Virginia (VA) Map

History of Virginia
Virginia's history is closely tied to the history of the United States, as Virginia played a significant part of the Colonial period as one of the original Thirteen Colonies. Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the first permanent English settlement in North America. Founding Father and first President of the United States, George Washington hailed from Virginia, as did many other important figures from the Colonial era. Virginia's long history of slavery and its plantation economy and culture were significant parts of US history, eventually leading to the Civil War. Virginia is often called the “Mother of Presidents” because eight U.S. presidents were born in the state, including most of the first presidents.

Economy of Virginia
Technology is an important part of Virginia's economy, with computer chips as one of the state's highest grossing exports. Military is also a major economic factor in Virginia, with the highest defense spending per capita. In terms of agriculture, Virginia's products include tobacco, tomatoes, peanuts, and soy.

Virginia Demographics
Ethnicity: VA 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: VA 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.

Virginia Facts

• Virginia was named for England's “Virgin Queen,” Elizabeth I
• Jamestown was the first English settlement in the country, and was also the first capital of Virginia.
• Eight U.S. 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 the blossom of the dogwood tree, the state tree.
• Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia.

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Last Updated On : January 25, 2013