{{infobox u.s. state |name

New Jersey |Fullname State of New Jersey |Flag Flag of New Jersey.svg |Flaglink Flag |Seal Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg |Map New Jersey in United States.svg |Nickname The Garden State |Motto Liberty and prosperity |Former Province of New Jersey |Capital Trenton |LargestCity Newark |Demonym New Jerseyan, New Jerseyite |Governor Chris Christie (R) |Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno (R) |Legislature New Jersey Legislature |Upperhouse Senate |Lowerhouse General Assembly |Senators Frank Lautenberg (D)Bob Menendez (D) |Representative7 Democrats, 6 Republicans |PostalAbbreviation NJ |TradAbbreviation N.J. |OfficialLang None |AreaRank 47th |TotalAreaUS 8,721 |TotalArea 22,608 |LandAreaUS 7,425 |LandArea 19,231 |WaterAreaUS 1,304 |WaterArea 3,378 |PCWater 14.9 |2000Pop 8,821,155 (2011 est) |PopRank 11th |DensityRank 1st |2000DensityUS 1189 |2000Density 459 |MedianHouseholdIncome $70,378 |IncomeRank 2nd |AdmittanceOrder 3rd |AdmittanceDate December 18, 1787 |TimeZone Eastern: UTC -5/-4 |Latitude 38° 56′ N to 41° 21′ N |Longitude 73° 54′ W to 75° 34′ W |WidthUS 70 |Width 112 |LengthUS 170 |Length 273 |HighestPoint High Point |HighestElevUS 1,803 |HighestElev 549.6 |MeanElevUS 250 |MeanElev 80 |LowestPoint Atlantic Ocean |LowestElevUS 0 |LowestElev 0 |ISOCode US-NJ |ElectoralVotes 15 |Website www.nj.gov }}

name	New Jersey
flag	Flag of New Jersey.svg
seal	Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg
nickname	The Garden State
motto	Liberty and prosperity
capital	Trenton
animal	Horse
marine mammal	None
beverage	None
bird	Eastern Goldfinch
colors	Buff and Blue
dance	Square Dance
fish	Brook trout
flower	Viola sororia
folkdance	None
fossil	duck-billed dinosaur
rock	None
gemstone	None
grass	None
insect	European honey bee
marine fish	None
mineral	None
quarter	1999 NJ Proof.png
quarterreleasedate	1999
reptile	None
tree	Quercus rubra
wildflower	None
rock	None
song	None
soil	Honeoye
tartan	None
route marker	Circle sign 33.svg }}

New Jersey () is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the U.S. state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania, and on the southwest by Delaware. New Jersey is the 4th least extensive, but the 11th most populous and the most densely populated of the 50 United States. New Jersey lies mostly within the sprawling metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. It is also the third wealthiest by 2009–2010 median household income.

The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years, with historical tribes such as the Lenape along the coast. In the early 17th century, the Dutch and the Swedes made the first European settlements. The British later seized control of the region, naming it the Province of New Jersey. It was granted as a colony to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton. At this time, it was named after the largest of the British Channel Islands, Jersey, Carteret's birthplace. New Jersey was the site of several decisive battles during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, factories in cities such as Elizabeth, Paterson, and Trenton helped to drive the Industrial Revolution. New Jersey's position at the center of the Northeast megalopolis, between Boston and New York City to the northeast, and Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. to the southwest, fueled its rapid growth through the process of suburbanization in the 1950s and beyond.

Geography[link]

New Jersey is bordered on the north and northeast by New York (parts of which are across the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, and the Arthur Kill); on the east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the southwest by Delaware across Delaware Bay; and on the west by Pennsylvania across the Delaware River.

New Jersey can be thought of as five regions, based on natural geography and population. Northeastern New Jersey, the Gateway Region, lies within the New York City Metropolitan Area, and some residents commute into the city to work. Northwestern New Jersey, or the "Skylands", is, compared to the northeast, more wooded, rural, and mountainous. The "Shore", along the Atlantic Coast in the central-east and southeast, has its own natural, residential, and lifestyle characteristics owing to its location by the ocean. The Delaware Valley includes the southwestern counties of the state, which reside within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. The fifth region is the Pine Barrens in the interior of the southern part. Covered rather extensively by mixed pine and oak forest, it has a much lower population density than much of the rest of the state.

New Jersey also can be broadly divided into three geographic regions: North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. Some New Jersey residents do not consider Central Jersey a region in its own right, but others believe it is a separate geographic and cultural area from the North and South.

The federal Office of Management and Budget divides New Jersey's counties into seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas, including sixteen counties in the New York City or Philadelphia metro areas. Four counties have independent metro areas, and Warren County is part of the Pennsylvania-based Lehigh Valley metro area. (See Metropolitan Statistical Areas of New Jersey for details.)

It is also at the center of the Northeast megalopolis.

Additionally, the New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth, & Tourism Commission divides the state into six distinct regions to facilitate the state's tourism industry. The regions are:

Gateway Region, encompassing Middlesex County, Union County, Essex County, Hudson County, Bergen County, and Passaic County.

Skylands Region, encompassing Sussex County, Morris County, Warren County, Hunterdon County, and Somerset County.

Shore Region, encompassing Monmouth County and Ocean County.

Delaware River Region, encompassing Mercer County, Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Salem County.

Greater Atlantic City Region, encompassing Atlantic County.

Southern Shore Region, encompassing Cumberland County and Cape May County.

High Point, in Montague Township, Sussex County, is the highest elevation, at . The Palisades are a line of steep cliffs on the lower west side of the Hudson River.

Major rivers include the Hudson, Delaware, Raritan, Passaic, Hackensack, Rahway, Musconetcong, Mullica, Rancocas, Manasquan, Maurice, and Toms rivers.

Sandy Hook, along the eastern coast, is a popular recreational beach. It is a barrier spit and an extension of the Barnegat Peninsula along the state's Atlantic Ocean coast.

Long Beach Island ("LBI"), a barrier island along the eastern coast, has popular recreational beaches. The primary access point to the island is by a single bridge connection to the mainland. Barnegat Lighthouse is on the northern tip.

Areas managed by the National Park Service include:

Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Delaware National Scenic River

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Ellis Island National Monument

Gateway National Recreation Area in Monmouth County

Great Egg Harbor River

Morristown National Historical Park in Morristown

New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route

New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve

Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange

Prominent geographic features include:

Delaware Water Gap

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

The Highlands

New Jersey Meadowlands

Pine Barrens

South Mountain

Climate[link]

As with many other geographic features, New Jersey's climate divides into regions. The south, central, and northeast parts of the state have a humid mesothermal climate, while the northwest has a humid continental climate (microthermal), with slightly cooler temperatures due to higher elevation. New Jersey receives between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually.

Summers are typically hot and humid, with statewide average high temperatures of and lows of ; however, temperatures exceed on average 25 days each summer, though rarely exceed . Winters are usually cold, with average high temperatures of and lows of for most of the state, but temperatures could, for brief interludes, be as low as and sometimes rise to . Northwestern parts of the state have slightly colder winters with average temperatures just below freezing. Spring and autumn may feature wide temperature variations, with lower humidity than summer.

Average annual precipitation ranges from , uniformly spread through the year. Average snowfall per winter season ranges from in the south and near the seacoast, in the northeast and central part of the state, to about in the northwestern highlands, but this varies from year to year. Precipitation falls on an average of 120 days a year, with 25 to 30 thunderstorms, most of which occur during the summer.

During winter and early spring, New Jersey can in some years experience "nor'easters", which are capable of causing blizzards or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. Hurricanes and tropical storms (such as Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999), tornadoes, and earthquakes are rare.

>

City

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:5px;;"

! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:5px;;"

! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:5px;;"

! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:5px;;"

History[link]

Around 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, New Jersey bordered North Africa. The pressure of the collision between North America and Africa gave rise to the Appalachian Mountains. Around 18,000 years ago, the Ice Age resulted in glaciers that reached New Jersey. As the glaciers retreated, they left behind Lake Passaic, as well as many rivers, swamps, and gorges.

New Jersey was originally settled by Native Americans, with the Lenni-Lenape being dominant at the time Europeans arrived. The Lenape were loosely organized groups that practiced small-scale agriculture (mainly based on corn) in order to increase their largely mobile hunter-gatherer society in the region surrounding the Delaware River, the lower Hudson River, and western Long Island Sound. The Lenape society was divided into matrilinear clans that were based upon common female ancestors. These clans were organized into three distinct phratries identified by their animal sign: Turtle, Turkey, and Wolf. They first encountered the Dutch in the early 17th century, and their primary relationship with the Europeans was through fur trade.

Colonial era[link]

New Jersey was first claimed by the Dutch. The Dutch colony of New Netherland consisted of parts of modern Middle Atlantic states. Although the European principle of land ownership was not recognized by the Lenape, Dutch West India Company policy required their colonists to purchase land which they settled. The first to do so was Michiel Pauw who established a patronship named Pavonia along the North River which eventually became the Bergen. Peter Minuit's purchase of lands along the Delaware River establish the colony of New Sweden. The entire region became a territory of England in 1664, when an English fleet under the command of Colonel Richard Nicolls sailed into what is today New York Harbor and took control of Fort Amsterdam, annexing the entire province.

During the English Civil War the Channel Island of Jersey remained loyal to the Crown and gave sanctuary to the King. It was from the Royal Square in St. Helier that Charles II of England was first proclaimed King in 1649, following the execution of his father, Charles I. The North American lands were divided by Charles II, who gave his brother, the Duke of York (later King James II), the region between New England and Maryland as a proprietary colony (as opposed to a royal colony). James then granted the land between the Hudson River and the Delaware River (the land that would become New Jersey) to two friends who had remained loyal through the English Civil War: Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton. The area was named the Province of New Jersey. Since the state's inception, New Jersey has been characterized by ethnic and religious diversity. New England Congregationalists settled alongside Scots Presbyterians and Dutch Reformed migrants. While the majority of residents lived in towns with individual landholdings of , a few rich proprietors owned vast estates. English Quakers and Anglicans owned large landholdings. Unlike Plymouth Colony, Jamestown and other colonies, New Jersey was populated by a secondary wave of immigrants who came from other colonies instead of those who migrated directly from Europe. New Jersey remained agrarian and rural throughout the colonial era, and commercial farming only developed sporadically. Some townships, such as Burlington on the Delaware River and Perth Amboy, emerged as important ports for shipping to New York and Philadelphia. The colony's fertile lands and tolerant religious policy drew more settlers, and New Jersey boasted a population of 120,000 by 1775.

Settlement for the first 10 years of English rule was along Hackensack River and Arthur Kill and settlers came primarily from New England. Unlike other colonies that were settled by immigrants from Europe, New Jersey was populated by a secondary wave of settlement from communities already established on the North American continent. March 18, 1673, Berkeley sold his half of the colony to Quakers in England, who settled the Delaware Valley region as a Quaker colony. (William Penn acted as trustee for the lands for a time.) New Jersey was governed very briefly as two distinct provinces, East and West Jersey, for 28 years between 1674 and 1702, at times part of the Province of New York or Dominion of New England.

In 1702, the two provinces were reunited under a royal, rather than a proprietary, governor. Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, became the first governor of the colony as a royal colony. Lord Cornbury was an ineffective and corrupt ruler, taking bribes and speculating on land, so in 1708 he was recalled to England. New Jersey was then ruled by the governors of New York, but this infuriated the settlers of New Jersey, who accused those governors of favoritism to New York. Judge Lewis Morris led the case for a separate governor, and was appointed governor by King George II in 1738.

Revolutionary War era[link]

New Jersey was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. The New Jersey Constitution of 1776 was passed July 2, 1776, just two days before the Second Continental Congress declared American Independence from Great Britain. It was an act of the Provincial Congress, which made itself into the state Legislature. To reassure neutrals, it provided that it would become void if New Jersey reached reconciliation with Great Britain. New Jersey representatives Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, and Abraham Clark were among those who signed the United States Declaration of Independence.

During the American Revolutionary War, British and American armies crossed New Jersey numerous times, and several pivotal battles took place in the state. Because of this, New Jersey today is often referred to as "The Crossroads of the Revolution." The winter quarters of the revolutionary army were established there twice by General George Washington in Morristown, which was called the military capital of the revolution.

On December 25, 1776, the Continental Army under George Washington crossed the Delaware River. After the crossing, he surprised and defeated the unprepared Hessian troops in the Battle of Trenton. Slightly more than a week after victory at Trenton, on January 3, 1777, American forces gained an important victory by stopping General Cornwallis's charges at the Second Battle of Trenton. By evading Cornwallis's army, Washington made a surprise attack on Princeton and successfully defeated the British forces there. Emanuel Leutze's painting of ''Washington Crossing the Delaware'' became an icon of the Revolution.

American forces under Washington met the forces under General Henry Clinton at the Battle of Monmouth in an indecisive engagement in June 1778. Washington attempted to take the British column by surprise; when the British army attempted to flank the Americans, the Americans retreated in disorder. The ranks were later reorganized and withstood the British charges.

In the summer of 1783, the Continental Congress met in Nassau Hall at Princeton University, making Princeton the nation's capital for four months. It was there that the Continental Congress learned of the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended the war.

On December 18, 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the United States Constitution, which was overwhelmingly popular in New Jersey, as it prevented New York and Pennsylvania from charging and keeping tariffs on goods imported from Europe. On November 20, 1789, the state became the first in the newly formed Union to ratify the Bill of Rights.

The 1776 New Jersey State Constitution gave the vote to "all inhabitants" who had a certain level of wealth. This included women and blacks, but not married women, because they could not own property separately from their husbands. Both sides, in several elections, claimed that the other side had had unqualified women vote and mocked them for use of "petticoat electors" (entitled to vote or not); on the other hand, both parties passed Voting Rights Acts. In 1807, the legislature passed a bill interpreting the constitution to mean universal ''white male'' suffrage, excluding paupers. (This was less revolutionary than it sounds: the "constitution" was itself only an act of the legislature.)

19th century[link]

On February 15, 1804, New Jersey became the last northern state to abolish new slavery and enacted legislation that slowly phased out existing slavery. This led to a gradual scale-down of the slave population. By the close of the Civil War about a dozen African Americans in New Jersey were still apprenticed freedmen. New Jersey voters initially refused to ratify the constitutional amendments banning slavery and granting rights to the United States' black population.

In 1844, the second state constitution was ratified and brought into effect. Counties thereby became districts for the State Senate, and some realignment of boundaries (including the creation of Mercer County) immediately followed. This provision was retained in the 1947 Constitution, but was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1962 by the decision Baker v. Carr. While the Governorship was stronger than under the 1776 constitution, the constitution of 1844 created many offices that were not responsible to him, or to the people, and it gave him a three-year term, but he could not succeed himself.

Unlike the Revolutionary War, no Civil War battles took place within the state. However, throughout the course of the Civil War, over 80,000 from New Jersey enlisted in the Northern army to defeat the Southern Confederacy. New Jersey was one of the few Northern states (the others being Delaware and Kentucky) to select a candidate other than Abraham Lincoln twice in national elections, and sided with Stephen Douglas (1860) and George B. McClellan (1864) during their campaigns. McClellan later became governor (1878–81). During the Civil War, the state was led first by Republican Governor Charles Smith Olden, then by Democrat Joel Parker.

In the Industrial Revolution, cities like Paterson grew and prospered. Previously, the economy had been largely agrarian, which was problematically subject to crop failures and poor soil. This caused a shift to a more industrialized economy, one based on manufactured commodities such as textiles and silk. Inventor Thomas Edison also became an important figure of the Industrial Revolution, having been granted 1,093 patents, many of which for inventions he developed while working in New Jersey. Edison's facilities, first at Menlo Park and then in West Orange, are considered perhaps the first research centers in the U.S. Christie Street in Menlo Park was the first thoroughfare in the world to have electric lighting. Transportation was greatly improved as locomotion and steamboats were introduced to New Jersey.

Iron mining was also a leading industry during the middle to late 19th century. Bog iron pits in the Southern New Jersey Pinelands were among the first sources of iron for the new nation. Mines such as Mt. Hope, Mine Hill and the Rockaway Valley Mines created a thriving industry. Mining generated the impetus for new towns and was one of the driving forces behind the need for the Morris Canal. Zinc mines were also a major industry, especially the Sterling Hill Mine.

20th century[link]

Through both World Wars, New Jersey was a center for war production, especially in naval construction. Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers were all made in this state. In addition, Fort Dix (1917) (originally called "Camp Dix"), Camp Merritt (1917) and Camp Kilmer (1941) were all constructed to house and train American soldiers through both World Wars. New Jersey also became a principal location for defense in the Cold War. Fourteen Nike Missile stations were constructed, especially for the defense of New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ''PT-109'', a motor torpedo boat commanded by Lt. (j.g.) John F. Kennedy in World War II, was built at the Elco Boatworks in Bayonne. The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) was briefly docked at the Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne in the 1950s before she was sent to Kearney to be scrapped. In 1962, the world's first nuclear-powered cargo ship, the NS Savannah, was launched at Camden.

New Jersey prospered through the Roaring Twenties. The first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921 in Atlantic City, the first drive-in movie was shown in 1933 in Camden, and the Holland Tunnel opened in 1927. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the state offered begging licenses to unemployed residents, the zeppelin airship Hindenburg crashed in flames over Lakehurst, and the SS Morro Castle beached itself near Asbury Park after going up in flames while at sea.

In 1951, the New Jersey Turnpike opened, permitting fast travel by car and truck between North Jersey (and metropolitan New York) and South Jersey (and metropolitan Philadelphia).

In the 1960s, race riots erupted in many of the industrial cities of North Jersey. The first race riots in New Jersey occurred in Jersey City on August 2, 1964. Several others ensued in 1967, in Newark and Plainfield. Other riots followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968, just as in the rest of the country. A riot occurred in Camden in 1971.

As a result of an order from the New Jersey Supreme Court to fund schools equitably, the New Jersey legislature reluctantly passed an income tax bill in 1976. Prior to this bill, the state had no income tax.

21st century[link]

Originally competing at Giants Stadium before moving to adjacent MetLife Stadium in 2010, the Giants and Jets franchises felt the Meadowlands and its sports venues were outdated by today's professional sports standards. This also led to the Devils' relocation from the Izod Center to the Prudential Center in Newark at the start of the 2007–08 season. The Brooklyn Nets, also formerly based at the Izod Center, left for the Prudential Center in 2010 for two NBA seasons. The team then relocated to Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center for the 2012–13 season.

