Virginia

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Commonwealth of Virginia
Flag of Virginia Seal Nickname(s): Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents Motto(s): Sic semper tyrannis
Official language(s)	English
Capital	Richmond
Largest city	Virginia Beach
Largest metro area	Northern Virginia
Area	Ranked 35th
- Total	42,774 sq mi (110,785 km²)
- Width	200 miles (320 km)
- Length	430 miles (690 km)
- % water	7.4
- Latitude	36° 32′ N to 39° 28′ N
- Longitude	75° 15′ W to 83° 41′ W
Population	Ranked 12th
- Total (2000)	7,078,515
- Density	178.8/sq mi  69.03/km² (14th)
- Median income	$53,275 (7th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Mount Rogers[1] 5,729 ft  (1,747 m)
- Mean	950 ft  (290 m)
- Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean[1] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	June 25, 1788 (10th)
Governor	Tim Kaine (D)
U.S. Senators	John Warner (R) Jim Webb (D)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	VA US-VA
Web site	www.virginia.gov

The Commonwealth of Virginia (pronounced IPA: /vɚˈdʒɪnjə/) is a Southeastern state on the Atlantic Coast in the United States of America. It is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the Virgin Queen because she never married. The Virginia Colony was the first part of the Americas to be continuously inhabited by colonists from its founding as a European colony up to the American Revolution. The Virginia Company of London became incorporated as a joint stock company by a proprietary charter drawn up on April 10, 1606. The commonwealth was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution to form the United States of America.

The capital is Richmond and the most populous city is Virginia Beach. The most populous local jurisdiction is Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. Independent cities and counties function in the same manner; according to the US Census Bureau independent cities are considered county-equivalent. The largest city in land area is Suffolk, which includes a large portion of the Great Dismal Swamp. Virginia is known as the "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson), more than any other state.

Virginia has a diverse economy, with many federal and military employees in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, which have the world's largest office building and the world's largest naval base respectively. In modern times, the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia area includes Jamestown, Yorktown and the living museum of Colonial Williamsburg. Linked by the Colonial Parkway, they combine to form one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Climate 1.2 Faults and quakes 2 History 2.1 Indigenous Americans 2.2 Virginia colony 2.3 Independent commonwealth 2.4 American Civil War 2.5 Twentieth century 3 Demographics 3.1 Ethnicity 3.2 Religion 4 Economy 4.1 Taxation 5 Transportation 6 Law and government 6.1 Historic government 6.2 Current government 6.2.1 Elections 6.2.2 Legislative Branch 6.2.3 Executive Branch 6.2.4 Judicial Branch 6.2.5 Political Subdivisions 6.2.6 Counties and cities 6.2.7 Alcoholic beverage control 6.3 Politics 6.3.1 Historical 6.3.2 Recent events 7 Important cities and towns 8 Education 8.1 Public, elementary, and secondary schools 8.2 Colleges and universities 9 Sports 10 State symbols 11 See also 12 References 13 Further reading 14 External links

[edit] Geography

See also: List of Virginia counties, List of Virginia county seats, List of Virginia rivers, and Lost Counties, Cities and Towns of Virginia

Virginia is bordered by West Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia (across the Potomac River) to the north; by Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to the east; by North Carolina and Tennessee to the south; and by Kentucky and West Virginia to the west. Due to a peculiarity of Virginia's original charter, its northern boundary with Maryland does not extend past the low-water mark of the southern shore of the Potomac River, meaning Maryland possesses the whole width of the river rather than it being split between them. Virginia has an area of 42,774 square miles (110,785 km²) making it the 35^th largest state.^[2]

The Chesapeake Bay divides the commonwealth, with Virginia's Eastern Shore, a part of the Delmarva Peninsula, completely separate (an exclave) from the rest of the Commonwealth. Geographically, Virginia is divided into the following six regions:

• Ridge and Valley—between the Appalachian Plateau and Allegheny Plateau to the west and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. Sometimes referred to as Valley and Ridge.
• Shenandoah Valley—located within the Ridge and Valley Region; it is referred to geographically—and culturally— as its own region.
• Blue Ridge Mountains—between the Ridge and Valley Region to the west and the Piedmont region to the east.
• Foothills—area now recognized directly between the Piedmont and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Pertaining to the counties of Madison, Green, Albemarle, and Nelson. Denotes a region just west of the Southwest Mountains range and north of the James river subject to its own unique microclimate.
• Piedmont—between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west and the Tidewater region to the east.
• Tidewater—between the fall line to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east; it includes the Eastern Shore.

