The state of Virginia is located on the east coast of the United States. Virginia became the official state of the USA in 1788 as the tenth state in a row. It borders five other US states – in the south are Virginia’s neighbors, North Carolina and Tennessee, in the west is Kentucky and West Virginia , and in the north is Maryland. The capital of the state of Virginia is the city of Richmond.

The east coast of North America has been explored by European colonists since the late fifteenth century. The Chesapeake Bay area was of interest to the Spaniards in the 16th century, but the first permanent seat was established here by the British in 1607. The British Queen granted land rights to the private company London Company, but after its bankruptcy in 1624 the territory became a royal colony. Virginia was one of the main “revolutionary” forces in the struggle of the English colonies for independence from Britain. After independence, Virginia became the tenth colony to ratify the United States Constitution, and in 1788 became an official state of the United States.

Geographically, Virginia is very diverse – the flat and partly swampy coastline with four large rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay turns west into an area called Piedmont, a hilly and fertile part of the state. Further west is the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is also the highest point of Virginia – Mt. Rogers with an altitude of 1743 meters.

• Virginia Zip Codes: Offers a complete list of all postal codes in Virginia by city and county.

Most of Virginia has a humid subtropical climate, which at higher altitudes changes to a humid continental with slightly lower temperatures. The Atlantic Ocean has a great influence on the weather, especially in the east and southeast of the state. The highest average summer temperatures in the capital of Richmond reach about 32 degrees Celsius, winter daytime temperatures are around 7 degrees, and at night they drop slightly below zero. On the one hand, Virginia is a relatively frequent target of hurricanes coming from the Atlantic Ocean, on the other hand, very harsh winter weather and heavy snowfall are no exception, especially in the higher parts of the west of the state.

Virginia’s economy is very diverse today. Agriculture, formerly a major sector of the economy, is now only important for industry and services; the main agricultural commodities are poultry, dairy products and tobacco. Mineral deposits are found in Virginia, and stone is mined and gravel and cement are produced. From industry, the production of vehicles and the chemical industry are also important.

The capital city of Virginia is the city of Richmond with more than 200,000 inhabitants; together with the surrounding towns it forms an agglomeration with more than 1.2 million residents. The largest independent city is Virginia Beach with about 500,000 inhabitants.

The state flag of Virginia was adopted in 1950.

State information

The capital of Virginia – Richmond

The capital of the state of Virignia is the city of Richmond. It was founded in 1737 and has been the capital of Virginia since 1780. Today, Richmond is the fourth largest city in the state with more than 200,000 inhabitants.

The city was founded by William Byrd in 1737, and in 1780 the capital was moved here from coastal Williamsburgh due to its more convenient location closer to the center of the state. After the American Revolutionary War, Richmond quickly established itself as an industrial center. During the American Civil War, Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy and therefore a frequent subject of interest to the Union Army, and much of the city burned down during the war.

Today, Richmond is a business and transportation hub, especially the center of the tobacco market and industry. Sights include the 1785 Capitol designed by Thomas Jefferson and the Washington Monument.

Newport News

Population: 180.719 thousand people (2010)
Time zone: UTC-5, summer UTC-4
Altitude: 4.5 m

The city of Newport News is located in the southeast of the Virginia Peninsula. Shipyards of large American companies are located on its territory. One of them is engaged in the construction of aircraft carriers and submarines. Previously, the area where the modern city is located was part of the British colony Warwick County. Most of it was occupied by farms. The rest of the area was undeveloped land. Its development began after the construction of the railway. The first shipyard in the city began to operate in 1886. After 5 years, the first ship was built on it.

The oldest part of the city is its historical center and the area where the coal piers and the shipyard built first are located. After the Second World War, the city began to be built up with affordable cheap housing. The increase in the urban area was carried out through the development of the surrounding territories lying to the west of Newport News. The new city center is a complex of administrative and office buildings. Not far from it is an open-air museum, including an aquarium, a botanical reserve, and a planetarium.