperatures of and lows of for most of the state, but temperatures could, for brief interludes, be as low as and sometimes rise to . Northwestern parts of the state have slightly colder winters with average temperatures just below freezing. Spring and autumn may feature wide temperature variations, with lower humidity than summer.

Average annual precipitation ranges from , uniformly spread through the year. Average snowfall per winter season range from in the south and near the seacoast, in the northeast and central part of the state, to about in the northwestern highlands, but this varies from year to year. Precipitation falls on an average of 120 days a year, with 25 to 30 thunderstorms, most of which occur during the summer.

During winter and early spring, New Jersey can in some years experience "nor'easters", which are capable of causing blizzards or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. Hurricanes and tropical storms (such as Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999), tornadoes, and earthquakes are rare.

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History

Around 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, New Jersey bordered North Africa. The pressure of the collision between North America and Africa gave rise to the Appalachian Mountains. Around 18,000 years ago, the Ice Age resulted in glaciers that reached New Jersey. As the glaciers retreated, they left behind Lake Passaic, as well as many rivers, swamps, and gorges.

New Jersey was originally settled by Native Americans, with the Lenni-Lenape being dominant at the time Europeans arrived. The Lenape were loosely organized groups that practiced small-scale agriculture (mainly based on corn) in order to increase their largely mobile hunter-gatherer society in the region surrounding the Delaware River, the lower Hudson River, and western Long Island Sound. The Lenape society was divided into matrilinear clans that were based upon common female ancestors. These clans were organized into three distinct phratries identified by their animal sign: Turtle, Turkey, and Wolf. They first encountered the Dutch in the early 17th century, and their primary relationship with the Europeans was through fur trade.

Colonial era

New Jersey was first claimed by the Dutch. The Dutch colony of New Netherland consisted of parts of modern Middle Atlantic states. Although the European principle of land ownership was not recognized by the Lenape, Dutch West India Company policy required their colonists to purchase land which they settled. The first to do so was Michiel Pauw who established a patronship named Pavonia along the North River which eventually became the Bergen. Peter Minuit's purchase of lands along the Delaware River establish the colony of New Sweden. The entire region became a territory of England in 1664, when an English fleet under the command of Colonel Richard Nicolls sailed into what is today New York Harbor, and took control of Fort Amsterdam and annexed the entire province.

During the English Civil War the Channel Island of Jersey remained loyal to the Crown and gave sanctuary to the King. It was from the Royal Square in St. Helier that Charles II of England was first proclaimed King in 1649, following the execution of his father, Charles I. The North American lands were divided by Charles II, who gave his brother, the Duke of York (later King James II), the region between New England and Maryland as a proprietary colony (as opposed to a royal colony). James then granted the land between the Hudson River and the Delaware River (the land that would become New Jersey) to two friends who had remained loyal through the English Civil War: Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton. The area was named the Province of New Jersey. Since the state's inception, New Jersey has been characterized by ethnic and religious diversity. New England Congregationalists settled alongside Scots Presbyterians and Dutch Reformed migrants. While the majority of residents lived in towns with individual landholdings of , a few rich proprietors owned vast estates. English Quakers and Anglicans owned large landholdings. Unlike Plymouth Colony, Jamestown and other colonies, New Jersey was populated by a secondary wave of immigrants who came from other colonies instead of those who migrated directly from Europe. New Jersey remained agrarian and rural throughout the colonial era, and commercial farming only developed sporadically. Some townships, such as Burlington on the Delaware River and Perth Amboy, emerged as important ports for shipping to New York and Philadelphia. The colony's fertile lands and tolerant religious policy drew more settlers, and New Jersey boasted a population of 120,000 by 1775.

Settlement for the first 10 years of English rule was along Hackensack River and Arthur Kill and settlers came primarily from New England. Unlike other colonies that were settled by immigrants from Europe, New Jersey was populated by a secondary wave of settlement from communities already established on the North American continent. March 18, 1673, Berkeley sold his half of the colony to Quakers in England, who settled the Delaware Valley region as a Quaker colony. (William Penn acted as trustee for the lands for a time.) New Jersey was governed very briefly as two distinct provinces, East and West Jersey, for 28 years between 1674 and 1702, at times part of the Province of New York or Dominion of New England.

In 1702, the two provinces were reunited under a royal, rather than a proprietary, governor. Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, became the first governor of the colony as a royal colony. Lord Cornbury was an ineffective and corrupt ruler, taking bribes and speculating on land, so in 1708 he was recalled to England. New Jersey was then ruled by the governors of New York, but this infuriated the settlers of New Jersey, who accused those governors of favoritism to New York. Judge Lewis Morris led the case for a separate governor, and was appointed governor by King George II in 1738.

Revolutionary War era

New Jersey was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. The New Jersey Constitution of 1776 was passed July 2, 1776, just two days before the Second Continental Congress declared American Independence from Great Britain. It was an act of the Provincial Congress, which made itself into the state Legislature. To reassure neutrals, it provided that it would become void if New Jersey reached reconciliation with Great Britain. New Jersey representatives Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, and Abraham Clark were among those who signed the United States Declaration of Independence.

During the American Revolutionary War, British and American armies crossed New Jersey numerous times, and several pivotal battles took place in the state. Because of this, New Jersey today is often referred to as "The Crossroads of the Revolution." The winter quarters of the revolutionary army were established there twice by General George Washington in Morristown, which was called the military capital of the revolution.

On December 25, 1776, the Continental Army under George Washington crossed the Delaware River. After the crossing, he surprised and defeated the unprepared Hessian troops in the Battle of Trenton. Slightly more than a week after victory at Trenton, on January 3, 1777, American forces gained an important victory by stopping General Cornwallis's charges at the Second Battle of Trenton. By evading Cornwallis's army, Washington made a surprise attack on Princeton, and successfully defeated the British forces there. Emanuel Leutze's painting of ''Washington Crossing the Delaware'' became an icon of the Revolution.

American forces under Washington met the forces under General Henry Clinton at the Battle of Monmouth in an indecisive engagement in June 1778. Washington attempted to take the British column by surprise; when the British army attempted to flank the Americans, the Americans retreated in disorder. The ranks were later reorganized and withstood the British charges.

In the summer of 1783, the Continental Congress met in Nassau Hall at Princeton University, making Princeton the nation's capital for four months. It was there that the Continental Congress learned of the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended the war.

On December 18, 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the United States Constitution, which was overwhelmingly popular in New Jersey, as it prevented New York and Pennsylvania from charging and keeping tariffs on goods imported from Europe. On November 20, 1789, the state became the first in the newly formed Union to ratify the Bill of Rights.

The 1776 New Jersey State Constitution gave the vote to "all inhabitants" who had a certain level of wealth. This included women and blacks, but not married women, because they could not own property separately from their husbands. Both sides, in several elections, claimed that the other side had had unqualified women vote, and mocked them for use of "petticoat electors" (entitled to vote or not); on the other hand, both parties passed Voting Rights Acts. In 1807, the legislature passed a bill interpreting the constitution to mean universal ''white male'' suffrage, excluding paupers. (This was less revolutionary than it sounds: the "constitution" was itself only an act of the legislature.)

19th century

On February 15, 1804, New Jersey became the last northern state to abolish new slavery and enacted legislation that slowly phased out existing slavery. This led to a gradual scale-down of the slave population. By the close of the Civil War about a dozen African Americans in New Jersey were still apprenticed freedmen. New Jersey voters initially refused to ratify the constitutional amendments' banning slavery and granting rights to the United States' black population.

In 1844, the second state constitution was ratified and brought into effect. Counties thereby became districts for the State Senate, and some realignment of boundaries (including the creation of Mercer County) immediately followed. This provision was retained in the 1947 Constitution, but was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1962 by the decision Baker v. Carr. While the Governorship was stronger than under the 1776 constitution, the constitution of 1844 created many offices that were not responsible to him, or to the people, and it gave him a three-year term, but he could not succeed himself.

Unlike the Revolutionary War, no Civil War battles took place within the state. However, throughout the course of the Civil War, over 80,000 from New Jersey enlisted in the Northern army to defeat the Southern Confederacy.

New Jersey was one of the few states to reject President Abraham Lincoln twice in national elections, and sided with Stephen Douglas (1860) and George B. McClellan (1864) during their campaigns. McClellan later became governor (1878–81). During the Civil War, the state was led first by Republican Governor Charles Smith Olden, then by Democrat Joel Parker.

In the Industrial Revolution, cities like Paterson grew and prospered. Previously, the economy had been largely agrarian, which was problematically subject to crop failures and poor soil. This caused a shift to a more industrialized economy, one based on manufactured commodities such as textiles and silk. Inventor Thomas Edison also became an important figure of the Industrial Revolution, having been granted 1,093 patents, many of which for inventions he developed while working in New Jersey. Edison's facilities, first at Menlo Park, NJ and then in West Orange, NJ, are considered perhaps the first research centers in the U.S. Christie Street in Menlo Park was the first thoroughfare in the world to have electric lighting. Transportation was greatly improved as locomotion and steamboats were introduced to New Jersey.

Iron mining was also a leading industry during the middle to late 19th century. Bog iron pits in the Southern New Jersey Pinelands were among the first sources of iron for the new nation. Mines such as Mt. Hope, Mine Hill and the Rockaway Valley Mines created a thriving industry. Mining generated the impetus for new towns and was one of the driving forces behind the need for the Morris Canal. Zinc mines were also a major industry, especially the Sterling Hill Mine.

20th century

Through both World Wars, New Jersey was a center for war production, especially in naval construction. Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers were all made in this state. In addition, Fort Dix (1917) (originally called "Camp Dix"), Camp Merritt (1917) and Camp Kilmer (1941) were all constructed to house and train American soldiers through both World Wars. New Jersey also became a principal location for defense in the Cold War. Fourteen Nike Missile stations were constructed, especially for the defense of New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ''PT-109'', a motor torpedo boat commanded by Lt. (j.g.) John F. Kennedy in World War II, was built at the Elco Boatworks in Bayonne. The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) was briefly docked at the Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne in the 1950s before she was sent to Kearney to be scrapped. In 1962, the world's first nuclear-powered cargo ship, the NS Savannah, was launched at Camden.

New Jersey prospered through the Roaring Twenties. The first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921 in Atlantic City, the first drive-in movie was shown in 1933 in Camden, and the Holland Tunnel opened in 1927. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the state offered begging licenses to unemployed residents, the zeppelin airship Hindenburg crashed in flames over Lakehurst, and the SS Morro Castle beached itself near Asbury Park after going up in flames while at sea.

In 1951, the New Jersey Turnpike opened, permitting fast travel by car and truck between North Jersey (and metropolitan New York) and South Jersey (and metropolitan Philadelphia).

In the 1960s, race riots erupted in many of the industrial cities of North Jersey. The first race riots in New Jersey occurred in Jersey City on August 2, 1964. Several others ensued in 1967, in Newark and Plainfield. Other riots followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968, just as in the rest of the country. A riot occurred in Camden in 1971.

As a result of an order from the New Jersey Supreme Court to fund schools equitably, the New Jersey legislature reluctantly passed an income tax bill in 1976. Prior to this bill, the state had no income tax.

Demographics

State population

Residents of New Jersey are most commonly referred to as "New Jerseyans" or "New Jerseyites". As of the census of 2010, there were 8,791,894 people residing in the state. The racial makeup of the state was 68.6% White, 13.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 8.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 6.4% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. 17.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

The United States Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2009, estimated New Jersey's population at 8,707,739, which represents an increase of 268,301, or 3.2%, since the last census in 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 343,965 people (that is, 933,185 births minus 589,220 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 53,930 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 384,687 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 438,617 people. As of 2005, there were 1.6 million foreign-born living in the state (accounting for 19.2% of the population).

As of 2006, New Jersey is the eleventh-most populous state in the United States, and the most densely populated, at 1,174 residents per square mile (453 per km²), with most of the population residing in the counties surrounding New York City, Philadelphia, and along the eastern Jersey Shore, while the extreme southern and northwestern counties are relatively less dense overall. It is also the second wealthiest state according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The center of population for New Jersey is located in Middlesex County, in the town of Milltown, just east of the New Jersey Turnpike.

