Proper noun

Singular Virginia

Plural -

Virginia

1. A state of the United States of America. Capital: Richmond.
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 ( /vərˈdʒɪnjə/ ) is an American state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography of the state is shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, home to much of the state's 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 state population is nearly eight million.

The history of Virginia begins with the founding of the Virginia Colony in 1607 by the Virginia Company of London as the first permanent New World English colony. Land from displaced Native American tribes, including the Powhatan, and slavery each played significant roles in Virginia'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 the state of West Virginia separated. Although traditionally conservative and historically part of the South, modern Virginia is a politically competitive state for both major national parties.

Virginia's economy has several sectors: agriculture in areas such as the Shenandoah Valley; federal agencies in Northern Virginia, such as The Pentagon; and military bases 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.