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The Commonwealth of Virginia is a Southeastern state on the Atlantic Coast in the United States of America. It is the 35th-largest in the U.S. and 12th-most populous, with over 7.5 million residents. It is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the Virgin Queen because she never married. The Virginia Colony was the first part of the Americas to be continuously inhabited by colonists from its founding on April 10, 1606 under the Virginia Company of London, up to the American Revolution. The commonwealth was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution to form the United States of America.
The capital is Richmond and the most populous city is Virginia Beach. The most populous local jurisdiction is Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The largest city in land area is Suffolk, which includes a large portion of the Great Dismal Swamp.
The first major battle of the Civil War occurred on July 21, 1861. Union forces attempted to take control of the railroad junction at Manassas for use as a supply line, but the Confederate Army had moved its forces by train to meet the Union. The Confederates won the First Battle of Manassas (known as "Bull Run"in Northern naming convention) and the year went on without a major fight.
The first and last significant battles were held in Virginia. The first being the Battle of Manassas and the last being Battle of Appomattox Courthouse. During the American Civil War, Richmond was the capital of the Confederate States of America. The White House of the Confederacy, located a few blocks north of the State Capital, was home to the family of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
In April 1865, Richmond was burned by a retreating Confederate Army and was returned to Northern control. Virginia was administered as the "First Military District" during the Reconstruction period (1865-1870) under General John Schofield. The state formally rejoined the Union on January 26, 1870.
On the Eastern Shore island of Chincoteague the annual Pony Swim & Auction of the feral Chincoteague Ponies on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July is a unique local tradition which has expanded to a week long carnival. The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is a six day festival held annually in Winchester that includes parades and bluegrass music concerts. From 2005 to 2007, Richmond was chosen as host of the National Folk Festival. The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is held over four days in May in Reston.
Two important film festivals, the Virginia Film Festival and the VCU French Film Festival, are held annually. Annual fan conventions in the commonwealth include Anime USA, the national anime convention held in Crystal City, Anime Mid-Atlantic held in various cities, and RavenCon, a science fiction convention in Richmond.