New Jersey is home to more scientists and engineers ''per square mile'' than anywhere else in the world.

New Jersey is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse states in the country. It has the second largest Jewish population by percentage (after New York); the second largest Muslim population by percentage (after Michigan); the largest population of people from Costa Rica in the United States; the largest population of Cubans outside of Florida; the third highest Asian population by percentage; and the third highest Italian population by percentage according to the 2000 Census. African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, and Arabs are also high in number. It has the third highest Indian population of any state by absolute numbers. It has the third largest Korean population, fourth largest Filipino population, and fourth largest Chinese population, per the 2000 U.S. Census. The five largest ethnic groups are: Italian (17.9%), Irish (15.9%), African (13.6%), German (12.6%), Polish (6.9%).

Newark is the fourth poorest city in America, but New Jersey as a whole has the second highest median household income. This is largely because so much of New Jersey consists of suburbs, most of them affluent, of New York City and Philadelphia. New Jersey is also the most densely populated state, and the only state that has had every one of its counties deemed "urban" as defined by the Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area. The state has very sizable enclaves of different non-English-speaking communities. Some of these languages include:

Spanish – spoken throughout the state.

Italian – spoken throughout the state.

Polish – spoken throughout the state.

Gujarati – spoken throughout the state.

Hindi – spoken throughout the state.

Tagalog – spoken throughout the state.

Mandarin Chinese – spoken throughout the state, most prominently in the northern and central counties.

Korean – spoken prominently in Bergen County.

Telugu – spoken prominently in Middlesex County.

Tamil – spoken prominently in Middlesex County.

Creole – spoken prominently in Essex County.

Portuguese – spoken prominently in the Ironbound section of Newark.

Each county's largest ethnic group, according to the 2000 Census, is: Italian — Passaic, Bergen, Union, Hudson, Morris, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Cumberland Irish — Sussex, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Cape May German — Warren, Hunterdon, Salem

6.7% of its population was reported as under age 5, 24.8% under 18, and 13.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.5% of the population.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 12.31% of the population aged 5 and over speak Spanish at home, while 1.12% speak Italian, 1.03% speak Portuguese, and 1.02% speak Tagalog (Filipino).

In 2010, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 6.4% of the population. This was the fourth highest percentage of any state in the country.

Religion

+Distributions of religions in New Jersey (2001)
! Religious group	%
Catholic
None
Baptist
Methodist
Refused to identify
Christian(no denomination stated)
Jewish(by religion only)
Other
Presbyterian
Lutheran
Episcopalian/Anglican
Protestant
Jehovah's Witness
Mormon/LDS
Muslim/Islamic
Non-denominational
Pentecostal
Assemblies of God
Buddhist
Church of Christ
Church of God
Congregational/UCC
Evangelical
Seventh Day Adventist

 *Less than 0.5%

Economy

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that New Jersey's total state product in 2006 was $434 billion. As of January 2010, the states unemployment rate is 9.9%.

Affluence

Its Per Capita personal income in 2008 was $54,699, 2nd in the U.S. and above the national average of $46,588. Its per-capita income is the third highest in the nation with $51,358. The state also has the highest percentage of millionaire households. It is ranked 2nd in the nation by the number of places with per capita incomes above national average with 76.4%. Nine of New Jersey's counties are in the wealthiest 100 of the country.

Fiscal policy

New Jersey has seven tax brackets for determining income tax rates. The rates range from 1.4 to 8.97%. The standard sales tax rate is 7%, applicable to all retail sales unless specifically exempt by law. Exemptions include most food items for at-home preparation, medicines, clothing (except fur items), footwear, and disposable paper products for use in the home. Approximately 30 New Jersey municipalities are designated as Urban Enterprise Zones and shoppers are charged a 3½% tax rate, half of the rate charged outside the UEZs. Sections of Elizabeth and Jersey City are examples of communities that are subject to the lower sales tax rate. New Jersey has the highest tax rate of all 50 states with residents paying a total of $68 billion in state and local taxes annually with a per capita burden of $7,816 at a rate of 12.9% of income. All real property located in the state is subject to property tax unless specifically exempted by statute. New Jersey does not assess an intangible personal property tax, but it does impose an inheritance tax.

Federal taxation disparity

New Jersey has the highest disparity of any state in the United States between what it gives to the federal government and what it receives. In fiscal year 2005, New Jersey taxpayers gave the federal government $77 billion, while only receiving $55 billion. This difference is higher than any other state and means that for every $1 New Jersey taxpayers send to Washington, the state only receives $0.61 in return. This calculation is applied correctly after making the federal government deficit neutral, as sometimes the federal government spends more than it receives. As of 2005, New Jersey has never been above 48th in rank for per capita federal spending (with a rank of 50th for the majority of that time) since 1982, while being second or third in per capita federal taxes paid to Washington.

New Jersey runs into deficits frequently and has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. Factors for this include the large federal tax liability which is not adjusted for New Jersey's higher cost of living and Medicaid funding formulas. As shown by the study, incomes tend to be higher in New Jersey, which puts those in higher tax brackets especially vulnerable to the alternative minimum tax.

Industries

New Jersey's economy is centered on the pharmaceutical industry, chemical development, telecommunications, food processing, electric equipment, printing and publishing, and tourism. New Jersey's agricultural outputs are nursery stock, horses, vegetables, fruits and nuts, seafood, and dairy products. New Jersey ranks second among states in blueberry production, third in cranberries and spinach and fourth in bell peppers, peaches and head lettuce.

Although New Jersey is home to many energy-intensive industries, its energy consumption is only 2.7% of the U.S. total, and its carbon dioxide emissions are only 0.8% of the U.S. total. Its comparatively low greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to nuclear power. According to the Energy Information Administration, nuclear power dominates New Jersey’s electricity market, typically supplying more than one-half of State generation. New Jersey has three nuclear power plants, including the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, which came online in 1969 and is the oldest operating nuclear plant in the country.

New Jersey has a strong scientific economy. New Jersey is home to major pharmaceutical firms such as Johnson and Johnson, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Pfizer, Merck, Wyeth, Hoffman-LaRoche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Schering-Plough. New Jersey is home to major telecommunications firms such as Verizon Wireless, Avaya, Alcatel-Lucent and AT&T Communications. Furthermore, New Jersey draws upon its large and well-educated labor pool which also supports the myriad of industries that exist today.

New Jersey is the ultimate bedroom community since the state is right next to New York City and Philadelphia. Thus, there is a strong service economy in New Jersey serving residents who work in New York City or Philadelphia. Some of these industries include retail sales, education and real estate. Newark Liberty International Airport is ranked seventh among the nation's busiest airports and among the top 20 busiest airports in the world.

Shipping is a strong industry in New Jersey because of the state's strategic location, the Port of New York and New Jersey the busiest on the East Coast. The Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal was the world's first container port and is one of the world's largest container ports. New Jersey also has a strong presence in chemical development, refining, and food processing operations.

New Jersey hosts several business headquarters, including twenty-four Fortune 500 companies. Paramus is noted for having one of the highest retail sales per person ratios in the nation. Several New Jersey counties such as Somerset (7), Morris (10), Hunterdon (13), Bergen (21), Monmouth (42) counties are ranked among the highest-income counties in the United States. Four others are also in the top 100.

Natural resources

New Jersey's greatest natural resource is its location, which has made the state a crossroads of commerce. Other commercial advantages include its extensive transportation system, which puts one quarter of all United States consumers within overnight delivery range. Lake and seaside resorts such as Atlantic City have contributed to New Jersey's rank of fifth among the states in revenues from tourism.

Almost half of New Jersey is wooded. The chief tree of the northern forests is the oak. A large part of the southern section is in pine. Jersey oak has been used extensively in shipbuilding.

The mineral resources in New Jersey are small. The state, however, does rank high in smelting and refining minerals from other states. Some mining activity does still take place in the area in and around the Franklin Furnace, which was long a center of zinc production (see New Jersey Zinc Company).

Education

In 2010, there were 605 school districts in the state.

Secretary of Education Rick Rosenberg, appointed by Governor Jon Corzine, created the Education Advancement Initiative (EAI) to increase College admission rates by 10% for New Jersey's high school students, decrease dropout rates by 15%, and increase the amount of money devoted to schools by 10%. Rosenberg retracted this plan when criticized for taking the money out of healthcare to fund this initiative.

In 2010 the state government paid all of the teachers' premiums for health insurance.

Census data reveal that New Jersey spent more per each public school student than any other state except New York in 2009, amounting to $16,271 spent per pupil, with 41% of the revenue derived from state sources.

According to 2011 Newsweek statistics, students of High Technology High School in Lincroft, Monmouth County and Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, Bergen County registered average SAT scores of 2145 and 2100, respectively, representing the highest and second-highest scores, respectively, of all listed U.S. high schools.

Princeton University in Princeton, Mercer County, is ranked the #2 U.S. national university in 2011 as per U.S. News & World Report.

Transportation

Roadways

The New Jersey Turnpike is one of the best-known and most-trafficked roadways in the United States. This toll road carries interstate traffic between Delaware and New York, and the East Coast in general. Commonly referred to as simply "the Turnpike," it is known for its numerous rest-areas named after prominent New Jerseyans as diverse as inventor Thomas Edison; United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton; United States Presidents Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson; writers James Fenimore Cooper, Joyce Kilmer, and Walt Whitman; patriot Molly Pitcher; Red Cross advocate Clara Barton; and football coach Vince Lombardi.

The Garden State Parkway, or simply "the Parkway," carries more in-state traffic and runs from the town of Montvale along New Jersey's northern border to its southernmost tip at Cape May for . It is the trunk that connects the New York metropolitan area to Atlantic City and is consistently one of the safest roads in the nation. With a total of 15 travel lanes and 6 shoulder lanes, the Driscoll Bridge on the Parkway, spanning the Raritan River in Middlesex County, is the widest motor vehicle bridge in the world by number of lanes as well as one of the busiest.

New Jersey is connected to New York City via various bridges and tunnels. The George Washington Bridge at 300,000 vehicles per day carries the heaviest load of motor vehicle traffic of any bridge in the world from Fort Lee, New Jersey in Bergen County to the Washington Heights neighborhood in Upper Manhattan in New York City on the Trans-Manhattan Expressway carrying I-95, US 1, and US 9. The Lincoln Tunnel connects to Midtown Manhattan carrying New Jersey State Route 495 and the Holland Tunnel connects to Lower Manhattan carrying I-78. These are the three major Hudson River crossings that see heavy vehicular traffic. New Jersey is also connected to Staten Island by three bridges. From the southernmost to northernmost; the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge.

Other expressways in New Jersey include the Atlantic City Expressway, the Palisades Interstate Parkway, Interstate 76, Interstate 78, Interstate 80, Interstate 95, Interstate 195, Interstate 278, Interstate 280, Interstate 287, Interstate 295 and Interstate 676. Other major roadways include U.S. 1, U.S. 9 and U.S. Route 46.

New Jersey has interstate compacts with all three neighboring states. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Delaware River Port Authority (with Pennsylvania), and the Delaware River and Bay Authority (with Delaware) operate most of the major transportation routes into and out of New Jersey. Bridge tolls are collected in one direction only — it is free to cross into New Jersey, but motorists must pay when exiting the state. Exceptions to this are the Dingman's Ferry Bridge and the Delaware River – Turnpike Toll Bridge where tolls are charged both ways. The Washington Crossing and Scudders Falls (on I-95) bridges near Trenton, as well as Trenton's Calhoun Street and Bridge Street ("Trenton Makes") bridges, are toll-free. In addition, * Riverton-Belvidere Bridge, Northampton Street Bridge, Riegelsville Bridge, and Upper Black Eddy-Milford Bridge are free Delaware River bridges into and out of NJ.

Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge – (NJ 12)

Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge – (pedestrian)

Centre Bridge-Stockton Bridge – (PA 263 / CR 523)

New Jersey is one of only two states (along with Oregon) where all fuel dispensing stations are required to sell gasoline full-service to customers. It is unlawful for a customer to serve him/herself.

