Virginia – ipl Stately Knowledge: Facts about the United States

Virginia

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AbbreviationVA
Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations
CapitalRichmond
Population8,001,024
Source: Resident Population Data – 2010 Census
GovernorBob McDonnell (Republican, to January 2014)
Entered the UnionJune 25, 1788
as the 10th state
MottoSic Semper tyrannis (Thus always to tyrants)
NicknameThe Old Dominion, The Mother of Presidents, The Mother of States, The Mother of Statesmen, The Cavalier State
FlowerAmerican Dogwood
BirdCardinal
SongCarry Me Back to Old Virginia
Professional Sports TeamsNo NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, or NHL teams.
(sports listing policy)
Origin of NameIn honor of Elizabeth, Virgin Queen of England
Historical SitesMt. Vernon, home of George Washington; Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson; Stratford, home of Robert E. Lee, Confederate general; Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial; Richmond, capital of both the Confederacy and of the state today; Booker T. Washington’s birthplace near Roanoke; Colonial Williamsburg
Points of InterestShenandoah National Park; Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Parks; the Skyline Drive; and the Blue Ridge National Parkway
Bordering StatesVirginia borders Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
FlagVirginia's flag

Follow these links to read articles about Virginia from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

Official State Links

Other State Links

  • 50states.com: Virginia
    http://www.50states.com/virginia.htm
    The site provides a wealth of information about Virginia. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
  • Things To Do in Virginia
    http://www.thingstodo.com/states/VA/index.htm
    ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Virginia’s entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state’s interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
  • Roadside America: Virginia Attractions
    http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/va.html
    Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of “weird sites along the highway” in Virginia.
  • Civil War Richmond
    http://www.mdgorman.com/
    This site is an online research project that collects documents, photographs, and maps having to do with Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War.
  • Children’s Museum of Virginia
    http://www.childrensmuseumva.com/
    This lively site describes the exhibits, activities, and classes available in a special museum for kids found at Portsmouth, Virginia.
  • FedStats: MapStat: United States: Virginia
    http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/51000.html
    Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on “economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more” in Virginia.
  • Virginia was the site of the surrenders ending the American Revolution (Yorktown) and the Civil War (Appomattox).
  • Virginia is called the Mother of Presidents because eight U.S. Presidents were born there.
  • Tobacco was once Virginia’s sole economic crop.
  • Opened in 1964, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is 18 miles long and has two bridges and two mile-long tunnels. It extends over the mouth of Chesapeake Bay and connects the cities of Cape Charles and Norfolk.
  • Government employment, especially the Federal government and military, has replaced tobacco as the state’s number one industry.

Some Famous People from this State