Virginia

The Virginia ( the Commonwealth off Virginia in English) is a State Southern of the the United States. It is bordered in north by the Maryland (the District of Columbia being located between the two States, on the Potomac), in the east by the Baie of Chesapeake and the Atlantic Ocean, in the south by the North Carolina and the Tennessee, in the west by the Kentucky and the Virginia-Western .

Virginia places itself at the 35e row of the American States for its surface and at the 12th rank for its population, with more than 7,5 million inhabitants. Its name comes from the queen Elisabeth Ire of England (1533-1603) which was also known like the “virgin Queen” ( Virgin Queen in English). The Colonie of Virginia was founded on April 10th, 1606 and was managed by the Compagnie of London until the American Révolution. It based its prosperity on the plantations and the trade of the Tabac. Virginia was one of the first colonies to dispute the British supervision. Several Viriginiens played a great part in the war of independence, the first of which figure George Washington.

The current capital of the State is Richmond, but the city the most populated is Virginia Beach. The county more populated is that of Fairfax in north and the widest city is that of Suffolk, which includes/understands most of the Great Dismal Swamp. The majority of the population is of European origin, in particular north of Europe, and more than one fifth consists of Afro-américain S. the first practiced religion is the Baptisme. Virginia is called “ Mother off Presidents ” because eight president American were born there.

Today, the economy virginienne is diversified: it rests on federal and military employment in north and with Hampton Roads, which has respectively largest bpatiment of office and the greatest naval base of the world. The historical triangle of colonial Virginia ( Historic Triangle off Colonial Virginia ) includes/understands Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg, which attracts thousands of tourists.

History

See also: History of Virginia

Virginia was called thus in the honor of Elisabeth I {{Re}} of England, “the virgin queen” who was called thus because it remained unmarried.

  • Virginia is one of the four States (out of 50) to carry the title of the Commonwealth.
  • the English navigator Walter Raleigh founds in 1584 the establishment of Virginia (of which the first chart was drawn up by the mathematician Thomas Harriot, who accompanied it). It would have also introduced the tobacco into this area of North America.
  • In 1607, an English colony is established with Jamestown.
  • In 1619, of the Dutch boats unload in Jamestown the first black slaves.
  • Between 1640 and 1680, the population of the State, controlled by William Berkeley grows quickly, passing from 5.000 to 40.000 inhabitants.
  • In 1676, the Révolte of Nathaniel Bacon which wished to drive out a tribe of Amerindians and decried the governor is subdued.
  • It is one of the Thirteen colonies British in North America which founded the the United States, by playing a driving role:
    • In June 1776, the declaration of independence of Virginia is written by Thomas Jefferson, pioneer of American independence. This declaration is used as model with the Déclaration of independence of the United States of July 4th 1776. Jefferson will become the third president of the the United States.
    • In 1784, Virginia yields to the United States the territories in the north of the Ohio for the development towards the west according to the system of the townships.
    • In 1787, the writer of the American Constitution, James Madison, is also originating in Virginia, and will become the fourth president of the the United States.
  • Virginia was the first State of the South which adopted the habit of Thanksgiving.
  • In 1861, the State makes secession, which causes in 1862 a scission of the counties of the North-West which become the Virginia-Western , situation confirmed by a decision of the Supreme court in 1870.

Geography

In 2006, it counted 7.642.884 habitants.
The State is bordered in the West by the chain of the the Appalachian Mountains. It is surrounded by the Virginia-Western , the Maryland, and the District of Columbia, the North Carolina, the Tennessee, the Kentucky.

The Baie of Chesapeake separates the State.

Virginia is divided into five areas:

Subdivisions

See also: Counties and cities independent of the Commonwealth of Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is divided into 95 counties and 39 independent cities.

Main cities

Policy

Virginia is a primarily preserving State and republican. Nevertheless, the counties constituting the suburbs of Washington DC (Arlington, Ville of Alexandria, Fairfax) in the North-East or the town of Richmond are more liberal (progressists) that those of the remainder of the State.

Presidential elections: a republican bastion

In 1928, Herbert Hoover was the first republican candidate at the 20th century to carry Virginia but since Lyndon Johnson in 1964, this State of the South did not any more vote for a democratic candidate and became a preserving bastion of the republicans.

At the time of the presidential election of 2004, the president and republican candidate George W. Bush carried it with 53,68% of the voices compared with only 45,48% with the democratic candidate John Kerry.

A preserving State

Virginia with the practice since about thirty years to elect a governor whose political affiliation is opposed to the tenant of the White House. Under the mandates of Bill Clinton, Virginia rocked at the republicans. As of 2001 (year of the election of George W. Bush), it again elects a democrat, in fact Mark Warner. November 8th, 2005, after a baited electoral campaign, the voters of Virginia maintain the tradition and elect the democratic lieutenant-governor Tim Kaine to succeed Warner by 51% of the voices compared with 46,8% with the republican Jerry Kilgore. Kaine took its functions on January 14th, 2006.

The legislature of Virginia is composed of a Senate of 40 elected officials, dominated by 21 democrats against 19 republicans and of an assembly of delegated of 100 elected officials, controlled by 57 republicans at the time of the legislature 2008 - 2009.

At the federal level, at the time of the legislature 2007-2008, the two senators de Virginie are the republican John Warner and the democrat Jim Webb whereas 8 republicans and 3 democrats represent the State with the room of the representatives.

In November 2006, the voters approved by Référendum by 57% of the votes an constitutional amendment prohibiting the Homosexual marriage by reserving the institution of the marriage or any civil union with the people of opposite sex.

Economy

Virginia was a State pioneer in the defense of the property rights of the American colonists. These historical events undoubtedly explain why several Serveurs roots of Internet network is concentrated in this State. Virginia is in addition very close to Washington D.C, and the Bibliothèque of the Congress, where also the project of World DIGITAL Library is.

Culture

Religion

Religious statistics:

  • Christian - 76%

    • Protestant - 62%
      • Baptists - 30%
      • Méthodistes - 7%
      • Presbytériens - 3%
      • Pentecôtistes - 3%
      • Episcopaliens - 3%
      • other Protestants - 16%
    • Catholic - 14%
  • other religions - 6%
  • without religion - 12%

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