New Jersey's Highway Maintenance Program was rated "Extremely Poor" by Reason Foundation's "17th Annual Report on the Performance of State Highway Systems."

Airports

Newark Liberty International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States. Operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the other two major airports in the New York metropolitan area (John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport), it is one of the main airports serving the New York City area. Continental Airlines is the facility's largest tenant, operating an entire terminal at Newark, which it uses as one of its primary hubs. FedEx Express operates a large cargo hub. The adjacent Newark Airport railroad station provides access to the trains of Amtrak and New Jersey Transit along the Northeast Corridor Line.

Two smaller commercial airports, Atlantic City International Airport and Trenton-Mercer Airport, also operate in other parts of New Jersey. Teterboro Airport, in Bergen County, is a general aviation airport popular with private and corporate aircraft, due to its proximity to New York City. Millville Municipal Airport, in Cumberland County, is a general aviation airport popular with private and corporate aircraft, due to its proximity to the shore.

Rail and bus

The New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) operates extensive rail and bus service throughout the state. NJ Transit is a state-run corporation that began with the consolidation of several private bus companies in North Jersey. In the early 1980s, it acquired the commuter train operations of Conrail that connect towns in northern and central New Jersey to New York City. NJ Transit has eleven lines that run throughout different parts of the state. Most of the trains start at various points in the state and most end at either Pennsylvania Station, in New York City, or Hoboken Terminal in Hoboken. NJ Transit began service between Atlantic City and Lindenwold in 1989 and extended it to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1990s.

NJ Transit also operates three light rail systems in the state. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail connects Bayonne to North Bergen, with planned expansion into Bergen County communities. The Newark Light Rail is the only subway system entirely in the state, but it is only partially underground. Its Main Line connects Newark Penn Station in Downtown Newark with outer parts of the city, ending at Grove Street station in Bloomfield. The Broad Street Line of the subway, the first component of the Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link, connects Newark Broad Street Station to Newark Penn Station. The last of the three light rail lines is the River Line which connects Trenton and Camden.

The PATH is a subway and above-ground railway which links Hoboken, Jersey City, Harrison and Newark with New York City. The PATH operates four lines that connect various points in North Jersey and New York. The lines all terminate in Hudson County, Essex County or Manhattan in New York City.

The PATCO High Speedline links Camden County and Philadelphia. PATCO operates a single elevated and subway line that runs from Lindenwold to Center City Philadelphia. PATCO operates stations in Lindenwold, Voorhees, Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Haddon Township, Collingswood, and Camden, along with four stations in Philadelphia.

Amtrak also operates numerous long-distance passenger trains in New Jersey to and from neighboring states and around the country. In addition to the Newark Airport connection, other major Amtrak railway stations include Trenton Rail Station, Metropark, and the grand historic Newark Penn Station.

SEPTA also has two lines that operate into New Jersey. The Trenton Line terminates at the Trenton Transit Center, and the West Trenton Line terminates at the West Trenton Rail Station in Ewing.

AirTrain Newark is a monorail connecting the Amtrak/NJ Transit station on the Northeast Corridor to the airport's terminals and parking lots.

Some private bus carriers still remain in New Jersey. Most of these carriers operate with state funding to offset losses and state owned buses are provided to these carriers of which Coach USA companies make up the bulk. Other carriers include private charter and tour bus operators that take gamblers from other parts of New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, and Delaware to the casino resorts of Atlantic City.

Ferries

On the Delaware Bay, the Delaware River and Bay Authority operates the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. The agency also operates ferries between Fort Mott (New Jersey) and Fort Delaware and Fort DuPont in Delaware. The Delaware River Port Authority operates the RiverLink Ferry between the Camden waterfront and Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the Port of New York and New Jersey, New York Waterway has ferry terminals at Belford Harbor, Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken, and Edgewater Landing. There are slips are at Port Liberte, Liberty Harbor, Exchange Place in Jersey City, Port Imperial and Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, Hoboken Terminal and 14th Street in Hoboken. Manhattan terminals are located at Wall Street/Pier 11, Battery Park City (BPC) or West Midtown Ferry Terminal. Liberty Water Taxi in Jersey City has ferries from Paulus Hook and Liberty State Park to (BPC). Statue Cruises has service from Liberty State Park and Statue of Liberty National Monument, including Ellis Island. (Although there is a bridge from Ellis Island to the park built for renovations on the island it is not open for public use.) SeaStreak offers services from the Raritan Bayshore to Manhattan and during the Met's season to Shea Stadium. The ferries on leave from Atlantic Highlands and two terminals in Highlands. Ferry service from Keyport and Perth Amboy have been also been proposed. Service from Elizabeth at Newark Bay is proposed in conjunction with re-development plans on the shore near Jersey Gardens.

Private bus carriers

Several private bus lines provide transportation service in the state of New Jersey. Below is a list of major carriers and their areas of operation:

Academy--commuter bus service from Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties to lower and midtown Manhattan

Bergen Avenue IBOA—local bus service in Jersey City

Broadway Bus—local bus service in Bayonne

Coach USA

*Community Coach--commuter bus service from Essex and Morris counties

*ONE Bus/Olympia Trails--local bus service in Essex and Union counties, commuter bus service from the Raritan Valley to Manhattan

*Red & Tan in Hudson County--local bus service in Hudson County

*Rockland Coaches--commuter and local bus service from Bergen County to Manhattan

*Suburban Trails--commuter bus service from Middlesex County to Manhattan, local bus service in Middlesex County

DeCamp Bus Lines--commuter bus service from Essex County to Manhattan

Greyhound--interstate bus service from terminals in Newark, Atlantic City, and Mount Laurel

Lakeland Bus Lines--commuter and local bus service from Morris, Somerset, Union, and Sussex counties to Manhattan

Martz Trailways—service from Warren County to Manhattan

Montgomery & West Side IBOA--local bus service in Jersey City

Trans-Bridge Lines--service from the Skylands Region to and from Manhattan

Law and government

Executive

The position of Governor of New Jersey has been considered one of the most powerful in the nation. Until recently the governor was the only statewide elected office in the state appointed numerous government officials. Formerly, an Acting Governor was even more powerful as he simultaneously served as President of the New Jersey State Senate, thus directing half of the legislative and all of the executive process. In 2002 and 2007, President of the State Senate Richard Codey held the position of Acting Governor for a short time, and from 2004 to 2006 Codey became a long-term Acting Governor due to Jim McGreevey's resignation. A 2005 amendment to the state Constitution prevents the Senate President from becoming Acting Governor in the event of a permanent gubernatorial vacancy without giving up her or his seat in the state Senate. Chris Christie (Republican) is the Governor.

The governor's mansion is Drumthwacket, located in Princeton Township.

In recent years, New Jersey was one of the few states without a lieutenant governor. Republican Kim Guadagno was elected the first Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey and took office on January 19, 2010. She was elected on the Republican ticket with Governor-Elect Chris Christie in the November 2009 NJ gubernatorial election. The position was created as the result of a Constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed by the voters on November 8, 2005 and effective as of January 17, 2006.

Legislative

The current version of the New Jersey State Constitution was adopted in 1947. It provides for a bicameral New Jersey Legislature, consisting of an upper house Senate of 40 members and a lower house General Assembly of 80 members. Each of the 40 legislative districts elects one State Senator and two Assembly members. Assembly members are elected for a two-year term in all odd-numbered years; State Senators are elected in the years ending in 1, 3, and 7 and thus serve either four- or two-year terms.

New Jersey is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd-numbered years. (The others are Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia.) New Jersey holds elections for these offices every four years, in the year following each federal Presidential election year. Thus, the last year when New Jersey elected a Governor was 2009; the next gubernatorial election will occur in 2013, with future gubernatorial elections to take place in 2017, 2021, 2025, etc.

Judicial

The New Jersey Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. All are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of a majority of the membership of the State Senate. Justices serve an initial seven-year term, after which they can be reappointed to serve until age 70.

Most of the day-to-day work in the New Jersey courts is carried out in the Municipal Courts, where simple traffic tickets, minor criminal offenses, and small civil matters are heard.

More serious criminal and civil cases are handled by the Superior Court for each county. All Superior Court judges are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of a majority of the membership of the State Senate. Each judge serves an initial seven-year term, after which he or she can be reappointed to serve until age 70.

New Jersey's judiciary is unusual in that it still has separate courts of law and equity, like its neighbor Delaware but unlike most other U.S. states. The New Jersey Superior Court is divided into Law and Chancery Divisions at the trial level.

The Superior Court also has an Appellate Division, which functions as the state's intermediate appellate court. Superior Court judges are assigned to the Appellate Division by the Chief Justice.

There is also a Tax Court, which is a court of limited jurisdiction. Tax Court judges hear appeals of tax decisions made by County Boards of Taxation. They also hear appeals on decisions made by the Director of the Division of Taxation on such matters as state income, sales and business taxes, and homestead rebates. Appeals from Tax Court decisions are heard in the Appellate Division of Superior Court. Tax Court judges are appointed by the Governor for initial terms of seven years, and upon reappointment are granted tenure until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70. There are 12 Tax Court judgeships.

Counties

New Jersey is divided into 21 counties; 13 date from the colonial era. New Jersey was completely divided into counties by 1692; the present counties were created by dividing the existing ones; most recently Union County in 1857. New Jersey is the only state in the nation where elected county officials are called "Freeholders," governing each county as part of its own Board of Chosen Freeholders. The number of freeholders in each county is determined by referendum, and must consist of three, five, seven or nine members.

Depending on the county, the executive and legislative functions may be performed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders or split into separate branches of government. In 16 counties, members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders perform both legislative and executive functions on a commission basis, with each Freeholder assigned responsibility for a department or group of departments. In the other 5 counties (Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Mercer), there is a directly elected County Executive who performs the executive functions while the Board of Chosen Freeholders retains a legislative and oversight role. In counties without an Executive, a County Administrator (or County Manager) may be hired to perform day-to-day administration of county functions.

Municipalities

New Jersey has 566 municipalities; the number was 567 before Pahaquarry Township was absorbed by Hardwick Township in 1997. Unlike states in the west and south, all New Jersey land is part of a municipality. In 2008, Governor Jon Corzine proposed cutting state aid to all towns under 10,000 people, to encourage mergers to reduce administrative costs. In May 2009, the Local Unit Alignment Reorganization and Consolidation Commission (LUARC) began a study of about 40 small communities in South Jersey to decide which ones might be good candidates for consolidation.

Types of government

When the types of government were devised in the 19th century, the intention was that cities would be large built-up areas, with progressively smaller boroughs, towns, and villages; the rural areas in between would be relatively large townships. This is still often true, although Shrewsbury Township has been divided over the years; today it is less than a square mile, consisting only of a single housing development. Some townships — notably Brick, Hamilton, Middletown, and Toms River — have, without changing their boundaries, become large stretches of suburbia, as populous as cities, often focused around shopping centers and highways rather than traditional downtowns and main streets.

Short Hills, Murray Hill, and many other locations in New Jersey are not municipalities but rather neighborhoods, with no exact boundaries. Often the cluster of houses, the traditional neighborhood, the postal district, and the Census designated place will differ.

Forms of government

The five types of municipality differ mostly in name. Originally, each type had its own form of government but more modern forms are available to any municipality, even though the original type is retained in its formal name. Only boroughs can (but are not required to) have the "borough form" of government.

Starting in the 20th century, largely driven by reform-minded goals, a series of six modern forms of government was implemented. This began with the Walsh Act, enacted in 1911 by the New Jersey Legislature, which provided for a 3- or 5-member commission elected on a non-partisan basis. This was followed by the 1923 Municipal Manager Law, which offered a non-partisan council, provided for a weak mayor elected by and from the members of the council, and introduced Council-Manager government with an (ideally apolitical) appointed manager responsible for day-to-day administration of municipal affairs.

