Proper noun

Virginia

1. A state of the United States of America. Capital: Richmond. Largest city: Virginia Beach.
2. A female given name .

Derived terms

• VA
• Virginian
• West Virginia

Related terms

• given name pet forms of the given name: Ginny, Ginger

Quotations

• 1380s-1390s, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: The Physician's Prologue and Tale

  "Daughter," quoth he, "Virginia by thy name,

  There be two wayes, either death or shame,

  That thou must suffer, - alas that I was bore!

• 1840 Frederick Marryat, Poor Jack, Chapter III,

  Here, in due time, she was brought to bed of a daughter, whom she christened by the name of Virginia; not so much out of respect to her last mistress, who bore that name, as because she considered it peculiarly ladylike and genteel.

• 1854 Lydia Howard Sigourney, The Western Home, and Other Poems, Parry & McMillan, 1854, page 87 ,

  O sweet Virginia Dare!

  Thou art the lily of our love,

  The forest's sylph-like queen,

  The first-born bud from Saxon stem

  That this New World hath seen!

The Commonwealth of Virginia ( / v ər ˈ dʒ ɪ n j ə /) is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which are home to much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city and Fairfax County the most populous political subdivision. The state population is nearly eight million.

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 New World English colony. Land from displaced Native American tribes and slave labor each played significant roles in the colony's early politics and plantation economy. Virginia was one of the Thirteen Colonies in the American Revolution and joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War, during which Richmond was the Confederate capital and the state of West Virginia separated. Although traditionally conservative and historically part of the South, both major national parties are competitive in modern Virginia.

The state government, home to the oldest legislature in the Americas, has been repeatedly ranked most effective by the Pew Center on the States. It is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits its Governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginia's economy has many sectors: agriculture in places like the Shenandoah Valley; federal agencies in Northern Virginia, including the Department of Defense and CIA; and military facilities in Hampton Roads, home to the region's main seaport. The growth of the media and technology sectors have made computer chips the state's leading export, with the industry based on the strength of Virginia's public schools and universities. Virginia does not have a major professional sports franchise, but is home to several prominent collegiate sports programs.