Wednesday, August 1:  Tomorrow morning I’m flying back to Virginia for nearly a month.  I probably won’t post much on my Oman blog, but I invite all my readers to join me in my home state of Virginia: catbird in america.  I’d love to have you visit.

my house in Oakton, Virginia

I have lived in Virginia for most of my life.  I was born in Petersburg (where my father’s family is from); I grew up in Newport News and Yorktown (the Tidewater area), and as an adult, I lived in Gloucester County, Matthews County, Richmond, and Vienna & Oakton (both in Fairfax County). I earned a B.A. in English from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg and an M.A. in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University in Arlington. The only times I have lived away from Virginia were when I lived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for 4 1/2 years from 1980-1984, when I lived in Daegu, South Korea from February 2010-March 2011, and while living in Oman from September 2011 until now.

Here are some little tidbits and quotes about Virginia.

Virginia is officially the Commonwealth of Virgina and is nicknamed the “Old Dominion.”  It is sometimes called the “Mother of Presidents” because of the 8 U.S. Presidents that were born there.

one of our Virginia-born Presidents: Thomas Jefferson

Virginia is in the South Atlantic region of the United States of America.  The capital is Richmond, the most populous city is Virginia Beach and the most populous political subdivision is Fairfax County, with over 1 million residents.  My daughter lives in Richmond, her father lives in Virginia Beach, and my house is in Fairfax County, which is really a suburb of Washington, D.C.

the state of Virginia

Virginia’s population is over 8 million, nearly three times as large as the entire population of Oman.  Virginia is the 35th largest state in the USA.

on the map of the USA, Virginia is in red….

Virginia is primarily Christian and Protestant, with Baptists making up 27% of the population.

Baptist church

Virginia was one of the thirteen colonies in the American Revolution and joined the Confederacy (the losing side) in the American Civil War.  Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy.

Virginia was part of the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The Confederacy lost the war.

Virginia’s economy is based on agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley, federal agencies in Northern Virginia (where I live), and military facilities in Hampton Roads, the region’s main seaport. Computer chips are the state’s leading export.

the state seal and motto of Virginia

The Virginia state tree is the dogwood, the bird is the cardinal, and its slogan is “Virginia is for Lovers.”

the state of Virginia in all its glory :-)

Virginia has many historical monuments, the Blue Ridge Mountains, multitudes of rivers, the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, rolling hills, and plateaus.  Forests cover 65% of the state, primarily with deciduous, broad leaf trees.

the Blue Ridge Mountains

“To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one’s Mother’s side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from Above.”—Anonymous

“By Birth” ~ That’s me!!

the state flag of Virginia

All facts and figures about Virginia are from Wikipedia: Virginia.

And here’s some Virginia tourist information, from the Virginia Tourism Corporation: Virginia Is For Lovers.

I hope you’ll join me on my visit home!

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