The Faulkner Act, originally enacted in 1950 and substantially amended in 1981, offers four basic plans: Mayor-Council, Council-Manager, Small Municipality, and Mayor-Council-Administrator. The act provides many choices for communities with a preference for a strong executive and professional management of municipal affairs and offers great flexibility in allowing municipalities to select the characteristics of its government: the number of seats on the Council; seats selected at-large, by wards, or through a combination of both; staggered or concurrent terms of office; and a mayor chosen by the Council or elected directly by voters. Most large municipalities and a majority of New Jersey's residents are governed by municipalities with Faulkner Act charters. Municipalities can also formulate their own unique form of government and operate under a Special Charter with the approval of the New Jersey Legislature.

While municipalities retain their names derived from types of government, they may have changed to one of the modern forms of government, or further in the past to one of the other traditional forms, leading to municipalities with formal names quite baffling to the general public. For example, though there are four municipalities that are officially of the village type, Loch Arbour is the only one remaining with the village form of government. The other three villages—Ridgefield Park (now with a Walsh Act form), Ridgewood (now with a Faulkner Act Council-Manager charter) and South Orange (now operates under a Special Charter)—have all migrated to other non-village forms.

Politics

Social attitudes and issues

Socially, New Jersey is considered one of the more liberal states in the nation. Polls indicate that 60% of the population are self-described as pro-choice, although a majority are opposed to late trimester and Partial Birth Abortion and public funding of Abortion. In a 2009 Quinnipiac University poll, a plurality supported same-sex marriage 49% to 43% opposed.

In April 2004, New Jersey enacted a domestic partnership law, which is available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples aged 62 and over. During 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court voted 4 to 3 that state lawmakers must provide the rights and benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples. Moreover, effective February 19, 2007, New Jersey became the third state in the U.S. (the other two being Connecticut and Vermont) to offer civil unions to same-sex couples, conferring over 850 rights, privileges and responsibilities of marriage; legislators declined, however, to use the term "marriage" for same-sex unions. Thus, three separate government-recognized relationships are now in effect in the Garden State: domestic partnerships, civil unions, and marriage.

New Jersey also has some of the most stringent gun-control laws in the U.S. These include bans on assault firearms, hollow-nose bullets and even slingshots. No gun offense in New Jersey is graded less than a felony. BB guns and black powder guns are all treated as modern firearms. New Jersey does not recognize out-of-state gun licenses and aggressively enforces its own gun laws.

New Jersey has a severe city/urban litter reputational problem, as noted in the report, "New Jersey: America's Ugly Urban/City Litter (Trash) State." The state still has no statewide anti-litter slogan and its 1986 Clean Communities Act has been controversial in failing to help abate litter and debris on public streets, roadways and properties.

Elections

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In past federal elections, New Jersey was a Republican bastion, but recently has become a Democratic stronghold. Currently, New Jersey Democrats have majority control of both houses of the New Jersey Legislature (Senate, 22–18, and Assembly, 48–32), both U.S. Senate seats, and 8 out of the state's 13 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The state had a Republican governor from 1994 to 2002, as Christie Todd Whitman won twice with vote percentages of 47 and 49 percent.

In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie defeated incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine. Because each candidate for lieutenant governor runs on the same ticket as the party's candidate for governor, the current Governor and Lieutenant Governor are members of the Republican Party. The governor's appointments to cabinet and non-cabinet positions may be from either party. (The 2009 Attorney General appointee is a Democrat.)

In federal elections, the state leans heavily towards the Democratic Party. For many years, however, it was a Republican stronghold, having given comfortable margins of victory to the Republican candidate in the close elections of 1948, 1968, and 1976. New Jersey was a crucial swing state in the elections of 1960, 1968, and 1992. The last elected Republican to hold a Senate seat from New Jersey was Clifford P. Case in 1979. (Nicholas F. Brady was appointed a U.S. Senator by Governor Thomas Kean in 1982 and served for eight months, after Harrison A. Williams resigned the Senate seat following the Abscam investigations.)

The state's Democratic strongholds include Camden County, Essex County (including Newark, the state's largest city), Hudson County (including Jersey City, the state's second-largest city); Mercer County (especially around Trenton and Princeton), Middlesex County, and Union County (including Elizabeth, the state's fourth-largest city).

The suburban northwestern and southeastern counties of the state are reliably Republican: Republicans have support along the coast in Ocean County and in the mountainous northwestern part of the state, especially Morris County, Sussex County, and Warren County. Other suburban counties, especially Bergen County and Burlington County had the majority of votes go to the Democratic Party. In the 2008 election, President Barack Obama won New Jersey with approximately fifty-seven percent of the vote, compared to McCain's forty-one percent. Independent candidate Ralph Nader garnered less than one percent of the vote.

About one-third of the state's counties are considered "swing" counties, but some go more one way than others. For example, Salem County, the same is true with Passaic County, with a highly populated Hispanic Democratic south (including Paterson, the state's third-largest city) and a rural, Republican north. Other "swing" counties like Monmouth County, Somerset County, and Cape May County tend to go Republican, as they also have population in conservative areas.

To be eligible to vote in a U.S. election, all New Jerseyans are required to start their residency in the state 30 days prior to an election and register 29 days prior.

Capital punishment

On December 17, 2007, Governor Jon Corzine signed into law a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in New Jersey. New Jersey is the first state to pass such legislation since Iowa and West Virginia eliminated executions in 1965. Corzine also signed a bill that would downgrade the Death Row prisoners' sentences from "Death" to "Life in Prison with No Parole."

Prominent cities and towns

Large cities (100,000 or greater)

For its overall population and nation-leading population density, New Jersey has a relative paucity of classic large cities. As of the United States 2000 Census, only four municipalities had populations in excess of 100,000. With the 2004 Census estimate, Woodbridge briefly surpassed Edison in population, as both joined the 100,000 club. The 2006 Census estimate states that both Edison and Woodbridge Township have dropped below the 100,000 mark (with Edison surpassing Woodbridge). #Newark, Essex County: 273,546 (Census Estimate 2006: 281,402) #Jersey City, Hudson County: 240,055 (Census Estimate 2006: 241,791) #Paterson, Passaic County: 149,222 (Census Estimate 2006: 148,708) #Elizabeth, Union County: 120,568 (Census Estimate 2006: 126,179) #Edison, Middlesex County 97,687 (Census Estimate 2006: 99,523) #Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County: 97,203 (Census Estimate 2006: 99,208)

Towns and small cities (60,000 to 100,000)

#Toms River Township (Ocean County): 89,706 (Census Estimate 2006: 94,660) #Hamilton Township (Mercer County): 87,109 (Census Estimate 2006: 90,559) #Trenton (Mercer County): 85,403 #Camden (Camden County): 79,904 #Clifton (Passaic County): 78,672 #Brick Township (Ocean County): 76,119 #Cherry Hill Township (Camden County): 69,965 #East Orange (Essex County): 69,824 #Passaic (Passaic County): 67,861 #Union City (Hudson County): 67,088 #Middletown Township (Monmouth County): 66,327 #Gloucester Township (Camden County): 64,350 #Bayonne (Hudson County): 61,842 #Irvington (Essex County): 60,695 #Old Bridge Township (Middlesex County): 60,456 #Lakewood Township (Ocean County): 60,352

Wealth of municipalities

Points of interest

Museums

New Jersey has many museums of all kinds. A few major museums in the state are listed.

{|class="wikitable" |- !Museum !Location !Year Opened !Type |- |New Jersey State Museum |Trenton |1895 |General Education |- |Liberty Science Center |Liberty State Park, Jersey City |1993 |Science museum |- |Maywood Station Museum |Maywood |2004 |Railroad museum |- |Montclair Art Museum |Montclair |1914 |Art museum |- |Newark Museum |Newark |1909 |Natural Science & Art museum |- |Thomas Edison Museum |Menlo Park |1938 |Thomas Edison museum |}

Entertainment/Concert Venues

Due to the major highways and cities located in and around the state, many residents and visitors take advantage of and contribute to performances in music, theater, and dance. There are many theater and dance companies throughout the region. Major events and performance venues include: {|class="wikitable" |- !Venue !Type !Location !Year Opened |- |Prudential Center |Arena |Newark |2007 |- |Izod Center |Arena |Meadowlands Sports Complex |1977 |- |PNC Bank Arts Center |Amphitheater |Holmdel |1977 |- |NJPAC |Concert Hall |Newark |1997 |- |Paper Mill Playhouse |Regional Theater |Millburn |1968 |- |State Theater |Regional Theater |New Brunswick |1921 |- |Boardwalk Hall |Arena |Atlantic City |1926 |- |Susquehanna Bank Center |Amphitheater |Camden |1995 |- |Sun National Bank Center |Arena |Trenton |1999 |}

Theme parks

New Jersey has a number of amusement parks, including the world's largest seasonal theme park, to the biggest drive-thru safari outside of Africa, and an amusement and water park spread across three piers above the beach. {|class="wikitable" |- |- !Main Park !Other Parks !Location !Year Opened |- |Six Flags Great Adventure |Six Flags Wild Safari, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor |Jackson |1974 |- |Clementon Amusement Park |Splash World |Clementon |1907 |- |Land of Make Believe |Pirate's Cove |Hope |1958 |- |Morey's Piers |None |Wildwood |1969 |- |Mountain Creek Waterpark |None |Vernon |1998 |}

Jersey Shore

Sports

Professional sports

New Jersey currently has five teams from major professional sports leagues playing in the state, although the Major League Soccer team and two National Football League teams identify as being from New York.

The National Hockey League's New Jersey Devils, based in Newark at the Prudential Center, is one of only two major league franchises to bear the state's name, the other one being the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets who are preparing to move to Brooklyn in 2012 and are also based at the Prudential Center. The New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Area's two National Football League teams play in New Jersey; the New York Giants and the New York Jets both play in East Rutherford, Bergen County at MetLife Stadium, which at a construction cost of approximately $1.6 billion, is the most expensive sports stadium ever built.

The New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer play in Red Bull Arena, a soccer-specific stadium located in Harrison outside of Downtown Newark.

The Giants and Jets played in Giants Stadium before moving to adjacent MetLife Stadium in 2010 and will host Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. The Meadowlands and its sports venues were widely considered to be outdated by today's professional sports standards. This led to the Devils move away from the Meadowlands Arena to the new Prudential Center in Newark at the start of the 2007–08 season. The Nets also left the Meadowlands for the Prudential Center in 2010 and plan to relocate to Brooklyn as soon as the Barclays Center is completed for them. With both teams leaving the Meadowlands Arena its future is in doubt.

The sports complex is also home to the Meadowlands Racetrack one of three major harness racing tracks in the state. The Meadowlands Racetrack along with Freehold Raceway in Freehold are two of the major harness racing tracks in North America. Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport is also a popular spot for thoroughbred racing in New Jersey and the northeast. It hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2007, and its turf course was renovated in preparation.

{|class="wikitable" |- !Club !Sport !League !Stadium |- |New Jersey Devils |Ice Hockey |National Hockey League |Prudential Center |- |New Jersey Nets |Basketball |National Basketball Association |Prudential Center |- |New York Giants |Football |National Football League |MetLife Stadium |- |New York Jets |Football |National Football League |MetLife Stadium |- |New York Red Bulls |Soccer |Major League Soccer |Red Bull Arena |- |New Jersey Revolution |Indoor Football |American Indoor Football League |Mennen Arena |- |Trenton Devils |Ice Hockey |East Coast Hockey League |Sun National Bank Center |- |New Jersey Ironmen |Indoor Soccer |Xtreme Soccer League |Prudential Center |- |Jersey Express |Basketball |American Basketball Association |Baldwin Gymnasium |- |Lakewood Blue Claws |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |FirstEnergy Park |- |New Jersey Jackals |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Yogi Berra Stadium |- |Sussex Skyhawks |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Skylands Park |- |Trenton Thunder |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Mercer County Waterfront Park |- |Camden Riversharks |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Campbell's Field |- |Newark Bears |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium |- |Somerset Patriots |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |TD Bank Ballpark |}

Collegiate sports teams

New Jerseyans' collegiate allegiances are predominately split among the three major NCAA Division I programs in the state — the Rutgers University (New Jersey's largest state university) Scarlet Knights, the Seton Hall University (which is the state's largest Roman Catholic university) Pirates, and the Princeton University (the state's Ivy League university) Tigers. Both Rutgers and Seton Hall compete in the Big East Conference, and the rivalry between the two teams has always been an intense one. Rutgers and Princeton likewise have an intense rivalry—stemming from the first intercollegiate football game in 1869—though the two schools have not met on the football field since 1980. They continue to play each other annually in all other sports offered by the two universities.

