Virginia ( Ã, ( listen ) ; officially Commonwealth of Virginia ) is a state in the Southeast and Central Atlantic regions of the United States located between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Virginia was nicknamed "Old Dominion" because of its status as the first British colonial establishment founded on the North American mainland, and "Mother President" because eight US presidents were born there, more than any other country. Commonwealth geography and climate is shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for many flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The estimated population of the Commonwealth in 2017 is over 8.4 million.
The history of this area began with several indigenous groups, including Powhatan. In 1607, the Company of London established the Virginia Colony as the first permanent New World English colony. Forced labor and land acquired from the respected Native American tribes each played an important role in colonial early politics and plantation economics. Virginia was one of the 13 Colonies in the American Revolution. In the American Civil War, the Separation Convention of Virginia decided to join the Confederation, and the First Wheels Virginia Convention decided to remain in the Union; which led to the creation of West Virginia. Although the Commonwealth came under a one-party rule for almost a century after the Reconstruction, the two major national parties were competitive in modern Virginia.
The Virginia General Assembly is the oldest continuous legal body in the New World. The state government was rated most effectively by the Pew Center in the United States in 2005 and 2008. It is unique in treating cities and districts equally, managing local roads, and forbidding its governors to serve consecutively. The Virginia economy has many sectors: agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley; federal agencies in Northern Virginia, including the headquarters of the Department of Defense and the US Intelligence Center (CIA); and military facilities at Hampton Roads, where major ports in the region.
Video Virginia
Geography
Virginia has a total area of ​​42,774.2 square miles (110,784.7 km <2>), including 3,180.13 square miles (8.336.5 km 2 ) of the water, making it the 35th largest state by area. Virginia is bordered by Maryland and Washington, D.C. in the north and east; by the Atlantic Ocean to the east; by North Carolina to the south; by Tennessee to the southwest; by Kentucky to the west; and by West Virginia to the north and west. Virginia border with Maryland and Washington, D.C. extends to the low water mark of the southern coast of the Potomac River. The southern border is defined as 36 ° 30? parallel north, although the surveyor's fault caused a deviation of three minutes of arc. The border with Tennessee was not settled until 1893, when their dispute was brought to the US Supreme Court.
Geology and terrain
Chesapeake Bay separates the part of the Commonwealth from the two-county Virginia Eastern Shore peninsula. The bay is formed from a river valley drowning in the Susquehanna River and the River James. Many rivers in Virginia are flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, including Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James, which creates three peninsulas in the bay.
The Tidewater is a coastal plain between the Atlantic coast and the ridge. These include the East Coast and the Chesapeake Bay main estuary. Piedmont is a series of foothills of sedimentary and frozen rocks to the east of the mountains that formed in the Mesozoic era. The area, known for its heavy clay, includes the Southwest Mountains around Charlottesville. The Blue Ridge Mountains is the province of Appalachian Mountains physiography with the highest point in the state, the highest mountain in Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m). The Ridge and Valley areas are west of the mountains and include the Great Appalachian Valley. The region is carbonate based and includes Massanutten Mountain. The Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Mountains are in the southwest corner of Virginia, south of Allegheny Plateau. In this region, the river flows to the northwest, with a dendritic drainage system, to the Ohio river valley.
The Virginia Seismic Zone does not have a history of ordinary earthquake activity. Earthquakes are rarely above 4.5 in size, because Virginia is located far from the edge of the North American Plate. The largest quake, estimated at a magnitude of 5.9, in 1897 near Blacksburg. A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit central Virginia on August 23, 2011, near Mineral. This earthquake is reported to be felt as far as Toronto, Atlanta and Florida.
Coal mining occurs in three mountainous areas in 45 different coal beds near the Mesozoic basin. More than 62 million tonnes of other non-fuel resources, such as slate, kyanite, sand, or gravel, are also mined in Virginia in 2012. The country's carbonate stones are filled with over 4,000 caves, ten of which are open to tourism. 35 million years ago, bolide had an impact on what is now east of Virginia. The resulting crater can explain the drowning and earthquakes in the region.
Climate
Climate Virginia is humid subtropical and becomes warmer and more humid away to the south and east. Extreme seasons vary from the lowest average of 26 Â ° F (-3 Â ° C) in January to an average of 86 Â ° F (30 Â ° C) in July. The Atlantic Ocean has a strong influence in the eastern and southeastern states of the coast. Influenced by the Gulf Stream, beach weather is subject to hurricanes, most definitely near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Regardless of its position adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, even coastal regions have significant continental influences with considerable temperature differences between summer and winter, especially given the country's subtropical climatic classification, which is characteristic of the state in the Upper South.
Virginia has an annual average of 35-45 days of storm activity, particularly in the western part of the state, and an average annual rainfall of 42.7 inches (108 cm). Cold air arrives in the mountains in the winter can cause significant snowfall, such as Blizzard in 1996 and winter storms in 2009-2010. The interaction of these elements with the country's topography creates a different microclimate in the Shenandoah Valley, the southwestern mountains, and coastal plains. Virginia averages seven tornadoes each year, mostly F2 or lower on the Fujita scale.
In recent years, the expansion of Washington's southern suburbs, D.C. to Northern Virginia has introduced urban hot islands primarily due to increased absorption of solar radiation in more populous areas. In the 2011 American Lung Association report, 11 counties received a rating that failed for air quality, with Fairfax County having the worst in the state, due to car pollution. The haze in the mountains is caused in part by coal-fired power plants.
