Virginia Geography

Basic Facts

• Geographical Region: South
• Size: 42769 sq.mi., 35th rank overall.
• Admitted to Statehood: June 25, 1788
• Population: 7,882,590;12th rank overall.
• Capital: Richmond
• Other Major City: Virginia Beach
• Abbreviation: VA

Fun Facts

• Nickname: Old Dominion State
• State Flag: Click Here (opens window to 50states.com)
• State Bird: Cardinal (opens window to 50states.com)
• State Flower: Dogwood (opens window to 50states.com)

Geographical Description

• Virginia is divided into five regions from east to west: Tidewater, Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley, and Cumberland Plateau, also called the Appalachian Plateau.
• The Tidewater is a coastal plain that includes the Eastern Shore and major estuaries which enter the Chesapeake Bay.
• The Piedmont is a series of foothills, known for its heavy clay soil and includes the Southwest Mountains.
• The Blue Ridge Mountains, part of Appalachian Mountains, contain the highest points in the state. Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet high is the tallest.
• The Ridge and Valley region is west of the mountains, and includes the Great Appalachian Valley.
• The Cumberland Plateau and Mountains are located below the Allegheny Plateau in the south-west corner of Virginia. It contains a number of rivers flowing northwest that empty into the Ohio River basin.

Map: Relief Map of VA

Industry

Minerals, transportation equipment, textiles, food processing, aeronautical research, electric equipment, chemicals.

Agriculture

tobacco, cattle, poultry, grain, corn, dairy products, hogs, soybeans.

Other Information

Fun Facts:

• Virginia was named for England's "Virgin Queen," Elizabeth I.
• Jamestown was founded for silk cultivation, but a fungus destroyed the mulberry trees. So they planted tobacco instead.
• Virginia is known as "the birthplace of a nation".
• Eight United States Presidents were born in Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
• Seven Presidents are buried in Virginia: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Tyler, Taft and Kennedy
• Today, Richmond is the state capital. It once was the capital of the Confederacy.
• Virginia is home to the first peanuts grown in the United States.
• The surrender of Cornwallis in Yorktown marks the end of the American Revolution.
• Over 2,200 of the 4,000 battles in the Civil War were fought in Virginia.
• The Pentagon, the largest office building in the world, has nearly 68,000 miles of internal telephone lines
• The first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America took place in Virginia in 1619.

More Fun Facts: http://www.50states.com/facts/virginia.htm