Rutgers, which fields 24 teams in various sports, is nationally known for its excellent football and women's basketball programs. The university is planning a large expansion to the on-campus Rutgers Stadium—to accommodate the rising number of fans—and the teams play in Piscataway, which is adjacent to the New Brunswick campus. The university also fields rising basketball and baseball programs. Rutgers' fan base is mostly derived from the western parts of the state and Middlesex County, not to mention its alumni base, which is the largest in the state.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, also has campuses in Camden and Newark (in addition to its main campus in New Brunswick). The Rutgers-Camden athletic teams are called the Scarlet Raptors. The Rutgers-Newark athletic teams are called the Scarlet Raiders. The Scarlet Raiders and the Scarlet Raptors both compete within NCAA Division III.

Seton Hall, unlike Rutgers, does not field a football team. Its basketball team, however, has been one of the most storied programs in the Big East, and it plays its home games at the state-of-the-art Prudential Center, located in downtown Newark. The Pirates, while lacking as large an alumni base as the state university, have a large well of support in the predominately Roman Catholic areas of the northern part of the state and the Jersey Shore.

The state's other Division I schools include the Monmouth University Hawks (West Long Branch), the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Highlanders (Newark), the Rider University Broncs (Lawrenceville), and the Saint Peter's College Peacocks and Peahens (Jersey City).

Fairleigh Dickinson University competes in both Division I and Division III. It has two campuses, each with its own sports teams. The teams at the Metropolitan Campus are known as the FDU Knights, and compete in the Northeast Conference and NCAA Division I. The College at Florham (FDU-Florham) teams are known as the FDU-Florham Devils and compete in the Middle Atlantic Conferences' Freedom Conference and NCAA Division III.

Among the various Division III schools in the state, the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks have fielded the longest continuously running collegiate men's lacrosse program in the country. 2009 marked the 125th season.

High-school sports

:''See footnote''

Gambling

In 1978, the New Jersey legislature approved casino gambling in Atlantic City. At that time, Las Vegas was the only mega-casino resort. By 1978, Atlantic City was in decline. It was no longer the seaside resort that it once was. With the institution of casino gambling, Atlantic City has come back as a resort city. There are numerous famous casinos, with its main contributor being Donald Trump. Many lie along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the longest boardwalk in the world.

Media

Newspapers

There are many major New Jersey newspapers, including:

''Asbury Park Press'' ''Burlington County Times'' ''Courier News'' ''Courier-Post'' ''Cranford Chronicle'' ''Daily Record'' (Morris) ''The Express-Times'' ''Gloucester County Times'' ''Herald News'' ''Home News Tribune'' ''Hunterdon County Democrat'' ''Independent Press''

''Jersey Journal'' ''The New Jersey Herald'' ''The News of Cumberland County'' ''The Press of Atlantic City'' ''The Record'' ''The Record-Press and Suburban News'' ''The Reporter'' (Somerset) ''The Star-Ledger'' ''Today's Sunbeam'' ''Trentonian'' (Mercer) ''The Warren Reporter'' ''The Trenton Times''

On-line news

Since 2005 there have been a growing number of "hyperlocal news sites." These sites provide relevant news for their respective communities.

Radio stations

:''See: List of radio stations in New Jersey''

Television and film

Motion picture technology was developed by Thomas Edison, with much of his early work done at his West Orange laboratory. Edison's Black Maria was the first motion picture studio. America's first motion picture industry started in 1907 in Fort Lee and the first studio was constructed there in 1909. DuMont Laboratories in Passaic, developed early sets and made the first broadcast to the private home.

A number of television shows and films have been filmed in New Jersey. Since 1978, the state has maintained a Motion Picture and Television Commission to encourage filming in-state. New Jersey has long offered tax credits to television producers. Governor Christopher Christie suspended the credits in 2010, but the New Jersey State Legislature in 2011 approved the restoration and expansion of the tax credit program. Under bills passed by both the state Senate and Assembly, the program offers 20 percent tax credits (22% in urban enterprise zones) to television and film productions that shoot in the state and meet set standards for hiring and local spending.

Music

New Jersey has long been an important area for both rock and rap music. Some prominent musicians from or with significant connections to New Jersey are:

Singer Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken. He sang with a neighborhood vocal group, the Hoboken Four, and appeared in neighborhood theater amateur shows before he became an entertainment legend as an Academy Award winning actor and one of the most famous male vocalists of all time.

Bruce Springsteen, who has sung of New Jersey life on most of his albums, hails from Freehold and is the most popular rock musician to ever come out of the state. Some of his songs that represent New Jersey life are "Born to Run", "Spirit In The Night," "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)", "Thunder Road", "Atlantic City", and "Jungleland".

The Jonas Brothers all reside in Wyckoff, New Jersey, where the eldest brother of the group, Kevin Jonas was born, as well as the youngest Jonas, Frankie.

Irvington's Queen Latifah was the first female rapper to succeed in music, film, and television.

Lauryn Hill is from South Orange, New Jersey. Her 1998 debut solo album, ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'', sold 10 million copies internationally. She also sold millions with The Fugees second album ''The Score''.

Redman (Reggie Noble) was born, raised, and resides in Newark. He is the most successful African-American solo hip-hop artist out of New Jersey.

All members of The Sugarhill Gang were born in Englewood.

Roc-A-Fella Records rap producer Just Blaze hails from Paterson, New Jersey.

Jon Bon Jovi, who hails from Sayreville, reached fame in the 1980s with hard rock outfit Bon Jovi. The band has also written many songs about life in New Jersey including "Livin' On A Prayer" and even named one of his albums after the state. (see New Jersey)

Singer Dionne Warwick was born in East Orange.

Singer Whitney Houston (who is Dionne Warwick's cousin) was born in Newark, and grew up in neighboring East Orange.

Legendary jazz pianist and bandleader Count Basie was born in Red Bank in 1904. In the 1960s, he collaborated on several albums with fellow New Jersey native Frank Sinatra. The Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank is named in his honor.

Parliament-Funkadelic, the pioneering funk music collective, was formed in Plainfield by George Clinton.

Asbury Park is home of The Stone Pony, which Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi frequented early in their careers and is still considered by many to be a "Mecca" for up-and-coming Jersey Shore musicians.

Hip-hop pioneers Naughty By Nature hail from East Orange.

In 1964, the Isley Brothers founded the record label T-Neck Records, named after Teaneck, their home at the time.

The Broadway musical "Jersey Boys" is based on the lives of the members of the Four Seasons, three of whose members were born in New Jersey (Tommy DeVito, Frankie Valli, and Nick Massi)

Jazz pianist Bill Evans was born in Plainfield in 1929.

Rock band Thursday was formed in New Brunswick, NJ. Numerous songs reference the city.

Horror punk band The Misfits hail from Lodi, as well as their founder Glenn Danzig.

Punk rock poet Patti Smith is from Mantua.

Acclaimed indie rock veterans Yo La Tengo are based in Hoboken. They also have a song called "The Night Falls on Hoboken".

New Jersey was the East Coast hub for ska music in the 90s. Some of the most popular ska bands, such as Catch 22 and Streetlight Manifesto, come from East Brunswick.

Black Label Society's and Ozzy Osbourne's famed guitarist Zakk Wylde was born in Bayonne and raised in Jackson

The Bouncing Souls original four members grew up in Basking Ridge and formed in New Brunswick in the late 1980s.

My Chemical Romance's Frank Iero, Gerard Way, Mikey Way, and Ray Toro all hail from Belleville, New Jersey.

Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta is from New Jersey

Video games

''Grand Theft Auto 1'' (1997), takes place in New Jersey, called New Guernsey.

''Grand Theft Auto IV'' (2008), ''The Lost and Damned'' (2009) and ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'' , which take place in New Jersey, especially in Hudson County, Bergen County, Essex County, and Union County, New Jersey. Jersey City is called Alderney City.

Culture

General

Like every state, New Jersey has its own cuisine, religious communities, museums, and halls of fame.

New Jersey is the birthplace of modern inventions such as: FM radio, the motion picture camera, the lithium battery, the light bulb, transistors, and the electric train. Other New Jersey creations include: the drive-in movie, the cultivated blueberry, cranberry sauce, the postcard, the boardwalk, the zipper, the phonograph, saltwater taffy, the dirigible, the seedless watermelon, the first use of a submarine in warfare, and the ice cream cone.

There are mineral museums in Franklin and Ogdensburg.

Diners are common in New Jersey. The state is home to many diner manufacturers and has more diners than any other state: over 600. There are more diners in the state of New Jersey than any other place in the world.

New Jersey is the only state without a state song. "I'm From New Jersey" is incorrectly listed on many websites as being the New Jersey State Song, but wasn't even a contender when in 1996 the New Jersey Arts Council submitted their suggestions to the New Jersey Legislature.

New Jersey has been rated as the "least annoying state".

Legends and ghosts

A long-circulated legend says a creature, the Jersey Devil or the Leeds Devil, terrorizes the population of the Pine Barrens. The New Jersey Devils are named for this mythical creature. New Jersey is also home to several other legends, such as the ghost of Annie's Road — a section of Riverview Drive between Totowa Road and Union Boulevard in Totowa, which is said to be haunted by a "Lady in White"; and the haunted and demon-possessed Clinton Road in West Milford. Cooper Road in Middletown is said to be haunted by strange, ghostly people who jump out from behind trees at cars traveling down the unpaved portion of the road. The unpaved section has no street lights and thus is very dangerous as it has sharp turns where the ghostly people are said to jump in front of the cars from behind trees, causing them to crash. There is also the Atco Ghost — the ghost of a little boy who runs across the street late at night in Atco. It is also rumored that Jimmy Hoffa, the late leader of the Teamsters Union, is buried beneath Giants Stadium or the New Jersey Turnpike. However, on the popular television show ''MythBusters'', the myth of Jimmy Hoffa being buried under Giants Stadium was debunked using ground penetrating radar.

The magazine ''Weird NJ'' (the creators of which later started ''Weird U.S.'') was started to catalog and explore the ghosts, legends, and prevalence of otherwise "weird" things in the state.

State symbols

Notable people

See also

List of National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey

List of people from New Jersey

U.S. state

References

External links

;State Government

Official New Jersey state web site

New Jersey State Databases – Annotated list of searchable databases produced by New Jersey state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.