Ecosystem
Forests cover 65% of the country, especially with deciduous leaves, extensive tree leaves in the western part of the country and evergreens and conifers that dominate central and eastern Virginia. The lower altitudes are more likely to have small but dense stands of hemlocks that are durable with moisture and moss abundant, with hickory and oak in Blue Ridge. However, since the early 1990s, Gypsy moth infestation has eroded oak forest dominance. In the tidewater and piedmont lowlands, the yellow pine tends to dominate, with the bald cypress forest in the Great Dismal and Nottoway swamps. Other common trees and plants include red bay, myrtle candles, dwarf palmetto, poplar tulips, laurel mounts, milkweed, daisies, and many species of ferns. The largest desert region along the Atlantic coast and in the western mountains, where the largest population of trilium wildflowers in North America is found. The Atlantic coast area is host to flora commonly associated with South Atlantic pine forests and lowland coastal lowlands, found mainly in eastern and central Virginia.
Mammals include white-tailed deer, black bear, beaver, forest cat, jungle, raccoon, skunk, groundhog, Virginia opossum, gray fox, red fox, and eastern cottontail bunny. Other mammals include: nutria, squirrel fox, gray squirrel, flying squirrel, chipmunk, brown bat, and civet. Birds include cardinals (birds of the country), restricted owls, Carolina dwarfs, red tailed hawks, ospreys, brown pelicans, quail, seagulls, bald eagles, and wild turkeys. Virginia is also home to a weighted trigger and a red-horned woodpecker. The peregrine hawks were reintroduced to Shenandoah National Park in the mid-1990s. Walleye, brook trout, Roanoke bass, and blue catfish are among the 210 known freshwater fish species. Running brooks with rocky rumps is often inhabited by a large number of crayfish and salamanders. Chesapeake Bay is host to many species, including blue crabs, shells, oysters, and rockfish (also known as striped bass).
Virginia has 30 National Park Service units, such as Great Falls Park and the Appalachian Trail, and one national park, Shenandoah National Park. Shenandoah was founded in 1935 and includes a beautiful Skyline Drive. Almost 40% of the park area (79,579 hectares/322 km 2 ) has been designated as a jungle under the National Desert Conservation System. In addition, there are 34 Virginia state parks and 17 state forests, managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Forestry. Chesapeake Bay, though not a national park, is protected by state and federal laws, and a jointly run Chesapeake Bay Program that performs recovery at bay and river basins. The Great Disroach Swamp National Wildlife Refuge extends to North Carolina, as does the Back Bay National Wildlife Sanctuary, which marks the start of the Outer Banks.
Maps Virginia
History
"Jamestown 2007" marks fourteen years of Virginia, celebrating 400 years since the foundation of Jamestown Colony. The celebration highlighted the contributions of Native Americans, Africans and Europeans, each of whom has an important part in shaping the history of Virginia. Wars, including among these groups, also have an important role. Virginia is the focal point in the conflict of the French and Indian Wars, the American Revolution and the Civil War, the Cold War and the War on Terrorism. Stories of historic figures, such as those around Pocahontas and John Smith, George Washington's childhood, or plantation elite in a prewar slave society, have also created powerful myths about the history of the state, and have functioned as a reason for Virginia's ideology.
Colony
The first people are thought to have arrived in Virginia more than 12,000 years ago. In 5,000 years ago, many permanent settlements appeared, and agriculture began in 900 AD. By 1500, Algonquian residents had established towns such as Werowocomoco in the Tidewater area, which they referred to as Tsenacommacah . Other major language groups in the area are Siouan in the west, and Iroquoians, which include Nottoway and Meherrin, in the north and south. After 1570, Algonquian was consolidated under the leadership of Powhatan in response to threats from these other groups in their trade network. Powhatan controls over 30 smaller tribes and more than 150 settlements, which share the common language of Algonquian Virginia. In 1607, the natives of Tidewater were between 13,000 and 14,000.
Several European expeditions, including a group of Spanish Jesuits, explored the Chesapeake Bay during the 16th century. In 1583, Queen Elizabeth I of England gave Walter Raleigh a charter to plant a colony in northern Florida Florida. In 1584, Raleigh sent an expedition to the Atlantic coast of North America. The name "Virginia" may have been suggested later by Raleigh or Elizabeth, probably noting her status as "Queen of the Virgin," and possibly also related to the original phrase, "Wingandacoa," or the name, "Wingina." Initially the name was applied to the entire coastal region from South Carolina to Maine, plus the island of Bermuda. Later, subsequent royal charters modified the Colonial boundaries. The London Company was incorporated as a joint-stock company by the 1606 Ownership Charter, which grants land rights to this area. The company financed the first permanent English settlement in the "New World", Jamestown. Named for King James I, founded in May 1607 by Christopher Newport. In 1619, the colonists took more control with an elected legislature called the House of Burgesses. With the bankruptcy of the London Company in 1624, the settlement was taken into a royal authority as a British crown colony.
Life in the colony was dangerous, and many died during the Famine in 1609 and the Anglo-Powhatan War, including the Indian massacre of 1622, which fostered the negative views of the colonists of all tribes. In 1624, only 3,400 of the 6,000 early settlers survived. However, European demand for tobacco triggered the arrival of more settlers and helpers. The headright system tries to solve the labor shortages by providing a colony with the ground for every transported maid they bring to Virginia. African workers were first imported into Jamestown in 1619 initially under the rules of indentured slavery. The shift to the African slavery system in Virginia was driven by legal cases of John Punch, who were sentenced to life in 1640 for slavery attempts to escape, and John Casor, claimed by Anthony Johnson as his lifelong minister. in 1655. Slavery first appeared in Virginia legislation in 1661 and 1662, when the law made it hereditary based on maternal status.
The tensions and geographical differences between the working class and the ruling led to the Bacon Uprising in 1676, where the current time and former contract employee performed as much as 80% of the population. The rebels, mostly from the border of the colony, also opposed the peace policy towards the indigenous tribes, and one result of the uprising was a signing in the Midst of the Plantation of Treaties of 1677, which made the tribal signatory states and were part of the pattern of tribal land adoption by coercion and agreement. Middle Plantation sees the founding of The College of William & amp; Mary in 1693 and renamed Williamsburg for being colonial capital in 1699. In 1747, a group of Virginian speculators formed the Ohio Company, with the support of the British crown, to begin settlement and English trade in the Ohio Country west of the Appalachian Mountains. France, which claimed this area as part of their colony in New France, viewed this as a threat, and the ensuing French and Indian War became part of the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). A militia from several British colonies, called the Virginia Regiment, was led by Lieutenant Colonel George Washington.
