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New Jersey is the fourth smallest and the most densely populated state of the United States. It is abbreviated NJ by the U.S. Postal Service and N.J. conventionally. The state is named after the island of Jersey in the English Channel. The state's official nickname is the "Garden State." New Jersey is considered part of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania. Parts of New Jersey are included in the metropolitan areas of New York, Philadelphia, and the Delaware Valley. The highest point of elevation in New Jersey is High Point, with an altitude of 1,803 feet (550 m). Inhabitated by Native Americans for 11,000-50,000 years, New Jersey was later settled by the Swedes and Dutch. The British later seized control of the region of New Jersey, which was granted to Sir George Carteret and Lord John Berkeley. New Jersey was an important site during the American Revolution, since several decisive battles were fought in New Jersey. Cities like Paterson, New Jersey helped to drive the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, the economy of New Jersey prospered through the 1920s but declined in the 1930s in the Great Depression. New Jersey is bordered on the north and northeast by New York, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania. The western border of New Jersey is largely defined by the Delaware River. New Jersey is broadly divided into three geographic regions: North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. North Jersey is within New York City's general sphere of influence, with many of its residents commuting into the city for work. Central Jersey is a largely suburban area. South Jersey is within Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's general sphere of influence. Such geographic definitions are broad, however, and there is often dispute over where one region begins and another ends. Some people do not consider Central Jersey to exist at all, but most believe it is a separate geographic and cultural area from the North and South. High Point Mountain, in Montague Township, Sussex County, has the highest elevation in New Jersey, at 1,803 feet (550 m). There are many rivers in New Jersey. The major rivers include the Manasquan, Maurice, Mullica, Passaic, Rahway, Rancocas, Raritan, Musconetcong, and Delaware rivers. The Palisades are a line of steep cliffs on the lower west side of the Hudson River. Sandy Hook, along the eastern coast of New Jersey, is a popular beach of recreation. It is a barrier spit and the extension of a barrier peninsula along the state's coast.
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