Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

part of the United States. The Potomac

River separates northeast Virginia from

Maryland andWashington, D.C. The

Atlantic Ocean runs along part of eastern

Virginia. Tennessee and North Carolina

border Virginia at the southern end.

West Virginia and Kentucky border Virginia

to the west.

Five different natural regions exist in the

state. Eastern Virginia is a low-lying

coastal plain. To the west of the coastal

plain is a large region of low rolling hills.

Further west is a highland region. It is

the site of Mount Rogers, the highest

point in the state. Most of western Virginia

is a region of valleys and ridges.

The region includes the Shenandoah

River valley. A plateau region covers a

small area in far western Virginia. It

contains a maze of deep ravines and

winding ridges. Virginia’s weather tends

to be mild and pleasant.

People

Most of Virginia is populated by people

whose ancestors came from Europe.

Northern Virginia, nearWashington,

D.C., tends to have a greater mix of

ethnic groups than other parts of the

state. More than 70 percent of Virginia’s

population is white. About 20 percent of

Shenandoah National Park covers a large

section of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.

The mountains stretch from northeast

to southwest through the western part of the

state.

94 Virginia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

the population is African American, and

about 5 percent is Hispanic.

Economy

About one fifth of Virginia’s workforce

is involved in public administration.

These people are employed by the local,

state, or federal government. Some of

these are members of the military, such

as the Marines stationed at the base in

Quantico. Many military employees

work at the Pentagon, the headquarters

of the United States Department of

Defense.

Major agricultural products in Virginia

are chickens, cattle, and dairy goods.

Important crops include tobacco, soybeans,

and corn. The production of food

products is the most valuable manufacturing

industry in the state. Major products

include processed meat, baked

goods, and beverages. Chemical, computer,

and electronic products are also

profitable manufactured goods.

Tourism is a vital part of Virginia’s

economy. Many tourists visit sites

related to the history of the United

States. Some like to see historical buildings,

such as the homes of presidents

GeorgeWashington and Thomas Jefferson.

Others are interested in Virginia’s

many American Revolution and American

CivilWar battlefields. Another

popular tourism site is Colonial Williamsburg.

The village looks much like it

did in colonial times. To re-create the

village’s early years, actors behave and

dress like early colonists.

History

Before the arrival of the English in the

1600s the largest group of Native

Americans in the region was the Powhatan

Confederacy. The first permanent

English settlement in America was

Jamestown, near Chesapeake Bay. It was

named for James I of England, who was

king when the settlers arrived in May

1607. The people of Jamestown had a

hard time surviving during the first

years. In 1624 Jamestown became an

English royal colony.

Many farmers in Virginia became rich

by growing and selling tobacco. England

wanted to benefit from the money being

made in Virginia and in other colonies

in America. To do that, it kept putting

taxes on the colonists. In May 1776,

Virginia patriots asked the Continental

Congress to declare the American Colo-

An instrument maker carves a

violin neck in Colonial Williamsburg.

The village of Williamsburg

re-creates daily life in early

Virginia.

Facts About

VIRGINIA

Flag

Population

(2000 census)

7,078,515—

rank, 12th state;

(2008 estimate)

7,769,089—

rank, 12th state

Capital

Richmond

Area

42,774 sq mi

(110,785 sq

km)—rank, 35th

state

Statehood

June 26, 1788

Motto

Sic Semper

Tyrannis (Thus

Ever to Tyrants)

State bird

Cardinal

State flower

Dogwood

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Virginia 95

 

nies free from British rule. Members of

that legislative body agreed. This decision

led to the Declaration of Independence,

which was adopted on July 4,

1776.

Virginia was the scene of many battles

during the American Revolution. The

war’s final battle took place in Yorktown,

Virginia. After the battle, the British

commander surrendered to George

Washington on October 19, 1781. The

former colonies then turned to the task

of creating a system of national government.

Virginia’s state constitution was

used as a guide. In 1788 Virginia

entered the Union as the new nation’s

10th state.

Virginia legalized slavery in 1661. By

the 1860s, however, states in the North

wanted slavery to end. Southern states

such as Virginia considered slave labor

necessary to their economies. Eventually,

Southern states withdrew from the

Union to form their own government.

This Southern government was known

as the Confederacy.

Virginia joined the Confederacy in

1861. Richmond, Virginia, soon became

the Confederate capital. The American

CivilWar began soon after the Confederacy

was founded.

At the time, Virginia included what is

now West Virginia. People in the western

part of Virginia had smaller farms

than those in the east, and they did not