State Status
The British Parliament's efforts to levy new taxes after the French and Indian Wars were highly unpopular in the colonies. In House of Burgesses, opposition to taxation without representation led by Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, among others. The Virginians began to coordinate their actions with other colonies in 1773, and sent delegates to the Continental Congress the following year. After the House of Burgesses was dissolved by the royal governor in 1774, Virginia revolutionary leaders continued to rule through the Virginia Convention. On May 15, 1776, the Convention declared Virginia's independence from the United Kingdom and adopted Virginia's Universal Declaration of Human Rights George Mason, which was subsequently incorporated into the new constitution. Another Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, made use of Mason's work in drafting the National Declaration of Independence.
When the American Revolutionary War began, George Washington was elected to head the colonial army. During the war, the capital was moved to Richmond at the urging of Governor Thomas Jefferson, who worried that the Williamsburg beach location would make him vulnerable to British attacks. In 1781, the combined action of continental and continental land and France deployed British troops on the Virginia Peninsula, where troops under George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau defeated British General Cornwallis in the Yorktown Siege. His surrender on 19 October 1781 led to peace negotiations in Paris and guaranteed the independence of the colonies.
Virginians play an important role in writing the Constitution of the United States. James Madison drafted the Virginia Plan in 1787 and the Bill of Rights in 1789. Virginia ratified the Constitution on 25 June 1788. A three-fifth compromise ensured that Virginia, with a large number of slaves, initially had the largest block in the House. Representative. Together with the Virginia presidential dynasty, this gave the Commonwealth national interest. In 1790, Virginia and Maryland surrendered its territory to form a new District of Columbia, although the Virginian region suffered a setback in 1846. Virginia was called the "First Lady" because her role was carved into countries like Kentucky, which became the 15th nation in 1792 , and for the number of American pioneers born in Virginia.
Civil War and after
In addition to agriculture, forced labor is increasingly used in mining, shipbuilding and other industries. The execution of Gabriel Prosser in 1800, Nat Turner's slave rebellion in 1831 and John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 marked the increasing social discontent of slavery and his role in the plantation economy. By 1860, nearly half a million people, about 31% of Virginia's total population, were enslaved. This division contributed to the commencement of the American Civil War.
Virginia chose to split from the United States on April 17, 1861, after the Battle of Fort Sumter and Abraham Lincoln's appeal for the volunteers. On April 24, Virginia joined the Confederate States of America, which chose Richmond as its capital. After the Wheeling Convention of 1861, 48 counties in the northwest were separated to form a new state in West Virginia, which chose to remain loyal to the Union. General Virgin Robert E. Lee took command of the Northern Virginia Army in 1862, and led an invasion of the Union, which eventually became the commander of all Confederate forces. During the war, more fighting took place in Virginia than elsewhere, including Bull Run, Seven Days Battles, Chancellorsville, and the Battle of Appomattox Court House. After Richmond's arrest in April 1865, the nation's capital was briefly moved to Lynchburg, while the Confederate leader fled to Danville. Virginia was officially restored to the United States in 1870, due to the work of the Nine Committee.
During the post-war Reconstruction era, Virginia adopted the constitution provided for free public schools, and guaranteed political, civil and voting rights. The populist Readjuster party runs an inclusive coalition until the conservative White Democratic Party gains power after 1883. It passes Jim Crow's segregational law and in 1902 rewrote the Virginia Constitution to include voting taxes and other voter registration measures that effectively waived partial voting rights large African Americans and many poor European Americans. Although their schools and public services were separated and underfunded due to a lack of political representation, African Americans were able to unite in the community and take a greater role in the Virginia community.
Post Reconstruction
The new economic power also changed the Commonwealth. Virginian James Albert Bonsack invented the tobacco cigarette roller machine in 1880 leading to a new industrial scale production centered in Richmond. In 1886, the railroad king Collis Potter Huntington founded Newport News Shipbuilding, which was responsible for building six major World War I warships for the US Navy from 1907 to 1923. During the war, German submarines such as U-151 attacked ships in outside the harbor. In 1926, Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, rector of Bruton Williamsburg Parish Church, started a colonial era restoration in a historic district with financial support John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Although their project, like any other in the state, had to face the Great Depression and World War II, work continued as Colonial Williamsburg became a major tourist attraction.
The protest begun by Barbara Rose Johns in 1951 in Farmville against separate schools led to the lawsuit of Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County. . This case, filed by the natives of Richmond, Spottswood Robinson and Oliver Hill, was decided in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education , which rejects segregationist "separate but equal" doctrines. However, in 1958, under the policy of "massive resistance" led by influential segregationist Senator Harry F. Byrd and his Commonwealth Byrd Organization banned localized schools that were segregated to receive state funding.
The civil rights movement gained many participants in the 1960s. It achieved moral strength and support to get a share of national law with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Right of Electing Act in 1965. In 1964, the United States Supreme Court ordered Prince Edward County and others to integrate schools -school. In 1967, the Court also imposed a state ban on interracial marriages with Loving v. Virginia . From 1969 to 1971, state legislators under Governor Mills Godwin rewrote the constitution, after goals such as the revocation of Jim Crow legislation have been reached. In 1989, Douglas Wilder became the first African American to be elected governor of the United States.
The Cold War led to the expansion of national defense government programs housed in offices in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., and correlative population growth. The Central Intelligence Agency in Langley was involved in Cold War events, including as a target of Soviet espionage activities. Also among the federal developments was the Pentagon, built during World War II as a base for the Department of Defense. It was one of the targets of the September 11 attacks; 189 people were killed on the spot when a jetliner plane crashed into the building.
