New Jersey State Facts – Part I

1. State Capital – Trenton
2. State nickname – The Garden State
3. State motto – Liberty and prosperity
4. Population – 8,791,894 (2010 Census)
5. Population rank – 11^th
6. Physical Size – 8,721 sq. mi.
7. Physical Size rank – 47^th
8. Population density – 1189 per sq. mi.
9. Population density rank – 1^st
10. Number of counties – 21
11. Largest county by population – Bergen (905,116)
12. Smallest county by population – Salem (66,083)
13. Highest elevation – High Point (1,803 ft.)
14. Tallest building – 30 Hudson Street (781 ft.)
15. Lowest elevation – Atlantic Ocean, sea level
16. Record highest temperature – 110 F (43 C) – July 10, 1936
17. Record lowest temperature – -34 F (-37 C) – January 5, 1904
18. Date Joined Union – December 18, 1787
19. Date Joined Union rank – 3rd
20. Adjoining states or countries – New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware
21. Flag Fact – The flag of the state of New Jersey includes the state’s coat of arms on a buff-colored background. The buff color is due indirectly to George Washington, who had ordered that the uniform coats of the New Jersey Continental Like be dark blue, with buff facings. The Continental War Officers in Philadelphia later directed that the uniform coat facings of all regiments were to be the same as the background color of the regiments’ state flag.
22. State quarter – The New Jersey quarter, the third state quarter issued, depicts General George Washington and members of the Continental Army crossing the Delaware River en route to very important victories during the Revolutionary War. Underneath the depiction are the words “CROSSROADS OF THE REVOLUTION.” Above the image is the year of New Jersey’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution 1787.
23. State seal – The Great Seal of the State of New Jersey (adopted in 1777 and modified in 1928) includes:
    • A shield with three plows, representative of New Jersey’s agricultural tradition
    • A forward-facing knight’s helmet
    • A horse’s head as the crest of the helmet
    • The female figures Liberty and Ceres, representative of the state’s motto
    • A streamer at the foot of the emblem, containing the state motto “Liberty and Prosperity,” as well as its year of statehood (1776)
24. State American folk dance – Square Dance
25. State animal – Horse