Higher Education  

New Jersey has about thirty colleges and universities, as well as approximately twenty community colleges. The official state university is Rutgers University, which has campuses in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden. State colleges are the College of New Jersey in Ewing, Kean University in Union, Montclair State University in Montclair, Ramapo College of New Jersey in Mahwah, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Pomona, Rowan University in Glassboro, Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, and William Paterson University of New Jersey in Wayne Township. Private institutions include Centenary College in Hackettstown, Drew University in Madison, Fairleigh Dickinson University at Florham, Princeton University in Princeton, Rider University in Lawrenceville, Seton Hall University in South Orange, and the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.

Geography

New Jersey, which covers 20,295 square kilometers, can be divided into four main regions: the Appalachian Ridge and Valley; the New England Highlands; the Piedmont Plateau; and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Located in the northwestern corner of the state, the Appalachian Ridge and Valley region is part of a geographic area that runs from New York to Alabama. The New England Highlands region consists of low, flat-topped mountains. Covering the northeastern portion of the state is the Piedmont Plateau, which includes the Ramapo and Watchung mountains. A generally flat area, the Atlantic Coastal Plain occupies more than half of the state. The state's longest rivers are the Hudson and the Delaware. Major cities include Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, and Trenton (capital). New Jersey's population is over 8.6 million.

Climate

Southern New Jersey is somewhat warmer than the northern part of the state. July temperatures average 24° C in the south and 21° C in the north. However, January temperatures average 1.1° C in the south and 2.2° C in the north. The average annual precipitation ranges from 40 inches on the southeastern coast to about 50 inches in the north central part of the state.

Cultural Profile

Museums in New Jersey include the Newark Museum in Newark, the Garden State Discovery Museum in Cherry Hill, the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey in Teteboro, the Princeton University Art Museum in Princeton, and the Air Victory Museum in Lumberton.

To watch a concert, visit the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Catch a play at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. Visit the McCarter Theatre in Princeton one of the country's leading regional theatres. There are several other theatre/concert halls in the area including the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, the Stony Pony in Ashbury Park, and the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank..

Recreation

New Jersey has thirty state parks and fourteen state forests. Jersey City's Liberty State Park, which is located on the banks of the Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, provides an excellent view of the Manhattan skyline. Other places of interest include the Hackensack Meadowlands Environmental Center, Palisades Interstate Park, the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area, Morristown National Historical Park, Lambert Castle, Edison National Historic Site, and Allaire Village in Allaire State Park.

Interesting Facts

New Jersey leads the US in the production of pharmaceuticals. Famous people from New Jersey include Edwin Eugene (Buzz) Aldrin (astronaut), William (Count) Basie (jazz pianist and composer), Grover Cleveland (twenty-second and twenty-fourth president of the United States), James Fenimore Cooper (novelist), Allen Ginsburg (poet), Whitney Houston (singer/entertainer), Joyce Kilmer (poet), Paul Robeson (singer), Philip Roth (author), Frank Sinatra (singer and actor), Bruce Springsteen (musician), John Stevens (inventor), and Patience Lovell Wright (sculptor).