City and city
Virginia is divided into 95 counties and 38 independent cities, the latter acting in many respects as district-equivalent. The common method of treating cities and districts on a par with each other is unique to Virginia; only three other independent cities exist elsewhere in the United States, each in a different country. Virginia limits city and county authorities to abolish laws expressly authorized by the Virginia General Assembly under what is known as the Dillon Rule. In addition to self-sufficient towns, some are incorporated into cities that operate under their own government, but are part of an area. Finally there are hundreds of unrelated communities within the district. Virginia has no further political subdivisions, such as villages or towns.
Virginia has 11 Metropolitan Statistical Areas; Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Richmond-Petersburg are the three most populous. Richmond is the capital of Virginia, and its metropolitan area has a population of over 1.2 million. In 2010, Virginia Beach was the most populous city in the Commonwealth, with Norfolk and Chesapeake second and third, respectively. Norfolk forms the urban core of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, which has a population of over 1.6 million people and is the location of the largest naval base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk. Suffolk, which covers part of the Great Kelesah Swamp, is the largest city based on an area of ​​429.1 square miles (1,111 km 2 ).
Fairfax County is the most populous area in Virginia, with over a million inhabitants, though it does not include its county seat Fairfax, which is one of the independent cities. Fairfax County has a large business and shopping center in Tysons Corner, Virginia's largest office market. The neighboring state of Prince William County is the second densest district in Virginia, with a population of over 450,000, and is home to the Quantico Base Marine Corps, FBI Academy and Manassas National Battlefield Park. Loudoun County, with a county seat in Leesburg, is Virginia's fastest growing region and has the highest median household income ($ 114,204) in the country by 2010. Arlington County, the smallest self-government area in the United States by vast land, is a community urbanized as a county. The Roanoke region, with an estimated population of 300,399, is the largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in West Virginia.
Demographics
The US Census Bureau estimates that the country's population is 8,411,808 on July 1, 2016, a 5.1% increase since the 2010 US Census. This includes an increase from a net migration of 381,969 people into the Commonwealth since the 2010 census. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase 159,627 people, and domestic migration resulted in a net increase of 155,205 people. In 2000, the population center is located in Goochland County, near Richmond.
In addition to Virginia, the main birth state for the Virginians is New York, having taken over North Carolina in the 1990s, with the Northeast accounting for the largest number of state-to-state migrants by region.
Ethnicity
The densest ethnic group in the state, Non-Hispanic White, has declined as a proportion of the population from 76% in 1990 to 62.7% by 2015, as other ethnic groups have increased. In 2011, non-Hispanic whites were involved in 50.9% of all births. People from British relics settled throughout the Commonwealth during the colonial period, and others from the British and Irish heritage since immigrating. Those who identify on the census as having "American ethnicity" are mostly British descendants, but have ancestors who have been in North America for so long that they choose to identify only as Americans. From British immigrants to Virginia in the 17th century, 75% came as contract workers. The western mountains have many settlements established by Scottish-Irish immigrants before the American Revolution. There are also a large number of Germans in the northwestern mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. At the 2010 American Community Survey, 11.7% said they were of German descent. 2.9% of Virginians also describe themselves as biracial.
The largest minority group in Virginia is African American, at 19.7% by 2015. Most African-American Virginians have enslaved African descendants working in tobacco, cotton, and hemp plantations. The first generation of enslaved men, women and children was brought from West and Central West Africa, mainly from Angola and Bight of Biafra. The current Igbo ethnic group of southern Nigeria is the largest African group among slaves in Virginia. Many African Americans also have European ancestors and Native Americans. Although the black population was reduced by the Great Migration to the northern industrial cities in the first half of the 20th century, since 1965 there had been a reversed migration of blacks back south. According to the Pew Research Center, the state has the highest number of black-and-white racial marriages in the US.
Recent immigration in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has resulted in a new community of Hispanics and Asians. By 2015, 9.0% of Virginians are Hispanic or Latino (of any race), and 6.5% are Asian. The country's Hispanic population rose 92% from 2000 to 2010, with two thirds of Hispanics in the state living in Northern Virginia. The Hispanic population in Virginia has higher median household income and educational attainment than the general state population. There is a large Salvadoran population on the outskirts of DC Northern Virginia, and a large Puerto Rican population in the Hampton Roads area of ​​Southeast Virginia. Northern Virginia also has a significant population of Vietnamese Americans, whose immigration waves followed the Vietnam War. Korean Americans migrated recently, attracted by a quality school system. The Philippine American community has about 45,000 in the Hampton Road area, many of which have links to the US Navy and the armed forces.
In addition, 0.5% of Virginians are American Indians or Alaskan Native, and 0.1% are natives of Hawaii or other Pacific Islands. Virginia has expanded state recognition to eight Native American tribes in the state; six of which received federal recognition as a tribe by 2018, and two already recognized. Most of the Native American groups are in the Tidewater area.
In 2011, 49.1% of the Virginia population younger than age 1 was a minority (meaning that they had at least one non-Hispanic non-white parent).
Language
In 2010, 85.87% (6,299,127) of 5- and older-aged Virginia residents spoke English at home as the primary language, while 6.41% (470,058) spoke Spanish, 0.77% (56.518) of Korea, 0.63 % (45,881) Vietnamese, 0.57% (42,418) Chinese (including Chinese), and Tagalog spoken as the primary language by 0.56% (40,724) of the population over the age of five. In total, 14.13% (1,036,442) of the population of Virginia age 5 and older spoke a mother tongue other than English. English was ratified as the Commonwealth's official language by law in 1981 and again in 1996, although its status was not mandated by the Virginia Constitution.
The Piedmont region is known for its strong dialect influences on South American English. While more homogeneous American English is found in urban areas, various accents are also used, including Tidewater accents, Old Virginia accents, and Elizabethan Elizabeth from Tangier Island.
