Major Cities: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, Newport News, Alexandria
Borders: North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., Atlantic Ocean
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $445,876 million (2012 U.S. Department of Commerce)
Key Industries: Agriculture including tomatoes, soybeans, peanuts, tobacco, and hay
Computer chips, communications technology, military, data centers, lumber, and the federal government
How Virginia got its name: The name Virginia comes from Queen Elizabeth I, who was known as the Virgin Queen.
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Virginia State Symbols
State Nickname: Old Dominion
State Slogan: Virginia is for Lovers
State Motto: Sic semper tyrannis (Thus always to tyrants)
State flower: American Dogwood
State bird: Cardinal
State fish: Brook trout
State tree: American Dogwood
State mammal: American Foxhound
State foods: Ham
Becoming a State
Date admitted: Wednesday, June 25, 1788
Number admitted: 10
Prior Name: Virginia Colony, then sovereign state in Confederation
Postal Abbreviation: VA
The Geography of Virginia
Total Size: 39,594 sq. miles (source: 2003 Census)
Geographical Low Point: Atlantic Ocean at Sea Level (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Geographical High Point: Mt. Rogers at 5,729 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Grayson-Smyth (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Central Point: Located in Buckingham County approx. 5 miles southwest of Buckingham (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Counties: 95 (source: National Association of Counties)
Bodies of Water: Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, James River, Rappahannock River, Buggs Island Lake, Philphott Lake, Lake Anna, Smith Mountain Lake
Famous People
Arthur Ashe - Tennis player
Sandra Bullock - Actress
William Clark - Leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition
Woodrow Wilson - The 28th President of the United States
Fun Facts
Virginia is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England who was called the Virgin Queen.
This state is the birthplace of 8 US presidents, more than any other state. They are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson. This includes seven of the first 12 presidents.
It is often called the 'mother of states' as portions of the original colony are now part of 6 different states.
Virginia Beach is the most populous city.
The first English settlement in the United States was Jamestown.
Richmond was capital of the Confederate States during the Civil War.
Virginia was a battleground during the Civil War. More than half the battles were fought on Virginia soil.
You can visit both George Washington's home (Mount Vernon) and Thomas Jefferson's home (Monticello) in Virginia.
The state song is 'Carry me back to Old Virginia'.
The state fossil, Chesapecten jeffersonius, was named for the Chesapeake Bay and Thomas Jefferson.