Demographics[link]

State population[link]

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of New Jersey was 8,821,155 on July 1, 2011, a 0.33% increase since the 2010 United States Census. Residents of New Jersey are most commonly referred to as "New Jerseyans" or "New Jerseyites". of 2010}}, there were 8,791,894 people residing in the state. The racial makeup of the state was 68.6% White, 13.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 8.3% Asian, 6.4% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. 17.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino. Non-Hispanic Whites were 59.3% of the population in 2010, down from 85% in 1970.

The United States Census Bureau, , estimated New Jersey's population at 8,707,739, which represents an increase of 268,301, or 3.2%, since the last census in 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 343,965 people (that is, 933,185 births minus 589,220 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 53,930 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 384,687 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 438,617 people. , there were 1.6 million foreign-born living in the state (accounting for 19.2% of the population).

As of 2010, New Jersey is the eleventh-most populous state in the United States, and the most densely populated, at 1,185 residents per square mile (458 per km²), with most of the population residing in the counties surrounding New York City, Philadelphia, and along the eastern Jersey Shore, while the extreme southern and northwestern counties are relatively less dense overall. It is also the second wealthiest state according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The center of population for New Jersey is located in Middlesex County, in the town of Milltown, just east of the New Jersey Turnpike.

New Jersey is home to more scientists and engineers ''per square mile'' than anywhere else in the world.

New Jersey is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse states in the country. It has the second largest Jewish population by percentage (after New York); the second largest Muslim population by percentage (after Michigan); the largest population of people from Costa Rica in the United States; the largest population of Cubans outside of Florida; the third highest Asian population by percentage; and the third highest Italian population by percentage according to the 2000 Census. African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, and Arabs are also high in number. It has the third highest Indian population of any state by absolute numbers. It has the third largest Korean population, fourth largest Filipino population, and fourth largest Chinese population, per the 2000 U.S. Census. The five largest ethnic groups are: Italian (17.9%), Irish (15.9%), African (13.6%), German (12.6%), Polish (6.9%).

Newark is the fourth poorest city in America, but New Jersey as a whole has the second highest median household income. This is largely because so much of New Jersey consists of suburbs, most of them affluent, of New York City and Philadelphia. New Jersey is also the most densely populated state, and the only state that has had every one of its counties deemed "urban" as defined by the Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area. The state has very sizable enclaves of different non-English-speaking communities. Some of these languages include:

Spanish – spoken throughout the state.

Italian – spoken throughout the state.

Polish – spoken throughout the state.

Gujarati – spoken throughout the state.

Hindi – spoken throughout the state.

Tagalog – spoken throughout the state.

Mandarin Chinese – spoken throughout the state, most prominently in the northern and central counties.

Korean – spoken prominently in Bergen County.

Telugu – spoken prominently in Middlesex County and Hudson County.

Tamil – spoken prominently in Middlesex County and Hudson County.

Malayalam – spoken prominently in Bergen County.

Portuguese – spoken prominently in the Ironbound section of Newark.

Turkish – spoken prominently in the Little Istanbul section of Paterson.

Russian – spoken prominently in the Fair Lawn borough of Bergen County.

Each county's largest ethnic group, according to the 2000 Census, is: Italian — Passaic, Bergen, Union, Hudson, Morris, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Cumberland Irish — Sussex, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Cape May German — Warren, Hunterdon, Salem

6.7% of its population was reported as under age 5, 24.8% under 18, and 13.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.5% of the population.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 12.31% of the population aged 5 and over speak Spanish at home, while 1.12% speak Italian, 1.03% speak Portuguese, and 1.02% speak Tagalog (Filipino).

In 2010, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 6.4% of the population. This was the fourth highest percentage of any state in the country.

Religion[link]

+Distributions of religions in New Jersey (2001)
! Religious group	%
Catholic
None
Baptist
Methodist
Refused to identify
Christian(no denomination stated)
Jewish(by religion only)
Other
Presbyterian
Lutheran
Episcopalian/Anglican
Other Protestant
Jehovah's Witness
Mormon/LDS
Muslim/Islamic
Non-denominational
Pentecostal
Assemblies of God
Buddhist
Church of Christ
Church of God
Congregational/UCC
Evangelical
Seventh Day Adventist

 *Less than 0.5%

Economy[link]

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that New Jersey's gross state product in 2010 was $487 billion. , the state's unemployment rate is 9%.

Affluence[link]

Its per capita gross state product in 2008 was $54,699, 2nd in the U.S. and above the national per capita gross domestic product of $46,588. Its per-capita income was the third highest in the nation with $51,358. The state also has the highest percentage of millionaire households. It is ranked 2nd in the nation by the number of places with per capita incomes above national average with 76.4%. Nine of New Jersey's counties are in the wealthiest 100 of the country.

Fiscal policy[link]

New Jersey has seven tax brackets for determining income tax rates. The rates range from 1.4 to 8.97%. The standard sales tax rate is 7%, applicable to all retail sales unless specifically exempt by law. Exemptions include most food items for at-home preparation, medicines, clothing (except fur items), footwear, and disposable paper products for use in the home. Approximately 30 New Jersey municipalities are designated as Urban Enterprise Zones and shoppers are charged a 3½% tax rate, half of the rate charged outside the UEZs. Sections of Elizabeth and Jersey City are examples of communities that are subject to the lower sales tax rate. New Jersey has the highest tax rate of all 50 states with residents paying a total of $68 billion in state and local taxes annually with a per capita burden of $7,816 at a rate of 12.9% of income. All real property located in the state is subject to property tax unless specifically exempted by statute. New Jersey does not assess an intangible personal property tax, but it does impose an inheritance tax.

Federal taxation disparity[link]

New Jersey has the highest disparity of any state in the United States between what it gives to the federal government and what it receives. In fiscal year 2005, New Jersey taxpayers gave the federal government $77 billion, while only receiving $55 billion. This difference is higher than any other state and means that for every $1 New Jersey taxpayers send to Washington, the state only receives $0.61 in return. This calculation is applied correctly after making the federal government deficit neutral, as sometimes the federal government spends more than it receives. , New Jersey has never been above 48th in rank for per capita federal spending (with a rank of 50th for the majority of that time) since 1982, while being second or third in per capita federal taxes paid to Washington.

New Jersey runs into deficits frequently and has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. Factors for this include the large federal tax liability which is not adjusted for New Jersey's higher cost of living and Medicaid funding formulas. As shown by the study, incomes tend to be higher in New Jersey, which puts those in higher tax brackets especially vulnerable to the alternative minimum tax.

Industries[link]

New Jersey's economy is centered on the pharmaceutical industry, the financial industry, chemical development, telecommunications, food processing, electric equipment, printing and publishing, and tourism. New Jersey's agricultural outputs are nursery stock, horses, vegetables, fruits and nuts, seafood, and dairy products. New Jersey ranks second among states in blueberry production, third in cranberries and spinach, and fourth in bell peppers, peaches, and head lettuce. New Jersey harvests the fourth-largest number of acres planted with asparagus.

Although New Jersey is home to many energy-intensive industries, its energy consumption is only 2.7% of the U.S. total, and its carbon dioxide emissions are only 0.8% of the U.S. total. Its comparatively low greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to nuclear power. According to the Energy Information Administration, nuclear power dominates New Jersey’s electricity market, typically supplying more than one-half of State generation. New Jersey has three nuclear power plants, including the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, which came online in 1969 and is the oldest operating nuclear plant in the country.

New Jersey has a strong scientific economy. New Jersey is home to major pharmaceutical firms such as Johnson and Johnson, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Pfizer, Merck, Hoffman-LaRoche, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. New Jersey is home to major telecommunications firms such as Verizon Wireless, Avaya, Alcatel-Lucent and AT&T; Communications. Furthermore, New Jersey draws upon its large and well-educated labor pool which also supports the myriad of industries that exist today.

New Jersey is the ultimate bedroom community since the state is right next to New York City and Philadelphia. Thus, there is a strong service economy in New Jersey serving residents who work in New York City or Philadelphia. Some of these industries include retail sales, education and real estate. Newark Liberty International Airport is ranked seventh among the nation's busiest airports and among the top 20 busiest airports in the world.

Shipping is a strong industry in New Jersey because of the state's strategic location, the Port of New York and New Jersey the busiest on the East Coast. The Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal was the world's first container port and is one of the world's largest container ports. New Jersey also has a strong presence in chemical development, refining, and food processing operations.

New Jersey hosts several business headquarters, including twenty-four Fortune 500 companies. Paramus is noted for having one of the highest retail sales per person ratios in the nation. Several New Jersey counties such as Somerset (7), Morris (10), Hunterdon (13), Bergen (21), Monmouth (42) counties are ranked among the highest-income counties in the United States. Four others are also in the top 100.

Natural resources[link]

New Jersey's greatest natural resource is its location, which has made the state a crossroads of commerce. Other commercial advantages include its extensive transportation system, which puts one quarter of all United States consumers within overnight delivery range. Lake and seaside resorts such as Atlantic City have contributed to New Jersey's rank of fifth among the states in revenues from tourism.

Almost half of New Jersey is wooded. The chief tree of the northern forests is the oak. A large part of the southern section is in pine. Jersey oak has been used extensively in shipbuilding.

The mineral resources in New Jersey are small. The state, however, does rank high in smelting and refining minerals from other states. Some mining activity does still take place in the area in and around the Franklin Furnace, which was long a center of zinc production (see New Jersey Zinc Company).

New Jersey is second in the nation in solar power installations, enabled by one of the country's most favorable net metering policies, and the renewable energy certificates program. The state has more than 10,000 solar installations.

Education[link]

In 2010, there were 605 school districts in the state.

Secretary of Education Rick Rosenberg, appointed by Governor Jon Corzine, created the Education Advancement Initiative (EAI) to increase College admission rates by 10% for New Jersey's high school students, decrease dropout rates by 15%, and increase the amount of money devoted to schools by 10%. Rosenberg retracted this plan when criticized for taking the money out of healthcare to fund this initiative.

In 2010 the state government paid all of the teachers' premiums for health insurance.

Census data reveal that New Jersey spent more per each public school student than any other state except New York in 2009, amounting to $16,271 spent per pupil, with 41% of the revenue derived from state sources.

According to 2011 Newsweek statistics, students of High Technology High School in Lincroft, Monmouth County and Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, Bergen County registered average SAT scores of 2145 and 2100, respectively, representing the highest and second-highest scores, respectively, of all listed U.S. high schools.

Princeton University in Princeton, Mercer County, is tied with Harvard University in Massachusetts as the top ranked U.S. national university for 2012 as per U.S. News & World Report.

Transportation[link]

Roadways[link]

The New Jersey Turnpike is one of the best-known and most-trafficked roadways in the United States. This toll road carries interstate traffic between Delaware and New York, and the East Coast in general. Commonly referred to as simply "the Turnpike," it is known for its numerous rest-areas named after prominent New Jerseyans as diverse as inventor Thomas Edison; United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton; United States Presidents Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson; writers James Fenimore Cooper, Joyce Kilmer, and Walt Whitman; patriot Molly Pitcher; Red Cross advocate Clara Barton; and football coach Vince Lombardi.

The Garden State Parkway, or simply "the Parkway," carries more in-state traffic and runs from the town of Montvale along New Jersey's northern border to its southernmost tip at Cape May for . It is the trunk that connects the New York metropolitan area to Atlantic City and is consistently one of the safest roads in the nation. With a total of 15 travel lanes and 6 shoulder lanes, the Driscoll Bridge on the Parkway, spanning the Raritan River in Middlesex County, is the widest motor vehicle bridge in the world by number of lanes as well as one of the busiest.

New Jersey is connected to New York City via various bridges and tunnels. The George Washington Bridge at 300,000 vehicles per day carries the heaviest load of motor vehicle traffic of any bridge in the world from Fort Lee, New Jersey in Bergen County to the Washington Heights neighborhood in Upper Manhattan in New York City on the Trans-Manhattan Expressway carrying I-95, US 1, and US 9. The Lincoln Tunnel connects to Midtown Manhattan carrying New Jersey State Route 495 and the Holland Tunnel connects to Lower Manhattan carrying I-78. These are the three major Hudson River crossings that see heavy vehicular traffic. New Jersey is also connected to Staten Island by three bridges. From the southernmost to northernmost; the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge.

Other expressways in New Jersey include the Atlantic City Expressway, the Palisades Interstate Parkway, Interstate 76, Interstate 78, Interstate 80, Interstate 95, Interstate 195, Interstate 278, Interstate 280, Interstate 287, Interstate 295, and Interstate 676. Other major roadways include U.S. 1, U.S. 9, New Jersey Route 17, New Jersey Route 4, and U.S. Route 46.

New Jersey has interstate compacts with all three neighboring states. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Delaware River Port Authority (with Pennsylvania), and the Delaware River and Bay Authority (with Delaware) operate most of the major transportation routes into and out of New Jersey. Bridge tolls are collected in one direction only — it is free to cross into New Jersey, but motorists must pay when exiting the state. Exceptions to this are the Dingman's Ferry Bridge and the Delaware River – Turnpike Toll Bridge where tolls are charged both ways. The Washington Crossing and Scudders Falls (on I-95) bridges near Trenton, as well as Trenton's Calhoun Street and Bridge Street ("Trenton Makes") bridges, are toll-free. In addition, * Riverton-Belvidere Bridge, Northampton Street Bridge, Riegelsville Bridge, and Upper Black Eddy-Milford Bridge are free Delaware River bridges into and out of NJ.

Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge – (NJ 12)

Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge – (pedestrian)

Centre Bridge-Stockton Bridge – (PA 263 / CR 523)

New Jersey is one of only two states (along with Oregon) where all fuel dispensing stations are required to sell gasoline full-service to customers. It is unlawful for a customer to serve him/herself.

New Jersey's Highway Maintenance Program was rated "Extremely Poor" by Reason Foundation's "17th Annual Report on the Performance of State Highway Systems."

Airports[link]

Newark Liberty International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States. Operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the other two major airports in the New York metropolitan area (John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport), it is one of the main airports serving the New York City area. Continental Airlines is the facility's largest tenant, operating an entire terminal at Newark, which it uses as one of its primary hubs. FedEx Express operates a large cargo hub. The adjacent Newark Airport railroad station provides access to the trains of Amtrak and New Jersey Transit along the Northeast Corridor Line.

Two smaller commercial airports, Atlantic City International Airport and Trenton-Mercer Airport, also operate in other parts of New Jersey. Teterboro Airport, in Bergen County, is a general aviation airport popular with private and corporate aircraft, due to its proximity to New York City. Millville Municipal Airport, in Cumberland County, is a general aviation airport popular with private and corporate aircraft, due to its proximity to the shore.

Rail and bus[link]

The New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) operates extensive rail and bus service throughout the state. NJ Transit is a state-run corporation that began with the consolidation of several private bus companies in North Jersey. In the early 1980s, it acquired the commuter train operations of Conrail that connect towns in northern and central New Jersey to New York City. NJ Transit has eleven lines that run throughout different parts of the state. Most of the trains start at various points in the state and most end at either Pennsylvania Station, in New York City, or Hoboken Terminal in Hoboken. NJ Transit began service between Atlantic City and Lindenwold in 1989 and extended it to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1990s.

NJ Transit also operates three light rail systems in the state. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail connects Bayonne to North Bergen, with planned expansion into Bergen County communities. The Newark Light Rail is the only subway system entirely in the state, but it is only partially underground. Its Main Line connects Newark Penn Station in Downtown Newark with outer parts of the city, ending at Grove Street station in Bloomfield. The Broad Street Line of the subway, the first component of the Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link, connects Newark Broad Street Station to Newark Penn Station. The last of the three light rail lines is the River Line which connects Trenton and Camden.

The PATH is a subway and above-ground railway which links Hoboken, Jersey City, Harrison and Newark with New York City. The PATH operates four lines that connect various points in North Jersey and New York. The lines all terminate in Hudson County, Essex County or Manhattan in New York City.

The PATCO High Speedline links Camden County and Philadelphia. PATCO operates a single elevated and subway line that runs from Lindenwold to Center City Philadelphia. PATCO operates stations in Lindenwold, Voorhees, Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Haddon Township, Collingswood, and Camden, along with four stations in Philadelphia.

Amtrak also operates numerous long-distance passenger trains in New Jersey to and from neighboring states and around the country. In addition to the Newark Airport connection, other major Amtrak railway stations include Trenton Rail Station, Metropark, and the grand historic Newark Penn Station.

SEPTA also has two lines that operate into New Jersey. The Trenton Line terminates at the Trenton Transit Center, and the West Trenton Line terminates at the West Trenton Rail Station in Ewing.

AirTrain Newark is a monorail connecting the Amtrak/NJ Transit station on the Northeast Corridor to the airport's terminals and parking lots.

Some private bus carriers still remain in New Jersey. Most of these carriers operate with state funding to offset losses and state owned buses are provided to these carriers of which Coach USA companies make up the bulk. Other carriers include private charter and tour bus operators that take gamblers from other parts of New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, and Delaware to the casino resorts of Atlantic City.

Ferries[link]

On the Delaware Bay, the Delaware River and Bay Authority operates the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. The agency also operates ferries between Fort Mott (New Jersey) and Fort Delaware and Fort DuPont in Delaware. The Delaware River Port Authority operates the RiverLink Ferry between the Camden waterfront and Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the Port of New York and New Jersey, New York Waterway has ferry terminals at Belford Harbor, Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken, and Edgewater Landing. There are slips are at Port Liberte, Liberty Harbor, Exchange Place in Jersey City, Port Imperial and Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, Hoboken Terminal and 14th Street in Hoboken. Manhattan terminals are located at Wall Street/Pier 11, Battery Park City (BPC) or West Midtown Ferry Terminal. Liberty Water Taxi in Jersey City has ferries from Paulus Hook and Liberty State Park to (BPC). Statue Cruises has service from Liberty State Park and Statue of Liberty National Monument, including Ellis Island. (Although there is a bridge from Ellis Island to the park built for renovations on the island it is not open for public use.) SeaStreak offers services from the Raritan Bayshore to Manhattan and during the Met's season to Shea Stadium. The ferries on leave from Atlantic Highlands and two terminals in Highlands. Ferry service from Keyport and Perth Amboy have been also been proposed. Service from Elizabeth at Newark Bay is proposed in conjunction with re-development plans on the shore near Jersey Gardens.

