Virginia

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Chesapeake Bay are the main habitats for the Commonwealth’s flora & fauna. They also shape the geography and climate. Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth. Virginia Beach is the most populous city and Fairfax County the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth’s population was 8.65 million in 2020, with 36% living in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan region.

The history of the area begins with several indigenous groups, such as the Powhatan. In 1607, the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent English colony in the New World. Virginia’s state nickname, the Old Dominion, is a reference to this status. Slave labor and land acquired from displaced native tribes fueled the growing plantation economy, but also fueled conflicts both inside and outside the colony. Virginia was one the original Thirteen Colonies of the American Revolution. Battles in Virginia secured the United States independence. During the American Civil War, Virginia was split when the state government in Richmond joined the Confederacy, but many of the state’s northwestern counties wanted to remain with the Union, helping form the state of West Virginia in 1863. Despite the fact that the Commonwealth was almost a century under one-party rule following the Reconstruction era both major political parties are still competitive in Virginia today.

The Virginia General Assembly is Virginia’s state legislature. It was established in July 1619. This makes it the oldest currently functioning law-making body in North America. It consists of a Senate of 40 members and a House of Delegates of 100 members. The state government is unique in its ability to treat cities and counties equally, manage local roads, as well as preventing governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginia’s economy has many sectors: agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley; high tech and federal agencies, including the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency, in Northern Virginia; and military facilities in Hampton Roads, the site of the region’s main seaport.