From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Commonwealth of Virginia is a Southeastern state on the Atlantic Coast of the United States of America. Virginia is the 12th-most populous state in the U.S. with over 7.7 million residents[2] and the 35th largest in area. It is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the Virgin Queen as she never married. The Virginia Colony was the first permanently settled English colony in the New World; founded on May 13, 1607 by the Virginia Company of London. Up to the American Revolution, Virginia was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution to form the United States of America.
The capital of the commonwealth is Richmond. Virginia Beach can be noted as the largest city in terms of population, however, Fairfax County in Northern Virginia is the most populous political subdivision in the state. Alternatively, Arlington is the most densely populated jurisdiction, and the largest city geographically is Suffolk, which includes a large portion of the Great Dismal Swamp. While Virginia's population is primarily white and of Northern European ancestry, over one-fifth of residents are African American with notable populations of Latinos and Asian-Americans.[3] Though traditionally conservative and historically considered part of the Southern United States, Virginia is a politically competitive state with both conservative and liberal areas and culturally shows elements of the North as well as the South.[4] Virginia is popularly known as the "The Old Dominion" and sometimes "Mother of Presidents" or "Mother of States", because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents and its role in being carved into several mid-western states, respectively.[5]
Virginia has a diverse economy. In Northern Virginia, there are a large number of people who work for the federal government due to its proximity to Washington, D.C. There are also many people in the area employed by the military as the Pentagon is located in Arlington County and other installations are nearby. The Hampton Roads region is also home to many service men and women. Norfolk is home to the world's largest naval base and neighboring cities host an array of bases representing several branches of the military. The Historic Virginia, located to the immediate northwest of the Hampton Roads region, includes Jamestown, Yorktown and the living museum of Colonial Williamsburg and forms one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.[6] The growth of the technology sector has made computer chips the state's leading export, due in part to the strength of Virginia's public schools and universities; some of which are at the top of national rankings.[7]