Private bus carriers[link]

Several private bus lines provide transportation service in the state of New Jersey. Below is a list of major carriers and their areas of operation:

Academy--commuter bus service from Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties to lower and midtown Manhattan

Bergen Avenue IBOA—local bus service in Jersey City

Broadway Bus—local bus service in Bayonne

Coach USA

*Community Coach--commuter bus service from Essex and Morris counties

*ONE Bus/Olympia Trails--local bus service in Essex and Union counties, commuter bus service from the Raritan Valley to Manhattan

*Red & Tan in Hudson County--local bus service in Hudson County

*Rockland Coaches--commuter and local bus service from Bergen County to Manhattan

*Suburban Trails--commuter bus service from Middlesex County to Manhattan, local bus service in Middlesex County

DeCamp Bus Lines--commuter bus service from Essex County to Manhattan

Greyhound--interstate bus service from terminals in Newark, Atlantic City, and Mount Laurel

Lakeland Bus Lines--commuter and local bus service from Morris, Somerset, Union, and Sussex counties to Manhattan

Martz Trailways—service from Warren County to Manhattan

Montgomery & West Side IBOA--local bus service in Jersey City

Trans-Bridge Lines--service from the Skylands Region to and from Manhattan

Governance[link]

Executive[link]

The position of Governor of New Jersey has been considered one of the most powerful in the nation. Until 2010 the governor was the only statewide elected office in the state appointed numerous government officials. Formerly, an Acting Governor was even more powerful as he simultaneously served as President of the New Jersey State Senate, thus directing half of the legislative and all of the executive process. In 2002 and 2007, President of the State Senate Richard Codey held the position of Acting Governor for a short time, and from 2004 to 2006 Codey became a long-term Acting Governor due to Jim McGreevey's resignation. A 2005 amendment to the state Constitution prevents the Senate President from becoming Acting Governor in the event of a permanent gubernatorial vacancy without giving up her or his seat in the state Senate. Chris Christie (Republican) is the Governor.

The governor's mansion is Drumthwacket, located in Princeton Township.

Before 2010, New Jersey was one of the few states without a lieutenant governor. Republican Kim Guadagno was elected the first Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey and took office on January 19, 2010. She was elected on the Republican ticket with Governor-Elect Chris Christie in the November 2009 NJ gubernatorial election. The position was created as the result of a Constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed by the voters on November 8, 2005 and effective as of January 17, 2006.

Legislative[link]

The current version of the New Jersey State Constitution was adopted in 1947. It provides for a bicameral New Jersey Legislature, consisting of an upper house Senate of 40 members and a lower house General Assembly of 80 members. Each of the 40 legislative districts elects one State Senator and two Assembly members. Assembly members are elected for a two-year term in all odd-numbered years; State Senators are elected in the years ending in 1, 3, and 7 and thus serve either four- or two-year terms.

New Jersey is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd-numbered years. (The others are Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia.) New Jersey holds elections for these offices every four years, in the year following each federal Presidential election year. Thus, the last year when New Jersey elected a Governor was 2009; the next gubernatorial election will occur in 2013, with future gubernatorial elections to take place in 2017, 2021, 2025, etc.

Judicial[link]

The New Jersey Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. All are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of a majority of the membership of the State Senate. Justices serve an initial seven-year term, after which they can be reappointed to serve until age 70.

Most of the day-to-day work in the New Jersey courts is carried out in the Municipal Courts, where simple traffic tickets, minor criminal offenses, and small civil matters are heard.

More serious criminal and civil cases are handled by the Superior Court for each county. All Superior Court judges are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of a majority of the membership of the State Senate. Each judge serves an initial seven-year term, after which he or she can be reappointed to serve until age 70.

New Jersey's judiciary is unusual in that it still has separate courts of law and equity, like its neighbor Delaware but unlike most other U.S. states. The New Jersey Superior Court is divided into Law and Chancery Divisions at the trial level.

The Superior Court also has an Appellate Division, which functions as the state's intermediate appellate court. Superior Court judges are assigned to the Appellate Division by the Chief Justice.

There is also a Tax Court, which is a court of limited jurisdiction. Tax Court judges hear appeals of tax decisions made by County Boards of Taxation. They also hear appeals on decisions made by the Director of the Division of Taxation on such matters as state income, sales and business taxes, and homestead rebates. Appeals from Tax Court decisions are heard in the Appellate Division of Superior Court. Tax Court judges are appointed by the Governor for initial terms of seven years, and upon reappointment are granted tenure until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70. There are 12 Tax Court judgeships.

Counties[link]

New Jersey is divided into 21 counties; 13 date from the colonial era. New Jersey was completely divided into counties by 1692; the present counties were created by dividing the existing ones; most recently Union County in 1857. New Jersey is the only state in the nation where elected county officials are called "Freeholders," governing each county as part of its own Board of Chosen Freeholders. The number of freeholders in each county is determined by referendum, and must consist of three, five, seven or nine members.

Depending on the county, the executive and legislative functions may be performed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders or split into separate branches of government. In 16 counties, members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders perform both legislative and executive functions on a commission basis, with each Freeholder assigned responsibility for a department or group of departments. In the other 5 counties (Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Mercer), there is a directly elected County Executive who performs the executive functions while the Board of Chosen Freeholders retains a legislative and oversight role. In counties without an Executive, a County Administrator (or County Manager) may be hired to perform day-to-day administration of county functions.

Municipalities[link]

New Jersey has 566 municipalities; the number was 567 before Pahaquarry Township was absorbed by Hardwick Township in 1997. Unlike states in the west and south, all New Jersey land is part of a municipality. In 2008, Governor Jon Corzine proposed cutting state aid to all towns under 10,000 people, to encourage mergers to reduce administrative costs. In May 2009, the Local Unit Alignment Reorganization and Consolidation Commission (LUARC) began a study of about 40 small communities in South Jersey to decide which ones might be good candidates for consolidation.

Types of government[link]

When the types of government were devised in the 19th century, the intention was that cities would be large built-up areas, with progressively smaller boroughs, towns, and villages; the rural areas in between would be relatively large townships. This is still often true, although Shrewsbury Township has been divided over the years; today it is less than a square mile, consisting only of a single housing development. Some townships — notably Brick, Hamilton, Middletown, and Toms River — have, without changing their boundaries, become large stretches of suburbia, as populous as cities, often focused around shopping centers and highways rather than traditional downtowns and main streets.

Short Hills, Murray Hill, and many other locations in New Jersey are not municipalities but rather neighborhoods, with no exact boundaries. Often the cluster of houses, the traditional neighborhood, the postal district, and the Census designated place will differ.

Forms of government[link]

The five types of municipality differ mostly in name. Originally, each type had its own form of government but more modern forms are available to any municipality, even though the original type is retained in its formal name. Only boroughs can (but are not required to) have the "borough form" of government.

Starting in the 20th century, largely driven by reform-minded goals, a series of six modern forms of government was implemented. This began with the Walsh Act, enacted in 1911 by the New Jersey Legislature, which provided for a 3- or 5-member commission elected on a non-partisan basis. This was followed by the 1923 Municipal Manager Law, which offered a non-partisan council, provided for a weak mayor elected by and from the members of the council, and introduced Council-Manager government with an (ideally apolitical) appointed manager responsible for day-to-day administration of municipal affairs.

The Faulkner Act, originally enacted in 1950 and substantially amended in 1981, offers four basic plans: Mayor-Council, Council-Manager, Small Municipality, and Mayor-Council-Administrator. The act provides many choices for communities with a preference for a strong executive and professional management of municipal affairs and offers great flexibility in allowing municipalities to select the characteristics of its government: the number of seats on the Council; seats selected at-large, by wards, or through a combination of both; staggered or concurrent terms of office; and a mayor chosen by the Council or elected directly by voters. Most large municipalities and a majority of New Jersey's residents are governed by municipalities with Faulkner Act charters. Municipalities can also formulate their own unique form of government and operate under a Special Charter with the approval of the New Jersey Legislature.

While municipalities retain their names derived from types of government, they may have changed to one of the modern forms of government, or further in the past to one of the other traditional forms, leading to municipalities with formal names quite baffling to the general public. For example, though there are four municipalities that are officially of the village type, Loch Arbour is the only one remaining with the village form of government. The other three villages—Ridgefield Park (now with a Walsh Act form), Ridgewood (now with a Faulkner Act Council-Manager charter) and South Orange (now operates under a Special Charter)—have all migrated to other non-village forms.

Politics[link]

Social attitudes and issues[link]

Socially, New Jersey is considered one of the more liberal states in the nation. Polls indicate that 60% of the population are self-described as pro-choice, although a majority are opposed to late trimester and Partial Birth Abortion and public funding of Abortion. In a 2009 Quinnipiac University poll, a plurality supported same-sex marriage 49% to 43% opposed.

In April 2004, New Jersey enacted a domestic partnership law, which is available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples aged 62 and over. During 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court voted 4 to 3 that state lawmakers must provide the rights and benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples. Moreover, effective February 19, 2007, New Jersey became the third state in the U.S. (the other two being Connecticut and Vermont) to offer civil unions to same-sex couples, conferring over 850 rights, privileges and responsibilities of marriage; legislators declined, however, to use the term "marriage" for same-sex unions. Thus, three separate government-recognized relationships are now in effect in the Garden State: domestic partnerships, civil unions, and marriage.

New Jersey also has some of the most stringent gun-control laws in the U.S. These include bans on assault firearms, hollow-nose bullets and even slingshots. No gun offense in New Jersey is graded less than a felony. BB guns and black powder guns are all treated as modern firearms. New Jersey does not recognize out-of-state gun licenses and aggressively enforces its own gun laws.

New Jersey has a severe city/urban litter reputational problem, as noted in the report, "New Jersey: America's Ugly Urban/City Litter (Trash) State." The state still has no statewide anti-litter slogan and its 1986 Clean Communities Act has been controversial in failing to help abate litter and debris on public streets, roadways and properties.

Elections[link]

+ Presidential elections results
!Year	Republican Party (United States)>Republicans	Democratic Party (United States)>Democrats
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"
style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"

In past federal elections, New Jersey was a Republican bastion, but recently has become a Democratic stronghold. Currently, New Jersey Democrats have majority control of both houses of the New Jersey Legislature (Senate, 22–18, and Assembly, 48–32), both U.S. Senate seats, and 8 out of the state's 13 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The state had a Republican governor from 1994 to 2002, as Christie Todd Whitman won twice with vote percentages of 47 and 49 percent.

In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie defeated incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine. Because each candidate for lieutenant governor runs on the same ticket as the party's candidate for governor, the current Governor and Lieutenant Governor are members of the Republican Party. The governor's appointments to cabinet and non-cabinet positions may be from either party. (The 2009 Attorney General appointee is a Democrat.)

In federal elections, the state leans heavily towards the Democratic Party. For many years, however, it was a Republican stronghold, having given comfortable margins of victory to the Republican candidate in the close elections of 1948, 1968, and 1976. New Jersey was a crucial swing state in the elections of 1960, 1968, and 1992. The last elected Republican to hold a Senate seat from New Jersey was Clifford P. Case in 1979. (Nicholas F. Brady was appointed a U.S. Senator by Governor Thomas Kean in 1982 and served for eight months, after Harrison A. Williams resigned the Senate seat following the Abscam investigations.)

The state's Democratic strongholds include Camden County, Essex County (including Newark, the state's largest city), Hudson County (including Jersey City, the state's second-largest city); Mercer County (especially around Trenton and Princeton), Middlesex County, and Union County (including Elizabeth, the state's fourth-largest city).

The suburban northwestern and southeastern counties of the state are reliably Republican: Republicans have support along the coast in Ocean County and in the mountainous northwestern part of the state, especially Morris County, Sussex County, and Warren County. Other suburban counties, especially Bergen County and Burlington County had the majority of votes go to the Democratic Party. In the 2008 election, President Barack Obama won New Jersey with approximately fifty-seven percent of the vote, compared to McCain's forty-one percent. Independent candidate Ralph Nader garnered less than one percent of the vote.

About one-third of the state's counties are considered "swing" counties, but some go more one way than others. For example, Salem County, the same is true with Passaic County, with a highly populated Hispanic Democratic south (including Paterson, the state's third-largest city) and a rural, Republican north. Other "swing" counties like Monmouth County, Somerset County, and Cape May County tend to go Republican, as they also have population in conservative areas.

To be eligible to vote in a U.S. election, all New Jerseyans are required to start their residency in the state 30 days prior to an election and register 29 days prior.

Capital punishment[link]

On December 17, 2007, Governor Jon Corzine signed into law a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in New Jersey. New Jersey is the first state to pass such legislation since Iowa and West Virginia eliminated executions in 1965. Corzine also signed a bill that would downgrade the Death Row prisoners' sentences from "Death" to "Life in Prison with No Parole."

Prominent cities and towns[link]

Large cities (100,000 or greater)[link]

For its overall population and nation-leading population density, New Jersey has a relative paucity of classic large cities. , only four municipalities had populations in excess of 100,000, but Edison and Woodbridge came very close. #Newark, Essex County: 277,140 #Jersey City, Hudson County: 247,597 #Paterson, Passaic County: 146,199 #Elizabeth, Union County: 124,969 #Edison, Middlesex County: 99,967 #Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County: 99,585

Towns and small cities (60,000 to 100,000)[link]

#Lakewood Township (Ocean County): 92,843 #Toms River Township (Ocean County): 91,239 #Hamilton Township (Mercer County): 88,464 #Trenton (Mercer County): 84,913 #Clifton (Passaic County): 84,136 #Camden (Camden County): 77,344 #Brick Township (Ocean County): 75,072 #Cherry Hill Township (Camden County): 71,045 #Passaic (Passaic County): 69,781 #Middletown Township (Monmouth County): 66,522 #Union City (Hudson County): 66,455 #Old Bridge Township (Middlesex County): 65,375 #Gloucester Township (Camden County): 64,634 #East Orange (Essex County): 64,270 #Bayonne (Hudson County): 63,024

Wealth of municipalities[link]

Points of interest[link]

Museums[link]

New Jersey has many museums of all kinds. A few major museums in the state are listed.

{|class="wikitable" |- !Museum !Location !Year Opened !Type |- |New Jersey State Museum |Trenton |1895 |General Education |- |Liberty Science Center |Liberty State Park, Jersey City |1993 |Science museum |- |Maywood Station Museum |Maywood |2004 |Railroad museum |- |Montclair Art Museum |Montclair |1914 |Art museum |- |Newark Museum |Newark |1909 |Natural Science & Art museum |- |Thomas Edison Museum |Menlo Park |1938 |Thomas Edison museum |}

Entertainment and concert venues[link]

Due to the major highways and cities located in and around the state, many residents and visitors take advantage of and contribute to performances in music, theater, and dance. There are many theater and dance companies throughout the region. Major events and performance venues include: {|class="wikitable" |- !Venue !Type !Location !Year Opened |- |Prudential Center |Arena |Newark |2007 |- |Izod Center |Arena |Meadowlands Sports Complex |1981 |- |PNC Bank Arts Center |Amphitheater |Holmdel |1977 |- |NJPAC |Concert Hall |Newark |1997 |- |Paper Mill Playhouse |Regional Theater |Millburn |1968 |- |State Theater |Regional Theater |New Brunswick |1921 |- |Boardwalk Hall |Arena |Atlantic City |1926 |- |Susquehanna Bank Center |Amphitheater |Camden |1995 |- |Sun National Bank Center |Arena |Trenton |1999 |}

Theme parks[link]

New Jersey has a number of amusement parks, including the world's largest seasonal theme park, to the biggest drive-thru safari outside of Africa, and an amusement and water park spread across three piers above the beach. {|class="wikitable" |- !Main Park !Other Parks !Location !Year Opened |- |Six Flags Great Adventure |Six Flags Wild Safari, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor |Jackson |1974 |- |Clementon Amusement Park |Splash World |Clementon |1907 |- |Land of Make Believe |Pirate's Cove |Hope |1958 |- |Morey's Piers |None |Wildwood |1969 |- |Mountain Creek Waterpark |None |Vernon |1998 |}

Jersey Shore[link]

Sports[link]

Professional sports[link]

New Jersey currently has four teams from major professional sports leagues playing in the state, although the Major League Soccer team and two National Football League teams identify themselves as being from New York City. A fifth team, the Women's National Basketball Association's Liberty, are temporarily playing in Newark until renovations for Madison Square Garden are completed in 2013.

The National Hockey League's New Jersey Devils, based in Newark at the Prudential Center, is the only major league franchise to bear the state's name, However, most of the Devils fans are in the Northern part of the state; the southern part of the state, is an overwhelming fan base for the Philadelphia Flyers, due to the region's close proximity to Philadelphia, leading to an intense rivalry between the two teams.

The Metropolitan Area's two National Football League teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets, both play in East Rutherford, at MetLife Stadium. At completion, with a construction cost of approximately $1.6 billion, the venue is the most expensive sports stadium ever built. On February 2, 2014, MetLife Stadium is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLVIII.

The New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer play in Red Bull Arena, a soccer-specific stadium located in Harrison outside of Downtown Newark.

The sports complex is also home to the Meadowlands Racetrack, one of three major harness racing tracks in the state. The Meadowlands Racetrack along with Freehold Raceway in Freehold are two of the major harness racing tracks in North America. Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport is also a popular spot for thoroughbred racing in New Jersey and the northeast. It hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2007, and its turf course was renovated in preparation.

{|class="wikitable" |- !Club !Sport !League !Stadium |- |New Jersey Devils |Ice Hockey |National Hockey League |Prudential Center |- |New York Giants |Football |National Football League |MetLife Stadium |- |New York Jets |Football |National Football League |MetLife Stadium |- |New York Red Bulls |Soccer |Major League Soccer |Red Bull Arena |- |New York Liberty |Basketball |Women's National Basketball Association |Prudential Center |- |Trenton Devils |Ice Hockey |East Coast Hockey League |Sun National Bank Center |- |New Jersey Ironmen |Indoor Soccer |Xtreme Soccer League |Prudential Center |- |Jersey Express |Basketball |American Basketball Association |Baldwin Gymnasium |- |Lakewood Blue Claws |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |FirstEnergy Park |- |New Jersey Jackals |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Yogi Berra Stadium |- |Sussex Skyhawks |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Skylands Park |- |Trenton Thunder |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Mercer County Waterfront Park |- |Camden Riversharks |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Campbell's Field |- |Newark Bears |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium |- |Somerset Patriots |Baseball |Minor League Baseball |TD Bank Ballpark |}

Collegiate sports teams[link]

New Jerseyans' collegiate allegiances are predominately split among the three major NCAA Division I programs in the state — the Rutgers University (New Jersey's largest state university) Scarlet Knights, the Seton Hall University (which is the state's largest Roman Catholic university) Pirates, and the Princeton University (the state's Ivy League university) Tigers. Both Rutgers and Seton Hall compete in the Big East Conference, and the rivalry between the two teams has always been an intense one. Rutgers and Princeton likewise have an intense rivalry—stemming from the first intercollegiate football game in 1869—though the two schools have not met on the football field since 1980. They continue to play each other annually in all other sports offered by the two universities.