Descriptions of NJ forms of government (e.g., township, borough, etc.) from NJ State League of Municipalities

;U.S. Government

Energy Data & Statistics for New Jersey

USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of New Jersey

US Census Bureau

New Jersey State Facts

;Other

The New Jersey Digital Highway, the statewide cultural heritage portal to digital collections from the state's archives, libraries and museums

Abandoned and Historic Mines of New Jersey

New Jersey travel guide from Wikitravel

== Related information ==

Category:Former British colonies Category:States and territories established in 1787 Category:States of the United States

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{{infobox country|native name	Bailiwick of Jersey''Bailliage de Jersey''
Common name	Jersey
Image coat	Jersey coa.svg
Map caption
National anthem	"God Save the Queen" (official)"Ma Normandie" ("My Normandy") (official for occasions when distinguishing anthem required)
Official languages	English, French
Regional languages	Jèrriais
Ethnic groups	51.1% Jersey, 34.8% Britons, 6.4% Portuguese, 2.6% Irish, 1.7% French, 2.3% other white, 1.1% other
Capital	Saint Helier
Largest city	capital
Government type	Parliamentary system, Constitutional monarchy and Crown dependency
Leader title1	Duke
Leader name1
Leader title2	Lieutenant Governor
Leader name2	Currently Vacant, pending Sir John McColl being sworn in
Leader title3	Bailiff
Leader name3	Michael Birt
Leader title4	Chief Minister
Leader name4	Senator Terry Le Sueur
Area rank	219th
Area magnitude	1 E8
Area km2	116
Area sq mi	45
Percent water	0
Population estimate	92,500
Population estimate rank	190th
Population estimate year	December 2009
Population density km2	797
Population density sq mi	2,064
Population density rank	14th²
Gdp ppp	£3.6 billion
Gdp ppp rank	167th
Gdp ppp year	2003
Gdp ppp per capita	£40,000 (2003 estimate)
Gdp ppp per capita rank	6th
Sovereignty type	Status
Sovereignty note	British Crown dependency
Established event1	Separation from mainland Normandy
Established event2	Liberation from German occupation
Established date1	1204
Established date2	9 May 1945
Hdi	n/a
Hdi rank	n/a
Hdi year	n/a
Hdi category	n/a
Currency	Pound sterling³ (However, the Euro is still accepted.)
Currency code	GBP
Time zone	GMT4
Utc offset dst	+1
Drives on	left
Cctld	.je
Calling code	+44 spec. +44-1534(landline)+44-7797, +44-7937, +44-7509(Jersey Telecom mobile)+44-7700(Sure mobile)+44-7829(Airtel-Vodafone mobile)
Patron saint	St. Helier
Footnote1	Jersey’s Resident Population 2007
Footnote2	Rank based on population density of Channel Islands including Guernsey.
Footnote3	The States of Jersey issue their own sterling notes and coins (see Jersey pound).
Footnote4	In a referendum on 16 October 2008, voters rejected a proposal to adopt Central European Time, by 72.4%. }}

The Bailiwick of Jersey (, ; Jèrriais: ''Jèrri'') is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the ''Minquiers'' and ''Écréhous'', and the ''Pierres de Lecq'' and other rocks and reefs.

Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey are often referred to as 'the Channel Islands' but they are not a constitutional or political unit. The three Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man each has a separate relationship to the British Crown. All are part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is constitutionally responsible for the defence of Jersey. Jersey is not a part of the European Union but has a special relationship with it, being treated as part of the European Community for the purposes of free trade in goods.

Toponymy

Old mentions

''Andium'' (?) 4^e C. ''insula Gersoi'' 1022/1026. ''insula Gerseii'', var. ''Gersey'', ''Gersei'', ''Gersoii'' 1042. ''Gersus'' ~1070. ''insula de Gerzoi'' 1080/~1082. ''insula de Gersoi'' 1066/1083. ''insula Gersoi'' 1066/1083. ''l'isle de Gersui'' 1160/1174. ''in Gersoio'' 1223/1236. ''Gersuy'' 1339. ''Gersui'' 1339. ''insula de Jersey'' 1372. ''insula de Jereseye'' 1372. ''insula de Gersey'' 1386. ''insula […] de Jersey'' 1419. ''Iarsay'' [read ''Jarsay''] 1585. ''Jarsey'' 1693. ''Jerzey'' 1753. ''Isle de Gersey'' 1753/1785. ''Ile de Jersey'' 1854.

Etymology

The Channel Islands are mentioned in the Antonine Itinerary as following : ''Sarnia'', ''Caesarea'', ''Barsa'', ''Silia'' and ''Andium'', but none of them corresponds to the present names. So that Jersey's first name cannot be really identified. Furthermore, later records evoke ''Angia'' (also spelled ''Agna'' ).

''Andium'', a Latinized version of the Gaulish (Celtic) ''*Andion'', with ''and-'' Gaulish intensive prefix meaning "very", "much", "big". ''Andium'' will be the "big Island". It is actually the largest one among the Channel Islands. The spelling ''Angia'' could be an ultimate development of ''*Andia''.

Some others identify it as ''Caesarea'', a late recorded Roman name influenced by Old English suffix ''-ey'' for "island"; this is plausible if, in the regional pronunciation of Latin, ''Caesarea'' was not but .

''Angia'' could be a misspelling for ''*Augia'', that is the Latinized form of Germanic ''*aujō'' (> Old English ''ī(e)ġ'' > is-land).), that could have extended before the Viking Age along the coast of France, as for île d'Yeu (''Augia'', ''Insula Oya'') or Oye-Plage (''Ogia'' 7th C.) and constitutes the suffix ''-ey'' in Jersey, Guernsey (''Greneroi''), Alderney (''Alneroi'') and Chausey (''Calsoi''). Chausey can be compared with Cholsey (GB, Berkshire, ''Ċeolesiġ'' 891), interpreted by Eilert Ekwall as "''Ċeola'' 's island".

These ''-ey'' names could have been reinforced by the Viking heritage, because ''-ey'' is similar, so that it is possible to interpret the first part of the toponym as an Old Norse element. The source of it is unclear. Scholars surmise it derives from ''jarð'' (Old Norse for "earth") or ''jarl'' (earl), or perhaps a personal name, ''Geirr'' ("Geirr's Island").

History

Jersey history is influenced by its strategic location between the northern coast of France and the southern coast of England; the island's recorded history extends over a thousand years.

Evidence of Bronze Age and early Iron Age settlements can be found in many locations around the island. Archaeological evidence of Roman influence has been found, in particular the coastal headland site at Le Pinacle, Les Landes, where remains of a primitive structure are attributed to Gallo-roman temple worship (''fanum''). Evidence for settled Roman occupation has yet to be established.

Jersey was invaded by Vikings in the ninth century. Formerly under the control of Brittany, but in the archbishopric of Rouen, the island was eventually annexed to the Duchy of Normandy by William Longsword, Duke of Normandy in 933 and it became one of the Norman Islands. When William's descendant, William the Conqueror, conquered England in 1066, the Duchy of Normandy and the kingdom of England were governed under one monarch. The Dukes of Normandy owned considerable estates on the island, and Norman families living on their estates founded many of the historical Norman-French Jersey family names. King John lost all his territories in mainland Normandy in 1204 to King Philip II Augustus, but retained possession of Jersey, along with Guernsey and the other Channel Islands. The islands have been internally self-governing since then.

Islanders travelled across the North Atlantic to participate in the Newfoundland fisheries in the late 16th century. In recognition for help given to him during his exile in Jersey in the 1640s, Charles II gave George Carteret, bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the American colonies in between the Hudson and Delaware rivers which he promptly named New Jersey. It is now a state in the United States of America.

Trade laid the foundations of prosperity, aided by neutrality between England and France. The Jersey way of life involved agriculture, milling, fishing, shipbuilding, and production of woollen goods. 19th century improvements in transport links brought tourism to the island.

During World War II, Jersey was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1 July 1940 until 9 May 1945, when Germany surrendered.

Politics

Jersey's unicameral legislature is the Assembly of the States of Jersey. It includes fifty-three elected members: twelve senators (elected on an island-wide basis), twelve Connétables (often called 'constables', heads of parishes) and twenty-nine deputies (representing constituencies), all elected for four year terms as from the October 2011 elections. There are also five non-voting members appointed by the Crown: the Bailiff, the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General and Solicitor General.

The government is a Council of Ministers, consisting of a Chief Minister and nine ministers. Each minister may appoint up to two assistant ministers. A Chief Executive is head of the civil service. Some government functions are carried out in the island's twelve parishes.

The Bailiff is President (presiding officer) of the States Assembly, head of the judiciary and as civic head of the island carries out various ceremonial roles.

As one of the Crown Dependencies, Jersey is autonomous and self-governing, with its own independent legal, administrative and fiscal systems. In 1973, the Royal Commission on the Constitution set out the duties of the Crown as including: ultimate responsibility for the 'good government' of the Crown Dependencies; ratification of island legislation by Order in Council (Royal Assent); international representation, subject to consultation with the island authorities before concluding any agreement which would apply to them; ensuring the islands meet their international obligations; and defence.

Elizabeth II's traditional title as Head of State is Duke of Normandy. "The Crown" is defined by the Law Officers of the Crown as the "Crown in right of Jersey". The Queen's representative and adviser in the island is the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. He is a point of contact between Jersey ministers and the United Kingdom government and carries out executive functions in relation to immigration control, deportation, naturalisation and the issue of passports. Since 2006, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor has been Lieutenant General Andrew Ridgway.

Legal system

Jersey is a distinct jurisdiction for the purposes of conflict of laws, separate from the other Channel Islands, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Jersey law has been influenced by several different legal traditions, in particular Norman customary law, English common law and modern French civil law. Jersey's legal system is therefore described as 'mixed' or 'pluralistic', and sources of law are in French and English languages, although since the 1950s the main working language of the legal system is English.

The principal court is the Royal Court, with appeals to the Jersey Court of Appeal and, ultimately, to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Bailiff is head of the judiciary; the Bailiff and the Deputy Bailiff are appointed by the Crown. Other members of the island's judiciary are appointed by the Bailiff.

Parishes

Administratively, Jersey is divided into twelve parishes. All border on the sea. They were named after the Christian saints to whom their ancient parish churches were dedicated:

Grouville (historically ''Saint Martin de Grouville''; incorporating Les Minquiers)

Saint Brélade

Saint Clément

Saint Helier

Saint John

Saint Lawrence

Saint Martin (historically ''Saint Martin le Vieux''; incorporating Les Écréhous)

Saint Mary

Saint Ouen

Saint Peter

Saint Saviour

Trinity

The parishes of Jersey are further divided into ''vingtaines'' (or, in St. Ouen, ''cueillettes''), divisions that are historic. Today they are used chiefly for purposes of local administration and electoral constituency.

The Connétable is the head of each parish, elected at a public election for a four-year term to run the parish and to represent the municipality in the Assembly of the States of Jersey. The Procureur du Bien Public (two in each parish) is the legal and financial representative of the parish (elected at a public election since 2003 in accordance with the ''Public Elections (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 2003''; formerly an Assembly of Electors of each parish elected the Procureurs in accordance with the ''Loi (1804) au sujet des assemblées paroissiales''). A Procureur du Bien Public is elected for three years as a public trustee for the funds and property of the parish and may contract when authorised by a Parish Assembly. The Parish Assembly is the decision-making body of local government in each parish; it consists of all entitled voters of the parish.

Each parish elects its own force of Honorary Police consisting of ''Centeniers'', ''Vingteniers'' and Constable's Officers. Centeniers are elected at a public election within each parish for a term of three years to undertake policing within the parish. The Centenier is the only officer authorised to charge and bail offenders. Formerly, the senior Centenier of each parish (entitled the ''Chef de Police'') deputised for the Connétable in the States of Jersey when the Connétable was unable to attend a sitting of the States. This function has now been abolished.

International relations

Although diplomatic representation is reserved to the Crown, Jersey has been developing its own international identity over recent years. It negotiates directly with foreign governments on matters within the competence of the States of Jersey. Jersey maintains the ''Bureau de Jersey'' in Caen, France, a permanent non-diplomatic representation, with a branch office in Rennes. A similar office, the ''Maison de Normandie'' in St. Helier, represents the ''Conseil général'' of Manche and the ''Conseil régional'' of Basse-Normandie. It hosts the Consulate of France.

Jersey is a member of the British-Irish Council, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie. Jersey wants to become a full member of the Commonwealth in its own right.

International identity

In 2007, the Chief Minister and the UK Lord Chancellor signed an agreement that established a framework for the development of the international identity of Jersey. The agreement stated that:

the UK has no democratic accountability in and for Jersey;

the UK will not act internationally on behalf of Jersey without prior consultation;

Jersey has an international identity that is different from that of the UK;

the UK recognises that the interests of Jersey may differ from those of the UK, and the UK will seek to represent any differing interests when acting in an international capacity; and

the UK and Jersey will work together to resolve or clarify any differences that may arise between their respective interests.

In January 2011, the Chief Minister designated one of his assistant ministers as having responsibility for external relations; he is now often described as the island's 'foreign minister'.

Tax information exchange agreements (TIEAs) have been signed directly by the island with several countries, including the United States of America (2002), the Netherlands (2007), Denmark, the Faroes, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway (2008), the United Kingdom, France, Australia and New Zealand (2009).

