From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Commonwealth of Virginia (pronounced /vɚˈdʒɪnjə/) is an American state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. It borders North Carolina and Tennessee to the south, Kentucky to the west, West Virginia to the northwest, and Maryland and the District of Columbia to the northeast. The state is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England,
who, never having married, was known as the 'Virgin Queen'. The state
is also known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes "Mother of
Presidents", because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents.
The roots of modern Virginia trace back to the founding of the Virginia Colony in 1607 by the Virginia Company of London.
Agriculture, colonialism and slavery played significant roles in
Virginia's early economy and politics. It was the first permanent New World English colony and became one of the thirteen colonies that would take part in the American Revolution, and subsequently became the heart of the Confederacy in the American Civil War.
The capital of the commonwealth is Richmond, while Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County
is the most populous political subdivision. Although traditionally
conservative and historically part of the South, modern Virginia is a politically competitive state for both major national political parties.[2]
Virginia has an economy with several important foundations, including the Department of Defense's Pentagon and other federal agencies in Northern Virginia, military bases in Hampton Roads, as well as significant agricultural production. The Historic Triangle includes the popular heritage tourism destinations of Jamestown, Yorktown and the living museum of Colonial Williamsburg.[3] The growth of the technology sector has made computer chips the state's leading export, with the industry based on the strength of Virginia's public schools and universities.[4]
Geography
- See also: List of counties in Virginia and List of county seats in Virginia
Map of Virginia's major cities and roads
Virginia has an area of 42,774 square miles (110,784 km²) making it the thirty-fifth largest state.[5] Virginia is bordered by Maryland and the District of Columbia to the north and east; the Atlantic Ocean to the east; by North Carolina and Tennessee to the south; by Kentucky to the west and by West Virginia
to the north and west. Due to a peculiarity of Virginia's original
charter, its boundary with Maryland does not extend past the low-water
mark of the southern shore of the Potomac River,
meaning Maryland and the District of Columbia contain the whole width
of the river rather than splitting it between them and Virginia.[6]
Geology and terrain
Topographic map of Virginia counties
The Chesapeake Bay separates most of the contiguous portion of the Commonwealth from the two-county peninsula of Virginia's Eastern Shore. Many of Virginia's rivers flow into the Chesapeake Bay.[7]
The Virginia seismic zone has not had a history of regular activity. Earthquakes are rarely above 4.5 on the Richter magnitude scale because Virginia is located centrally on the North American Plate. The largest earthquake, at 5.9 magnitude, came in 1897 in Blacksburg.[8] Besides coal, resources such as slate, kyanite, and sand and gravel are mined, with an annual value over $2 billion.[9] Geographically and geologically, Virginia is divided into five regions from east to west:
Climate
-
The Blue Ridge Mountains have a humid continental climate.
Most of the state east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, plus the southern part of the Shenandoah Valley, has a humid subtropical climate. In the mountainous areas west of the Blue Ridge, the climate becomes humid continental.[12] The moderating influence of the ocean from the east, powered by the Gulf Stream, also creates the potential for hurricanes near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, making the coastal area vulnerable. Although Hurricane Gaston in 2004 inundated Richmond, hurricanes rarely threaten communities far inland.[13]
Thunderstorms are an occasional concern, with the state averaging 35-45 days of thunderstorm activity annually. The area of most frequent thunderstorm occurrence is in the west.[14] The state averages 85 tornadoes per year, though most are F2 and lower on the Fujita scale.[15]
Cold air masses arriving over the mountains, especially in winter, can
lead to significant snowfalls in those regions, such as the blizzard of 1996.
The interaction of these elements with the state's topography creates
distinct micro-climates in the Shenandoah Valley, the mountainous
southwest, and the coastal plains.[16]
In recent years, the expansion of the southern suburbs of Washington into Northern Virginia has created an urban heat island due to the increased energy output of more densely used areas.[17] In 2005, seventeen of the ninety-five counties received failing grades for air quality, with Fairfax County having the worst in the state due to auto pollution.[18] Coal supplies half of the state's power needs, with another third from two nuclear power plants.[19]
Flora and fauna
Virginia is sixty-five percent covered by forests.[20] In some mountainous areas of the state, pine predominates and there is also the occasional naturally growing prickly pear cactus. Lower altitudes are more likely to have small but dense stands of moisture-loving hemlocks and mosses in abundance. Other commonly found trees and plants include oak, hickory, chestnut, maple, tulip poplar, mountain laurel, milkweed, daisies, and many species of ferns. Gypsy moth infestations beginning in the early 1990s have eroded the dominance of the oak forests.[21]
Mammals include whitetailed deer, black bear, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, opossum, groundhog, gray fox, and eastern cottontail rabbit.[22] Though unsubstantiated, there have been some reported sightings of mountain lion in areas of the state.[23] Birds include Virginia cardinal, barred owls, Carolina chickadees, Red-tailed Hawks, and wild turkeys. The Peregrine Falcon was reintroduced into Shenandoah National Park in the mid-1990s.[24] Freshwater fish include brook trout, longnose and blacknose dance, and the bluehead chub.[25]. Running brooks with rocky bottoms are often inhabited by a plentiful amount of crayfish. The Chesapeake Bay is home to many species, including blue crabs, clams, oysters, and rockfish, also known as striped bass.[26]
Virginia has many National Park Service units, including one national park, the Shenandoah National Park. Shenandoah was established in 1935 and encompasses the scenic Skyline Drive. Almost forty percent of the park's area (79,579 acres/322 km²) has been designated as Wilderness and is protected as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Other parks in Virginia, such as Great Falls Park and Prince William Forest Park are included in the many areas in the National Park System. Additionally, there are thirty-four Virginia state parks, run by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Virginia Department of Forestry.[27] The Chesapeake Bay, while not a national park, is protected by both state and federal legislation, and the jointly run Chesapeake Bay Program which conducts restoration on the bay and its watershed. The
Classical
from 
