Virginia is a state in the eastern United States, one of the so-called South Atlantic states. 10th state within the state. The population is 8.097 million people. The capital is Richmond, the largest city is Virginia Beach, other large cities are Alexandria, Lynchburg, Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth, Roanoke, Hampton, Chesapeake. The full official name of the state is the Commonwealth of Virginia. Official nicknames are “Old Dominion” (Old Dominion), “Mother of Presidents”. The official motto is “So it will always be with tyrants!”. In honor of Virginia the asteroid (50) Virginia, discovered in 1857, is named.
STATE NAME
The first English colony in North America, and later the state of Virginia (Virginia) was named after Queen Elizabeth I of England.
It was during the reign of Elizabeth I, in 1587, that the first English settlement in America was founded, from which the province later grew Virginia, Virginia and the United States of America in general.
Elizabeth I, who never married, was called “the virgin queen” (The Virgin Queen), so the colony named after her was called “Virginia” – “virgin”.
GEOGRAPHY
The area of Virginia is 110,785 km² (35th in the US). In the east, the state is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean; in the south it borders with the states of North Carolina and Tennessee; in the northeast – with the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia, in the northwest – with the state of West Virginia, in the west – with Kentucky. The Delmarva Peninsula in eastern Virginia is separated from the mainland by the Chesapeake Bay.
The eastern part of the state is heavily swamped. The western part is located on the threshold of the Appalachian Mountains, the system of which includes the Cumberland Plateau and the Blue Ridge. The most significant rivers of the state are the Potomac, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Roanoke. More than 60% of the state is covered with forests.
HYDROGRAPHY
Deep into the state of Virginia runs the Chesapeake Bay (Chesapeake Bay), the largest river estuary in the United States. Chesapeake Bay, as it is also called, was formed tens of millions of years ago as a result of the fall of a large meteorite. The length of the Chesapeake Bay is about three hundred kilometers, the width is about fifty kilometers, and the area is about 11,600 km2. The greatest depth in the bay is 63 meters.
More than one hundred and fifty rivers and streams flow into the bay, located on the territory of the states of Virginia and Maryland, with a basin area of more than 165,000 km2.
The Chesapeake Bay separates two counties from the mainland of Virginia, located on the Delmarva Peninsula, the so-called “East Coast of Virginia”.
CLIMATE
The climate of the various regions of Virginia is very diverse, in the southeast of the state it is warmer and more rainy than in the northwestern regions.
The eastern regions of the state, Tidewater and Piedmont, as well as the Ridge and Valley valleys, are characterized by a humid subtropical climate. In the mountains, climatic conditions are more severe, the climate here is continental with a fairly large amount of precipitation.
The average temperature in winter, in January, is from -3°C to 8°C. In summer, in July – from 18°C to 30°C. Precipitation falls all year round, but most of all in the summer, from May to August.
Virginia is quite exposed to the elements. Thunderstorms are common here, especially in the west of the state. The coast often suffers from hurricanes, and heavy snowfalls occur in winter. Virginia sees an average of seven tornadoes a year, though usually not very strong.
ECONOMY
The most important types of minerals are coal, stone, sand, which are mined mainly in the Appalachian region; there are small reserves of oil and gas. The public sector is the leading source of income for Virginians, with many of the state’s residents employed by federal agencies in Washington or affiliated with the military. The state has large military and naval bases.
The main role in the economy of the state is played by the tobacco, chemical, rubber, food and engineering industries. Woodworking and furniture production, tourism, and the service sector are developed. Since the last quarter of the 20th century, the high-tech sector has been actively developing, including the production of software (Virginia is the location of the headquarters of America Online, one of the largest American Internet companies).
The main agricultural crops of the state are tobacco, corn, soybeans, apples. More than half of the value of marketable agricultural products is accounted for by animal husbandry, primarily the breeding of cattle and sheep. Poultry farming is developed (Rockingham County is one of the main US centers for the production of turkey meat), fishing and the extraction of seafood (herring, crabs, oysters).
TOURISM
In the mountains of Virginia, about four thousand caves are known. Some of them are very picturesque and open to tourists. A huge variety of birds, including the cardinal – the state symbol of the state. There are poisonous snakes. The rivers and lakes of the state literally abound with a variety of fish species.
All this turns Virginia into a fabulous place where the beauty of nature pleases the eyes of guests, and local residents remember and appreciate the merits of their ancestors and increase their wealth.