Relationship with the European Union

→

Jersey is neither a Member State nor an Associate Member of European Union. It does, however, have a relationship with the EU governed by Protocol 3 to the UK’s Treaty of Accession in 1972. Protocol 3 and other relevant treaty provisions are made part of Jersey Law by the European Communities (Jersey) Law 1973. The relationship between the Channel Islands and the EU cannot be changed without the unanimous agreement of all Member States and Island authorities.

Under Protocol 3, Jersey is part of the European Union Customs Union of the European Community. The common customs tariff, levies and other agricultural import measures apply to trade between the island and non-Member States. There is free movement of goods and trade between the island and Member States. EU rules on freedom of movement for workers do not apply in Jersey. Nor is Jersey part of the single market in financial services. It is not required to implement EU Directives on such matters as movement of capital, company law or money laundering. Jersey plans to incorporate such measures where appropriate, with particular regard to the island's commitment to meeting international standards of financial regulation and countering money laundering and terrorist financing.

British citizens who have only a connection to Jersey, and not with the United Kingdom or another Member state of the European Union, are not considered to be European Union citizens. They have 'Islander status' and their Jersey-issued British passports are endorsed with the words 'the holder is not entitled to benefit from EU provisions relating to employment or establishment'.

Jersey residents do not have a right to vote in elections for the European Parliament. Jersey and Guernsey jointly opened an office in Brussels in 2010 to promote their common interests with European Union institutions. Jersey is particularly concerned about European Union legislation and reforms that may affect its trading partners in international financial centres round the world.

Independence

The question of Jersey's independence has been discussed from time to time in the Assembly of the States of Jersey. In 2005-2008, a working group of the States of Jersey examined the options for independence, concluding that Jersey 'is equipped to face the challenges of independence' but making no recommendations. Proposals for Jersey independence continue to be discussed outside the States.

Geography

Jersey is an island measuring 118.2 square kilometres (65,569 vergée / 46 sq mi), including reclaimed land and intertidal zone. It lies in the English Channel, approximately from the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy, France, and approximately south of Great Britain. It is the largest and southernmost of the Channel Islands, with a maximum land elevation of 143 m (469 ft) above sea level.

The climate is temperate with mild winters and cool summers. The average annual temperature, is similar to the South Coast of England and the mean annual total sunshine is 1912 hours. The terrain consists of a plateau sloping from long sandy bays in the south to rugged cliffs in the north. The plateau is cut by valleys running generally north-south.

Economy

Thanks to specialisation in a few high-return sectors, at purchasing power parity Jersey has high economic output per capita, substantially ahead of all of the world's large developed economies. The ''CIA World Factbook'' estimate of Jersey's GDP per capita for 2005 is US$57,000, surpassed only by two other small states with similar economic characteristics, Bermuda and Luxembourg. However, this is not indicative of each individual resident's purchasing power, and the actual standard of living in Jersey is comparable to that in the United Kingdom outside central London . Jersey's economy is based on financial services, tourism, electronic commerce and agriculture; financial services contribute approximately 60 percent of the island's economy. The island is recognised as one of the leading offshore financial centres. In June 2005 the States introduced the Competition (Jersey) Law 2005 to regulate competition and stimulate economic growth. This competition law was based on that of other jurisdictions.

Aside from its banking and finance (and the finance industries supporting industries), Jersey depends on tourism. In 2006 there were 729,000 visitors (down 3% on the previous year) but total visitor spending rose 1% to £222m. Duty-free goods are available for purchase on travel to and from the island.

Major agricultural products are potatoes and dairy produce. The source of milk is Jersey cattle, a small breed of cow that has also been acknowledged (though not widely so) for the quality of its meat. The Jersey cow has more widely been known for its rich milk and cream. It is said the first immigrants to America (who settled in Virginia) brought the Jersey Cow along with them. Nowadays, visiting the Isle of Jersey, many local businesses support and thrive on the export of "Jersey Cow" milk, cream and fudge.

Farmers and growers often sell surplus food and flowers in boxes on the roadside. The Isle of Jersey has long been an agricultural community. They rely on the honesty of customers to drop the correct change into the money box and take what they want. In the 21st century, diversification of agriculture and amendments in planning strategy have led to farm shops replacing many of the roadside stalls.

On 18 February 2005, Jersey was granted Fairtrade Island status.

Taxation

Until the 20th century, the States relied on indirect taxation to finance the administration of Jersey. The levying of ''impôts'' (duties) different from those of the United Kingdom was granted by Charles II and remained in the hands of the Assembly of Governor, Bailiff and Jurats until 1921 when that body's tax raising powers were transferred to the Assembly of the States, leaving the Assembly of Governor, Bailiff and Jurats to serve simply as licensing bench for the sale of alcohol (this fiscal reform also stripped the Lieutenant-Governor of most of his effective remaining administrative functions). The Income Tax Law of 1928 introducing income tax was the first law drafted entirely in English. Income tax has been levied at a flat rate of 20% set by the occupying Germans during World War II.

As VAT has not been levied in the island, luxury goods have often been cheaper than in the UK or in France, providing an incentive for tourism from neighbouring countries. The absence of VAT has also led to the growth of the fulfilment industry, whereby low-value luxury items, such as videos, lingerie and contact lenses are exported, avoiding VAT on arrival and thus undercutting local prices on the same products. In 2005, the States of Jersey announced limits on licences granted to non-resident companies trading in this way.

Although Jersey does not have VAT, the States of Jersey introduced a goods and services tax (GST) on 6 May 2008, at a standard rate of 3%. The rate was amended to 5% on the 1st June 2011. Some supplies are taxed at 0% and others exempt.

Jersey is not subject to European Union fiscal legislation and its Zero-Ten legislation will be compliant with the Code of Conduct in business taxation as from the removal of the deemed distribution and attribution anti-avoidance legislation as of 31 December 2011, which was apparently criticised by certain unnamed members of the Code of Conduct Group. The Code of Conduct Group, at least in theory, keeps most of its documentation and discussion confidential. The European Commission has confirmed that the Code is not a legal instrument, and therefore is not legally binding, only becoming of limited "political" authority once a unanimous report has been adopted by the Group at the end of the Presidency concerned.

Currency

Jersey issues its own Jersey banknotes and coins that circulate with UK coinage, Bank of England notes, Scottish notes and Guernsey currency within the island. Jersey currency is not legal tender outside Jersey: However, in the United Kingdom it is ''acceptable tender'' and can be surrendered at banks within that country in exchange for Bank of England-issued currency on a like-for-like basis.

Coinage

Designs on the reverse of Jersey coins: 1p Le Hocq Tower (coastal defence) 2p L'Hermitage, site where St. Helier lived 5p Seymour Tower (offshore defence)

10p La Pouquelaye de Faldouet (dolmen)

20p La Corbière Lighthouse

50p Grosnez Castle (ruins)

The main currency of Jersey is the pound, although in many places the euro is accepted because of the positioning of the island. Pound coins are issued, but are much less widely used than pound notes. Designs on the reverse of Jersey pound coins include historic ships built in Jersey and a series of the twelve parishes' crests. The motto round the milled edge of Jersey pound coins is '''' (). Two pound coins are issued also, but in very small quantities.

Demographics

The island has numerous residents born outside Jersey; 47% of the population are not native to the island. The total population is nearly 88,000. Thirty percent of the population is concentrated in Saint Helier, the island's only town.

Censuses have been undertaken in Jersey since 1821. The most recent was the 2001 Census conducted on March 11. Of the roughly 88,000 people in Jersey, around 40 percent identify as of Jersey / Norman descent and 40 percent of British (English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish) descent. The largest minority groups in the island are Portuguese (around 7%, especially Madeiran); and Irish. The ethnic French community is also present and there is a growing community of Russian immigrants .

The people of Jersey are often called islanders or, in individual terms, Jerseyman or Jerseywoman. Some Jersey-born people identify as British and value the special relationship between the British Crown and the island.

Religion in Jersey has a complex history and much diversity. The established church is the Church of England. In the countryside, Methodism found its traditional stronghold. A minority of Roman Catholics can also be found in Jersey. There are two Catholic private secondary schools: De La Salle College in Saint Saviour is an all-boys school, and Beaulieu Convent School in Saint Helier is an all-girls school; and FCJ primary school in St. Saviour. A Catholic order of Sisters has a presence in school life.

Immigration

Jersey belongs to the Common Travel Area and the definition of "United Kingdom" in the British Nationality Act 1981 is interpreted as including the UK and the Islands together.

For immigration and nationality purposes, the United Kingdom generally treats Jersey as though it were part of the UK. Jersey is constitutionally entitled to restrict immigration by non-Jersey residents, but control of immigration at the point of entry cannot be introduced for British, certain Commonwealth and EEA nationals without change to existing international law. Immigration is therefore controlled by a mixture of restrictions on those without ''residential status'' purchasing or renting property in the island and restrictions on employment. Migration policy is to move to a registration system to integrate residential and employment status. Jersey maintains its own immigration and border controls. United Kingdom immigration legislation may be extended to Jersey by order in council (subject to exceptions and adaptations) following consultation with Jersey and with Jersey's consent. Although Jersey citizens are full British citizens, an endorsement restricting the right of establishment in European Union states other than the UK is placed in the passports of British citizens connected solely with the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Those who have a parent or grandparent born in the United Kingdom, or who have lived in the United Kingdom for five years, are not subject to this restriction.

Historical large-scale immigration was facilitated by the introduction of steamships (from 1823). By 1840, up to 5,000 English people, mostly half-pay officers and their families, had settled in Jersey. In the aftermath of 1848, Polish, Russian, Hungarian, Italian and French political refugees came to Jersey. Following Louis Napoléon's coup of 1851, more French ''proscrits'' arrived. By the end of the 19th century, well-to-do British families, attracted by the lack of income tax, were settling in Jersey in increasing numbers, establishing St Helier as a predominantly English-speaking town.

Seasonal work in agriculture had depended mostly on Bretons and mainland Normans from the 19th century. The growth of tourism attracted staff from the United Kingdom. Following Liberation in 1945, agricultural workers were mostly recruited from the United Kingdom – the demands of reconstruction in mainland Normandy and Brittany employed domestic labour.

Until the 1960s, the population had been relatively stable for decades at around 60,000 (excluding the Occupation years). Economic growth spurred immigration and a rise in population. From the 1960s Portuguese workers arrived, mostly working initially in seasonal industries in agriculture and tourism.

A trend that has developed over the past few years is the setting up of recruitment agencies in a number of countries in the world, to employ either cheap labour (often from poor countries) or qualified/experienced labour. Amongst the countries that have been targeted for this type of recruitment are: Australia, Cyprus, Kenya, Latvia, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, and South Africa.

Culture

Until the 19th century, indigenous Jèrriais – a variety of Norman – was the language of the island, though French was used for official business. During the 20th century an intense language shift took place and Jersey today is predominantly English-speaking. Jèrriais nonetheless survives; around 2,600 islanders (three percent) are reckoned to be habitual speakers, and some 10,000 (12 percent) in all claim some knowledge of the language, particularly amongst the elderly in rural parishes. There have been efforts to revive Jèrriais in schools, and the highest number of declared Jèrriais speakers is in the capital.

The dialects of Jèrriais differ in phonology and, to a lesser extent, lexis between parishes, with the most marked differences to be heard between those of the west and east. Many place names are in Jèrriais, and French and English place names are also to be found. Anglicisation of the toponymy increased apace with the migration of English people to the island.

Some Neolithic carvings are the earliest works of artistic character to be found in Jersey. Only fragmentary wall-paintings remain from the rich mediaeval artistic heritage, after the wholesale iconoclasm of the Calvinist Reformation of the 16th century.

Printing arrived in Jersey only in the 1780s, but the island supported a multitude of regular publications in French (and Jèrriais) and English throughout the 19th century, in which poetry, most usually topical and satirical, flourished (see Jèrriais literature).

The island is particularly famous for the Battle of Flowers, a carnival held annually since 1902. Annual music festivals include Rock in the Park, Avanchi presents Jazz in July, Jersey Live, the music section of the Jersey Eisteddfod. Other festivals include ''La Fête dé Noué'' (Christmas festival), ''La Faîs'sie d'Cidre'' (cidermaking festival), the Battle of Britain air display, food festivals, and parish events. Branchage Jersey International Film Festival has recently become a major addition to Jersey's cultural calendar attracting filmmakers from all over the world.

