Discover Virginia


Virginia overview

The Commonwealth of Virginia is a statepanhandle. Conversely, Lee County, at
in the Southern United States. Namedthe tip of the panhandle, is closer to
after Queen Elizabeth I of England, whoeight other state capitals than it is to
was known as the Virgin Queen, thisRichmond, Virginia's own capital.
commonwealth was one of the thirteenVirginia has a number of National Park
colonies that revolted against BritishService units, including one national
rule in the American Revolution.park, the Shenandoah National Park. For
Virginia was the first part of thea list of all areas managed by the
Americas to be continuously inhabited byNational Park Service within Virginia,
British colonists from its founding as asee: List of areas in the National Park
European colony up to the AmericanSystem of the United States in Virginia.
Revolution. It included area explored byClimate
the 1584 expedition of Sir WalterThe climate is considered mild compared
Raleigh along the coast of Northto other areas of the United States.
America, and at one time it alsoMost of the state east of the Blue
included Bermuda (or Virgineola). TheRidge, plus the southern part of the
London Virginia Company becameShenandoah Valley, has a humid
incorporated as a joint stock company bysubtropical climate (Koppen climate
a proprietary charter drawn up on Aprilclassification Cfa). In the mountainous
10, 1606. The charter granted landsareas west of the Blue Ridge, the
stretching from approximately the 34thclimate becomes humid continental
parallel (North Carolina) north to(Koppen Dfa).
approximately the 45th parallel (NewHowever, substantial variations occur
York) and from the Atlantic Oceanbecause of the state's significant
westward (although the Third Charter ofrelief. Elevations in Virginia vary from
1612 extended its boundaries far enoughsea level to Mount Rogers at 5,729 ft
across the Atlantic to incorporate(1,746 m) above sea level with major
Bermuda, which the company had been ingradations occurring at the edges of the
possession of since 1609). The capitalAtlantic Ocean, the end of the Piedmont,
is Richmond and the most populous cityand the Blue Ridge and Allegheny chains
is Virginia Beach.of the Appalachian Mountains. The
Virginia is known as the "Mother ofusually moderating influence of the
Presidents", because it is theocean from the east, powered by the Gulf
birthplace of eight U.S. presidentsStream, is interspersed with brief
(George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,moments of danger due to the potential
James Madison, James Monroe, Williamfor hurricanes near the mouth of
Henry Harrison, John Tyler, ZacharyChesapeake Bay. On the other hand, cold
Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson), exceeded byair masses arrive over the mountains,
no other state. Most of the Unitedespecially in winter, leading to
States' early presidents were from thesignificant snowfalls. However, in
state. Virginia has also been known assomething of an anomaly, much of the
the "Mother of States", because portionsstate south of Northern Virginia has not
of the original Colony subsequentlyhad over one foot of snow in a single
became Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, andstorm since the Blizzard of 1996. The
West Virginia as well as some portionsinteraction of these elements with the
of Ohio. Additionally, most of what isstate's topography create micro-climates
now Wisconsin and Michigan was alsoin the Shenandoah Valley, the
briefly claimed by Virginia during themountainous southwest, and the coastal
Revolutionary War.plains that are slightly but noticeably
Virginia is bordered by West Virginia,distinct from each other.[2] An
Maryland, and the District of Columbiaadditional element in recent years is
(across the Potomac River) to the north;the expansion of the southern suburbs of
by Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic OceanWashington into Northern Virginia,
to the east; by North Carolina andcreating an urban heat island due to the
Tennessee to the south; and by Kentuckyincreased energy output of the city.
and West Virginia to the west.However, aside from the urban stations,
The Chesapeake Bay divides theno global warming effects have been
commonwealth, with Virginia's Easternnoted by Virginia weather stations by
Shore, a part of the Delmarva Peninsula,2001.
completely separate (an exclave) fromSevere weather is occasionally a concern
the rest of the Commonwealth.in Virginia. As mentioned above,
Geographically, Virginia is divided intohurricanes make the coastal area of
the following six regions:Virginia somewhat vulnerable, although
Ridge and Valley—between theit is rare for a major hurricane to
Appalachian Plateau and Alleghenythreaten the Virginia coast as
Plateau to the west and the Blue Ridgehurricanes this far north tend to become
Mountains to the east. Sometimessomewhat weakened. More often, Virginia
referred to as Valley and Ridge.is struck with the remnants of systems
Shenandoah Valley—located within thewhich hit further south bringing
Ridge and Valley Region; it is referredtorrential rain to the state.
to geographically—and culturally— asThunderstorms are an occasional concern
its own region.with the state averaging anywhere from
Blue Ridge Mountains—between the Ridge30-50 days of thunderstorm activity
and Valley Region to the west and theannually, with the highest area of
Piedmont region to the east.occurrence going towards the west.
Foothills—area now recognized directlyConversely, eastern Virginia has a lower
between the Piedmont and the Blue Ridgerate of tornadoes, and the state
Mountains. Pertaining to the counties ofaverages around 2 tornadoes per year.
Madison, Green, Albemarle, and Nelson.The last tornado that Virginia
Denotes a region just west of theexperienced was around November 2006.
Carters Mountain range and north of theFaults and quakes
James river subject to its own uniqueVirginia has not had a history of major
microclimate.seismic activity: earthquakes here are
Piedmont—between the Blue Ridgerarely above 4.5 on the Richter
Mountains to the west and the Tidewatermagnitude scale. There is no volcanic
region to the east.activity in the state, and it is located
Tidewater—between the fall line to thecentrally on the North American
west and the Atlantic coast to the east;Plate—where the Earth's crust is
it includes the Eastern Shore.thicker than at the edges—which leads
Virginia's long east-west axis meansto fewer strong earthquakes. The
that metropolitan northern Virginia lieslargest, at 6.0 magnitude, came in 1897
as close to New York City and Newin Blacksburg.
England as to its own rural western



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