Religion
Virginia is predominantly Christian and Protestant; Baptists are the largest single group with 27% of the population in 2008. Baptists in Virginia have 763,655 members. Baptist denominations in Virginia include the Baptist General Association of Virginia, with some 1,400 member churches, supporting both the Southern Baptist Convention and the Moderative Cooperative Baptist Fellowship; and the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia with over 500 affiliated churches, which support the Southern Baptist Convention. Roman Catholicism is the second largest religious group with 673,853 members. The Roman Catholic diocese in Arlington covers most of the Catholic churches in Northern Virginia, while the Diocese of Richmond covers the rest.
The Virginia Conference is the United Methodist Church's regional body in most of the Commonwealth, while the Holston Conference represents many extreme Southwest Virginia. The Virginia synod is responsible for the Lutheran Church congregation. Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Congregationalists, and Episcopalists each made up less than 2% of the population in 2010. The Episcopal Episcopalians of Virginia, Southern Virginia, and Southwest Virginia supported Episcopal churches.
In November 2006, 15 conservative Episcopal churches chose to separate from the Diocese of Virginia over the ordination of bishops and gay priests openly in another diocese of the Episcopal Church; these churches continue to claim affiliation with the greater Anglican Communion through other bodies outside the United States. Although Virginia law allows parishioners to determine their church affiliation, the diocese claims the breakaway church building and property. The resulting property law case, which was ultimately decided to support the mainline diocese, was a test of Episcopal churches across the country.
Among other religions, the followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints constitute 1% of the population, with 200 sessions in Virginia by 2017. Fairfax Station is the site of Ekoji Buddhist Temple, Jodo Shinshu school, and Durga Hindu temple. While the Jewish population is a small country, the Jewish site is organized on 1789 with the Congregation of Beth Ahabah. Muslims are a religious group that grows throughout the Commonwealth through immigration. Megachurches at the Commonwealth include Thomas Street Baptist Church, Immanuel Bible Church, and McLean Bible Church. Some Christian universities are also based in the state, including Regent University, Liberty University, and Lynchburg College.
Economy
Virginia is a country that will work; the economy has multiple sources of income, including local and federal government, military, agriculture and business. Virginia has 4.1 million civilian workers, and a third of the jobs are in the services sector. The unemployment rate in Virginia in 2017 is 3.8%, which is below the national average. The second fastest growing city of employment in the country is Leesburg, in 2011. Virginia's Gross Domestic Product is $ 492 billion by 2016. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Virginia has the most districts in the top 100 richest in the United States. in sixteen districts based on average incomes in 2007. Northern Virginia is the highest-income region in Virginia, owning six of the twenty highest-income districts in the United States, including two highs in 2008. According to the highest CNN Money Magazine the country is Great Falls, in 2011. According to a 2013 study by Phoenix Marketing International, Virginia has the seventh largest millionaires per capita in the United States, with a ratio of 6.64%.
Government
Virginia has the highest defense spending of every state per capita, providing the Commonwealth with about 900,000 jobs. About 12% of all US federal purchases are spent in Virginia, the second highest number after California. Many Virginians work for federal agents in Northern Virginia, which includes the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Defense, as well as the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Many others work for government contractors, including defense and security companies, who hold more than 15,000 federal contracts.
Virginia has one of the highest veteran concentrations in any state, and is the second in California in Department of Defense employees. The Hampton Roads area has the largest concentration of military personnel and assets of any metropolitan area in the world, including the world's largest naval base, Naval Station Norfolk. In the state government, Virginia employs 106,143 civil servants, which combined have an average income of $ 44,656 in 2013.
Business
Virginia has the highest concentration of technology workers in any state, and the fourth highest number of tech workers after California, Texas and New York. The computer chip became the country's top-selling export in 2006, surpassing its combined coal and tobacco exports, achieving a total export value of $ 717 million by 2015. Northern Virginia, once considered a state dairy mother, now hosts the software, communications technology, contract contracting companies, particularly at Dulles Technology Corridor.
The country has an average speed and the highest Internet peak in the United States, with the third highest worldwide. Northern Virginia data centers can bring up to 70% of national internet traffic, and by 2015 this region is the largest and fastest growing data center market in the country.
In 2009, Forbes magazine named Virginia the country's best country for business for the fourth year in a row, while CNBC named it the top state for business in 2007, 2009, and 2011. In addition, 2014 a survey of 12,000 small business owners found Virginia to be one of the most friendly countries for small businesses. Virginia has 20 Fortune 500 companies, ranked eighth nation nationwide. Tysons Corner is one of the largest business districts in the country.
Tourism in Virginia supports about 210,000 jobs and generates $ 21.2 billion by 2012. Arlington County is a top tourist destination in the state with domestic shopping, followed by Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Virginia Beach.
Agriculture
In 2007, agriculture occupied 32% of the land in Virginia and about 357,000 Virginian jobs were in agriculture, with more than 47,000 farms, an average of 171 acres (0.27 sq. M 0.69 km 2 ) , in a total of 8.1 million hectares of agricultural land (12,656 sq., mi; 32,780 km 2 ). Although agriculture has declined significantly since 1960 when there are twice as many farms, it remains the largest single industry in Virginia. Tomatoes surpassed soybeans as the most profitable crop in Virginia in 2006, with peanuts and straw as other agricultural products. Although it is no longer a major crop, Virginia is still the fifth largest tobacco producer worldwide.
Virginia is the largest seafood producer on the East Coast, with shellfish, oysters, blue crabs and shellfish as the largest seafood crop based on its value, and France, Canada and Hong Kong as the top export destinations. The eastern oyster harvest has risen from 23,000 bushels in 2001 to over 500,000 by 2013. Vineyards and vineyards in Northern Neck and along the Blue Ridge Mountains have also begun generating revenue and attracting tourists. Virginia has the highest number of wineries in the country.