The island's patron saint is Saint Helier.

Media

Broadcast

BBC Radio Jersey provides a radio service, and BBC Channel Islands News with headquarters in Jersey provides a joint television news service with Guernsey.

Channel Television is a regional ITV franchise shared with the Bailiwick of Guernsey but with its headquarters in Jersey.

Channel 103 is a commercial radio station.

The Frémont Point transmitting station is a facility for FM and television transmission at Frémont

Newspaper

Jersey's only newspaper, the ''Jersey Evening Post'', claims that it has an average issue readership of 73% of adults in Jersey and that over the course of a week 93 per cent of all adults will read a copy of the newspaper, it being the main printed source of local news and official notices. The newspaper features a weekly Jèrriais column accompanied by English-language précis.

Magazines

Lifestyle magazines include ''Gallery Magazine'' (monthly), ''Jersey Now'' (quarterly) and ''The Jersey Life'' (monthly).

''Les Nouvelles Chroniques du Don Balleine'' is a quarterly literary magazine in Jèrriais.

"20/20 magazine" is the island's only annual personal finance magazine; Global Assets the island's online quarterly international offshore finance magazine is also produced by the same company.

Grassroots Festival

Grassroots is the island's boutique summer festival which is held in July each year. This is the first music festival of the summer season and has chilled out, funky reggae, soul, funk, indie music, eco vibe. It is held in Val de la Mare Reservoir sitting directly back from St Ouen's main surfing beach and attracts over 4,500 people.

Jersey Live

Jersey Live is an indie/dance music festival held annually at The Royal Jersey Showground in the parish of Trinity. The festival has grown in popularity and size each year and has drawn interest from people outside the Channel Islands with foreign visitors making up approximately 27% of the 2006 crowd.

Cinema

In 1909, T.J. West established the first cinema in the Royal Hall in St. Helier, which became known as West's Cinema in 1923 (demolished 1977). The first talking picture, ''The Perfect Alibi'', was shown on 30 December 1929 at the Picture House in St. Helier. The Jersey Film Society was founded on 11 December 1947 at the Café Bleu, West's Cinema. The large Art Deco Forum Cinema was opened in 1935 – during the German occupation this was used for German propaganda films.

The Odeon Cinema was opened 2 June 1952 and, was later rebranded in the early 21st century as the Forum cinema. Its owners, however, struggled to meet tough competition from the Cineworld Cinemas group, which opened a 10 screen multiplex on the waterfront centre in St. Helier on reclaimed land in December 2002 and the Forum closed its doors in late 2008.

Since 1997, Kevin Lewis (formerly of the Cine Centre and the New Forum) has arranged the Jersey Film Festival, a charity event showing the latest and also classic films outdoors in 35 mm on a big screen. The 2006 festival was held in Howard Davis Park, St Saviour, on the 12–18 August 2006. In 2008 the boutique ''Branchage'' film festival was held.

In August 2006, plans were revealed to convert the former Odeon building into a department store while retaining the landmark architecture.

Food and drink

Seafood has traditionally been important to the cuisine of Jersey: mussels (called ''moules'' locally), oysters, lobster and crabs – especially spider crabs – ormers, and conger.

Jersey milk being very rich, cream and butter have played a large part in insular cooking. ''(See Channel Island milk)'' However there is no indigenous tradition of cheese making, contrary to the custom of mainland Normandy, but some cheese is produced commercially. Jersey fudge, mostly imported and made with milk from overseas Jersey cattle herds, is a popular food product with tourists.

Jersey Royal potatoes are the local variety of new potato, and the island is famous for its early crop of Chats (small potatoes) from the south-facing côtils (steeply sloping fields). Originally grown using vraic as a natural fertiliser giving them their own individual taste, only a small portion of those grown in the island still use this method. They are eaten in a variety of ways, often simply boiled and served with butter or when not as fresh fried in butter.

Apples historically were an important crop. ''Bourdélots'' are apple dumplings, but the most typical speciality is black butter (''lé nièr beurre''), a dark spicy spread prepared from apples, cider and spices. Cider used to be an important export. After decline and near-disappearance in the late 20th century, apple production is being increased and promoted. Apple brandy is also produced, as is some wine.

Among other traditional dishes are cabbage loaf, Jersey wonders (''les mèrvelles''), fliottes, bean crock (''les pais au fou''), nettle (''ortchie'') soup, vraic buns.

Sport

In its own right Jersey participates in the Commonwealth Games and in the biennial Island Games, which it last hosted in 1997.

In sporting events in which Jersey does not have international representation, when the British Home Nations are competing separately, islanders that do have high athletic skill may choose to compete for any of the Home Nations – there are, however, restrictions on subsequent transfers to represent another Home Nation.

Jersey is an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Jersey cricket team plays in the Inter-insular match among others. The Jersey cricket team competed in the World Division 4, held in Tanzania in October 2008, after recently finishing as runners-up and therefore being promoted from the World Division 5 held in Jersey. They also competed in the European Division 2, held in Guernsey during August 2008. The youth cricket teams have been promoted to play in the European Division 1 alongside Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Guernsey. In two tournaments at this level Jersey have finished 6th.

For horseracing, Les Landes Racecourse can be found at Les Landes in St. Ouen next to the ruins of Grosnez Castle.

The Jersey Football Association supervises football in Jersey. The Jersey Football Combination has 9 teams in its top division. The 2006/07 champions were Jersey Scottish where Ross Crick is the top scorer. The Jersey national football team plays in the annual Muratti competition among others.

Jersey has two public indoor swimming pools. Swimming in the sea, surfing, windsurfing and other marine sports are practised. Jersey Swimming Club have organised an annual swim from Elizabeth Castle to Saint Helier Harbour for over 50 years. A round-island swim is a major challenge that a select number of swimmers have achieved. The Royal Channel Island Yacht Club is based in Jersey.

There is one facility for extreme sports and some facilities for youth sports. Coastal cliffs provide opportunities for rock climbing.

In golf, two golfers from Jersey have won The Open Championship 7 times between them, Harry Vardon winning 6 times and Ted Ray winning once. Harry and Ted have also won the US Open one time each and Harry's brother Tom Vardon has had some smaller wins on European Tours.

Jersey has one un-roofed skateboarding park

Books

There are a number of Jersey-based authors including Sinclair Forrest, author of the 2007 novel, The Dragon of Angur.

Education

Schools

The States of Jersey provides education through state schools (including a fee-paying option at secondary level) and also supports private schools. The Jersey curriculum generally follows that of England.

Further and higher education

Jersey has a college of further education and university centre, Highlands College. As well as offering part-time and evening courses Highlands is the largest sixth form provider in the Island, and works collaboratively with a range of organisations including the Open University, University of Plymouth and London South Bank University. In particular students can study at Highlands for the two year Foundation Degree in Financial Services and for BSc Social Sciences, both validated by the University of Plymouth.

The Institute of Law is Jersey's law school, providing a course for students seeking to qualify as Jersey advocates and solicitors. It also provides teaching for students enrolled on the University of London LLB degree programme, via the International Programmes. The Open University supports students in Jersey (but they pay higher fees than UK students). Private sector higher education providers include the Jersey International Business School.

Environment

Three areas of land are protected for their ecological or geological interest as Sites of Special Interest (SSI): Les Landes, Les Blanches Banques and La Lande du Ouest. A large area of intertidal zone is designated as a Ramsar site.

Jersey is the home of Durrell Wildlife (formerly known as the Jersey Zoological Park) founded by the naturalist, zookeeper, and author Gerald Durrell.

Biodiversity

Four species of small mammal are considered native: the wood mouse (''Apodemus sylvaticus''), the Jersey bank vole (''Myodes glareolus caesarius''), the Lesser white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura suaveolens'') and the French shrew (''Sorex coronatus''). Three wild mammals are well-established introductions: the rabbit (introduced in the mediaeval period), the red squirrel and the hedgehog (both introduced in the 19th century). The stoat (''Mustela erminea'') became extinct in Jersey between 1976 and 2000. The Green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) is a protected species of reptile; Jersey is its only habitat in the British Isles.

Trees generally considered native are the alder (''Alnus glutinosa''), silver birch (''Betula pendula''), sweet chestnut (''Castanea sativa''), hazel (''Corylus avellana''), hawthorn (''Crataegus monogyna''), beech (''Fagus sylvatica''), ash (''Fraxinus excelsior''), aspen (''Populus tremula''), wild cherry (''Prunus avium''), blackthorn (''Prunus spinosa''), holm oak (''Quercus ilex''), oak (''Quercus robur''), sallow (''Salix cinerea''), elder (''Sambucus nigra''), elm (''Ulmus'' spp.), and medlar (''Mespilus germanica''). Among notable introduced species, the cabbage palm (''Cordyline australis'') has been planted in coastal areas and may be seen in many gardens.

Notable marine species include the ormer, conger, bass, undulate ray, grey mullet, ballan wrasse and garfish. Marine mammals include the bottlenosed dolphin and grey seal.

Emergency services

Emergency services are provided by the States of Jersey Police with the support of the Honorary Police as necessary, States of Jersey Ambulance Service, Jersey Fire and Rescue Service and the Jersey Coastguard. The Jersey Fire and Rescue Service and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution operate an inshore rescue and lifeboat service; Channel Islands Air Search provides rapid response airborne search of the surrounding waters.

The States of Jersey Fire Service was formed in 1938 when the States took over the Saint Helier Fire Brigade, which had been formed in 1901.

The first lifeboat was equipped, funded by the States, in 1830. The RNLI established a lifeboat station in 1884.

Border security and Customs controls are undertaken by the States of Jersey Customs and Immigration Service.

People

Henry Cavill, actor

Graeme Le Saux, footballer

Ted Ray, golfer (1877-1943)

Harry Vardon, golfer (1870-1937)

See also

Footnotes and references

Print

''Jersey Through the Centuries'', Leslie Sinel, Jersey 1984, ISBN 0-86120-003-9

Further reading

Balleine's History of Jersey, Marguerite Syvret and Joan Stevens (1998) ISBN 1-86077-065-7

A Biographical Dictionary of Jersey, G.R. Balleine

;Archaeology

The Archaeology of the Channel Islands. Vol. 2: The Bailiwick of Jersey by Jacquetta Hawkes (1939)

The Prehistoric Foundations of Europe to the Mycenean Age, 1940, C. F. C. Hawkes

Jersey in Prehistory, Mark Patton, 1987

The Archaeology and Early History of the Channel Islands, Heather Sebire, 2005.

Dolmens of Jersey: A Guide, James Hibbs (1988).

A Guide to The Dolmens of Jersey, Peter Hunt, Société Jersiaise, 1998.

Statements in Stone: Monuments and Society in Neolithic Brittany, Mark Patton, 1993

Hougue Bie, Mark Patton, Warwick Rodwell, Olga Finch, 1999

The Channel Islands, An Archaeological Guide, David Johnston, 1981

The Archaeology of the Channel Islands, Peter Johnston, 1986

;Cattle One Hundred Years of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society 1833–1933. Compiled from the Society's Records, by H.G. Shepard, Secretary Eric J. Boston. Jersey Cattle, 1954 ;Religion

The Channel Islands under Tudor Government, A.J. Eagleston

Reformation and Society in Guernsey, D.M. Ogier

International Politics and the Establishment of Presbytarianism in the Channel Islands: The Coutances Connection, C.S.L. Davies

Religion, History and G.R. Balleine: The Reformation in Jersey, by J. St John Nicolle, The Pilot Magazine

The Reformation in Jersey: The Process of Change over Two centuries, J. St John Nicolle

The Chroniques de Jersey in the light of contemporary documents, BSJ, AJ Eagleston

The Portrait of Richard Mabon, BSJ, Joan Stevens

External links

States of Jersey site

Jersey Tourism

Jersey Elections site

BBC Jersey

Isle News Jersey

Jersey in ''The World Factbook''

Category:Island countries Category:Crown dependencies

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