Higher Education  

Virginia has 56 colleges and universities, as well as 36 two-year and community colleges.  State institutions include Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in Blacksburg; Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond; Old Dominion University, in Norfolk; the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville; George Mason University, in Fairfax; and the College of William and Mary, with campuses in Williamsburg and Newport News.  Private institutions include Bluefield College, in Bluefield; Christopher Newport University, in Newport News; Emory & Henry College, in Emory; Hampden-Sydney College, in Hampden-Sydney; Hampton University, in Hampton; James Madison University, in Harrisonburg; Liberty University and Lynchburg College, both in Lynchburg; Mary Baldwin College, in Staunton; Marymount University, in Arlington; Randolph-Macon College, in Ashland; Regent University, in Virginia Beach; Roanoke College, in Salem; Shenandoah University, in Winchester; University of Richmond, in Richmond; and Washington & Lee University, in Lexington.

Geography

Virginia's area of 105,587 square kilometers includes 2,753 square kilometers of inland water.  Several offshore islands in the Atlantic Ocean are also part of the state's territory.  The state's three main regions are the Atlantic Coastal Plain (also known as the Tidewater) in the east, the Piedmont Plateau in the central part of the state, and the mountains of the west and northwest.  The Atlantic Coastal Plain, containing level land suitable for growing a variety of crops, is divided into four parts by the Chesapeake Bay and four rivers.  Located west of the Atlantic Coastal Plain is the Piedmont Plateau, a triangle-shaped area featuring gentle hills and fertile river valleys.  The Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Appalachian Valley, and the Appalachian Plateau dominate the western part of the state. Major rivers include the Potomac, the Rappahannock, the York, and the James.  Important cities include Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Richmond (capital), Arlington, and Newport News.  The population of Virginia is over 6.7 million.

Climate

Virginia's climate is generally mild and humid.  In the coastal plain, temperatures average 5° C in January and 26° C in July.  Temperatures in the mountain regions average 0° C in January and 20° C in July.  Annual precipitation (rain, melted snow, and other moisture) in northwest Virginia averages 91 cm, while precipitation in the southern part of the state averages 112 cm.  Snowfall ranges from 13-25 cm in the coastal regions to 64-76 cm in the western mountains.

Cultural Profile

Museums in Virginia include the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Science Museum of Virginia, both in Richmond; the Chrysler Museum, in Norfolk; and the Mariners' Museum, in Newport News.  In addition, Virginia has many historic sites that are open to the public.

Richmond, Norfolk and other cities feature numerous theatrical and musical performances each year.  Wolf Trap Farm Park, in Vienna, has an international reputation as a venue for a wide variety of performances, including opera, symphony concerts, musicals, jazz, and dance.  The Barter Theater, in Abingdon, is a state-supported theater.  Williamsburg is the site of an annual Shakespeare Festival.

Recreation

Virginia has one national park (Shenandoah National Park), two national forests , and twenty-five state parks.  Other interesting places to visit include Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington; Colonial Williamsburg, in Williamsburg; Harper's Ferry National Historical Park; Jamestown and Jamestown Festival Park, in Jamestown; Monticello, in Charlottesville; Mount Vernon, near Alexandria; White House of the Confederacy, in Richmond; Assateague Island National Seashore; Luray Caverns, in Luray; Natural Bridge of Virginia, in Natural Bridge; and Norfolk Botanical Gardens, in Norfolk.

Interesting Facts

Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I of England (the virgin queen).  Famous Virginians include Arthur Ashe (tennis champion), Pearl Baily (singer and actress), Warren Beatty (actor and director), Ellen Glasgow (author), William Henry Harrison (ninth president of the US), Thomas Jefferson (third president of the US), Robert E. Lee (Civil War general), Shirley MacLaine (actress, dancer, author), James Madison (fourth president of the US), Cyrus McCormick (inventor), James Monroe (fifth president of the US), Zachary Taylor (twelfth president of the US), John Tyler (tenth president of the US), Booker T. Washington (educator), George Washington (first president of the US), Woodrow Wilson (twenty-eighty president of the US), and Tom Wolfe, Jr. (author).