New Jersey is the 3^rd state in the USA; it became a state on December 18, 1787.

It was named from the British Channel Isle of Jersey.

New Jersey has developed wide industrial diversification and is known as the "Crossroads of the East."

New Jersey ranks high in the production of almost all garden vegetables. It also produces cranberries, blueberries and peaches.

The Atlantic Coastal Plain covers the southern 3/5 of New Jersey. In the east the landscape consists of pine forests and salt marshes.

Closer to the Atlantic coast, the salt marshes are more plentiful and shallow lagoons and meadows characterize the area.

In the west and southwest, along the Delaware River, the fertile soil supports farming.