Tax
Virginia collects personal income taxes in five income groups, ranging from 3.0% to 5.75%. The sale of the country and the use of tax rates is 4.3%, while the tax rate for food is 1.5%. There is an additional 1% local tax, with a combined total sales tax of 5.3% on most purchases in Virginia and 2.5% for most meals. The sales tax rate is 0.7% higher in Northern Virginia and Newport News, where it's 6.0%. The Virginia property tax is organized and collected at the local government level and varies throughout the Commonwealth. Real estate is also taxed at the local rate based on 100% of fair market value. Tangible personal property is also taxed at the local level and is based on a percentage or a percentage of the original cost.
Culture
The culture of Virginia was popularized and spread across America and South by figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Robert E. Lee. Their home in Virginia represents the birthplace of America and South. Modern Virginia culture has many sources, and is part of Southern South American culture. The Smithsonian Institution divides Virginia into nine cultural areas.
In addition to the general cuisine of Southern South America, Virginia maintains its own particular tradition. Virginia wine is made in many parts of the state. Smithfield ham, sometimes called "Virginia ham", is a type of state ham protected by state law, and can only be produced in the town of Smithfield. The furniture and architecture of Virginia is a hallmark of American colonial architecture. Thomas Jefferson and many of the country's early leaders loved the Neoclassical style of architecture, which led to its use for important state structures. The Dutch Pennsylvania and their style can also be found in some parts of the country.
Literature in Virginia often deals with the country's vast and sometimes troubled past. Pulitzer Prize-winning works Ellen Glasgow often deals with social inequalities and the role of women in their culture. Glasgow's close friends and friends, James Branch Cabell, wrote extensively about the changing position of nobility in the Reconstruction era, and challenged his moral code with Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice. William Styron approached history in his works such as The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice. Tom Wolfe sometimes deals with his southern heritage in bestselling books like I Am Charlotte Simmons. The original Mount Vernon Matt Bondurant received critical acclaim for his historic The Wettest County in the World about moonshin people in Franklin County during the ban. Virginia also named a poet of the Poet's country.
Great art and performance
Rich in cultural heritage, but Virginia is ranked at the bottom of the US state in terms of public spending on art, almost half the national average. The state government funds several institutions, including the Virginia Fine Arts Museum and the Virginia Science Museum. Other museums include the famous Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum and the Chrysler Museum of Art. In addition to these sites, many open museums are located in the Commonwealth, such as Colonial Williamsburg, Frontier Culture Museum, and various historic battlefields. The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities works to improve the civil, cultural, and intellectual life of the Commonwealth.
Theaters and places in the Commonwealth are found both in cities and suburbs. The Harrison Opera House, in Norfolk, is the home of the Virginia Opera. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra operates in and around Hampton Roads. Resident and group theater tours operate from the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton. The Barter Theater, designated as the Virginia State Theater, at Abingdon won the first Regional Tony Theater Award in 1948, while the Signature Theater in Arlington won it in 2009. There is also the Virginia Children's Theater, Theater IV, which is the second group the biggest national tour.
Virginia has launched many award-winning traditional music artists and successful international popular music acts, as well as Hollywood actors. Virginia is known for its traditions in music genres of string and old bluegrass, with groups like Family Carter and Stanley Brothers, as well as gospel, blues, and shout bands. Contemporary Virginia is also known for folk rock artists such as Dave Matthews and Jason Mraz, hip hop stars such as Pharrell Williams and Missy Elliott, as well as thrash metal groups such as GWAR and Lamb of God. Famous venues include The Birchmere, Landmark Theater and Jiffy Lube Live. The Wolf Trap National Park for Performing Arts is located in Vienna and is the only national park intended for use as a performing arts center.
Festivals
Many districts and regions organize regional festivals and festivals. The Virginia State Fair is held at Meadow Event Park every September. Also in September is the Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach, which celebrates city, beach, and regional artists. Norfolk's Harborfest, in June, features boat races and air shows. Fairfax County also sponsors Celebrate Fairfax! with popular and traditional music performances. The Virginia Lake Festival was held during the third weekend of July in Clarksville. Wolf Trap hosts the Wolf Trap Opera Company, which produces opera festivals every summer. Every September, the Bay Days celebrate Chesapeake Bay as well as the 400-year history of Hampton since 1610, and the Isle of Wight County organizes County Fair in the second week of September as well. Both feature live music performances, and other unique shows.
On the Eastern Shore Chincoteague, Pony Swim & amp; The wild Chincoteague race auction at the end of July is a unique local tradition that is expanded into a week-long carnival. Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is a six-day festival held annually at Winchester that includes a parade and bluegrass concert. The Old Time Fiddlers Convention at Galax, started in 1935, is one of the oldest and largest biggest shows worldwide. Two important film festivals, the Virginia Film Festival and the VCU French Film Festival, are held annually in Charlottesville and Richmond, respectively.
Media
The Hampton Roads area is the 45th largest media market in the United States ranked by Nielsen Media Research, while the Richmond-Petersburg area is the 57th and Roanoke-Lynchburg is the 66th in 2013. Northern Virginia is a much larger part of Washington , DC media market.
There are 36 television stations in Virginia, which represent every major US network, part of 42 stations serving Virginia audiences. More than 720 FM radio stations licensed under the FCC are broadcast in Virginia, with about 300 AM stations. The nationally available National Broadcasting Service (PBS) is headquartered in Arlington. Independent PBS affiliates exist throughout Virginia, and PBS Arlington WETA-TV member stations produce programs such as PBS NewsHour and Washington Weekend .
The most commonly circulated indigenous newspapers in the Commonwealth are Norfolk <-i The Virginian-Pilot (142,476 daily subscribers), The Richmond Times-Dispatch (108,559), and The Roanoke Times (78,663 ), by 2014. Some Washington, DC-based newspapers in Northern Virginia, such as The Washington Examiner and Politico . The nation's largest circulation paper, USA Today , with 1.83 million daily subscriptions, is based in McLean. In addition to traditional media forms, Virginia is home base for telecommunication companies such as Voxant and XO Communications. In Northern Virginia, The Washington Post is the dominant newspaper, because Northern VA is located in the metropolitan area of ​​Washington, DC.
