Virginia Maps

Virginia Demographics

Ethnicity: Virginia has a population of 8,001,024. The center of population is located in Goochland County outside of Richmond. As of 2000, the five largest reported ancestry groups in Virginia are: African (19.6%), German (11.7%), unspecified American (11.4%), English (11.1%), and Irish (9.8%). Immigration in the late 20th century and early 21st century has fueled new communities of Hispanics, particularly Central Americans, and Asians.

Religion: Virginia is predominantly Christian and Protestant. According to a survey, there are 606,059 Roman Catholics in Virginia, representing a membership growth of 57% from 1990. The Jewish population is estimated at 76,140 and there are an estimated 51,021 Muslims. Over 4.1 million people (about 58.4% of the population) are not counted as members of any religious organization.

Language: English is the only language spoken by 6,245,517 (86.7%) Virginians. Among speakers of other languages, Spanish is the most common with 424,381 speakers. Some speak Asian and Pacific Islander languages, including Korean, Vietnamese, and Filipino.

History of Virginia

The history of America is closely tied to that of Virginia, particularly during the Colonial period. Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the first permanent English settlement in North America and slavery was introduced there in 1619. The surrenders ending both the American Revolution (Yorktown) and the Civil War (Appomattox) occurred in Virginia. The state is called the "Mother of Presidents" because eight U.S. presidents were born there.

Economy of Virginia

Virginia has a large number of manufacturing industries, including transportation equipment, food processing, electronic and other electrical equipment, chemicals, textiles and apparel, lumber and wood products, and furniture.

Agriculture remains an important sector, and the state ranks among the top ten in a variety of agricultural products, including tomatoes, tobacco, peanuts, apples, summer potatoes, sweet potatoes, snap beans, and turkeys and broilers. Virginia also has a large dairy industry. In 2009, Forbes Magazine named Virginia the best state in the nation for business for the fourth year in a row, while CNBC named it the top state for business in 2007, 2009, and 2011.

Interesting Facts about Virginia

Virginia was named for England's "Virgin Queen," Elizabeth I Jamestown was the first English settlement in the U.S. It was also the first capital of Virginia 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 The State flower is not really a flower, but the blossom of the dogwood tree, which is also the state tree

Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia. Its population is expected to surpass 500,000 residents by 2010