Virginia's long east-west axis means that metropolitan northern Virginia lies as close to New York City and New England as to its own rural western panhandle. Lee County, at the tip of the panhandle, is closer to eight other state capitals than it is to Richmond, Virginia's own capital. Virginia has many National Park Service units, including one national park, the Shenandoah National Park, and numerous other areas in the National Park System. There are thirty-four Virginia state parks.

[edit] Climate

Main article: Climate of Virginia

The climate is considered mild compared to other areas of the United States. Most of the state east of the Blue Ridge, plus the southern part of the Shenandoah Valley, has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa). In the mountainous areas west of the Blue Ridge, the climate becomes humid continental (Koppen Dfa).

Many variations occur because of the state's significant relief. Elevations in Virginia vary from sea level to Mount Rogers at 5,729 ft (1,746 m) above sea level, with major gradations occurring at the edges of the Atlantic Ocean, the end of the Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge and Allegheny chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The usually moderating influence of the ocean from the east, powered by the Gulf Stream, is interspersed with brief moments of danger due to the potential for hurricanes near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. On the other hand, cold air masses arrive over the mountains, especially in winter, leading to significant snowfalls. However, in something of an anomaly, much of the state south of Northern Virginia has not had over one foot of snow in a single storm since the Blizzard of 1996. The interaction of these elements with the state's topography create micro-climates in the Shenandoah Valley, the mountainous southwest, and the coastal plains that are slightly but noticeably distinct from each other.^[3] An additional element in recent years is the expansion of the southern suburbs of Washington into northern Virginia, creating an urban heat island due to the increased energy output of the city. However, aside from the urban stations, no global warming effects have been noted by Virginia weather stations by 2001.^[4]

Severe weather is a concern in Virginia. Hurricanes make the coastal area of Virginia vulnerable. It is fairly rare for a major hurricane to threaten the Virginia coast as hurricanes this far north tend to become somewhat weakened, but it happens (see Hurricane Gaston). Virginia is often struck with the remnants of systems which hit further south bringing torrential rain to the state. Thunderstorms are an occasional concern with the state averaging anywhere from 30-50 days of thunderstorm activity annually, with the highest area of occurrence going towards the west. Eastern Virginia has a lower rate of tornadoes, and the state averages around 2 tornadoes per year. The last tornado that Virginia experienced was around November 2006.

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Virginia Cities
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Lynchburg	37/22	42/27	56/30	68/43	76/51	82/60	86/64	85/62	78/56	68/44	58/35	44/28
Norfolk	48/32	50/34	58/40	67/48	75/58	83/66	87/71	85/70	79/65	69/53	61/44	52/36
Richmond	45/28	49/30	58/37	69/45	76/55	84/63	88/68	86/67	80/60	69/47	60/38	50/31
Roanoke	39/25	43/27	58/32	68/44	76/52	83/60	88/65	86/63	79/57	69/45	58/37	45/29
[1]

[edit] Faults and quakes

Main article: Virginia seismic zone

Virginia has not had a history of major seismic activity: the earthquakes are rarely above 4.5 on the Richter magnitude scale. The largest, at 6.0 magnitude, came in 1897 in Blacksburg.^[5] There is no volcanic activity in the state, and it is located centrally on the North American Plate—where the Earth's crust is thicker than at the edges—which leads to fewer strong earthquakes.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Virginia

[edit] Indigenous Americans

At the time of the English colonization of Virginia, Native American people living in what now is Virginia includes tribes known as the Cherokee, Chesepian, Chickahominy, Chiskiack, Mattaponi, Meherrin, Monacan, Moobs, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Povic, Powhatan, Occoneechees, Rappahannock, Saponites and others. The natives are often divided into three groups, based to a large extent upon language differences. The largest group are known as the Algonquian who numbered over 10,000, most of whom were united in the Powhatan Confederacy led by Chief Powhatan. The other groups are the Iroquoian (numbering 2,500) and the Siouan.^[6]

