New Jersey is a state located in both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States, at the geographic hub of the heavily urbanized Northeast megalopolis. New Jersey is bordered to the northwest, north, and northeast by New York State ; on its east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean ; on its west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania ; and on its southwest by the Delaware Bay and Delaware. At 7, square miles 19, km 2 , New Jersey is the fifth-smallest state in land area , but with over 9.
Census Bureau estimates, its highest population ever, the state ranks 11th in population. The state capital is Trenton , and the state's most populous city is Newark. New Jersey is the only U. Census Bureau, and is the most densely populated U. New Jersey was first inhabited by Paleo-Indians as early as 13, B. The Lenape were the dominant Indigenous group when Europeans arrived in the early 17th century, and they were subdivived into dialectal groups such as the Munsee, in the north, and the Unami and the Unalachtigo, elsewhere.
New Jersey was among the Thirteen Colonies that supported the American Revolution , hosting several pivotal battles and military commands in the American Revolutionary War. New Jersey remained in the Union during the American Civil War and provided troops, resources, and military leaders in support of the Union Army. After the war, the state emerged as a major manufacturing center and a leading destination for immigrants, helping drive the Industrial Revolution in the U. New Jersey was the site of many industrial, technological, and commercial innovations.
New Jersey's central location in the Northeast megalopolis helped fuel its rapid growth and suburbanization in the second half of the 20th century. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the state's economy has become highly diversified, with major sectors including biotechnology , pharmaceuticals , information technology , finance , and tourism, and it has become an Atlantic seaboard epicenter for logistics and distribution.
New Jersey remains a major destination for immigrants and is home to one of the world's most multicultural populations. New Jersey is one of the most educated, affluent, healthy, diverse and highly developed states in the U. According to climatology research by the U. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , New Jersey has been the fastest-warming state by average air temperature over a year period beginning in the early 20th century, which has been attributed to warming of the North Atlantic Ocean.