Rutgers, which fields 24 teams in various sports, is nationally known for its excellent football and women's basketball programs. The university is planning a large expansion to the on-campus Rutgers Stadium—to accommodate the rising number of fans—and the teams play in Piscataway, which is adjacent to the New Brunswick campus. The university also fields rising basketball and baseball programs. Rutgers' fan base is mostly derived from the western parts of the state and Middlesex County, not to mention its alumni base, which is the largest in the state.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, also has campuses in Camden and Newark (in addition to its main campus in New Brunswick). The Rutgers-Camden athletic teams are called the Scarlet Raptors. The Rutgers-Newark athletic teams are called the Scarlet Raiders. The Scarlet Raiders and the Scarlet Raptors both compete within NCAA Division III.

Seton Hall, unlike Rutgers, does not field a football team. Its basketball team, however, has been one of the most storied programs in the Big East, and it plays its home games at the state-of-the-art Prudential Center, located in downtown Newark. The Pirates, while lacking as large an alumni base as the state university, have a large well of support in the predominately Roman Catholic areas of the northern part of the state and the Jersey Shore.

The state's other Division I schools include the Monmouth University Hawks (West Long Branch), the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Highlanders (Newark), the Rider University Broncs (Lawrenceville), and the Saint Peter's College Peacocks and Peahens (Jersey City).

Fairleigh Dickinson University competes in both Division I and Division III. It has two campuses, each with its own sports teams. The teams at the Metropolitan Campus are known as the FDU Knights, and compete in the Northeast Conference and NCAA Division I. The College at Florham (FDU-Florham) teams are known as the FDU-Florham Devils and compete in the Middle Atlantic Conferences' Freedom Conference and NCAA Division III.

Among the various Division III schools in the state, the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks have fielded the longest continuously running collegiate men's lacrosse program in the country. 2009 marked the 125th season.

High-school sports[link]

:''See footnote''

Gambling[link]

In 1978, the New Jersey legislature approved casino gambling in Atlantic City. At that time, Las Vegas was the only mega-casino resort. By 1978, Atlantic City was in decline. It was no longer the seaside resort that it once was. With the institution of casino gambling, Atlantic City has come back as a resort city. There are numerous famous casinos, with its main contributor being Donald Trump. Many lie along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the longest boardwalk in the world.

Media[link]

Newspapers[link]

There are many major New Jersey newspapers, including:

''Asbury Park Press'' ''Burlington County Times'' ''Courier News'' ''Courier-Post'' ''Cranford Chronicle'' ''Daily Record'' (Morris) ''The Express-Times'' ''Gloucester County Times'' ''Herald News'' ''Home News Tribune'' ''Hunterdon County Democrat'' ''Independent Press''

''Jersey Journal'' ''The New Jersey Herald'' ''The News of Cumberland County'' ''The Press of Atlantic City'' ''The Record'' ''The Record-Press and Suburban News'' ''The Reporter'' (Somerset) ''The Star-Ledger'' ''Today's Sunbeam'' ''Trentonian'' (Mercer) ''The Warren Reporter'' ''The Trenton Times''

On-line news[link]

Since 2005 there have been a growing number of "hyperlocal news sites." These sites provide relevant news for their respective communities.

Radio stations[link]

:''See: List of radio stations in New Jersey''

Television and film[link]

Motion picture technology was developed by Thomas Edison, with much of his early work done at his West Orange laboratory. Edison's Black Maria was the first motion picture studio. America's first motion picture industry started in 1907 in Fort Lee and the first studio was constructed there in 1909. DuMont Laboratories in Passaic, developed early sets and made the first broadcast to the private home.

A number of television shows and films have been filmed in New Jersey. Since 1978, the state has maintained a Motion Picture and Television Commission to encourage filming in-state. New Jersey has long offered tax credits to television producers. Governor Christopher Christie suspended the credits in 2010, but the New Jersey State Legislature in 2011 approved the restoration and expansion of the tax credit program. Under bills passed by both the state Senate and Assembly, the program offers 20 percent tax credits (22% in urban enterprise zones) to television and film productions that shoot in the state and meet set standards for hiring and local spending.

Music[link]

New Jersey has long been an important area for both rock and rap music. Some prominent musicians from or with significant connections to New Jersey are:

Singer Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken. He sang with a neighborhood vocal group, the Hoboken Four, and appeared in neighborhood theater amateur shows before he became an entertainment legend as an Academy Award winning actor and one of the most famous male vocalists of all time.

Bruce Springsteen, who has sung of New Jersey life on most of his albums, hails from Freehold and is the most popular rock musician to ever come out of the state. Some of his songs that represent New Jersey life are "Born to Run", "Spirit In The Night," "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)", "Thunder Road", "Atlantic City", and "Jungleland".

The Jonas Brothers all reside in Wyckoff, New Jersey, where the eldest brother of the group, Kevin Jonas was born, as well as the youngest Jonas, Frankie.

Irvington's Queen Latifah was the first female rapper to succeed in music, film, and television.

Lauryn Hill is from South Orange, New Jersey. Her 1998 debut solo album, ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'', sold 10 million copies internationally. She also sold millions with The Fugees second album ''The Score''.

Redman (Reggie Noble) was born, raised, and resides in Newark. He is the most successful African-American solo hip-hop artist out of New Jersey.

All members of The Sugarhill Gang were born in Englewood.

Roc-A-Fella Records rap producer Just Blaze hails from Paterson, New Jersey.

Jon Bon Jovi, who hails from Sayreville, reached fame in the 1980s with hard rock outfit Bon Jovi. The band has also written many songs about life in New Jersey including "Livin' On A Prayer" and even named one of his albums after the state. (see New Jersey)

Singer Dionne Warwick was born in East Orange.

Singer Whitney Houston (who is Dionne Warwick's cousin) was born in Newark, and grew up in neighboring East Orange.

Legendary jazz pianist and bandleader Count Basie was born in Red Bank in 1904. In the 1960s, he collaborated on several albums with fellow New Jersey native Frank Sinatra. The Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank is named in his honor.

Parliament-Funkadelic, the pioneering funk music collective, was formed in Plainfield by George Clinton.

Asbury Park is home of The Stone Pony, which Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi frequented early in their careers and is still considered by many to be a "Mecca" for up-and-coming Jersey Shore musicians.

Hip-hop pioneers Naughty By Nature hail from East Orange.

In 1964, the Isley Brothers founded the record label T-Neck Records, named after Teaneck, their home at the time.

The Broadway musical "Jersey Boys" is based on the lives of the members of the Four Seasons, three of whose members were born in New Jersey (Tommy DeVito, Frankie Valli, and Nick Massi)

Jazz pianist Bill Evans was born in Plainfield in 1929.

Rock band Thursday was formed in New Brunswick, NJ. Numerous songs reference the city.

Horror punk band The Misfits hail from Lodi, as well as their founder Glenn Danzig.

Punk rock poet Patti Smith is from Mantua.

Acclaimed indie rock veterans Yo La Tengo are based in Hoboken. They also have a song called "The Night Falls on Hoboken".

New Jersey was the East Coast hub for ska music in the 90s. Some of the most popular ska bands, such as Catch 22 and Streetlight Manifesto, come from East Brunswick.

Black Label Society's and Ozzy Osbourne's famed guitarist Zakk Wylde was born in Bayonne and raised in Jackson

The Bouncing Souls original four members grew up in Basking Ridge and formed in New Brunswick in the late 1980s.

My Chemical Romance's Frank Iero, Gerard Way, Mikey Way, and Ray Toro all hail from Belleville, New Jersey.

Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta is from New Jersey

Video games[link]

''Grand Theft Auto 1'' (1997), takes place in New Jersey, called New Guernsey.

''Grand Theft Auto IV'' (2008), ''The Lost and Damned'' (2009) and ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'', which take place in New Jersey, especially in Hudson County, Bergen County, Essex County, and Union County, New Jersey. Jersey City is called Alderney City.

Culture[link]

General[link]

Like every state, New Jersey has its own cuisine, religious communities, museums, and halls of fame.

New Jersey is the birthplace of modern inventions such as: FM radio, the motion picture camera, the lithium battery, the light bulb, transistors, and the electric train. Other New Jersey creations include: the drive-in movie, the cultivated blueberry, cranberry sauce, the postcard, the boardwalk, the zipper, the phonograph, saltwater taffy, the dirigible, the seedless watermelon, the first use of a submarine in warfare, and the ice cream cone.

There are mineral museums in Franklin and Ogdensburg.

Diners are common in New Jersey. The state is home to many diner manufacturers and has more diners than any other state: over 600. There are more diners in the state of New Jersey than any other place in the world.

New Jersey is the only state without a state song. "I'm From New Jersey" is incorrectly listed on many websites as being the New Jersey State Song, but wasn't even a contender when in 1996 the New Jersey Arts Council submitted their suggestions to the New Jersey Legislature.

Legends and ghosts[link]

A long-circulated legend says a creature, the Jersey Devil or the Leeds Devil, terrorizes the population of the Pine Barrens. The New Jersey Devils are named for this mythical creature. New Jersey is also home to several other legends, such as the ghost of Annie's Road — a section of Riverview Drive between Totowa Road and Union Boulevard in Totowa, which is said to be haunted by a "Lady in White"; and the haunted and demon-possessed Clinton Road in West Milford. Cooper Road in Middletown is said to be haunted by strange, ghostly people who jump out from behind trees at cars traveling down the unpaved portion of the road. The unpaved section has no street lights and thus is very dangerous as it has sharp turns where the ghostly people are said to jump in front of the cars from behind trees, causing them to crash. There is also the Atco Ghost — the ghost of a little boy who runs across the street late at night in Atco. It is also rumored that Jimmy Hoffa, the late leader of the Teamsters Union, is buried beneath Giants Stadium or the New Jersey Turnpike. However, on the popular television show ''MythBusters'', the myth of Jimmy Hoffa being buried under Giants Stadium was debunked using ground penetrating radar.

The magazine ''Weird NJ'' (the creators of which later started ''Weird U.S.'') was started to catalog and explore the ghosts, legends, and prevalence of otherwise "weird" things in the state.

State symbols[link]

Notable people[link]

See also[link]

Outline of history

Outline of geography

*Outline of North America

*

**

***

****

List of National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey

List of people from New Jersey

References[link]

External links[link]

;State Government

Official New Jersey state web site

New Jersey State Databases – Annotated list of searchable databases produced by New Jersey state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.

Descriptions of NJ forms of government (e.g., township, borough, etc.) from NJ State League of Municipalities

;U.S. Government

Energy Data & Statistics for New Jersey

USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of New Jersey

US Census Bureau

New Jersey State Facts

;Other

The New Jersey Digital Highway, the statewide cultural heritage portal to digital collections from the state's archives, libraries and museums

Abandoned and Historic Mines of New Jersey

Category:Former British colonies Category:States and territories established in 1787 Category:States of the United States

af:New Jersey ang:Nīwe Cēsarēa ar:نيو جيرسي an:Nueva Jersey arc:ܢܝܘ ܓܝܪܣܝ ast:Nueva Jersey gn:Pyahu Jersey az:Nyu-Cersi bn:নিউ জার্সি zh-min-nan:New Jersey be:Штат Нью-Джэрсі be-x-old:Нью-Джэрзі bcl:New Jersey bi:Niu Yersey bg:Ню Джърси bo:ནེའུ་ཇེར་སས། bs:New Jersey br:New Jersey ca:Nova Jersey cv:Çĕнĕ Джерси cs:New Jersey co:New Jersey cy:New Jersey da:New Jersey pdc:Nei-Schaersi de:New Jersey nv:Niijéízii Hahoodzo et:New Jersey osariik el:Νιου Τζέρσεϊ es:Nueva Jersey eo:Nov-Ĵerzejo eu:New Jersey fa:نیوجرسی hif:New Jersey fo:New Jersey fr:New Jersey fy:Nij Jersey ga:New Jersey gv:New Jersey gag:New Jersey gd:Jersey Nuadh gl:Nova Jersey hak:Néu Tset-sî xal:Шин Җөөзи ko:뉴저지 주 haw:Nū ‘Ieleke hy:Նյու Ջերսի hi:न्यू जर्सी hr:New Jersey io:Nova-Jersey ig:Nú Jezị ilo:New Jersey bpy:নিউ জার্সি id:New Jersey ia:New Jersey ie:Nov-Jersey ik:Tchiaq Jersey os:Нью-Джерси zu:New Jersey is:New Jersey it:New Jersey he:ניו ג'רזי jv:New Jersey pam:New Jersey ka:ნიუ-ჯერსი kw:Jersi Nowydh sw:New Jersey ht:Nou Jèze ku:New Jersey ky:Нью-Джерси mrj:Нью-Джерси lad:Nueva Jersey lez:Нью-Джерси la:Nova Caesarea lv:Ņūdžersija lt:Naujasis Džersis lij:Nuevo Jersey li:New Jersey lmo:New Jersey hu:New Jersey mk:Њу Џерси mg:New Jersey ml:ന്യൂ ജെഴ്സി mi:New Jersey mr:न्यू जर्सी arz:نيو جيرسى mzn:نیو جرسی ms:New Jersey my:နယူးဂျာစီပြည်နယ် nah:Yancuīc Jersey nl:New Jersey ja:ニュージャージー州 frr:New Jersey no:New Jersey nn:New Jersey oc:Nòva Jersey uz:N'yu-Jersi pnb:نیو جرسی pms:New Jersey nds:New Jersey pl:New Jersey pt:Nova Jersey ro:New Jersey rm:New Jersey qu:New Jersey suyu ru:Нью-Джерси sa:न्‍यू जर्सी sq:New Jersey scn:New Jersey simple:New Jersey sk:New Jersey sl:New Jersey szl:New Jersey ckb:نیوجێرسی sr:Њу Џерзи sh:New Jersey fi:New Jersey sv:New Jersey tl:New Jersey ta:நியூ செர்சி tt:Нью-Джерси te:న్యూజెర్సీ th:รัฐนิวเจอร์ซีย์ tg:Ню-Ҷерси tr:New Jersey uk:Нью-Джерсі ur:نیو جرسی ug:Yéngi Jérséy Shtati vi:New Jersey vo:New Jersey war:New Jersey yi:ניו זשערסי yo:New Jersey zh-yue:新澤西州 diq:New Jersey bat-smg:Naus Džersės zh:新泽西州

Native name	Bailiwick of Jersey ''Bailliage de Jersey''
Common name	Jersey
Image coat	Jersey coa.svg
Map caption
National anthem	"God Save the Queen" (official)"Island Home" by Gerard Le Feuvre (official for occasions when distinguishing anthem required)
Official languages	English, French
Regional languages	Jèrriais
Ethnic groups	50% Jersey, 31% Other Britons, 7% Portuguese, 3% Polish, 2% Irish, 0.88% French
Ethnic groups year	2011
Capital	Saint Helier
Largest city	capital
Government type	Parliamentary system, Constitutional monarchy and Crown dependency
Leader title1	Duke
Leader name1
Leader title2	Lieutenant Governor
Leader name2	John McColl
Leader title3	Bailiff
Leader name3	Michael Birt
Leader title4	Chief Minister
Leader name4	Ian Gorst
Area rank	227th
Area magnitude	1 E8
Area km2	119.49
Area sq mi	46.13
Percent water	0
Population estimate	97,857
Population estimate rank	199th
Population estimate year	2011
Population density km2	819
Population density sq mi	2121
Population density rank	14th²
Gdp ppp	$13.6 billion
Gdp ppp rank	167th
Gdp ppp year	2003
Gdp ppp per capita	£40,067
Gdp ppp per capita rank	6th
Sovereignty type	Status
Sovereignty note	British Crown dependency
Established event1	Separation from mainland Normandy
Established event2	Liberation from German occupation
Established date1	1204
Established date2	9 May 1945
Hdi	n/a
Hdi rank	n/a
Hdi year	n/a
Hdi category	very high
Currency	Pound sterling
Currency code	GBP
Time zone	GMT4
Utc offset dst	+1
Drives on	left
Cctld	.je
Calling code	+44 specifically +44-1534 (landline)+44-7797(Jersey Telecom mobile)+44-7700(Sure mobile)+44-7829(Airtel-Vodafone mobile)
Patron saint	St. Helier
Footnote1	Jersey’s Resident Population 2007
Footnote2	Rank based on population density of Channel Islands including Guernsey.
Footnote3	The States of Jersey issue their own sterling notes and coins (see Jersey pound).
Footnote4	In a referendum on 16 October 2008, voters rejected a proposal to adopt Central European Time, by 72.4%. }}

Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, French: Bailliage de Jersey (, ; Jèrriais: ''Jèrri''), is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the ''Minquiers'' and ''Écréhous'', and the ''Pierres de Lecq'' and other rocks and reefs.

Jersey is a self-governing parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy, with its own financial, legal and judicial systems.

The island of Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands. Although the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey are often referred to collectively as 'the Channel Islands', they are not a constitutional or political unit. Jersey has a separate relationship to the British Crown from the other Crown Dependencies of Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It is not part of the United Kingdom, and has an international identity separate from that of the UK but the United Kingdom is constitutionally responsible for the defence of Jersey. Jersey is not a part of the European Union but has a special relationship with it, being treated as part of the European Community for the purposes of free trade in goods.

Toponymy [link]

Historic mentions [link]

''Andium'' (?) 4^e C. ''insula Gersoi'' 1022/1026. ''insula Gerseii'', var. ''Gersey'', ''Gersei'', ''Gersoii'' 1042. ''Gersus'' ~1070. ''insula de Gerzoi'' 1080/~1082. ''insula de Gersoi'' 1066/1083. ''insula Gersoi'' 1066/1083. ''l'isle de Gersui'' 1160/1174. ''in Gersoio'' 1223/1236. ''Gersuy'' 1339. ''Gersui'' 1339. ''insula de Jersey'' 1372. ''insula de Jereseye'' 1372. ''insula de Gersey'' 1386. ''insula […] de Jersey'' 1419. ''Iarsay'' [read ''Jarsay''] 1585. ''Jarsey'' 1693. ''Jerzey'' 1753. ''Isle de Gersey'' 1753/1785. ''Jerry'' 1829. ''Ile de Jersey'' 1854.

Etymology [link]

The Channel Islands are mentioned in the Antonine Itinerary as following : ''Sarnia'', ''Caesarea'', ''Barsa'', ''Silia'' and ''Andium'', but Jersey cannot be identified specifically because none correspond directly to the present names. Furthermore, later records evoke ''Angia'' (also spelled ''Agna'' ).

