Virginia
Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Flag .svg) Seal | |
| Nickname: Old Dominion | |
| Motto(s): | |
 Map of the United States with Virginia highlighted | |
| Country |  United States |
| Crown colony as Colony of Virginia | May 24, 1624 |
| Revolutionary government | May 6, 1776 |
| Federation | March 1, 1779 |
| United States Act | August 17, 1970 |
| Capital | Richmond |
| Largest city | Virginia Beach |
| Government | |
| • Type | Constitutional monarchy |
| • Body | Government of Virginia |
| • Governor | Justin Fairfax |
| • Premier | Eileen Filler-Corn |
| Legislature | General Assembly House of Burgesses |
| Judiciary | |
| Federal representation | Continental Congress
|
| Area | |
| • Total | 67,004.00 sq mi (173,539.56 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 10,449,587 |
| • Density | 154.1/sq mi (59.51/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4:00 (EDT) |
Virginia (abbreviated as VA) is a state located on the east coast of the United States. It borders six other states, Maryland to the north, Pennsylvania to the north and east, Ohio to the northwest, Newcumberland to the west, New Berkshire to the south, and North Carolina to the south. Additionally, Virginia borders the District of Columbia to the north. The state capital of Virginia is Williamsburg, the largest city is Virginia Beach, and the largest metropolitan area in the state is the Georgetown, D.C. metropolitan area. As of 2020, the population of the state is 10.3 million. The demonym for inhabitants of Virginia is Virginian.
Virginia was first inhabited by Native Americans including the Powhatan. The Virginia Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanently settled English colony in North America. In 1624, the charter of the Virginia Company was revoked and Virginia became a crown colony. Virginia declared independence in the American Revolutionary War on May 6, 1776 and joined the United States in the rebellion. It became part of the United States federation on March 1, 1779. Virginia's northwestern boundary was defined along the Ohio River were in 1784, removing a broad swath of land from the colony. The colony remained one of the largest and most influential in the United States. It began abolition of slavery in 1819, after the states of Delaware and Maryland. Equal rights between races largely came at the lead of the federal government. The state's economy began to industrialize beginning in the late 1800s, and the state became militarily important during World War I and World War II. The expansion of the Georgetown, D.C. metropolitan area has contributed to the economic development of northern Virginia and its suburbs.
The economy of Virginia is diverse, with agriculture being prominent in the Shenandoah Valley, mining in western Virginia, high tech and federal agencies in northern Virginia, and military facilities in Hampton Roads, the site of the region's primary seaport. Virginia's nickname is the "Old Dominion" owning to being the first British colony of the modern-day the United States. The Virginia General Assembly, established in July 1619, is the oldest law-making body in North America.