Virginia, located on the Atlantic Coast of the southern region of the U.S.A. was the tenth state in the USA joining the Union on June 25, 1788. It is the thirty-fifth largest state in the United States and the twelfth most populous. Virginia's bordering states are Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Washington, District of Columbia and its Bordering Bodies of Water are the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. The states major rivers are James River, Rappahannock River, Potomac River and Shenandoah River. Its major lakes and bodies of water are the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Gathright Dam (Lake Moomaw), John H. Kerr Reservoir, John W. Flannagan Reservoir, Pound Lake and Philpott Lake. The state capital is Richmond and the largest city is Virginia Beach. Virginia was the first permanent “New World” English colony. It was one of the 13 colonies to declare independence from the British in the "American Revolution".
The state was named Virginia for Queen Elizabeth I of England who was known as the Virgin Queen. The state nickname is the “Old Dominion” and sometimes “Mother of Presidents” due to the fact that it is the birthplace of eight U.S. Presidents. The state bird is the Cardinal and the state flower, the American Dogwood. The official flag of Virginia was adopted in 1861. The flag has a deep blue field with a white circle in the center. In the center of the circle stands the goddess Virtue, holding a sword and spear, having just defeated a tyrant who is lying dead on the ground with a chain and whip in his hand. Lying discarded by his head is the tyrant’s crown. This illustration in the center of the flag symbolizes Virginia as Virtue and Britain as the tyrant. Above Virtue, the state name 'Virginia' is written in print, and below the tyrant are the words "SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS", meaning "thus always to tyrants". Surrounding this image are Red Virginia creepers and green leaves.
Virginia was originally inhabited with indigenous settlements. The American Indians that lived on the land were reliant on hunting, gathering and fishing to survive. These natives needed the land to maintain their political and cultural independence. The English however, wanted to rid the land of the natives in order to achieve the goal of economic independence that had drawn them to Virginia in the first instance. When the English discovered that tobacco was as good as gold, they brought enslaved Africans to Virginia to work the fields seized from the Indians.
For some time the natives and Englishmen lived peacefully together. The English would trade the natives tools and armour in exchange for food. However, the natives began to act hostile when they realised that the English were not there to share the land, but rather to take it away from them. The idea of one nation owning the land was foreign to them. These natives believed that the land was for everyone to share.
The establishment of the Virginia Colony in 1607 by the Virginia Company of London was the first permanent New World English colony. During this time, life on the colony was quite dangerous and many people died due to starvation.
Virginia's Declaration of Independence occurred on May 15, 1776. Prior to this, the British government had attempted to place levy taxes upon the people of Virginia. This idea had been highly opposed and the House of Burgesses led by Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee fought against it. It was due to this, that after much effort, Virginia was able to declare its independence from Britain and become a state of its own.
In 1861, Virginia withdrew from the Union and joined the rebel Confederate States of America. During this time, forty-eight counties remained loyal to the Union and separated from Virginia to for a state of their own, West Virginia. After some wars, Virginia was finally restored to the United States in 1870, due to the work of the Committee of Nine.
The Civil Rights Movement was quite influential in Virginia and they attempted to protect the civil rights of the African Americans. In 1964 the United States Supreme Court ordered Prince Edward County and others to integrate schools.
Major industries in Virginia including farming tobacco, peanuts, corn, sweet potatoes, poultry and ham, tourism, US Navy warships, coal mining, lumber for paper and furniture and government workers. In 2006, computer chips became Virginia's highest-grossing export exceeding its traditional top exports of coal and tobacco combined.
In Virginia, 65% of the state is covered in forest. The state has many trees including the chestnut, maple, tulip poplar, mountain laurel, milkweed, daisies, and many species of ferns. The largest areas of wilderness are in the western mountains and along the Atlantic coast. Mammals such as the white-tailed deer, racoon, groundhog and Virginia Opossum can be found there. The birds found in the state include cardinals, Carolina chickadees and Red-tailed Hawks.
The state of Virginia practices some traditions of its own. It produces its own Smithsfield ham, which is protected by state law. The literature in Virginia deals with the troubled past of the country. Virginia wine is also made in many parts of the state.
Virginia's climate differs throughout the entire state. The farther south and east one travels, the warmer it will become. Most of the state however has a humid subtropical climate from the Blue Ridge Mountains and southern Shenandoah Valley to the Atlantic coast. In the Blue Ridge Mountains however, the climate becomes subtropical highland. Common natural conditions in the state are thunder, significant snowfalls, blizzards and tornadoes.
Virginia is home to some 7.8 million Americans. English has been passed as Virginia's state language. The primary religions in Virginia are Christian and Protestant. The minorities are Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.
Many Presidents of the United States have hailed from Virginia:
• George Washington - he was the 1st US President, serving from 1789 to 1797
• Thomas Jefferson - he was the 3rd US President, serving from 1801 to 1809
• James Madison - he was the 4th US President, serving from 1809 to 1817
• James Monroe - he was the 5th US President, serving from 1817 to 1825
• William Henry Harrison - he was the 9th US President, serving in 1841
• John Tyler - he was the 10th US President, serving from 1841 to 1845
• Zachary Taylor - he was the 12th US President, serving from 1849 to 1850
• Woodrow Wilson - he was the 28th US President, serving from 1913 to 1921
There are many tourist attractions in Virginia including History & Heritage, Museums, Theme Parks and Zoo's, The Arts, Gardens and Wineries & Breweries. There are also many outdoor recreation activities in Virginia such as bicycling, horseback riding, water activities and wildlife.
Source:
Wikipedia
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