''Andium'' is a Latinized version of the Gaulish (Celtic) ''*Andion'', with ''and-'' the Gaulish intensive prefix meaning "very", "much", "big". ''Andium'' roughly translates as "big Island", Jersey being the largest of the Channel Islands. The spelling ''Angia'' could be an ultimate development of ''*Andia''.

Some others identify it as ''Caesarea'', a late recorded Roman name influenced by the Old English suffix ''-ey'' for "island"; this is plausible if, in the regional pronunciation of Latin, ''Caesarea'' was not but . Another theory is that the variation of the "J" sound today could be connected with phonetical cousins "g" and "k" (International Phonetic Alphabet) through variable pronunciations based on similar spelling. Theoretically, if Caesarea was originally pronounced with a "k", that may have naturally developed into a "g" sound for locals (or foreigners), making Gersei, Gersoi, or the other spellings relatable. Because "g" is pronounced as both a hard glutteral "g" as in "go" or a soft "j" as in "gym" or "gem", the spelling of Jersey could be a result of the variance in its pronunciation.

''Angia'' could be a misspelling for ''*Augia'', that is the Latinized form of Germanic ''*aujō'' (> Old English ''ī(e)ġ'' > is-land).), that could have extended before the Viking Age along the coast of France, as for île d'Yeu (''Augia'', ''Insula Oya'') or Oye-Plage (''Ogia'' 7th C.) and constitutes the suffix ''-ey'' in Jersey, Guernsey (''Greneroi''), Alderney (''Alneroi'') and Chausey (''Calsoi''). Chausey can be compared with Cholsey (GB, Berkshire, ''Ċeolesiġ'' 891), interpreted by Eilert Ekwall as "''Ċeola'' 's island".

These ''-ey'' names could have been reinforced by the Viking heritage, because ''-ey'' is similar, so that it is possible to interpret the first part of the toponym as an Old Norse element. The source of it is unclear. Scholars surmise it derives from ''jarð'' (Old Norse for "earth") or ''jarl'' (earl), or perhaps a personal name, ''Geirr'' ("Geirr's Island").

History[link]

Jersey history is influenced by its strategic location between the northern coast of France and the southern coast of England; the island's recorded history extends over a thousand years.

Evidence of Bronze Age and early Iron Age settlements can be found in many locations around the island. Archaeological evidence of Roman influence has been found, in particular the coastal headland site at Le Pinacle, Les Landes, where remains of a primitive structure are attributed to Gallo-roman temple worship (''fanum''). Evidence for settled Roman occupation has yet to be established.

Jersey was part of Neustria with the same Gallo-Frankish population as the continental mainland. Jersey, the whole Channel Islands and the Cotentin peninsula (probably with the Avranchin) came formerly under the control of the duke of Brittany during the Viking invasions, because the king of the Franks was unable to defend them, however they remained in the archbishopric of Rouen. Jersey was invaded by Vikings in the ninth century, and was eventually annexed to the future Duchy of Normandy, together with the other Channel Islands, Cotentin and Avranchin, by William Longsword, count of Rouen in 933 and it became one of the Norman Islands. When William's descendant, William the Conqueror, conquered England in 1066, the Duchy of Normandy and the kingdom of England were governed under one monarch. The Dukes of Normandy owned considerable estates in the island, and Norman families living on their estates established many of the historical Norman-French Jersey family names. King John lost all his territories in mainland Normandy in 1204 to King Philip II Augustus, but retained possession of Jersey and the other Channel Islands. The islands have been internally self-governing since then.

Islanders travelled across the North Atlantic to participate in the Newfoundland fisheries in the late 16th century. In recognition for help given to him during his exile in Jersey in the 1640s, Charles II gave George Carteret, bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the American colonies in between the Hudson and Delaware rivers which he promptly named New Jersey. It is now a state in the United States of America.

On 6 January 1781, a French invasion force of 2,000 men (of whom half didn't arrive) landed to take over the island. The battle by 9,000 men to defend the Island, although touch-and-go, and decisive, only lasted about half an hour. There were about thirty casualties on each side, and 600 French prisoners were taken. Both commanders were slain.

Trade laid the foundations of prosperity, aided by neutrality between England and France. The Jersey way of life involved agriculture, milling, fishing, shipbuilding, and production of woollen goods. 19th century improvements in transport links brought tourism to the island.

During World War II, Jersey was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1 July 1940 until 9 May 1945, when Germany surrendered. During this time the Germans constructed many fortifications using Russian slave labour. After 1944 supplies from mainland France were interrupted by the D-Day landings and food on the island became scarce. The SS Vega was sent to the island carrying Red Cross supplies and news of the success of the Allied advance in Europe. The Channel Islands were one of the last places in Europe to be liberated.

Politics[link]

Jersey's unicameral legislature is the Assembly of the States of Jersey. It includes fifty-one elected members: ten senators (elected on an island-wide basis), twelve Connétables (often called 'constables', heads of parishes) and twenty-nine deputies (representing constituencies), all elected for four year terms as from the October 2011 elections. There are also five non-voting members appointed by the Crown: the Bailiff, the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General and Solicitor General.

The government is a Council of Ministers, consisting of a Chief Minister and nine ministers. Each minister may appoint up to two assistant ministers. A Chief Executive is head of the civil service. Some government functions are carried out in the island's twelve parishes.

The Bailiff is President (presiding officer) of the States Assembly, head of the judiciary and as civic head of the island carries out various ceremonial roles.

As one of the Crown Dependencies, Jersey is autonomous and self-governing, with its own independent legal, administrative and fiscal systems. In 1973, the Royal Commission on the Constitution set out the duties of the Crown as including: ultimate responsibility for the 'good government' of the Crown Dependencies; ratification of island legislation by Order in Council (Royal Assent); international representation, subject to consultation with the island authorities before concluding any agreement which would apply to them; ensuring the islands meet their international obligations; and defence.

Elizabeth II's traditional title as Head of State is Duke of Normandy. "The Crown" is defined by the Law Officers of the Crown as the "Crown in right of Jersey". The Queen's representative and adviser in the island is the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. He is a point of contact between Jersey ministers and the United Kingdom government and carries out executive functions in relation to immigration control, deportation, naturalisation and the issue of passports. Since September 2011, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor has been General Sir John McColl.

Legal system[link]

Jersey is a distinct jurisdiction for the purposes of conflict of laws, separate from the other Channel Islands, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Jersey law has been influenced by several different legal traditions, in particular Norman customary law, English common law and modern French civil law. Jersey's legal system is therefore described as 'mixed' or 'pluralistic', and sources of law are in French and English languages, although since the 1950s the main working language of the legal system is English.

The principal court is the Royal Court, with appeals to the Jersey Court of Appeal and, ultimately, to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Bailiff is head of the judiciary; the Bailiff and the Deputy Bailiff are appointed by the Crown. Other members of the island's judiciary are appointed by the Bailiff.

Parishes[link]

Administratively, Jersey is divided into twelve parishes. All border on the sea. They were named after the Christian saints to whom their ancient parish churches were dedicated:

Grouville (historically ''Saint Martin de Grouville''; incorporating Les Minquiers)

Saint Brélade

Saint Clément

Saint Helier

Saint John

Saint Lawrence

Saint Martin (historically ''Saint Martin le Vieux''; incorporating Les Écréhous)

Saint Mary

Saint Ouen

Saint Peter

Saint Saviour

Trinity

The parishes of Jersey are further divided into ''vingtaines'' (or, in St. Ouen, ''cueillettes''), divisions that are historic. Today they are used chiefly for purposes of local administration and electoral constituency.

The Connétable is the head of each parish, elected at a public election for a four-year term to run the parish and to represent the municipality in the Assembly of the States of Jersey. The Procureur du Bien Public (two in each parish) is the legal and financial representative of the parish (elected at a public election since 2003 in accordance with the ''Public Elections (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 2003''; formerly an Assembly of Electors of each parish elected the Procureurs in accordance with the ''Loi (1804) au sujet des assemblées paroissiales''). A Procureur du Bien Public is elected for three years as a public trustee for the funds and property of the parish and may contract when authorised by a Parish Assembly. The Parish Assembly is the decision-making body of local government in each parish; it consists of all entitled voters of the parish.

Each parish elects its own force of Honorary Police consisting of ''Centeniers'', ''Vingteniers'' and Constable's Officers. Centeniers are elected at a public election within each parish for a term of three years to undertake policing within the parish. The Centenier is the only officer authorised to charge and bail offenders. Formerly, the senior Centenier of each parish (entitled the ''Chef de Police'') deputised for the Connétable in the States of Jersey when the Connétable was unable to attend a sitting of the States. This function has now been abolished.

International relations[link]

Although diplomatic representation is reserved to the Crown, Jersey has been developing its own international identity over recent years. It negotiates directly with foreign governments on matters within the competence of the States of Jersey. Jersey maintains the ''Bureau de Jersey'' in Caen, France, a permanent non-diplomatic representation, with a branch office in Rennes. A similar office, the ''Maison de Normandie'' in St. Helier, represents the ''Conseil général'' of Manche and the ''Conseil régional'' of Basse-Normandie. It hosts the Consulate of France.

Jersey is a member of the British-Irish Council, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie. Jersey wants to become a full member of the Commonwealth in its own right.

International identity [link]

In 2007, the Chief Minister and the UK Lord Chancellor signed an agreement that established a framework for the development of the international identity of Jersey. The agreement stated that:

the UK has no democratic accountability in and for Jersey;

the UK will not act internationally on behalf of Jersey without prior consultation;

Jersey has an international identity that is different from that of the UK;

the UK recognises that the interests of Jersey may differ from those of the UK, and the UK will seek to represent any differing interests when acting in an international capacity; and

the UK and Jersey will work together to resolve or clarify any differences that may arise between their respective interests.

In January 2011, the Chief Minister designated one of his assistant ministers as having responsibility for external relations; he is now often described as the island's 'foreign minister'.

Tax information exchange agreements (TIEAs) have been signed directly by the island with several countries, including: the United States of America (2002); the Netherlands (2007); Denmark, the Faroes, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway (2008); the United Kingdom, France, Australia and New Zealand (2009); Portugal (2010); People's Republic of China, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, Czech Republic, South Africa, Argentina, and India (2011).

Relationship with the European Union[link]

Jersey is neither a Member State nor an Associate Member of the European Union. It does, however, have a relationship with the EU governed by Protocol 3 to the UK’s Treaty of Accession in 1972. Protocol 3 and other relevant treaty provisions are made part of Jersey Law by the European Communities (Jersey) Law 1973. The relationship between the Channel Islands and the EU cannot be changed without the unanimous agreement of all Member States and Island authorities.

Under Protocol 3, Jersey is part of the European Union Customs Union of the European Community. The common customs tariff, levies and other agricultural import measures apply to trade between the island and non-Member States. There is free movement of goods and trade between the island and Member States. EU rules on freedom of movement for workers do not apply in Jersey. Nor is Jersey part of the single market in financial services. It is not required to implement EU Directives on such matters as movement of capital, company law or money laundering. Jersey plans to incorporate such measures where appropriate, with particular regard to the island's commitment to meeting international standards of financial regulation and countering money laundering and terrorist financing.

British citizens who have only a connection to Jersey, and not with the United Kingdom or another Member state of the European Union, are not considered to be European Union citizens. They have 'Islander status' and their Jersey-issued British passports are endorsed with the words 'the holder is not entitled to benefit from EU provisions relating to employment or establishment'.

Jersey residents do not have a right to vote in elections for the European Parliament. Jersey and Guernsey jointly opened an office in Brussels in 2010 to promote their common interests with European Union institutions. Jersey is particularly concerned about European Union legislation and reforms that may affect its trading partners in international financial centres round the world.

Independence [link]

The question of Jersey's independence has been discussed from time to time in the Assembly of the States of Jersey. In 2005-2008, a working group of the States of Jersey examined the options for independence, concluding that Jersey 'is equipped to face the challenges of independence' but making no recommendations. Proposals for Jersey independence continue to be discussed outside the States.

Geography[link]

Jersey is an island measuring 118.2 square kilometres (65,569 vergée / 46 sq mi), including reclaimed land and intertidal zone. It lies in the English Channel, about from the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy, France, and about south of Great Britain. It is the largest and southernmost of the Channel Islands, with a maximum land elevation of 136 m (446 ft) above sea level at WA 57795 06708 (current UTM30 grid).

The climate is temperate with mild winters and cool summers. The average annual temperature, is similar to the South Coast of England and the mean annual total sunshine is 1912 hours. The terrain consists of a plateau sloping from long sandy bays in the south to rugged cliffs in the north. The plateau is cut by valleys running generally north-south.

Economy[link]

Jersey's economy is based on financial services (43% of GVA in 2009), tourism (hotels, restaurants and bars making 3% of GVA in 2009), electronic commerce, and agriculture (2% of GVA in 2009).

Thanks to specialisation in a few high-return sectors, at purchasing power parity Jersey has high economic output per capita, substantially ahead of all of the world's large developed economies. Gross national income in 2009 was £3.7 billion (approximately £40,000 per head of population). However, this is not indicative of each individual resident's purchasing power, and the actual standard of living in Jersey is comparable to that in the United Kingdom outside central London. The island is recognised as one of the leading offshore financial centres. In June 2005 the States introduced the Competition (Jersey) Law 2005 to regulate competition and stimulate economic growth. This competition law was based on that of other jurisdictions.

Tourism supports not only hotels, but also retail and services: in 2009 there were 685,200 visitors spending £230 million. Duty-free goods are available for purchase on travel to and from the island.

In 2009 57% of the Island's area was agricultural land (an increase on 2008). Major agricultural products are potatoes and dairy produce; agriculture's share of GVA increased 5% in 2009, a fifth successive year of growth. Jersey cattle are a small breed of cow widely known for its rich milk and cream; although the quality of its meat is also appreciated on a small scale. The herd total in 2009 was 5,090 animals. Fisheries and aquaculture make use of Jersey's marine resources to a total value of over £6 million in 2009.

Farmers and growers often sell surplus food and flowers in boxes on the roadside, relying on the honesty of customers to drop the correct change into the money box and take what they want. In the 21st century, diversification of agriculture and amendments in planning strategy have led to farm shops replacing many of the roadside stalls.

53,460 people were employed in Jersey as of December 2010: 24% in financial and legal services; 16% in wholesale and retail trades; 16% in the public sector; 10% in education, health and other private sector services; 10% in construction and quarrying; 9% in hotels, restaurants and bars.

Jersey along with Guernsey has its own lottery called The Channel Islands Lottery that was launched in 1975.

On 18 February 2005, Jersey was granted Fairtrade Island status.

Taxation[link]

Until the 20th century, the States relied on indirect taxation to finance the administration of Jersey. The levying of ''impôts'' (duties) different from those of the United Kingdom was granted by Charles II and remained in the hands of the Assembly of Governor, Bailiff and Jurats until 1921 when that body's tax raising powers were transferred to the Assembly of the States, leaving the Assembly of Governor, Bailiff and Jurats to serve simply as licensing bench for the sale of alcohol (this fiscal reform also stripped the Lieutenant-Governor of most of his effective remaining administrative functions). The Income Tax Law of 1928 introducing income tax was the first law drafted entirely in English. Income tax has been levied at a flat rate of 20% set by the occupying Germans during World War II.

Because VAT has not been levied in the island, luxury goods have often been cheaper than in the UK or in France, providing an incentive for tourism from neighbouring countries. The absence of VAT has also led to the growth of the fulfilment industry, whereby low-value luxury items, such as videos, lingerie and contact lenses are exported, avoiding VAT on arrival and thus undercutting local prices on the same products. In 2005, the States of Jersey announced limits on licences granted to non-resident companies trading in this way.

Although Jersey does not have VAT, the States of Jersey introduced a goods and services tax (GST) on 6 May 2008, at a standard rate of 3%. The rate was amended to 5% on the 1st June 2011. Some supplies are taxed at 0% and others exempt. Although GST is at 5%, shopping in Jersey is still far more expensive than in the UK, food is also not exempt unlike with VAT.

Jersey is not subject to European Union fiscal legislation and its Zero-Ten legislation will be compliant with the Code of Conduct in business taxation as from the removal of the deemed distribution and attribution anti-avoidance legislation as of 31 December 2011, which was apparently criticised by certain unnamed members of the Code of Conduct Group. The Code of Conduct Group, at least in theory, keeps most of its documentation and discussion confidential. The European Commission has confirmed that the Code is not a legal instrument, and therefore is not legally binding, only becoming of limited "political" authority once a unanimous report has been adopted by the Group at the end of the Presidency concerned.

Currency[link]

Jersey issues its own Jersey banknotes and coins that circulate with UK coinage, Bank of England notes, Scottish notes and Guernsey currency within the island. Jersey currency is not legal tender outside Jersey: However, in the United Kingdom it is ''acceptable tender'' and can be surrendered at banks within that country in exchange for Bank of England-issued currency on a like-for-like basis.

Coinage[link]

Designs on the reverse of Jersey coins: 1p Le Hocq Tower (coastal defence) 2p L'Hermitage, site where St. Helier lived 5p Seymour Tower (offshore defence)

10p La Pouquelaye de Faldouet (dolmen)

20p La Corbière Lighthouse

50p Grosnez Castle (ruins)

The main currency of Jersey is the pound, although in many places the euro is accepted because of the positioning of the island. Pound coins are issued, but are much less widely used than pound notes. Designs on the reverse of Jersey pound coins include historic ships built in Jersey and a series of the twelve parishes' crests. The motto around the milled edge of Jersey pound coins is '''' (). Two pound coins are also issued, but in very small quantities.

Demographics[link]

Censuses have been undertaken in Jersey since 1821. In the 2011 census, the total resident population was estimated to be 97,857, of whom 34% live in Saint Helier, the island's only town. Only half the island's population was born in Jersey; 31% of the population were born elsewhere in the British Isles, 7% in Portugal or Madeira, 8% in other European countries and 4% elsewhere.

The people of Jersey are often called Islanders or, in individual terms, Jerseyman or Jerseywoman. Some Jersey-born people identify as British and value the special relationship between the British Crown and the island.

Religion in Jersey has a complex history and much diversity. The established church is the Church of England. In the countryside, Methodism found its traditional stronghold. A minority of Roman Catholics can also be found in Jersey. There are two Catholic private secondary schools: De La Salle College in Saint Saviour is an all-boys school, and Beaulieu Convent School in Saint Helier is an all-girls school; and FCJ primary school in St. Saviour. A Catholic order of Sisters has a presence in school life.

