Interesting Facts About Virginia

Virginia is a constitution state (one of the original 13 colonies), situated in the Atlantic region on the east coast of the US. It borders four other states, North Carolina and Tennessee to the south, Kentucky to the west, and West Virginia to the northwest. On June 25, 1788, Virginia was admitted to the union, becoming the 10th state to join the United States. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about Virginia.

Virginia is home to some of the most breathtaking and unique places, boasting some of the best landscapes, beautiful mountain ranges, and is home to 38 state parks, and 22 national parks, which is 12 more than they have in the United Kingdom! Virginia has so much to offer, you will never succumb to boredom!

With a population of over 8.5 million people, Virginia is the 12th most populous state in the US and has the 35th largest area by landmass. There are 95 different counties in Virginia and Virginia Beach is by far the largest city in Virginia, not just in size but population too. It is not; however, the state capital, Virginia’s state capital city is Richmond.

Interesting facts about Virginia are available in an abundance due to the deep-seated state history, culture, geography, and economy of this fantastic state. When considering these facts and Virginia’s history, there is no better place to start than the state nickname, and how it adopted the nickname that we know today. The current Virginia nickname originates back to the colonial days. The Old Dominion is in reference to owning an area of land or a certain territory.

King Charles II would often refer to the people of Virginia as “the best of his distant children” during the 1660s. Due to King Charles’ passion and involvement with the state, he decided to evolve Virginia to the position of “domain” along with England, Scotland, Ireland, and France, which then subsequently lead to the adoption of this nickname.

Facts About Virginia

The next set of interesting facts about Virginia originate from the beautiful city of Virginia Beach, or, as many like to call it – The Resort City. There are so many amazing facts about Virginia Beach, that stem from a large variety of different qualities the city possesses.

Located in the south-east corner of Virginia, Virginia Beach is actually closer to cities in North Carolina (one of the 4 bordering states) than it is to any city in Virginia! The iconic Virginia Beach boardwalk was originally built in 1888, and residents and tourists of Virginia Beach have been wandering along this boardwalk for over 130 years! Many say the famous Virginia Beach boardwalk is the best, if not one of the best in the US.

For many years Virginia has been considered a top state in the US, with a rich history and many opportunities presented to business and franchise owners, both large and small. The sheer volume of tourists that come to visit each year benefit the state, and also various industries that are currently sky-rocketing, such as farming, technology, the military, and federal and local governments are a boon for the economy. This has helped generate an overabundance of facts about Virginia all originating from the beauty and natural resources this historical state has to offer.

Here are some more facts about Virginia that you may not know

• Virginia was the first successful British colony in North America.
• The state itself used to be much bigger. During the time of the Revolutionary War, Virginia’s area spanned through parts of what are Kentucky and West Virginia today.
• During the state’s early years, Virginia was a colony of servants.
• It has been reported by the department of forestry that over 65% of Virginia is forest.
• Many refer to Virginia as the motherland of US presidents due to the large number of presidents that have originated from Virginia over the years.
• Richmond, Virginia, was home to the first-ever woman-run bank in the US.
• Residents of Tangier Island (in Virginia), speak with an English accent, not so much an American one! Due to the heavy British influence in the past, and the isolation of the Island, with a lack of outside influence, Tangier Island has never really adopted the accent of their American counterparts.
• Virginia is the largest seafood producer on the Atlantic coast and is the third-largest in the US.
• The island of Chincoteague, Virginia is home to a famous annual pony swim.
• Virginia is one of the top wine producers in the US.
• Virginia is strangely enough, not home to any major professional sports teams, making it the largest state in the US to not have a major league sports franchise!
• It is the birthplace of the famous American Fox Hound.
• “Virginia is for Lovers” has been the state’s travel slogan since 1969.
• Virginia is famous worldwide for its production of tobacco.
• The state nickname for Virginia is “Old Dominion”.
• The state motto for Virginia is “sic semper tyrannis”, this Latin phrase is translated in English to, “thus always to tyrants”. This famous motto can also be found on the official Virginia state seal.

Economic Facts About Virginia State

Virginia has always had a good business climate, and with the direction the state’s economy is heading, this could be a trend for the foreseeable future. Facts about Virginia State, stem from the beautiful beaches, attractive landscapes, and undeniably unique cultures that make this state such a popular place to live in the US.

Virginia’s economy remains one of the strongest in the US, with a constantly excelling workforce, pro-business environment, a large service industry sector that makes up over 60% of the state’s GDP, several local and federal government departments, and the fact that Virginia is home to the highest number of technology workers in the country.

People who decide to take the plunge and move to Virginia do so because it is not just an affordable place to live when compared with other states, but it has an undeniable beauty, and unique people and cultures to make it an even more attractive proposition.

If you would like to learn how to register a business in Virginia so you can start your entrepreneurial journey, we have created a checklist walking you through the process.

With all the opportunities this presents to businesses and those looking to start a business or franchise, and those seeking employment, the state’s economy has been growing at a consistently healthy rate. Let’s check out some economic facts about Virginia state that demonstrate why it has one of the leading economies in the United States and may just be the place you start your new business or franchise.

Virginia Economic Facts

• Virginia is America’s 2019 Top State for Business in CNBC’s study of the economic climate
• Virginia’s GDP is over $486 billion.
• Virginia’s GDP per capita is over $58,000.
• The minimum wage in Virginia is $9.50 per hour (2021).
• Virginia has the 13th largest economy in the US by GDP.
• Virginia’s famous tobacco production has helped contribute massively to the state’s economy.
• Virginia is home to over 766,000 small businesses.
• There are currently over 1.6 million small business employees in Virginia.
• Small businesses make up over 99% of the total Virginia businesses.
• Small business employees make up over 47% of the total number of Virginia employees.
• Based on many of the factors above, Amazon based its second headquarters in Virginia.
• Virginia is 8th in the Nation for Fiscal Stability according to US News & World Report (2019).
• Virginia has one of the top education systems in the US.
• The average house price in Virginia is $302,369, however, this figure changes annually. So, to keep updated on the cost of homes in Virginia, take a look at the Zillow website.
• 6% is the flat corporate income tax rate.

A snapshot of the facts about Virginia state detailed above illustrates why it is considered a popular state to move to. It’s hard to argue why over 280,000 people make the decision to move to the state each year!

History of Virginia State

When looking into the facts about Virginia, another interesting place to begin would be how it was founded, Virginia is coated in rich history, stemming from wars, political leaders, early colonies, and more, but how did it all begin? Let’s take a look at the origins of this great state.

It was the British that planted their first successful North American colony in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. However, this was not all plain-sailing, due to the Native Indian Americans putting up a fight to keep their land and the constant battle with diseases, resulting in the British colony growing slowly.

In 1606, a group of wealthy businessmen originating from London, England petitioned King James I for a charter in order to establish a colony in the “New World”. Shortly after this, they formed the “Virginia Company”, which soon set out to establish a permanent British settlement in North America.

However, there was competition from the Spanish who had already established their colonies in Central and South America, stealing an extensive amount of treasure and wealth from native occupants. This had given the British the incentive to do the same in the northern regions of America. They were also eager to establish permanent towns and villages in the “New World” to stake a claim for the British Government.

This led 104 men to travel to Virginia from England in 1607 seeking wealth, fortunes, and opportunity from the “New World”. They landed in the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, traveling up the James River to try and establish a settlement out of the sight of passing Spanish pirates who would most likely pillage the town, stealing all the supplies along the way. The British colonists ruled Virginia for many years after this, by the end of the seventeenth century, Virginia had established tobacco as the main crop, a British representative government, and slavery as a labor system.