[edit] Virginia colony

Main article: Colony of Virginia

At the end of the 16th century, when England began to colonize North America, Queen Elizabeth I of England (who was known as the "Virgin Queen" because she never married) gave the name "Virginia" to the whole area explored by the 1584 expedition of Sir Walter Raleigh along the coast of North America, and at one time it also included Bermuda (known as Virgineola). The name eventually applied to the whole coast from South Carolina to Maine. The London Virginia Company became incorporated as a joint stock company by a proprietary charter drawn up on April 10, 1606. The charter granted lands stretching from approximately the 34th parallel (North Carolina) north to approximately the 45th parallel (U.S.-Canada border) and from the Atlantic Ocean westward. It swiftly financed the first permanent English settlement in the New World, which was at Jamestown, named in honor of King James I, in the Virginia Colony, in 1607. The settlement was founded by Captain Christopher Newport and Captain John Smith. Its Second Charter was officially ratified on May 23, 1609. Many of the colonists died during the starving time. A dispute over how to deal with the Indians led to Bacon's Rebellion. To try to attract more settlers, Virginia used the headright system, in which each family of settlers got 50 acres per person.

Jamestown was the original capital of the Virginia Colony, and remained so until the State House burned (for the fourth time) in 1698. After the fire, the colonial capital was moved to nearby Middle Plantation, which was renamed Williamsburg in honor of William of Orange, King William III. Virginia was given the title, "Dominion", by King Charles II of England at the time of The Restoration, because it had remained loyal to the crown during the English Civil War. The present moniker, "Old Dominion" is a reference to that title.

[edit] Independent commonwealth

Virginia sent delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, beginning in 1774. On June 12, 1776, the Virginia Convention adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights written by George Mason, a document that influenced the Bill of Rights added later to the United States Constitution. Then on June 29, 1776, the convention adopted a constitution that established Virginia as a commonwealth independent of the British Empire.

Patrick Henry, of Charlotte County, Virginia, served as the first Governor of the new commonwealth from 1776 to 1779, and again from 1784 to 1786. In 1780, the capital was moved to Richmond at the urging of then-Governor Thomas Jefferson, who was afraid that Williamsburg's location made it vulnerable to a British attack during the American Revolutionary War.

In the autumn of 1781, the combined action of Continental and French land and naval forces trapped the British on the Yorktown peninsula. Troops under George Washington and French Comte de Rochambeau defeated British General Cornwallis in the crucial Battle of Yorktown. The British surrender on October 19, 1781 ended the major hostilities and secured the independence of the former colonies, though sporadic fighting continued for another two years.

In 1790, both Virginia and Maryland ceded territory to form the new District of Columbia, but in an Act of the U.S. Congress dated July 9, 1846, the area south of the Potomac that had been ceded by Virginia was retroceded to Virginia effective 1847, and is now Arlington County and part of the City of Alexandria.

[edit] American Civil War

Main article: Virginia in the American Civil War

Virginia seceded from the Union (on April 17, 1861) in response to Lincoln's call for volunteers to attack the Confederate States of America after its attack on Fort Sumter. Virginia briefly operated as an independent state until it joined the Confederacy. It turned over its military on June 8 and ratified the Constitution of the Confederate States on June 19. Upon its admission, the CSA moved its capitol from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond. In 1863, during the Civil War, 48 counties remaining loyal to the Union in the northwest of the state separated from Virginia to form the State of West Virginia, an act which was upheld by the United States Supreme Court in 1870. More battles were fought on Virginia soil than anywhere else in America during the Civil War including the First Battle of Manassas, Second Battle of Manassas, the Seven Days Battles, the Battle of Fredricksburg and the Battle of Chancellorsville. Virginia formally rejoined the union on January 26, 1870, after Reconstruction.

[edit] Twentieth century

The expansion during World War II and the Cold War of government programs in the areas near Washington has profoundly affected the economy of Northern Virginia, and the subsequent growth of defense projects has also generated a local information technology industry. The Hampton Roads region has also experienced much growth.

On January 13, 1990, Douglas Wilder became the first African American to be elected as Governor of a US state since Reconstruction when he was elected Governor of Virginia.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2006, Virginia had an estimate