Immigration[link]

Jersey belongs to the Common Travel Area and the definition of "United Kingdom" in the British Nationality Act 1981 is interpreted as including the UK and the Islands together.

For immigration and nationality purposes, the United Kingdom generally treats Jersey as though it were part of the UK. Jersey is constitutionally entitled to restrict immigration by non-Jersey residents, but control of immigration at the point of entry cannot be introduced for British, certain Commonwealth and EEA nationals without change to existing international law. Immigration is therefore controlled by a mixture of restrictions on those without ''residential status'' purchasing or renting property in the island and restrictions on employment. Migration policy is to move to a registration system to integrate residential and employment status. Jersey maintains its own immigration and border controls. United Kingdom immigration legislation may be extended to Jersey by order in council (subject to exceptions and adaptations) following consultation with Jersey and with Jersey's consent. Although Jersey citizens are full British citizens, an endorsement restricting the right of establishment in European Union states other than the UK is placed in the passports of British citizens connected solely with the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Those who have a parent or grandparent born in the United Kingdom, or who have lived in the United Kingdom for five years, are not subject to this restriction.

Historical large-scale immigration was facilitated by the introduction of steamships (from 1823). By 1840, up to 5,000 English people, mostly half-pay officers and their families, had settled in Jersey. In the aftermath of 1848, Polish, Russian, Hungarian, Italian and French political refugees came to Jersey. Following Louis Napoléon's coup of 1851, more French ''proscrits'' arrived. By the end of the 19th century, well-to-do British families, attracted by the lack of income tax, were settling in Jersey in increasing numbers, establishing St Helier as a predominantly English-speaking town.

Seasonal work in agriculture had depended mostly on Bretons and mainland Normans from the 19th century. The growth of tourism attracted staff from the United Kingdom. Following Liberation in 1945, agricultural workers were mostly recruited from the United Kingdom – the demands of reconstruction in mainland Normandy and Brittany employed domestic labour.

Until the 1960s, the population had been relatively stable for decades at around 60,000 (excluding the Occupation years). Economic growth spurred immigration and a rise in population. From the 1960s Portuguese workers arrived, mostly working initially in seasonal industries in agriculture and tourism.

A trend that has developed over the past few years is the setting up of recruitment agencies in a number of countries in the world, to employ either cheap labour (often from poor countries) or qualified/experienced labour. Amongst the countries that have been targeted for this type of recruitment are: Australia, Cyprus, Kenya, Latvia, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, and South Africa.

Culture[link]

Until the 19th century, indigenous Jèrriais – a variety of Norman – was the language of the island, though French was used for official business. During the 20th century an intense language shift took place and Jersey today is predominantly English-speaking. Jèrriais nonetheless survives; around 2,600 islanders (three percent) are reckoned to be habitual speakers, and some 10,000 (12 percent) in all claim some knowledge of the language, particularly amongst the elderly in rural parishes. There have been efforts to revive Jèrriais in schools, and the highest number of declared Jèrriais speakers is in the capital.

The dialects of Jèrriais differ in phonology and, to a lesser extent, lexis between parishes, with the most marked differences to be heard between those of the west and east. Many place names are in Jèrriais, and French and English place names are also to be found. Anglicisation of the toponymy increased apace with the migration of English people to the island.

Some Neolithic carvings are the earliest works of artistic character to be found in Jersey. Only fragmentary wall-paintings remain from the rich mediaeval artistic heritage, after the wholesale iconoclasm of the Calvinist Reformation of the 16th century.

The island is particularly famous for the Battle of Flowers, a carnival held annually since 1902. Other festivals include ''La Fête dé Noué'' (Christmas festival), ''La Faîs'sie d'Cidre'' (cidermaking festival), the Battle of Britain air display, Jersey Live Music Festival, Branchage Film Festival, food festivals, and parish events.

The island's patron saint is Saint Helier.

Media[link]

Broadcast[link]

BBC Radio Jersey provides a radio service, and BBC Channel Islands News with headquarters in Jersey provides a joint television news service with Guernsey.

Channel Television is a regional ITV franchise shared with the Bailiwick of Guernsey but with its headquarters in Jersey.

Channel 103 is a commercial radio station.

Jersey used to be served by the Normandy based radio station Contact 94.

SurfFM.co.uk is a internet based radio station broadcasting worldwide but focusing on promoting the burgeoning music scene in Jersey. With a mix of chart friendly shows during the day it switches to specialist mixes in the evening and nighttime from a raft of the local DJ talent. Also providing local news and competitions. Aiming to secure one of the new digital broadcasting licenses when they become available to the Channel Islands. Currently the station broadcasts MP3 streams to provide higher quality music than conventional streaming internet radio. The site is constantly developing as the radio station grows.

The Frémont Point transmitting station is a facility for FM and television transmission at Frémont

Newspaper[link]

Jersey's only newspaper, the ''Jersey Evening Post'', claims that it has an average issue readership of 73% of adults in Jersey and that over the course of a week 93% of all adults will read a copy of the newspaper, it being the main printed source of local news and official notices. The newspaper features a weekly Jèrriais column accompanied by English-language précis.

Magazines[link]

Lifestyle magazines include ''Gallery Magazine'' (monthly), ''Jersey Now'' (quarterly) and ''The Jersey Life'' (monthly).

''Les Nouvelles Chroniques du Don Balleine'' is a quarterly literary magazine in Jèrriais.

"20/20 magazine" is the island's only annual personal finance magazine; Global Assets the island's online quarterly international offshore finance magazine is also produced by the same company.

Music[link]

The traditional folk music of Jersey was common in country areas until the mid-20th century. It cannot be separated from the musical traditions of continental Europe, and the majority of songs and tunes that have been documented have close parallels or variants, particularly in France. Most of the surviving traditional songs are in French, with a minority in Jèrriais.

In contemporary music, Nerina Pallot has enjoyed international success. Music festivals include Jersey Live, Rock in the Park, Avanchi presents Jazz in July, the music section of the Jersey Eisteddfod and the Liberation Jersey Music Festival.

Cinema[link]

In 1909, T.J. West established the first cinema in the Royal Hall in St. Helier, which became known as West's Cinema in 1923 (demolished 1977). The first talking picture, ''The Perfect Alibi'', was shown on 30 December 1929 at the Picture House in St. Helier. The Jersey Film Society was founded on 11 December 1947 at the Café Bleu, West's Cinema. The large Art Deco Forum Cinema was opened in 1935 – during the German occupation this was used for German propaganda films.

The Odeon Cinema was opened 2 June 1952 and, was later rebranded in the early 21st century as the Forum cinema. Its owners, however, struggled to meet tough competition from the Cineworld Cinemas group, which opened a 10 screen multiplex on the waterfront centre in St. Helier on reclaimed land in December 2002 and the Forum closed its doors in late 2008. In August 2006, plans were revealed to convert the former Odeon building into a department store while retaining the landmark architecture.

Since 1997, Kevin Lewis (formerly of the Cine Centre and the New Forum) has arranged the Jersey Film Festival, a charity event showing the latest and also classic films outdoors in 35 mm on a big screen. The 2011 festival was held in Howard Davis Park, St Saviour, on the 13–19 August 2011. First held in 2008, the Branchage Jersey International Film Festival attracts filmmakers from all over the world.

Food and drink[link]

Seafood has traditionally been important to the cuisine of Jersey: mussels (called ''moules'' in the Island), oysters, lobster and crabs – especially spider crabs – ormers, and conger.

Jersey milk being very rich, cream and butter have played a large part in insular cooking. ''(See Channel Island milk)'' However there is no indigenous tradition of cheese making, contrary to the custom of mainland Normandy, but some cheese is produced commercially. Jersey fudge, mostly imported and made with milk from overseas Jersey cattle herds, is a popular food product with tourists.

Jersey Royal potatoes are the local variety of new potato, and the island is famous for its early crop of Chats (small potatoes) from the south-facing côtils (steeply sloping fields). Originally grown using vraic as a natural fertiliser giving them their own individual taste, only a small portion of those grown in the island still use this method. They are eaten in a variety of ways, often simply boiled and served with butter or when not as fresh fried in butter.

Apples historically were an important crop. ''Bourdélots'' are apple dumplings, but the most typical speciality is black butter (''lé nièr beurre''), a dark spicy spread prepared from apples, cider and spices. Cider used to be an important export. After decline and near-disappearance in the late 20th century, apple production is being increased and promoted. Apple brandy is also produced, as is some wine.

Among other traditional dishes are cabbage loaf, Jersey wonders (''les mèrvelles''), fliottes, bean crock (''les pais au fou''), nettle (''ortchie'') soup, vraic buns.

Sport[link]

In its own right Jersey participates in the Commonwealth Games and in the biennial Island Games, which it last hosted in 1997 and will next host in 2015.

In sporting events in which Jersey does not have international representation, when the British Home Nations are competing separately, islanders that do have high athletic skill may choose to compete for any of the Home Nations – there are, however, restrictions on subsequent transfers to represent another Home Nation.

Jersey is an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Jersey cricket team plays in the Inter-insular match among others. The Jersey cricket team competed in the World Division 4, held in Tanzania in October 2008, after recently finishing as runners-up and therefore being promoted from the World Division 5 held in Jersey. They also competed in the European Division 2, held in Guernsey during August 2008. The youth cricket teams have been promoted to play in the European Division 1 alongside Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Guernsey. In two tournaments at this level Jersey have finished 6th.

For horseracing, Les Landes Racecourse can be found at Les Landes in St. Ouen next to the ruins of Grosnez Castle.

The Jersey Football Association supervises football in Jersey. The Jersey Football Combination has 9 teams in its top division. The 2006/07 champions were Jersey Scottish where Ross Crick is the top scorer. The Jersey national football team plays in the annual Muratti competition among others.

Rugby union in Jersey comes under the auspices of the Jersey Rugby Association (JRA), which is a member of the Rugby Football Union of England. Jersey R.F.C. compete in the English rugby union system; after four promotions in five seasons, the last three of which were consecutive, they will compete in the second-level RFU Championship in 2012–13.

Jersey has two public indoor swimming pools. Swimming in the sea, surfing, windsurfing and other marine sports are practised. Jersey Swimming Club have organised an annual swim from Elizabeth Castle to Saint Helier Harbour for over 50 years. A round-island swim is a major challenge that a select number of swimmers have achieved. The Royal Channel Island Yacht Club is based in Jersey.

There is one facility for extreme sports and some facilities for youth sports. Jersey has one un-roofed skateboarding park. Coastal cliffs provide opportunities for rock climbing.

In golf, two golfers from Jersey have won The Open Championship 7 times between them, Harry Vardon winning 6 times and Ted Ray winning once. Harry and Ted also won the US Open one time each and Harry's brother Tom Vardon had some smaller wins on European Tours.

Literature[link]

Wace is Jersey's earliest known author. Printing arrived in Jersey only in the 1780s, but the island supported a multitude of regular publications in French (and Jèrriais) and English throughout the 19th century, in which poetry, most usually topical and satirical, flourished (see Jèrriais literature).The first Jèrriais book to be published was ''Rimes et Poésies Jersiaises de divers auteurs réunies et mises en ordre'', edited by Abraham Mourant in 1865. Writers born in Jersey include Elinor Glyn, John Lemprière, Philippe Le Sueur Mourant, Robert Pipon Marett, and Augustus Asplet Le Gros. Frederick Tennyson and Gerald Durrell were among authors who made Jersey their home. Contemporary authors based in Jersey include Jack Higgins, and Sinclair Forrest, author of the 2007 novel, ''The Dragon of Angur''.

Education[link]

Schools [link]

The States of Jersey provides education through state schools (including a fee-paying option at secondary level) and also supports private schools. The Jersey curriculum generally follows that of England.

Further and higher education [link]

Jersey has a college of further education and university centre, Highlands College. As well as offering part-time and evening courses Highlands is the largest sixth form provider in the Island, and works collaboratively with a range of organisations including the Open University, University of Plymouth and London South Bank University. In particular students can study at Highlands for the two year Foundation Degree in Financial Services and for BSc Social Sciences, both validated by the University of Plymouth.

The Institute of Law is Jersey's law school, providing a course for students seeking to qualify as Jersey advocates and solicitors. It also provides teaching for students enrolled on the University of London LLB degree programme, via the International Programmes. The Open University supports students in Jersey (but they pay higher fees than UK students). Private sector higher education providers include the Jersey International Business School.

Environment[link]

Three areas of land are protected for their ecological or geological interest as Sites of Special Interest (SSI): Les Landes, Les Blanches Banques and La Lande du Ouest. A large area of intertidal zone is designated as a Ramsar site.

Jersey is the home of Durrell Wildlife Park (formerly known as the Jersey Zoological Park) founded by the naturalist, zookeeper, and author Gerald Durrell.

Biodiversity[link]

Four species of small mammal are considered native: the wood mouse (''Apodemus sylvaticus''), the Jersey bank vole (''Myodes glareolus caesarius''), the Lesser white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura suaveolens'') and the French shrew (''Sorex coronatus''). Three wild mammals are well-established introductions: the rabbit (introduced in the mediaeval period), the red squirrel and the hedgehog (both introduced in the 19th century). The stoat (''Mustela erminea'') became extinct in Jersey between 1976 and 2000. The Green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) is a protected species of reptile; Jersey is its only habitat in the British Isles.

Trees generally considered native are the alder (''Alnus glutinosa''), silver birch (''Betula pendula''), sweet chestnut (''Castanea sativa''), hazel (''Corylus avellana''), hawthorn (''Crataegus monogyna''), beech (''Fagus sylvatica''), ash (''Fraxinus excelsior''), aspen (''Populus tremula''), wild cherry (''Prunus avium''), blackthorn (''Prunus spinosa''), holm oak (''Quercus ilex''), oak (''Quercus robur''), sallow (''Salix cinerea''), elder (''Sambucus nigra''), elm (''Ulmus'' spp.), and medlar (''Mespilus germanica''). Among notable introduced species, the cabbage palm (''Cordyline australis'') has been planted in coastal areas and may be seen in many gardens.

Notable marine species include the ormer, conger, bass, undulate ray, grey mullet, ballan wrasse and garfish. Marine mammals include the bottlenosed dolphin and grey seal.

Emergency services[link]

Emergency services are provided by the States of Jersey Police with the support of the Honorary Police as necessary, States of Jersey Ambulance Service, Jersey Fire and Rescue Service and the Jersey Coastguard. The Jersey Fire and Rescue Service and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution operate an inshore rescue and lifeboat service; Channel Islands Air Search provides rapid response airborne search of the surrounding waters.

The States of Jersey Fire Service was formed in 1938 when the States took over the Saint Helier Fire Brigade, which had been formed in 1901.

The first lifeboat was equipped, funded by the States, in 1830. The RNLI established a lifeboat station in 1884.

Border security and Customs controls are undertaken by the States of Jersey Customs and Immigration Service.

Jersey has adopted the 112 emergency number alongside its existing 999 emergency number.

Notable people[link]

Wace, mediaeval author (1100–1174)

Renaud De Carteret III, land-owner (1129-1169)

Walter Raleigh, Governor from 1600 to 1603

George Carteret, vice-admiral, royalist statesman (1610–1680)

King Charles II, exiled in Jersey, 1649–50

Victor Hugo, exiled in Jersey, 1852–55

Lillie Langtry, actress (1853–1929)

Harry Vardon, golfer (1870–1937)

Ted Ray, golfer (1877–1943)

Gerald Durrell, conservationist, author (1925–1995)

Graeme Le Saux, football player (b. 1968)

Nerina Pallot, singer-songwriter (b. 1974)

Henry Cavill, actor (b. 1983)

Matt Banahan, rugby player (b. 1986)

Brett Pitman, football player (b. 1988)

See also[link]

Footnotes and references[link]

Print[link]

''Jersey Through the Centuries'', Leslie Sinel, Jersey 1984, ISBN 0-86120-003-9

Further reading[link]

Balleine's History of Jersey, Marguerite Syvret and Joan Stevens (1998) ISBN 1-86077-065-7

A Biographical Dictionary of Jersey, G.R. Balleine

;Archaeology

The Archaeology of the Channel Islands. Vol. 2: The Bailiwick of Jersey by Jacquetta Hawkes (1939)

The Prehistoric Foundations of Europe to the Mycenean Age, 1940, C. F. C. Hawkes

Jersey in Prehistory, Mark Patton, 1987

The Archaeology and Early History of the Channel Islands, Heather Sebire, 2005.

Dolmens of Jersey: A Guide, James Hibbs (1988).

A Guide to The Dolmens of Jersey, Peter Hunt, Société Jersiaise, 1998.

Statements in Stone: Monuments and Society in Neolithic Brittany, Mark Patton, 1993

Hougue Bie, Mark Patton, Warwick Rodwell, Olga Finch, 1999

The Channel Islands, An Archaeological Guide, David Johnston, 1981

The Archaeology of the Channel Islands, Peter Johnston, 1986

;Cattle One Hundred Years of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society 1833–1933. Compiled from the Society's Records, by H.G. Shepard, Secretary Eric J. Boston. Jersey Cattle, 1954 ;Religion

The Channel Islands under Tudor Government, A.J. Eagleston

Reformation and Society in Guernsey, D.M. Ogier

International Politics and the Establishment of Presbytarianism in the Channel Islands: The Coutances Connection, C.S.L. Davies

Religion, History and G.R. Balleine: The Reformation in Jersey, by J. St John Nicolle, The Pilot Magazine

The Reformation in Jersey: The Process of Change over Two centuries, J. St John Nicolle

The Chroniques de Jersey in the light of contemporary documents, BSJ, AJ Eagleston

The Portrait of Richard Mabon, BSJ, Joan Stevens

External links[link]

States of Jersey Main website of the Jersey government.

Jersey Tourism Government owned tourism website.

