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The
State of Virginia was home to the first permanent
English colony founded by the Virginia Company at Jamestown
in 1607. It entered the union in 1788 as one of the original
13 states. The state of Virginia was named for Elizabeth I,
the Virgin Queen of England. Virginia was home to many of the
founding fathers, including George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason, and Patrick Henry.
Four of America's first five presidents were Virginians. Richmond,
Virginia's capital, was the capital of the Confederacy
during the Civil War.
Virginia is a popular tourist spot in more recent times,
where people can visit historic places such as Alexandria,
Williamsburg,
and
Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. The state flower
is the Dogwood, and the Cardinal is the state bird of the
"Old Dominion" (Virginia's nickname). In colonial
times, Virginia was officially known as the Colony
and Dominion of Virginia. You will often hear the state
called the Commonwealth of Virginia. This does not mean
Virginia has a different form of government than any other
state. It could be said that all 50 states, as well as the
national government, are commonwealths. Besides Virginia,
three other states - Kentucky,
Massachusetts
and Pennsylvania
- use the term commonwealth as part of their official names.
Virginia Census
2000 information confirms a steady population growth rate
of 5.4% between the 2000 population of 7,078,515 and the 2004
estimate of 7,459,827. Average growth per year has held at
1.4%, a steady yet manageable rate. Median household income
for 1999 was $46,677 statewide compared to the national
average of $41,994. Per capita money income for the same
period was $23,975, again ahead of the U.S. national mean
average of $21,587.
Virginia is bordered by West Virginia, Maryland, and the
District of Columbia (across the Potomac River) to the north;
the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean form the eastern
border; North Carolina and Tennessee edge the south; and
Kentucky and West Virginia lie to the west. The Chesapeake Bay
divides the state. The eastern portion of Virginia, called 'the
Eastern Shore of Virginia', is part of the Delmarva
Peninsula and is completely separate from the rest of the
state.
Geographically, Virginia is divided into the following 5
regions:
- Tidewater - Stretching from the Atlantic coast to the
fall line.
- Piedmont - East of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the
Tidewater Region.
- Blue Ridge Mountains - East of the Appalachian Mountains
to the Blue Ridge Mountain Region.
- Valley and Ridge - Appalachian Mountains and Shenandoah
Valley Region.
- Appalachian Plateau - West of the Appalachian Mountains.
- Virginia's long east-west axis has metropolitan northern
Virginia closer to New York and New England than to the
rural western panhandle of its own state. Conversely, Lee
County, at the tip of the panhandle, is closer to 8 state
capitals than its own capital of Richmond.
Virginia
State Parks offers an abundance of recreation. Parks and
other natural areas are plentiful and accommodate travelers,
campers, hikers, boaters and all around adventurers of all
skill and endurance levels. White water rafting in all three
categories can be found in a number of rivers throughout
Virginia with one of the best being a two-day, twenty-five
mile stretch of the Rappahannock
River in Essex County. Hunters will find the state rife
with game. And if all you hunt is history, then you're in the
richest historical area of our country - Fredericksburg
and Spotsylvania National Military Parks are a great place
to start.
Virginia's economy is so diverse that it's difficult to
round out the sources of income to a few main areas.
Manufacturing, farming, cattle, defense contracting, military
installations and a sizeable share of the U.S. government's
professional corps all contribute considerable quantities of
jobs and money to the state. The state is rich with innovative
communications companies, information technology firms,
hardware and software firms and consultants. Additionally, the
Tobacco
Industry, unique to only a few states, thrives here in
Virginia.
Virginia was the wealthiest southern state before the Civil
War. It recovered from the Civil War and the Great Depression
much faster than the rest of the south. Today it's still
significantly wealthier than the rest of the south, although
much of that is from the northern influence around the
Washington D.C. metropolitan area. In fact, for being a
southern state, the economy and demographic trends tie it more
closely to the mid-Atlantic states then to its cousins to the
west and south.
Virginia truly runs the gauntlet in diversity, strength of
economy, and solid outlooks toward continued future growth. It
also has a sense of balance with nature and its residents.
Being a Virginian imparts a secure feeling, that in itself,
perpetuates the strong steady growth that the state
experiences.
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