Education
The Virginia education system is consistently ranked in the top ten states of the US Department of Education's National Education Assessment, with Virginia students beating the average in all subject areas and grade levels tested. The 2011 Report Quality Counts rating Virginia's fourth best K-12 education in the country. All school divisions must comply with the educational standards set by the Virginia Department of Education, which maintains an assessment and accreditation system known as the Learning Standards to ensure accountability. In 2010, 85% of high school students graduated on time after four years. Between 2000 and 2008, school enrollment increased 5%, the number of teachers was 21%.
K-12 public schools in Virginia are generally operated by districts and cities, and not by the state. In 2011, 1,267,063 students enrolled at 1,873 local and regional schools in the Commonwealth, including three charter schools, and an additional 109 alternative and specialized education centers in 132 school divisions. In addition to general public schools in Virginia, there is a School of Governors and selective magnetic schools. The Governor's Schools is a collection of over 40 local high schools and summer programs devoted to gifted students. The Virginia Board for Private Education oversees the regulations of 320 accredited countries and 130 non-accredited private schools. An additional 24,682 students received homeschooling.
In 2011, there were 176 colleges and universities in Virginia. In 2017 US. News & amp; World Report national university rankings, University of Virginia ranked No. 1. 2, College of William and Mary is No. 6, Virginia Tech No. 27, George Mason University No. 71, and Virginia Commonwealth University is No. 87. Virginia Commonwealth also ranks 1 state graduate school in fine art, while James Madison University is ranked 8th regional university in The South. The Virginia Military Institute is the oldest state military college. Virginia State University and Virginia Tech are state land grants universities. Virginia also operates 23 colleges across 40 campuses serving more than 260,000 students. There are 129 private institutions in the state, including Washington's national liberal arts college and Lee University in No. 11, University of Richmond at No. 27, and Virginia Military Institute in No. 72. Liberty University is the largest university in Virginia, with a total enrollment of over 110,000 students.
Health
Virginia has a mixed health record, and is ranked 26th as the healthiest overall country according to the United Health Foundation 2013 Health Rating. Virginia is also ranked 21st among states in the early mortality rate, 6,816 per 100,000. In 2008, Virginia achieved the lowest infant mortality rate, with 6.7 deaths per 1,000. But there are social and racial social differences, in 2010 African Americans experienced 28% more premature deaths than whites, while 13% of Virginians did not have health insurance. According to a 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, 26% of Virginians are obese and 35% are overweight. 78% of residents claim to have done at least once in the last three months. About 30% of Virginia's 10 to 17 year olds are overweight or obese. Virginia banned smoking in bars and restaurants in January 2010. 19% of Virginian smoked tobacco. The 8th congress district population in Virginia shares the country's longest average life expectancy of over 83 years.
There are 89 hospitals in Virginia registered with the US Department of Health and Human Services. Noteworthy examples include Inova Fairfax Hospital, the largest hospital in the Metropolitan Area of ​​Washington, and VCU Medical Center, located on Virginia Commonwealth University's medical campus. The University of Virginia Medical Center, part of the University of Virginia Health System, has a high ranking in endocrinology under US News & amp; World Report . Virginia has a ratio of 127 primary care physicians per 10,000 population, which is the 16th highest nationally. Virginia is one of five states that received perfect scores in disaster preparedness according to a 2008 report by the Trust for America's Health, based on criteria such as detecting pathogens and distributing vaccines and medical supplies.
Transportation
Due to the Byrd 1932 Road Law, the state government controls most of the roads in Virginia, rather than local authorities as usual in other states. In 2011, the Virginia Department of Transport owns and operates 57,867 miles (93,128 km) out of a total of 70,105 miles (112,823 km) of roads in the state, making it the third largest state road system in the United States. Although the Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes Northern Virginia, has the second worst traffic in the country, Virginia as a whole has its 21st congestion and the average travel time is 26.9 minutes. Virginia reached the peak of car use before 2000, making it one of the first states.
Virginia has Amtrak passenger rail services along several corridors, and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) maintains two commuter lines to Washington, D.C. from Fredericksburg and Manassas. VRE is one of the fastest growing commuter train services in the country, handling nearly 20,000 passengers per day. Washington Metro's rapid transportation system serves Northern Virginia as far west as the I-66 community of Fairfax County, with an expansion plan to reach Loudoun County in 2017. Major freight trains in Virginia include Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation, previously headquartered in Norfolk. The commuter buses include the Fairfax Connector and the Shenandoah Valley Command Bus. The Virginia Department of Transport operates several free ferries throughout Virginia, the most famous of which is the Jamestown-Scotland ferry that crosses the James River in Surry County.
Virginia has five major airports: Washington Dulles International and Reagan Washington National in Northern Virginia, both of which handle more than 20 million passengers per year; Richmond International; and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport and Norfolk International serving the Hampton Roads area. Some other airports offer limited commercial passenger services, and sixty-six public airports serve the country's flight needs. The Port of Virginia's main seaport is on Hampton Road, which carries 17,726,251 short tons (16,080,984 t) of bulk cargo in 2007, the sixth most port of the United States. The Eastern Shore of Virginia is home to the Wallops Flight Facility, a NASA-owned rocket testing center, and Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, a commercial space port. Aerospace tourism is also offered through Vienna-based Space Adventures.
Law and government
In colonial Virginia, people were free to choose the lower house of the legislature, called House of Burgesses, which, together with the Board of Governors, made the "General Assembly". Founded in 1619, the Virginia General Assembly still exists as the oldest legislature in the Western Hemisphere. In 2008, the government was ranked by the Pew Center in the United States with A- in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and infrastructure, linked to Utah and Washington. This is the second time in a row that Virginia received the highest score in the country.