Jersey Elections

Locate Jersey

Jerripedia

BBC Jersey

Isle News

This Is Jersey

Jersey in ''The World Factbook''

Prehistoric Jersey

Category:Island countries Category:Crown dependencies Jer

ace:Jersey af:Jersey als:Jersey ar:جيرزي an:Jèrri frp:Jèrseyi ast:Xerséi az:Cersi zh-min-nan:Jersey be:Востраў Джэрсі be-x-old:Джэрсі bg:Джърси bs:Jersey br:Jerzenez ca:Jersey cs:Jersey cy:Jersey da:Jersey de:Jersey dv:ޖާސޭ et:Jersey el:Τζέρσεϊ es:Jersey eo:Ĵersejo eu:Jersey fa:جرزی fr:Jersey ga:Geirsí gv:Jersee gd:Jersey gl:Illa de Jersey xal:Җерсин Арл ko:저지 섬 hr:Jersey (otok) io:Jersey bpy:জার্সি id:Jersey os:Джерси is:Jersey it:Isola di Jersey he:ג'רזי jv:Jersey kn:ಜರ್ಸಿ ka:ჯერსი kk:Джерси kw:Jersi rw:Jersey sw:Jersey la:Caesarea Insula lv:Džērsija lt:Džersis lij:Jersey li:Jersey hu:Jersey mi:Tōrehe mr:जर्सी ms:Jersey nl:Jersey (eiland) nds-nl:Jersey ne:जर्सी ja:ジャージー no:Jersey nn:Jersey nrm:Jèrri nov:Jersey oc:Jersey pnb:جرسی pl:Jersey pt:Jersey ro:Insula Jersey ru:Джерси sco:Jersey sq:Jersey simple:Jersey sk:Jersey sl:Jersey sr:Џерзи sh:Jersey (otok) su:Jersey fi:Jersey sv:Jersey tl:Jersey ta:யேர்சி tt:Җерси te:జెర్సీ th:เจอร์ซีย์ tr:Jersey uk:Джерсі (острів) ur:جرزی vi:Jersey war:Jersey wuu:杰塞岛 yo:Jersey zh-yue:澤西島 zh:澤西島

name	Sebastian Vettel
nationality	German
birth date	July 03, 1987
birth place	Heppenheim, Hesse, West Germany
2012 team	Red Bull-Renault
2012 car number	1
races	87
championships	2 (, )
wins	22
podiums	38
points	846
poles	31
fastest laps	10
first race	2007 United States Grand Prix
first win	2008 Italian Grand Prix
last win	2012 Bahrain Grand Prix
last race
last season	2011
last position	1st (392 pts) }}

Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and .

In his first year driving for Red Bull in , Vettel finished the season as the youngest-ever World Drivers' championship runner-up. He also secured Red Bull's first pole position and race win in the team's history. The following year he went on to become the youngest driver ever to win the World Drivers' Championship. In the same year he helped Red Bull win the team's first World Constructors' Championship. He followed up his first championship with a second in , becoming the youngest double as well as youngest consecutive champion.

Vettel holds numerous other "youngest" Formula One records, among them: the youngest driver to have taken part in an official practice session of a Grand Prix, to score championship points, to lead a race, to secure pole position, and to win a race.

Early and personal life[link]

Vettel was born in Heppenheim, West Germany. He has one younger brother, Fabian, and two older sisters, Melanie and Stefanie. Vettel suggested in an interview that he was terrible at school, but he actually earned his Abitur (high school diploma) with a respectable grade. He also mentioned that his childhood heroes were "The three Michaels", who were Michael Schumacher, Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson. He stated that he wanted to be a singer like Michael Jackson but realised that he could not as he did not have the voice. Vettel is also a fan of The Beatles, collecting several records, including Abbey Road and his favourite song being Drive My Car. In an interview on ''Top Gear'', Vettel stated that he was a fan of British comedy such as ''Little Britain'' and ''Monty Python's Life of Brian''. Vettel lives in Switzerland amongst other racing drivers and is a fan of German football team Eintracht Frankfurt. Vettel has described himself as competitive, private and impatient. Vettel also appears in advertisements for Head & Shoulders. In the German version of ''Cars 2'', Vettel featured as a voice-over.

Early career[link]

Junior series[link]

Vettel started racing karts in 1995, winning various titles such as the Junior Monaco Kart Cup in 2001. In 2003, he upgraded to open-wheel cars and won the 2004 German Formula BMW Championship with 18 victories from 20 races. In 2005 he drove for ASL Mucke Motorsport in the Formula Three Euroseries. He was placed fifth in the final standings with 64 points, winning the year's top rookie honours. He tested the Williams FW27 Formula One car on 27 September as a reward for this Formula BMW success. He then went on to test for the BMW Sauber team.

Vettel finished as runner-up in the 2006 F3 Euroseries, behind series leader and team mate Paul di Resta. He also made his debut in the World Series by Renault at Misano, winning after Pastor Maldonado was disqualified. However, at the next round at Spa-Francorchamps, his finger was almost sliced off by flying débris in an accident, and he was expected to be out of racing for several weeks. Nevertheless, he managed to compete in the Ultimate Masters of F3 at Zandvoort the following weekend, finishing in sixth place. He also set the third-fastest lap time, and it surprised his ASM team boss Frédéric Vasseur. Vasseur said: "I was impressed for sure, because at the beginning of the week I was sure he wouldn't race! But he showed good pace from the first practice session. I can't imagine he's 100 per cent but at least we know we can be competitive in the next F3 Euroseries round at the Nürburgring next weekend – that's important."

Vettel competed in the World Series by Renault in 2007, and took his first win at the Nürburgring. He was leading the championship when he was called up to Formula One permanently. His seat was taken by Michael Ammermüller.

Formula One[link]

2006–2007: BMW Sauber[link]

2006[link]

Vettel became BMW Sauber third driver at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, when former incumbent Robert Kubica was called up to replace Jacques Villeneuve for the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

On his testing debut, Vettel set the fastest time in the second Friday Free Practice before the race. In his second testing session in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, he set the fastest time in both Friday practice sessions, a race weekend in which all the BMW cars were quick, with his predecessor Robert Kubica finishing on the podium in the race.

2007[link]

Vettel was confirmed as BMW's test driver for 2007. Following the serious crash of regular BMW driver Kubica at the , Vettel substituted for him at the . Vettel was pulled mid-season from the Formula Renault series, which he was leading at that time. He started in seventh position on the grid, finishing in eighth position to take his first World Championship point and became the youngest driver ever to score a point in Formula One (at the age of 19 years and 349 days), a record previously held by Jenson Button – who was 20 years and 67 days old when he finished sixth at the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix.

2007–2008: Toro Rosso[link]

2007[link]

On 31 July 2007, BMW released Vettel to join Red Bull's Scuderia Toro Rosso team, replacing Scott Speed as one of its drivers from the onwards. He earned approximately US$165,000 for finishing the season with Toro Rosso. Before the race, it was also announced that Vettel would drive for Toro Rosso in , alongside Sébastien Bourdais.

Vettel struggled for his first couple of races while cutting his teeth with his new team, but managed two impressive drives in his 5th and 6th drives for Toro Rosso, a team that was averaging a little worse than 14th place in the 2007 season before Vettel's arrival. In the rain-hit at Fuji, Vettel worked his way up to third, behind Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber, and seemed to be on course for not only his but also Toro Rosso's maiden podium finish. However, Vettel crashed into Webber under safety car conditions taking them both out of the race and prompting Webber to say to ITV reporter Louise Goodman "It's kids isn't it... kids with not enough experience – you do a good job and then they fuck it all up." Webber also specifically criticized Lewis Hamilton's erratic behaviour in contributing to the accident, describing his antics behind the safety car as 'shit'." Vettel was initially punished with a ten-place grid penalty for the following race, but this was lifted after a spectator video on YouTube showed the incident may have been caused by Hamilton's behaviour behind the safety car. Vettel bounced back to finish a career-best fourth a week later at the having started 17th on the grid while in mixed conditions. He collected five championship points, making it both his and Toro Rosso's best race result.

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz stated his belief Vettel would be one of Formula One's big stars in the future. "Vettel is one of the young guys with extraordinary potential [...] He is fast, he is intelligent, and he is very interested in the technical side."

2008[link]

After four races of the 2008 season, Vettel was the only driver to have failed to finish a single race, having retired on the first lap in three of them. In each of these three instances, he was involved in accidents caused by other drivers, the other being an engine failure. However, at the fifth round at the , he finally saw the chequered flag, albeit finishing in 17th after qualifying 14th and suffering a puncture on the opening lap. In the next race at the , Vettel scored his first points of the season with a fifth place finish, after qualifying 17th. He scored again at the fighting off Heikki Kovalainen in the last few laps for the final championship point, having started from pit lane. Vettel finished 12th in France, before retiring on lap one at the wet after being clipped by David Coulthard and aquaplaned into the gravel trap along with Coulthard. He earned another point at the , fending off Fernando Alonso and securing eighth after Jarno Trulli ran wide. Vettel retired in Hungary after his engine overheated during his first pit stop. He impressed many at the by setting the fastest times in the first practice session and second qualifying session, before qualifying sixth on the grid. Vettel finished the race in sixth, two seconds behind Jarno Trulli.

At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Aged 21 years and 74 days, Vettel broke the record set by Fernando Alonso at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix by 317 days when he won in wet conditions at Monza. Vettel led for the majority of the Grand Prix and crossed the finish line 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen. It was the first podium and win for his Toro Rosso team. Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest polesitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages, and his win also gave him the record of youngest podium-finisher. Toro Rosso team boss Gerhard Berger said, "As he proved today, he can win races, but he's going to win world championships. He's a cool guy". Hamilton praised the German, stating that this victory showed "how good he is". The nature of the victory and the story of the 21 year old's fledgling career led the German media to dub him "baby Schumi", although Vettel was quick to downplay the expectation the result has brought, particularly the comparison with the seven-time World Champion: "To compare me with Michael Schumacher is just a bit ridiculous...It will be difficult in normal conditions for us to repeat this achievement". He then went on to finish fifth in Singapore. In Japan, he finished sixth after being promoted from seventh after team-mate Bourdais was penalised for contact with Felipe Massa.

In the , after running as high as second in the race on a 3-stop strategy, Vettel overtook Lewis Hamilton in the rain for fifth place on the penultimate lap to contribute to a thrilling climax to the season. He nearly deprived the McLaren driver of the championship before Timo Glock slowed dramatically on the last lap (he was struggling with dry tyres in the ever increasing rain) enabling both Vettel and Hamilton to pass him, earning Hamilton the title, and Vettel fourth place.

After the season had finished Vettel was named Autosport Rookie of the Year.

Red Bull Racing[link]

2009[link]

At the start of the 2009 season, Vettel replaced the retired David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing, and began strongly at the , qualifying third and running in second for the majority of the race. However, a clash with Robert Kubica over second place on the third to last lap of the race forced both to retire. Vettel attempted to finish the race on three wheels behind the safety car to salvage some points, but eventually pulled off to the side. He thought that he would be able to attempt this because the yellow flag resulting from his incident forbids overtaking; instead he was given a ten-place grid penalty for the next race, the , and his team was fined for instructing him to stay on track after the damage occurred. In Malaysia he qualified in third position, but was demoted down to 13th due to his ten-place grid drop. He spun out of the race while eighth, just before the race was stopped due to adverse weather conditions. However in China he went on to take pole position, the first for the Red Bull Racing team. He went on to win the race ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, again a first for his team, which scored its first victory and one-two finish in the same race. At the age of 21 years and 287 days, Vettel became the youngest Grand Prix driver in history to win for two different teams, having won the 2008 Italian Grand Prix for the Toro Rosso team.

In the , Vettel qualified in third, and finished second behind Jenson Button in the race. In Spain, he qualified in second but finished the race in fourth, behind his team-mate Mark Webber who finished in third. Vettel won the after claiming pole position in qualifying. At the he qualified fourth and finished second, behind Webber, who won his first Grand Prix. At the , Vettel qualified second after an eventful qualifying, but had to retire from the race on lap 30 after his car sustained damage from contact with Kimi Räikkönen's car on the first lap.

At the , he qualified fourth but had to retire from the race with an engine failure. It was the second engine failure for Vettel during the weekend, and the RB5's reliability issues began to show. He finished third at Spa-Francorchamps, and struggled for pace at Monza, finishing 8th at a race he previously won. He qualified 2nd at Singapore, but was given a drive-though penalty for speeding in the pit lane and damaged the diffuser on a kerb, struggling to 4th. He subsequently won the from pole position, leading every lap and only being denied of the fastest lap by 0.002 seconds by teammate Mark Webber, who did so on the final lap. He would have to wait until the 2011 Indian Grand Prix until he finally achieved a Grand Chelem.

At the , Vettel qualified 16th in a rain-hit session, behind title rival Jenson Button (14th) and Rubens Barrichello (1st), while his team-mate Webber qualified second with Adrian Sutil in third. Vettel needed to score at least second place in the race to keep his title hopes alive. He finished fourth with Button behind, giving Button the Championship and moving Vettel up into second place. He officially claimed second place by winning the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, again ahead of Webber with Button completing the podium. He also scored his third fastest lap of the year, drawing him level with team-mate Webber. However, as Vettel had more second fastest laps, he won the 2009 DHL Fastest Lap Award.

2010[link]

Vettel continued with Red Bull for 2010, and took the first pole position of the season at the . Vettel went on to lead most of the race but a spark-plug failure meant that his lap times slowed down, and as a result the two Ferraris and the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton passed him. After a brief challenge from Rosberg he brought the car home in fourth.

At the , Vettel was appointed as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. He took his second consecutive pole position in Australia, ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, but spun off when leading the race, due to a loose wheel nut. In Malaysia, he took his first win of the 2010 season with Webber coming in second place, having passed both him and Nico Rosberg at turn one.

Vettel qualified on pole at China alongside Webber. At the start of the wet race Fernando Alonso jump-started and Vettel was passed by Webber, dropping back to third. The increasing rain forced Vettel and Webber to pit at the same time for intermediate tyres that wore out after only a few laps and dropped them back into the midfield. Vettel slowly climbed back up to finish sixth, ahead of Webber. In Spain, Vettel was outqualified by team-mate Webber and claimed second on the grid. Despite having a major brake problem during the last eight laps, Vettel managed third place after Hamilton crashed on the penultimate lap.

In Monaco Vettel was again outqualified by Webber. In the race he passed Kubica at the start and stayed there for the remainder of the Grand Prix and made it a Red Bull 1–2. After the race the two Red Bull drivers were equal on points in the drivers' championship, with Webber championship leader based on total wins. At the he qualified third and was running second behind Webber when he made a passing move on the Australian. The two collided, putting Vettel out of the race and dropping him to fifth in the drivers' championship, with neither driver accepting responsibility for causing the collision. He finished fourth at the , maintaining his position in the standings. He started the in pole position and led from start to finish to score his second win of the season.

At Silverstone, both Vettel and Webber's cars were fitted with a new design of front wing. Vettel's front wing was damaged in the third practice session, and Webber's sole surviving example was removed and given to Vettel. Vettel qualified in pole position ahead of his team-mate, but suffered a puncture caused by driving wide off the track on the first lap of the race and fell to the tail of the field. He fought back to finish seventh while Webber took the victory. At the he took pole by 0.002 seconds, and finished in third position in the race, behind the Ferraris of Alonso and Felipe Massa, after a poor start. He also finished third in Hungary after serving a drive-through penalty for exceeding ten lengths behind the previous car, team-mate Webber, under neutralised safety car conditions. In Belgium, he had a tough race, hitting Button's car whilst attempting to pass, causing Button to retire. Vettel pitted and carried on, but then suffered a puncture whilst passing Liuzzi at the same place, completing a whole lap with a puncture. He eventually finished 15th, which was (other than his retirements in Australia and Turkey) was his worst finish of the season. At Monza he finished fourth after an engine problem scare, and at the , Vettel qualified and finished second, sticking on Alonso's tail for most of the race. He passed Button for fourth place in the championship. At the , he dominated all practice sessions bar one, as it was postponed after heavy rain. He qualified on pole ahead of team mate Webber and went on to win with a lights-to-flag victory. Aged 23 years and 98 days, Vettel became the youngest Grand Prix driver to win at the same track on two occasions, having also won the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in 2009. At the first , Vettel took pole and led the first 45 laps of the race before retiring with engine failure, handing victory to Alonso.

At the , Vettel qualified second but took the lead at the first corner and led for the entire race to victory. With Webber taking second place, and Alonso finishing third, Vettel went into the final race of the season with a 15-point deficit to Alonso, and a 7-point gap to Webber. With the one-two finish in Brazil, Vettel and Webber secured Red Bull Racing's first Formula One World Constructors' Championship. He won the from pole again, to take the drivers' championship lead for the first time in his career and became the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Following James Hunt in the 1976 season, this was also only the second time in Formula One history when the World Champion had not been championship leader at any earlier point in the season.

2011[link]

After the postponement of the , Vettel started his title defence in style in the with pole position and a victory of 22 seconds over title rival Lewis Hamilton, who was nursing home his broken McLaren. Vettel continued his title defence in the , where he pipped Hamilton for pole position by a tenth of a second, and went on to win the race from Jenson Button. Vettel completed his third pole position of the season at the , and appeared to be in dominating form for the majority of the race. However, poor tyre management haunted him in the last several laps, possibly being related to him being unable to properly communicate with his team as his radio was broken. He finished the race second, his championship lead cut to 21 points, by Hamilton, after three races.

The started out poorly for Vettel, where he had very little practice time during the Friday free practice sessions, including a crash in the first session. Even with the limited practice, he claimed his fifth consecutive pole position and converted it into a win, extending his championship lead over Hamilton to 34 points. At the , his pole position streak ended as his KERS failed him during qualifying. His teammate Webber took pole, but Vettel went on to win the race by 0.6 seconds over Hamilton, as Hamilton chased him down at the end on prime tyres, despite Vettel having to deal with a frequently malfunctioning KERS. The following weekend, in the , he took pole with the second fastest qualifying time in Monaco's history. Vettel was leading the race with a 5 second gap to second placed Button. Due to a radio malfunction the Red Bull pit crew was not prepared for Vettel when he pitted. The net result was that the pitstop was slow, and that he was sent out on the wrong tyres, handing the lead to Button as well. Vettel switched to a one-stop strategy, and stuck with one set of soft tyres for 56 laps. He was caught by Alonso and Button as his tyres deteriorated, but neither were able to pass him. With a few laps remaining, the race was red-flagged after Vitaly Petrov required an ambulance after an accident. The suspended race allowed teams to change tyres and work on the cars, and when the race was restarted under the safety car, Vettel was able to retain the lead during the last few laps.

In Canada, he took his sixth pole position in seven races ahead of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Vettel kept his lead from the start of the race, and for the vast majority of the race he held on to it. The record six safety car periods due to the down-pouring rain and 2 hour race suspension profoundly hurt Vettel's chances of victory, however, as after every safety car restart Vettel would lose the gap he had previously built up on the other drivers. With much fresher tyres, Button caught Vettel and began to pressure him in the last lap. Vettel slid on a damp part of the track at Turn 6, and Button used the opportunity to slip past him to take the victory. Vettel finished second, yet still extended his championship lead to 60 points ahead of Button.

