According to acronymmonster, there are five geographic regions:
- the Blue Ridge region with a complex hilly landscape that includes the highest mountains in the state (Mount Rogers, Whitetop Mountain),
- the Valley-and-Ridge region of unfolded sedimentary rock and the Valley of Virginia or the Great Valley, consisting of several river valleys (including the Shenandoah Valley)
- the Cumberland Mountains as part of the Allegheny Plateau, similar to the Valley-and-Ridge region,
- the Piedmont Plateau with about a third of the area of Virginia, consisting of metamorphic and igneous rock,
- the Atlantic coastal plain with soils of alluvial land, also known as the tidewater region.
The east of the state is dominated by Chesapeak Bay. There are only a few natural freshwater lakes (the largest = Lake Drummond), but several reservoirs (John H. Kerr Reservoir, Smith Mountain Lake). Virginia Beach is a popular seaside resort on the Atlantic. About three-fifths of the state are forested (oak-pine forests, oak-tulip trees and beech-tulip trees-maple-linden forests). Fishing is an important industry, Virginia is one of the ten largest fishing states in the United States. When it comes to farm produce, Smithfield ham is a regional specialty, sourced from peanut-fattened pigs.
Three-quarters of the population are white and almost one fifth are black. The number of Indians is about 15,000. Virginia was the home of the Cherokee, Susquehanna, and Algonquin.
The name of the state is said to be derived from the English Queen Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen”: According to another interpretation, an Indian tribe gave its name.
Traffic information
The minimum age for the driver’s license is 18 years (from 15 years so-called learner’s permit when accompanied by parents). It is compulsory to wear seat belts on the front seats and for all passengers under 16 years of age. Child seats are required for children under 5 years of age. Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists. Radar controls are not allowed.
Taxes
The sales tax in the state is 4.5%, cities and counties can levy a surcharge of up to 1%. In addition, local surcharges are possible, especially for hotel accommodation and restaurants.
Public Holidays
- January 1st
- 3rd Monday of January, Lee-Jackson-King Day
- 3rd Monday in February, Washington’s Birthday
- Last Monday of May, Memorial Day
- July 4th
- 1st Monday in September, Labor Day
- 2nd Monday in October, Columbus Day
- The Tuesday after the first Monday in November, Election Day
- November 11th, Veteran’s Day
- Fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving
- 25 December
State Information Centers
- US 13 south, three-quarters of a mile south of the Maryland border
- I-64 east, 2.5 miles east of the West Virginia border
- I-66 west near Manassas
- I-81 south, four miles south of the West Virginia border
- I-81 north on the Tennessee border
- I-85 north on the North Carolina border
- I-77 near Lambsburg
- I-77 near Rocky Gap
- I-95 north on the North Carolina border
- I-95 south near Fredericksburg
Climate and Weather
Virginia has a subtropical-humid, in the northwest humid-temperate climate. The southeast has fewer hot and cold days and less snowfall, the moderating influence of the Atlantic has an effect here. The Cumberland Mountains region has few hot days but many cold days and increased snowfall. Cyclones and hurricanes are rare.
