Portal:Virginia

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Location of Virginia

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most-populous city, and Fairfax County is the most-populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's population was over 8.65 million, with 36% of them living in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area.

The area's history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607, the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent English colony in the New World. Virginia's state nickname, the Old Dominion, is a reference to this status. Slave labor and land acquired from displaced native tribes fueled the growing plantation economy, but also fueled conflicts both inside and outside the colony. Virginia was one of the original Thirteen Colonies in the American Revolution, and battles in Virginia secured the independence of the United States. During the American Civil War, Virginia was split when the state government in Richmond joined the Confederacy, but many of the state's northwestern counties wanted to remain with the Union, helping form the state of West Virginia in 1863. Although the Commonwealth was under one-party rule for nearly a century following the Reconstruction era, both major political parties are competitive in modern Virginia. (Full article...)

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The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name. In Maryland, Metro provides service to Montgomery County and Prince George's County; in Virginia, to Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the City of Alexandria. Since opening in 1976, the network has grown to include five lines, 86 stations, and 106.3 miles (171.1 km) of track.

Metro is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States in number of passenger trips, after the New York City Subway. There were 215.3 million trips, or 727,684 trips per weekday, on Metro in fiscal year 2008. In June 2008, Metro set a new monthly ridership record with 19,729,641 trips, or 798,456 per weekday.

Most Metro stations were designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese, and are examples of late-20th century modern architecture. With their heavy use of exposed concrete and repetitive design motifs, Metro stations also display aspects of brutalist design. In 2007, the design of the Metro's vaulted-ceiling stations was voted number 106 on the American Institute of Architects' "America's Favorite Architecture" list.

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George Washington (1732 –1799) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. After victory had been finalized in 1783, Washington resigned as Commander-in-chief rather than seize power, proving his opposition to dictatorship and his commitment to American republicanism. He also presided over the convention that drafted the Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution established the position of President of the United States, which Washington was the first to hold, serving two terms in office.

At his death, Washington was hailed as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen". As the leader of the first successful revolution against a colonial empire in world history, Washington became an international icon for liberation and nationalism. He is consistently ranked among the top three presidents of the United States, according to polls of both scholars and the general public.

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This month in Virginia history

August 3, 1807: The treason trial of Aaron Burr begins in Richmond, presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall.
August 6, 1993: There is a tornado outbreak across eastern Virginia; one tornado strikes Downtown Petersburg causing over $50 million in damage.
August 21–22, 1831: Nat Turner's slave rebellion
August 29, 1716: The Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition, led by Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood (pictured), departs Germanna to cross the Blue Ridge and explore the Shenandoah Valley.
August 30, 1800: Gabriel's Rebellion is suppressed before it could begin.

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Credit: justin.critzer

The Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, Virginia

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... that Thomas S. Riley, the son of Irish immigrants, was West Virginia's 11th attorney general and chairperson of the West Virginia Democratic Party State Executive Committee?
... that US civil-rights leader John Warren Davis was the longest-serving president of West Virginia State University and helped to establish the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund?
... that Coronet magazine was deluged with letters and phone calls when Margueritte Harmon Bro wrote about the "Miracle Man of Virginia Beach"?
... that after Lew Dickey Sr. broke into the radio business by buying a station in West Virginia, his son would go on to own Cumulus Media?
... that feminist Mary Stuart Smith publicly admonished the aristocracy of Virginia in 1893 for their failure to recognize the talent of native artists?
... that John Thomas Douglass's Virginia's Ball, which premiered in 1868, is generally regarded as the first opera written by a black composer?