| The Commonwealth of Virginia is a state
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| | close to New York City and New England as
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| in the Southern United States. Named
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| | to its own rural western panhandle.
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| after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who
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| | Conversely, Lee County, at the tip of the
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| was known as the Virgin Queen, this
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| | panhandle, is closer to eight other state
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| commonwealth was one of the thirteen
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| | capitals than it is to Richmond,
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| colonies that revolted against British
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| | Virginia's own capital.
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| rule in the American Revolution. Virginia
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| | Virginia has a number of National Park
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| was the first part of the Americas to be
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| | Service units, including one national
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| continuously inhabited by British
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| | park, the Shenandoah National Park. For a
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| colonists from its founding as a European
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| | list of all areas managed by the National
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| colony up to the American Revolution. It
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| | Park Service within Virginia, see: List
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| included area explored by the 1584
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| | of areas in the National Park System of
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| expedition of Sir Walter Raleigh along
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| | the United States in Virginia.
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| the coast of North America, and at one
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| | Climate
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| time it also included Bermuda (or
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| | The climate is considered mild compared
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| Virgineola). The London Virginia Company
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| | to other areas of the United States. Most
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| became incorporated as a joint stock
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| | of the state east of the Blue Ridge, plus
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| company by a proprietary charter drawn up
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| | the southern part of the Shenandoah
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| on April 10, 1606. The charter granted
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| | Valley, has a humid subtropical climate
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| lands stretching from approximately the
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| | (Koppen climate classification Cfa). In
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| 34th parallel (North Carolina) north to
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| | the mountainous areas west of the Blue
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| approximately the 45th parallel (New
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| | Ridge, the climate becomes humid
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| York) and from the Atlantic Ocean
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| | continental (Koppen Dfa).
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| westward (although the Third Charter of
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| | However, substantial variations occur
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| 1612 extended its boundaries far enough
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| | because of the state's significant
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| across the Atlantic to incorporate
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| | relief. Elevations in Virginia vary from
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| Bermuda, which the company had been in
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| | sea level to Mount Rogers at 5,729 ft
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| possession of since 1609). The capital is
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| | (1,746 m) above sea level with major
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| Richmond and the most populous city is
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| | gradations occurring at the edges of the
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| Virginia Beach.
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| | Atlantic Ocean, the end of the Piedmont,
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| Virginia is known as the "Mother of
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| | and the Blue Ridge and Allegheny chains
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| Presidents", because it is the birthplace
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| | of the Appalachian Mountains. The usually
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| of eight U.S. presidents (George
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| | moderating influence of the ocean from
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| Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James
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| | the east, powered by the Gulf Stream, is
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| Madison, James Monroe, William Henry
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| | interspersed with brief moments of danger
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| Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and
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| | due to the potential for hurricanes near
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| Woodrow Wilson), exceeded by no other
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| | the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. On the other
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| state. Most of the United States' early
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| | hand, cold air masses arrive over the
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| presidents were from the state. Virginia
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| | mountains, especially in winter, leading
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| has also been known as the "Mother of
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| | to significant snowfalls. However, in
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| States", because portions of the original
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| | something of an anomaly, much of the
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| Colony subsequently became Kentucky,
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| | state south of Northern Virginia has not
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| Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia as
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| | had over one foot of snow in a single
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| well as some portions of Ohio.
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| | storm since the Blizzard of 1996. The
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| Additionally, most of what is now
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| | interaction of these elements with the
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| Wisconsin and Michigan was also briefly
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| | state's topography create micro-climates
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| claimed by Virginia during the
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| | in the Shenandoah Valley, the mountainous
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| Revolutionary War.
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| | southwest, and the coastal plains that
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| Virginia is bordered by West Virginia,
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| | are slightly but noticeably distinct from
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| Maryland, and the District of Columbia
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| | each other.[2] An additional element in
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| (across the Potomac River) to the north;
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| | recent years is the expansion of the
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| by Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean
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| | southern suburbs of Washington into
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| to the east; by North Carolina and
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| | Northern Virginia, creating an urban heat
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| Tennessee to the south; and by Kentucky
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| | island due to the increased energy output
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| and West Virginia to the west.
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| | of the city. However, aside from the
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| The Chesapeake Bay divides the
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| | urban stations, no global warming effects
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| commonwealth, with Virginia's Eastern
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| | have been noted by Virginia weather
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| Shore, a part of the Delmarva Peninsula,
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| | stations by 2001.
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| completely separate (an exclave) from the
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| | Severe weather is occasionally a concern
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| rest of the Commonwealth. Geographically,
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| | in Virginia. As mentioned above,
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| Virginia is divided into the following
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| | hurricanes make the coastal area of
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| six regions:
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| | Virginia somewhat vulnerable, although it
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| Ridge and Valley—between the
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| | is rare for a major hurricane to threaten
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| Appalachian Plateau and Allegheny Plateau
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| | the Virginia coast as hurricanes this far
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| to the west and the Blue Ridge Mountains
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| | north tend to become somewhat weakened.
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| to the east. Sometimes referred to as
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| | More often, Virginia is struck with the
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| Valley and Ridge.
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| | remnants of systems which hit further
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| Shenandoah Valley—located within the
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| | south bringing torrential rain to the
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| Ridge and Valley Region; it is referred
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| | state. Thunderstorms are an occasional
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| to geographically—and culturally— as
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| | concern with the state averaging anywhere
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| its own region.
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| | from 30-50 days of thunderstorm activity
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| Blue Ridge Mountains—between the Ridge
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| | annually, with the highest area of
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| and Valley Region to the west and the
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| | occurrence going towards the west.
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| Piedmont region to the east.
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| | Conversely, eastern Virginia has a lower
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| Foothills—area now recognized directly
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| | rate of tornadoes, and the state averages
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| between the Piedmont and the Blue Ridge
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| | around 2 tornadoes per year. The last
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| Mountains. Pertaining to the counties of
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| | tornado that Virginia experienced was
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| Madison, Green, Albemarle, and Nelson.
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| | around November 2006.
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| Denotes a region just west of the Carters
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| | Faults and quakes
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| Mountain range and north of the James
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| | Virginia has not had a history of major
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| river subject to its own unique
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| | seismic activity: earthquakes here are
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| microclimate.
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| | rarely above 4.5 on the Richter magnitude
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| Piedmont—between the Blue Ridge
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| | scale. There is no volcanic activity in
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| Mountains to the west and the Tidewater
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| | the state, and it is located centrally on
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| region to the east.
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| | the North American Plate—where the
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| Tidewater—between the fall line to the
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| | Earth's crust is thicker than at the
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| west and the Atlantic coast to the east;
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| | edges—which leads to fewer strong
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| it includes the Eastern Shore.
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| | earthquakes. The largest, at 6.0
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| Virginia's long east-west axis means that
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| | magnitude, came in 1897 in Blacksburg.
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| metropolitan northern Virginia lies as
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