Since 1971, the government has functioned under the seventh Virginia Constitution, which provides a powerful legislative body and an integrated judicial system. Similar to the federal structure, governments are divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislature is the General Assembly, a bicameral body of 100 members of the Delegation Council and 40 Senate members writing laws for the Commonwealth. The assembly is stronger than the executive, because it chooses judges and judges. The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor are elected every four years in separate elections. The current governor can not run for re-election, but the Lieutenant Governor and the Attorney General may, and the governors may serve non-consecutive requirements. The judicial system, the oldest in the United States, comprises the hierarchy of the Virginia Supreme Court and the Virginia Court of Appeals to the Circuit Court, the courts of the general jurisdiction, and the Lower and Local District Courts of Child and Domestic Relations. Court.
The Virginia Code is a statutory law, and consists of codified laws of the General Assembly. Virginia State Police is the largest law enforcement agency in Virginia. Police Virginia Capitol is the oldest police department in the United States. The Virginia National Guard comprises 7,500 troops in the Virginia Army National Guard and 1,200 aviators at the Virginia Water National Guard. Since the resumption of death sentence in Virginia in 1982, 107 people have been executed, the second highest number in the country. "Total crime risk" is 28% lower than the national average. Since Virginia ended its parole in 1995, the rate of recidivism has fallen to 28.3%, among the lowest across the country. Virginia is an open country.
Politics
During the 20th century, Virginia shifted from a largely rural, southern and conservative country to a more urban, pluralistic, and moderate political environment. Until the 1970s, Virginia was a racially dominated one-party state dominated by the Byrd Organization. The legacy of slavery in the state effectively deprived African Americans of their right until after the civil rights law was passed in the mid-1960s. The granting of suffrage and immigration of other groups, especially Hispanics, has put the increasing importance of minority voices, while voters who identify as "white working class" decreased by 3 per cent between 2008 and 2012. Regional differences play a major role in Virginia politics. The south and west rural areas moved to support Republicans in response to the "southern strategy", while the suburbs and flourishing, including many from Northern Virginia, formed the Democratic Party base. Democratic support also persisted in union-influenced Roanoke in Southwest Virginia, college towns like Charlottesville and Blacksburg, and the southeastern Black Belt Territory.
The strength of political parties in Virginia has also changed. In 2007 state elections, Democrats regained control of the State Senate, and narrowed the Republican majority in House of Delegates to eight seats. But elections in 2009 resulted in the election of President of the Republic Bob McDonnell as Governor by seventeen points, the election of a Lieutenant Governor and the Attorney General of the Republic, and the Republicans' acquisition of six seats in the House of Delegates. In 2011, the Republican caucus took over two-thirds (68-32) seats in the House of Delegates, and the Senate majority was based on Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling as a tie-breaker. After the 2013 election, Democrat Terry McAuliffe was elected governor with two percentage points, and Democrat Ralph Northam was elected as a double-digit Lieutenant Governor. The Republicans, however, retained their super majority (68-32) in the House of Delegates. The country's election season usually begins with the annual Shad Planking event at Wakefield.
In federal elections since 2006, the two sides have seen success. Republican Senator George Allen lost a close race in 2006, to Democratic newcomer Jim Webb, and again in 2012, to Webb's successor, former Governor Tim Kaine. In 2008, Democrats won both US Senate seats; former Governor Mark Warner was elected to replace retired Republican John Warner. The state went to the Republic in 13 of the 14 presidential elections from 1952 to 2004, including 10 consecutive from 1968 to 2004. However, Democrat Barack Obama brought 13 electoral votes in Virginia in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. In the 2010 election, The Republic won three United States Democratic Representatives seats. Of eleven state seats in the House of Representatives, Republicans hold seven and Democrats hold four. Virginia is considered a "state swing" in the upcoming presidential election.
In the 2016 US presidential election, Hillary Clinton's Democrats took Virginia, marking their third consecutive victory for the Democratic Party at the presidential level and the first time the country voted electors to the Democrats who had not won national electoral elections since 1924. Instead, the state gave Donald J. Trump the smallest percentage of the Virginian vote for Republican presidential candidates since Thomas E. Dewey in 1948.
Sports
Virginia is the densest US state without a major professional sports league franchise. Reasons for this include the lack of a city or dominant market in the state, team closeness in Washington, D.C. and North Carolina, and a reluctance to publicly finance the stadium. However, in recent years, the coastal city of Virginia has proposed a new arena designed to lure major league franchises. Norfolk is host to two small league teams: The AAA Norfolk Tides and ECHL's Norfolk Admirals. The AA San Francisco Giants team, Richmond Flying Squirrels, began playing at The Diamond in 2010, replacing AAA Richmond Braves, which moved after 2008. In addition, Washington Residents, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays also have a Single-A and Rookie level farm team in Virginia. The country is also home to the English Football League club, Richmond Kickers.
Washington Redskins owns Redskins Park, their headquarters, at Ashburn and their training facilities in Richmond, and the Washington Capitals train at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston. Virginia has many professional golf courses including Greg Norman courses at Lansdowne Resort and Kingsmill Resort, home of the Kingsmill Championship, an LPGA Tour tournament. NASCAR is currently scheduling the Sprint Cup race on two tracks in Virginia: Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. Native Virginia currently competes in the series including Denny Hamlin and Elliott Sadler.
Virginia does not allow state funds adjusted for use either for operational or capital costs for athletic inter-college. Nevertheless, both Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies have been able to map competitive teams at the Atlantic Coast Conference and maintain modern facilities. Their rivalry is followed across the state. Twelve other universities competed in the NCAA Division I, especially at the 10 Atlantic Conference, the Big South Conference, and the Colonial Athletic Association. Three black history schools competed in the Second Division of the Association of Central Athletes athletes, and two others competed in the Division I of the Middle East Athletics Conference. Some smaller schools compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the South South Athletic Conference of the NCAA Division III. The NCAA currently holds the Third Division Championships in soccer, men's basketball, volleyball and softball in Salem.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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