At the , the FIA began enforcing a controversial ban on engine mappings. It was believed by many in the press that it was an attempt by the FIA to thwart Vettel's domination of the season. The changes appeared to do little to hinder Vettel, as he took pole with the fastest qualifying lap in the track's history. He dominated the race with his first triple of 2011 with pole, fastest lap, and won his sixth race out of eight races. It was the first time in Formula One history where, in the first eight races, a driver finished first in six or more races and second or better in the remaining races.

The second set of controversial mid-season changes were implemented at Silverstone, targeting the blown diffusers. Red Bull believed the changes cost them about half a second per lap. Webber just edged Vettel for pole position by 0.032 seconds in qualifying. On race day, Vettel made a better start, immediately took the lead and led the first half of the race. A delay at one of his pit stops gave the race lead to Alonso, who passed him in the pit lane, and dropped Vettel back to third, behind Hamilton. Despite a malfunctioning KERS unit, he was able to jump Hamilton in the stops and held off the faster Webber, who ignored a radio message from team principal Christian Horner to hold position, for second place, extending his lead in the championship.

Vettel's run of fourteen successive front-row starts and eleven successive top two finishes ended at his home race, where he qualified third and finished fourth. McLaren's mechanical grip outclassed Red Bull in the wet in Hungary, and despite leading into the first corner from pole, he was quickly passed by both Hamilton and Button. Vettel eventually finished second in the race, held in mixed conditions. In Belgium, Vettel qualified on pole and won the race, his seventh victory of the season and seventeenth of his career. In victory, Vettel extended his lead in the championship to 92 points and, even with seven races left, his tally of 259 points surpassed his own record, from for the highest number of championship points accumulated in a season. At the at Monza, he took his tenth pole position of the year – joining Ayrton Senna as the only drivers to have taken ten pole positions in two separate seasons – and the 25th of his career, and eventually won the race after passing Alonso, who had overtaken Vettel at the start. Vettel led every lap from pole position in Singapore, despite a safety car period eliminating a 22 second lead that he had held. His ninth win of the season left only Jenson Button in championship contention, who was 124 points behind with five races remaining.

Vettel arrived in Japan needing only a single championship point, tenth place, to secure his second championship. In qualifying, Vettel recorded his twelfth pole position of the season, his fifth in succession, edging Button by 0.009 seconds. In the race Vettel held the lead until the second pit-stop phase, when Button used the undercut to get past. He remained second after a safety car restart, but because he his tyres wore out not long after that, he slipped down to third behind Alonso. He tried to fight Alonso for the position, but after not getting past his race engineer told him to hold position to take the championship. Another podium secured his second successive title with four races remaining, making him the youngest ever double World Champion and also the youngest back-to-back Champion, joining only eight other drivers who had won consecutive titles. In Korea, Vettel started second, but won the race – becoming the second driver to take at least ten wins in a season after Michael Schumacher – after overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the first lap, building a healthy gap for the rest of the race and securing the fastest lap of the race, on the final lap. He helped secure Red Bull's second successive Constructors' World Championship in the process. Vettel took his eleventh victory of the season in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, leading every lap from pole position, as well as setting the race's fastest lap on the final lap, despite Red Bull turning down his engine in an effort not to risk the race victory.

At the , Vettel took his fourteenth pole position of 2011 to equal the record of poles in a season set by Nigel Mansell in . Vettel had a good start to maintain the lead by the first corner, but at the second corner, a right rear puncture saw him go sliding off the track. He returned to the pits, but suspension damage forced his first retirement since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix. Vettel then broke the record for the most poles in a season at the next round, the season finale in Brazil. He maintained his lead into the first corner but was slowed by gearbox trouble early in the race. He allowed teammate Webber to pass him as his problem worsened, but eventually finished second ahead of Button to complete a 1–2 for the team upon Webber's only victory of the year. Vettel completed the year with 15 poles, 11 victories and 17 podiums from 19 races; he also gained a total of 392 points in the process.

2012[link]

Vettel remained at Red Bull for the 2012 season, and is again partnered by Mark Webber. He scored a second place finish at the opening race of the season in Australia. Vettel started fifth in Malaysia, promoted from sixth after Kimi Räikkönen suffered a five-place grid penalty. Vettel spent the majority of the rain-affected race in fourth place, but picked a puncture from a collision with the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan on lap 47. He dropped to twelfth after pitting to replace the tyre, and finished eleventh after Pastor Maldonado retired late in the race with an engine failure. This was Vettel's first finish outside the points since the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix; Karthikeyan was given a 20-second post-race penalty for his part in the collision, which dropped Karthikeyan from 21st to 22nd and last.

After the race, Vettel and Red Bull boss Christian Horner criticised Karthikeyan's driving, with Vettel calling Karthikeyan an "idiot". Karthikeyan hit back at Vettel, calling him a "cry-baby". Later, Karthikeyan decided to call a truce with Vettel, stating his respect for Vettel's abilities and saying "I think we have to deal with it in a mature way and forget about it." Vettel qualified eleventh for the ; the first time he had qualified outside the top ten since the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, although he ran as high as 2nd with 7 laps remaining until tyre wear on a 2-stop strategy took its toll and he dropped to 5th by the flag.

Vettel qualified in pole position for the first time in 2012 at the . Vettel was able to lead for most of the race, despite coming under pressure from Kimi Räikkönen, and crossed the line in first place to take his first victory of the season; the result also saw Vettel go top of the driver's standings for the first time in 2012. At the Spanish GP, he maintained his championship lead, albeit only on countback, after a 6th place finish having started 7th following on from a qualifying session in which he didn't set a time in Q3. Vettel received a drive-through penalty for failing to slow for yellow flags during the race as well as having to change his front wing as a result of debris from an incident involving Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna. After an eventful race at Monaco where he placed fourth, gaining 5 places from his ninth-place grid position, he is currently second in the Drivers' Championship, behind Alonso who finished third in the race.

Future[link]

On 21 August 2009 it was announced that Red Bull and Vettel have extended his contract until the end of the season with an option for . The option was taken up on 14 March 2011, as Vettel extended his contract with the team until the end of 2014. Vettel has mentioned he would like to at some point in his career drive for Ferrari, while Red Bull believes he will stay with them for as long as they supply a competitive car. Prior to the Japanese Grand Prix, Red Bull's advisor Helmut Marko expressed his wish to extend Vettel's contract for another two years, to 2016.

Race of Champions[link]

Vettel competed in the 2007 Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium, representing the German team alongside Michael Schumacher. Vettel and Schumacher won the Nations' Cup Title, after exciting finals. Vettel had to beat two RoC champions, Heikki Kovalainen and Marcus Grönholm, after Schumacher stalled his car. Vettel lost the individual competition however, in first heat, in his second battle against Kovalainen.

Vettel also competed in the 2008 Race of Champions, alongside Michael Schumacher. Once again they won the Nations' Cup Title after a close final against Scandinavia. In the Driver's Cup, Vettel beat Troy Bayliss in Round One, but lost to Sébastien Loeb in the Quarter-Finals. Again Vettel teamed up with Michael Schumacher for the 2009 RoC Nations Cup, which they went on to win in a run-off against the Great Britain team of Jenson Button and Andy Priaulx. In the 2010 edition, on home ground in Düsseldorf, Vettel again teamed up with Schumacher to win the Nations Cup for the fourth time in a row. In the Driver's Cup, Vettel was eliminated in the semi-finals by Filipe Albuquerque, who went on to win the event.

In 2011, Vettel and Schumacher completed their fifth consecutive Nations Cup win, beating the Nordic team of Tom Kristensen and Juho Hänninen 2–0 in the final. In the semi-finals, Vettel had to beat both Andy Priaulx and Jenson Button, after Schumacher lost to Button.

Top Gear[link]

Vettel holds the fastest lap-time for a Formula One driver on BBC2's ''Top Gear'' programme in the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment, with a lap of 1:44.0, beating previous holder Rubens Barrichello, and the old Stig, Ben Collins.

Helmet design[link]

Vettel's helmet, like most Red Bull-backed drivers, is heavily influenced by the energy drink company logo.

New to Vettel's helmet since the start of 2008 has been the incorporation of the red cross of the Kreis Bergstraße coat of arms on the front, just underneath the visor, in honour of the region of his birthplace, Heppenheim.

During pre-season testing for 2010, Vettel debuted a helmet resembling a Red Bull drink can complete with graphics of a stay-tab opener on top—which would become a recurring element in his helmets for this season. During the 2010 season, Vettel has used three main helmet designs, although he made some minor changes to some in certain races: besides his standard black helmet, he has used one with the same design but in chrome colors. For the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix, Vettel had a special white-red helmet design, with black kanji and hiragana for "gives you wings". In 2011 he uses his traditional helmet, with some regular changes, like the black top and chin area with blue stylized dots, similar to his black helmet used in 2010. Helmet manufacturer Arai have said that Vettel 'retires' a helmet design after each win.

Comparison to Michael Schumacher[link]

After Vettel's unexpected win in Monza, this led for the media to dub him the "Baby Schumi", "New Schumacher", but Vettel plays down the comparison stating he wanted to be the "New Vettel". He was not just dubbed for his nationality but also because of his driving style, his concentration and the hands-on role he plays behind the scenes with his team of engineers. One difference is that Schumacher does not name his car but Vettel does, Julie (2008), Kate, Kate's Dirty Sister (2009), Luscious Liz, Randy Mandy (2010), Kinky Kylie (2011), and Abbey (2012).

Nevertheless, the similarities are marked. Like Schumacher, Vettel grew up in a small town with an everyday background—Schumacher's father a bricklayer and Vettel's a carpenter. Both had their first taste of racing at the Kerpen karting track near Cologne, not far from the Nürburgring. Vettel began driving in his garden lapping the garden many times, not even stopping to eat or shower, before he could legally take to the roads, and says his passion for cars was nurtured by watching Schumacher compete. He did not know that he would actually get to race his hero.

Both Schumacher and Vettel impressed in their debut races, both of which took place in the middle of a Formula One season, and both drivers qualified seventh. Neither would ever drive for their debut teams again. Instead, both immediately joined with non-manufacturer teams founded upon sales of non-automobile-related products. Approximately a year after joining their new teams, as underdogs they would stun the Formula One world by winning races in cars few believed capable of winning. They would both add extra victories to their names in the following season before their cars' performance improved. In their third full Formula One season and both driving cars numbered 5, both won their first World Drivers' Championship, at which point both drivers had 10 Grand Prix wins on their records. Vettel became the youngest ever driver to win the World Drivers' Championship, while Schumacher, by a little over a week, only narrowly missed out on achieving the very same feat. Both drivers won their non-manufacturer teams' maiden World Drivers' Championship as well as World Constructors' Championship.

After winning his first championship in , and being hailed as the 'Next Schumacher', Vettel has stated he did not want to aim for Schumacher's record after learning how hard it was to get one championship under his belt, though he would have liked to win more. It was in their next seasons that the two drivers began to dominate the sport, both clinching their second successive title before the season was finished, (unlike the previous year) in only their fourth full season. Both drivers became the youngest ever double World Champion at the time, by doing this.

Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel version[link]

In early 2011, Red Bull Racing's sponsor and partner Infiniti entered into discussions with Vettel regarding the possibility of a Formula One-inspired Infiniti FX. Vettel, who already owned his own FX50, expressed his interest in the performance capabilities of the FX platform, and as a result of six months of intense research and development, the 2012 Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version Concept was officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 13 September 2011. On 10 October 2011, Infiniti confirmed that the FX Sebastian Vettel version would go into production.

Honours[link]

In February 2012 Vettel was honoured with the highest sports award in Germany, the ''Silberne Lorbeerblatt'' – Silver Bay Laurel Leaf – in recognition of his multiple world titles and his exemplary character.

Racing record[link]

Career summary[link]

! Season	! Series	! Team	! Races	! Wins	! Poles	! F/Laps	! Podiums	! Points	! Position
! 2003	align=left		19	5	5	4	12	216
! 2004	align=left	align=left	20	18	14	13	20	387
2005	align=left	align=left rowspan="2"	20	0	0	1	5	57	5th
align=left	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	11th
align=left		1	0	0	0	1	8	15th
	align=left	1	0	0	0	1	N/A
align=left	align=left
2006	align=left	align=left rowspan="2"	20	4	1	5	9	75
	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	23rd
align=left		3	1	1	0	2	28	15th
align=left	align=left	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	6th
align=left	align=left
2007	align=left		7	1	1	1	4	74	5th
align=left rowspan="2"	align=left	1	0	0	0	0
	7	0	0	0	0
! 2008	align=left		18	1	1	0	1	35	8th
! 2009	align=left		17	4	4	3	8	84
! 2010	align=left		19	5	10	3	10	256
! 2011	align=left		19	11	15	3	17	392
! 2012	align=left		6	1	1	1	2	73

* Season in progress.

Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results[link]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

! Year

! Entrant

! Chassis

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! 20

! DC

! Points

Mücke Motorsport>ASL Mücke Motorsport

! Dallara F305/011

Mercedes-Benz in motorsport>Mercedes

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

style="background:#000; color:white;"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

! 5th

! 57

ART Grand Prix>ASM Formule 3

! Dallara F305/059

Mercedes-Benz in motorsport>Mercedes

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results[link]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

! Year

! Entrant

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! DC

! Points

! Carlin Motorsport

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffff"

! 15th

! 28

! Carlin Motorsport

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

! 5th

! 74

Complete Formula One results[link]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

! Year

! Entrant

! Chassis

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! 20

! WDC

List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems>Points

BMW Sauber>BMW Sauber F1 Team

BMW Sauber BMW Sauber F1.06>F1.06

!

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

! –

! –

BMW Sauber F1 Team">BMW in Formula One

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

! –

! –

BMW Sauber F1 Team

BMW Sauber BMW Sauber F1.07>F1.07

!

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

14th

6

! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso">BMW in Formula One

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#f0f8ff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

14th

6

! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso

!

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

[[Scuderia Toro Rosso">Scuderia Toro Rosso

! [[Scuderia Ferrari

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

[[Scuderia Toro Rosso

!

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

8th

35

! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso

! [[Scuderia Ferrari

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

! [[Red Bull Racing">Scuderia Toro Rosso

! [[Scuderia Ferrari

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

8th

35

! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso

! [[Scuderia Ferrari

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

! [[Red Bull Racing

!

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

! [[Red Bull Racing">Red Bull Racing

! [[Renault F1

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#cfcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

! [[Red Bull Racing

!

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

! [[Red Bull Racing">Red Bull Racing

! [[Renault F1

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#efcfff"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

! [[Red Bull Racing

!

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

! [[Red Bull Racing">Red Bull Racing

! [[Renault Sport F1

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffdf9f"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#ffffbf"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#dfdfdf"

! [[Red Bull Racing

! [[Red Bull Racing

! [[Renault Sport F1

bgcolor=#DFDFDF

bgcolor=#CFCFFF

bgcolor=#DFFFDF

bgcolor=#FFFFBF

bgcolor=#DFFFDF

bgcolor="#dfffdf"

* Season in progress.

Formula One records[link]

Vettel, enjoying considerable success in the sport whilst still relatively young, holds the following Formula One records:

! Record	! Achieved
	(27 November 2011, 392 points)
	(26 November 2011, 18 front row starts).
	(26 November 2011, 15 pole positions)
	(27 November 2011, 739 laps led)
	(30 October 2011, 9 wins from pole position)
	2007 United States Grand Prix (17 June 2007, aged 19 years, 349 days)
	2007 Japanese Grand Prix (30 September 2007, aged 20 years, 89 days)
	2008 Italian Grand Prix (13 September 2008, aged 21 years, 72 days)
	2009 British Grand Prix (aged 21 years, 353 days)
	2011 Indian Grand Prix (aged 24 years, 119 days)
	2007 United States Grand Prix (6 seconds into his career, for speeding in the pit lane)

;Footnotes:

References[link]

External links[link]

Sebastian Vettel official site

Profile – from Formula 1 official website

Profile – from BBC F1

Profile – from ESPN

Vettel's career details

|after= Fernando Alonso}} }}

Category:1987 births Category:Formula BMW ADAC drivers Category:Formula One World Drivers' Champions Category:Formula Renault 3.5 Series drivers Category:Formula 3 Euro Series drivers Category:German Formula One drivers Category:German racing drivers Category:Kart racing drivers Category:Living people Category:Monaco Grand Prix winners Category:People from Bergstraße (district) Category:Racing drivers from Hesse Category:Red Bull Racing Category:Spanish Formula Three Championship drivers

ace:Sebastian Vettel af:Sebastian Vettel ar:سباستيان فيتل an:Sebastian Vettel ast:Sebastian Vettel az:Sebastian Fettel map-bms:Sebastian Vettel be:Себасцьян Фетэль be-x-old:Сэбастыян Фэтэль bi:Sebastian Vettel bg:Себастиан Фетел bar:Sebastian Vettel bs:Sebastian Vettel br:Sebastian Vettel ca:Sebastian Vettel cs:Sebastian Vettel da:Sebastian Vettel de:Sebastian Vettel et:Sebastian Vettel el:Σεμπάστιαν Φέτελ es:Sebastian Vettel eo:Sebastian Vettel eu:Sebastian Vettel fa:سباستین فتل fr:Sebastian Vettel gl:Sebastian Vettel ko:제바스티안 페텔 hr:Sebastian Vettel io:Sebastian Vettel id:Sebastian Vettel ie:Sebastian Vettel it:Sebastian Vettel he:סבסטיאן פטל jv:Sebastian Vettel ht:Sebastian Vettel lv:Sebastians Fetels lb:Sebastian Vettel lt:Sebastian Vettel hu:Sebastian Vettel mk:Себастијан Фетел mr:सेबास्टियान फेटेल ms:Sebastian Vettel nl:Sebastian Vettel ja:セバスチャン・ベッテル no:Sebastian Vettel pl:Sebastian Vettel pt:Sebastian Vettel ksh:Sebastian Vettel ro:Sebastian Vettel ru:Феттель, Себастьян sq:Sebastian Vettel scn:Sebastian Vettel simple:Sebastian Vettel sk:Sebastian Vettel sl:Sebastian Vettel sr:Себастијан Фетел sh:Sebastian Vettel su:Sebastian Vettel fi:Sebastian Vettel sv:Sebastian Vettel tl:Sebastian Vettel ta:செபாஸ்டியன் வெட்டல் th:เซบัสเตียน เฟทเทล tr:Sebastian Vettel uk:Себастьян Феттель vec:Sebastian Vettel vi:Sebastian Vettel yi:סעבאסטיאן פעטל zh:賽巴斯蒂安·維泰爾