Virginia: Gateway to the South

Virginia is located centrally on the east coast of United States along the Atlantic Ocean, bordering Maryland and West Virginia to the north, Kentucky and Tennessee to the west, and North Carolina to the south. Virginia was inhabited by Native American Indians at the time the British established the Colony of Virginia in 1607. Agriculture grew into a plantation economy in the colony. Virginia was one of the thirteen original colonies in the American Revolution and played a prominent role politically and militarily, having declared its independence from the British Empire on May 15, 1776. The last major battle of the war was fought at Yorktown in 1777. By the time of the Civil War in the mid-1800’s, Virginia was highly reliant on slave labor for tobacco production, mining, and shipbuilding. Thus, Virginia joined the Confederacy, though 48 counties broke off and formed the new state of West Virginia and maintained loyalty to the Union. The state saw significant battle during the Civil War. Virginia rejoined the United States in 1870. During Reconstruction, Virginia was slow in implementing policies and allocating resources to its African American population, which was substantial due to Virginia’s heritage as an agriculture economy which had relied heavily on the plantation system and slaves. Consequently, Virginia became one of the front lines for Civil Rights efforts. Virginia’s economy has benefitted from its proximity to Washington, D.C. and federal expansion in the U.S> over the past several decades.

The Virginia Economy: A Tale of Agriculture, Defense, Technology, and Tourism

Agriculture is the largest contributor the Virginia economy. The location of the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Defense Department, in Arlington, makes defense a substantial to Virginia’s economy as well. Computer chip and software technology, tourism, education, other government services are all significant economic contributors. Tourism is particularly strong in Virginia’s owing to the attraction of the Chesapeake Bay, as well as historic sites.

Education: Lots of It in Virginia

Virginia has an educated populace with educational attainment levels above national averages. As of 2000, roughly 82% of its residents aged 25 and older had completed high school, and nearly 30% had completed college. There are 2,074 institutions of higher education in Virginia. Prominent among these is the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, which enrolls nearly 20,000 students. There are numerous other public institutions of higher learning in the state, including George Mason University, James Madison University, and Virginia Commonwealth University, among others. Other selected private institutions of higher learning in Virginia include: Liberty University, Shenandoah University, University of Richmond, and Virginia Wesleyan College.

The Crime Scene in Virginia: Reining In Crime

Virginia has seen declining crime activity over the past decade. Violent crime and all other forms of crime have been steadily declining for the past two decades, and are substantially down from all-time highs achieved in the early 1990’s. In 2006, Virginia ranked 34th among U.S. states for violent crimes with 282 per 100,000 population.

The Virginia Population – Flat Growth; Balanced Historically, Leaning Democratic

Virginia has a population of just over 8.0 million. Its population has been growing steadily, at a rate of 1.2% per year in the past decade. Politically, during the past century, Virginia has evolved from a predominantly rural, politically conservative state to a more moderate one in which Democrats have had some success in various recent political races. Among nearly 3.7 million votes cast in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Virginia voters chose Democratic candidate Barack Obama over Republican candidate John McCain by a ratio of 53% to 47%.