| dbo:abstract
|
- South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative definition and reflects both geographical and perceived cultural differences from the northern part of the state with no official definition. Though definitions of South Jersey may vary, South Jersey is generally considered to be part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as the Delaware Valley, that surrounds and includes Philadelphia, the sixth largest metropolitan region in the nation with 6.096 million residents as of 2020. South Jersey is defined culturally as the area in New Jersey within the influence of the Philadelphia metropolitan area or Delaware Valley, in contrast to the rest of New Jersey, which is largely located within the New York metropolitan area. New Jersey is sandwiched between the two large cities with New York City, the nation's largest city, to its northeast and Philadelphia, the nation's sixth largest city, to its southwest. Benjamin Franklin called the state "a barrel tapped at both ends". South Jersey may be defined geographically as the area below I-195, in particular the lower eight counties of New Jersey, whereas North Jersey is the area above Central Jersey, or, alternatively, the area of New Jersey situation within the New York metropolitan area. Salem County along with lower Gloucester County and upper Cumberland County serve as residential communities for the petrochemical industry of New Castle County, Delaware. Southern Jersey's Atlantic shore areas, including Atlantic City in Atlantic County and those in Cape May County, have a distinct economy centered on tourism. Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties have several older streetcar towns, and many residents from these three counties commute to Philadelphia, which is located immediately west of South Jersey across the Delaware River, accessible by the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Betsy Ross Bridge, and Walt Whitman Bridge. (en)
|
