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About New Jersey:
Geography, Counties and Municipalities

General Information About New Jersey

New Jersey, also called The Garden State, is one of the original thirteen states of the Union, and is named for the English Channel's Isle of Jersey, the birthplace of one of New Jersey's original owners, Sir George Carteret.

Counties and Municipalities
The 47th largest state in the U.S., New Jersey is comprised of:

• 21 counties
• 324 municipalities
• 242 townships
• 549 school districts
• 276 special districts

An elected board of freeholders governs each of the 21 counties.

New Jersey's Supreme Court is the state's highest court, with a chief justice and six associate judges. The Superior Court has 395 judges and the Appellate Division has 34 judges, all appointed to a 7-year term by the governor, with the senate's consent. 2 senators and 13 representatives are elected to the U.S. Congress.

Fun Facts About New Jersey:

Capitol: Trenton
Nickname: Garden State
State Tree: Red Oak
State Flower: Violet
State Bird: Eastern Goldfinch
2000 Population: 8,414,350- 9th among the U.S. states
Size: 47th largest state in the U.S., with 8,722 square miles, including 130 miles of beach
Three largest cities: Newark, Jersey City and Paterson
The first public library was founded in Trenton in 1750. Today, New Jersey has more than 380 public libraries.
Agriculture, Mining, Manufacturing and Tourism make up the state's main economy.

New Jersey's Importance to the Region

New Jersey serves as an important link to New York and New England, with 39,000 miles of roads that includes 430 miles of highways. The greatest of these is the New Jersey Turnpike, a major North-South artery.

Bridges and tunnels connect New Jersey with New York City, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Almost 1600 miles of Class I railroad track, along with seaports at Newark, Elizabeth, Paulsboro, Camden, Gloucester City, and Trenton serve to make New Jersey an important area for commerce. Of New Jersey's 49 public airports, Newark International Airport is the busiest, serving as one of the three major airports in the New York City metropolitan area.