Book Description

"The book is chock full of nuggets of information on all aspects of New Jersey from the beginning of the colonial period to the mid-1990s."-Harbans Singh, Montclair State University "This is an up-to-date, comprehensive and well-written text that will appeal to both the student and the general reader. I shall make it required reading for my course on the geography of the state."-Peter O. Wacker, professor of geography, Rutgers University "More than an ecological primer, this book provides essential social and economic information. Over one hundred figures and forty-five tables capture details to support the straightforward prose, and an annotated bibliography leads the reader on."-New Jersey Monthly "While the second edition is similar to the first, only with more up-to-date statistics, improved maps and figures, and organization, the material covered is factually interesting. Following an introduction . . . there are several chapters on the physical geography. . . . These are followed by interesting chapters on managing physical environments, human ecology and early European settlements, including excellent sections on historical geography. . . . The number and informational content of the maps is far superior in the second edition. The book is of value for use in either a high school or university regional geography class. Stansfield must be commended for his writing style that holds the interest and for his knowledgeable selection of materials to be included."-The Pennsylvania Geographer New Jersey is "the city in the garden." It is a bundle of paradoxes-a highly industrialized state famous for its seashore and mountain resorts; fairly conservative politically, it nonetheless pioneered state land use, zoning, and environmental protection legislation. The only state to be characterized by the U.S. Census as entirely metropolitan, New Jersey has the highest population density in the nation. It is a highly suburbanized state that remains important agriculturally-both very large and very small farms continue to multiply. New Jersey is also a state where widespread suburbanization of residents, shopping, and jobs has affected the most remote corners. At the same time, massive immigration is revitalizing urban centers and dramatically changing the demographics of the state. New Jersey represents both a microcosm of the United States and a leading indicator of future trends in the nation. This updated edition of this classic text features nearly 100 maps and illustrations. Charles A. Stansfield Jr. instructs readers on all aspects of New Jersey geography and provides a detailed analysis of the state's topography, management of physical environments, human ecology, early European settlement, cultural landscapes, population characteristics, race and ethnicity, transportation, agriculture, industrial development, recreation and tourism, and regions. Charles A. Stansfield Jr. is a professor of geography at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey.