Norfolk, Virginia

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Opening Day - Tide Light Rail - Norfolk Virginia

Jabbawockeez Monsters of Hip Hop Norfolk VA

State of the City of Norfolk - 2013 Address

Cessna 150 Night Landing Norfolk (KORF) Virginia Airport

Disturbed - Decadence (Live @ Norfolk, VA 2006)

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Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan de Oro; ( /kəˈɡaɪən deɪ ˈɔəroʊ/ kə-GY-ən day OHR-oh; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Cagayan de Oro; Filipino: Lungsod ng Cagayan de Oro), officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines. It lies along the northern coastline of the island of Mindanao in the country's southern portion.
It is the regional center of Northern Mindanao, and the metropolitan center of Metro Cagayan de Oro. According to the 2010 Census, the city has an estimated population of 602,088 inhabitants.
Cagayan de Oro is known as the "City of Golden Friendship" (Dakbayan sa Bulawanong Panaghigala-ay in Cebuano, as the phrase appears on the city's seal). The name Cagayan de Oro may appear abbreviated as CDO, CDOC, CdeO or Cag. de Oro.
There are also other places in the Philippines with a Cagayán name. One must distinguish Cagayan de Oro from Cagayan province in Northern Luzon and the Cagayan Islands in the Sulu Sea.
The name Cagayán de Oro can be traced back during the arrival of the Spanish Augustinian Recollect friars in 1622, the area around Himologan (now Huluga), was already known as "Cagayan".

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Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km² (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.

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CMA CGM
Coordinates: 43°18′54″N 5°21′58″E / 43.314892°N 5.366006°E / 43.314892; 5.366006
CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Jacques Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 200 shipping routes between 400 ports in 120 different countries. Its headquarters are in Marseille, and its North American headquarters are in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
The history of CMA CGM can be traced back to 1851 when Messageries Maritimes (MM) was established. Another component company, Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM), was founded in 1855 and renamed Compagnie Générale Transatlantique in 1861. The two companies merged to form Compagnie Générale Maritime in 1973 as a French state-run entity.
Jacques Saadé created CMA in 1978 as an intra-Mediterranean liner service. In 1996, CGM was privatized and sold to Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement (CMA) to form CMA CGM.
In 1998 the combined company purchased Australian National Lines (ANL). The company is still growing and has ordered 58 new vessels (owned outright or on long-term leases) to be delivered over the next four years.

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CSS Virginia
CSS Virginia was the first steam-powered ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy, built during the first year of the American Civil War; she was constructed as a casemate ironclad using the raised and cut down original lower hull and steam engines of the scuttled USS Merrimack. Virginia was one of the participants in the Battle of Hampton Roads, opposing the Union's USS Monitor in March, 1862. The battle is chiefly significant in naval history as the first battle between ironclads.
When the Commonwealth of Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, one of the important federal military bases threatened was Gosport Navy Yard (now Norfolk Naval Shipyard) in Portsmouth, Virginia. Accordingly, the order was sent to destroy the base rather than allow it to fall into Confederate hands. Unfortunately for the Union, the execution of these orders was bungled on April 20. The steam frigate USS Merrimack sank in shallow water before she completely burned. When the Confederate government took possession of the yard, the base commander, Flag Officer French Forrest, contracted on May 18 to salvage the wreck of the Merrimack. This was completed by May 30 and she was moved into the shipyard's only graving dock where the burned structures were removed.

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Delmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia. The peninsula is 170 miles (274 km) long. In width, it ranges from 70 miles (113 km) to 12 miles (19 km) at the isthmus on its northern edge to less near its southern tip. It is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay on the west, the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, and Atlantic Ocean on the east, and the Elk River and its isthmus on the north.
The northern isthmus of the peninsula is transected by the sea-level Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Several bridges cross the canal, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel join the peninsula to mainland Maryland and Virginia, respectively. Another point of access is Lewes, Delaware, reachable by ferry from Cape May, New Jersey.
Dover, Delaware's capital city, is the peninsula's largest city by population but the main commercial area is Salisbury, Maryland, near its center. Including all offshore islands (the largest of which is Kent Island in Maryland), the total land area south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is 5,454 sq mi (14,130 km²). At the 2000 census the total population was 681,030, giving an average population density of 124.86 persons/sq mi (48.2 persons/km²).

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Downtown Tunnel
The Downtown Tunnel on Interstate 264 crosses the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in the South Hampton Roads area. It links the independent City of Portsmouth with the independent City of Norfolk. In conjunction with the Berkley Bridge, the Downtown Tunnel connects to Interstate 464 to the City of Chesapeake and a continuation I-264 to the downtown and Waterside areas of Norfolk, and on to Virginia Beach. It is a toll-free facility and is owned and operated by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
The two-lane Downtown Tunnel replaced an automobile ferry system, and, in conjunction with the Berkley Bridge (as part of the Norfolk-Portsmouth Bridge-Tunnel project), was the first fixed crossing directly between Portsmouth and Norfolk across the Elizabeth River. It was financed and built by the Elizabeth River Tunnel Commission with toll revenue bonds and was completed in 1952. The ferries continued in operation until 1955, serving the passenger traffic unserved by the tunnel.

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England
England ⁱ/ˈɪŋɡlənd/ is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, while the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.

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France
France (English ⁱ/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km² (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km² / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.

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Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡県, Fukuoka-ken^?) is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.
Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.
Fukuoka Prefecture has signed Friendship Agreements with Bangkok (Thailand), Delhi (India), and Hanoi (Vietnam).
Fukuoka Prefecture faces the sea on three sides, bordering on Saga, Ōita, and Kumamoto prefectures and facing Yamaguchi Prefecture across the Kanmon Straits.
Fukuoka includes the two largest cities on Kyūshū, Fukuoka and Kitakyushu, and much of Kyūshū's industry. It also includes a number of small islands near the north coast of Kyūshū.
Twenty-eight cities are located in Fukuoka Prefecture:
These are the towns and villages in each district.
Fukuoka prefecture's main cities form one of Japan's main industrial centers, accounting for nearly 40% of the economy of Kyūshū. Major industries include automobiles, semiconductors, and steel. Fukuoka prefecture is noteworthy as the place where tire manufacturer Bridgestone [1] and consumer electronics chain Best Denki were founded.

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Germany
Germany (ⁱ/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km² and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.

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Hampton Roads
Coordinates: 36°58′N 76°22′W / 36.967°N 76.367°W / 36.967; -76.367
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marine Corps, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and hundreds of miles of waterfront property and beaches, all of which contribute to the diversity and stability of the region's economy.
The water area known as Hampton Roads is one of the world's largest natural harbors (more accurately a roadstead or "roads"), and incorporates the mouths of the Elizabeth River and James River with several smaller rivers and itself empties into the Chesapeake Bay near its mouth leading to the Atlantic Ocean.
The land area (also known as "Tidewater") includes dozens of cities, counties and towns on the Virginia Peninsula and in South Hampton Roads. Some of the more outlying areas from the harbor may or may not be included as part of "Hampton Roads", depending upon the organization or purpose. For a commonly used example, as defined for federal economic purposes, the Hampton Roads metropolitan statistical area (MSA) additionally includes one county in northeastern North Carolina and two counties in Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. Officially, the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA has a population of about 1.7 million, the 36th-largest metropolitan area in the United States.

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Harbor Park
Harbor Park is a stadium along the Elizabeth River, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, USA. It has been rated the best minor league stadium by Baseball America. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Norfolk Tides minor league baseball team. The Tides are the International League AAA farm team for the Baltimore Orioles. Harbor Park opened on April 14, 1993 and seats 12,067 people.
Seating includes 9,000 lower deck seats, 2,800 upper deck seats and a 300 person capacity picnic area. The stadium also features 24 luxury skyboxes with seating for 400, and a 225 seat full-service restaurant with a panoramic view of the field from the first base side. A record crowd of 14,263 was reached August 31, 1996.
The field is made of natural grass and features a state of the art irrigation and drainage system. The dimensions are 333 feet in left field, 410 feet in center field and 318 feet in right field.
During Major League Baseball's search for a new home for the Montreal Expos, Norfolk submitted a proposal which would have expanded Harbor Park to temporarily accommodate a major league team. Norfolk's bid was rejected and the Expos eventually became the Washington Nationals.

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Harrison Opera House
Coordinates: 36°51′29.5″N 76°17′24.1″W / 36.858194°N 76.290028°W / 36.858194; -76.290028
The Edythe C. and Stanley L. Harrison Opera House, also known as the Harrison Opera House, is the official home of the Virginia Opera in the Ghent district of Norfolk, Virginia. Once a World War II USO theater, this historic venue was renovated in 1993. With 1,632 seats, the renovated Harrison Opera House retains an intimate ambiance.

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India
India (ⁱ/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.

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Jamestown Exposition
The Jamestown Exposition was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. Commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony, it was held from April 26 to December 1, 1907, at Sewell's Point on Hampton Roads, in Norfolk, Virginia. It celebrated the first permanent English settlement in the present United States.
Early in the 20th century, as the tercentennial of the 1607 Founding of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony neared, leaders in Norfolk, Virginia began a campaign to have the celebration held there. The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities had gotten the ball rolling in 1900 by calling for a celebration to honor the establishment of the first permanent English colony in the New World at Jamestown, to be held on the 300th anniversary.
During the planning phase, virtually no one thought that the original site of Jamestown would be suitable, as it was isolated and long-abandoned. There were no local facilities to handle large crowds, and it was believed that the fort housing the settlement had long ago been swallowed by the James River. No rail lines ran near Jamestown. Many Virginia residents thought that Richmond, the state capital, would be chosen as the site of the celebration.

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Japan
Japan ⁱ/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.

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Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad (Russian: Калинингра́д; Polish: Królewiec; Lithuanian: Karaliaučius; German: Königsberg; Czech: Královec) is a seaport city and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. The territory, the northern part of the former East Prussia, borders on NATO and EU members Poland and Lithuania, and is geographically separated from the rest of Russia.
Originally named Königsberg in German, the town was founded in 1255 by the order of the Teutonic Knights in honour of the Czech king Přemysl Otakar II and was part of Prussia and then of Germany until 1945, but was largely destroyed during World War II. Its ruins were occupied by the Red Army in 1945 and its German population forced out. It was renamed Kaliningrad in 1946 in honor of Mikhail Kalinin.
According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, its population was 431,491—an increase from 430,003 recorded in the 2002 Census. Its ethnic composition is 77.9% Russians, 8.0% Belarusians, 7.3% Ukrainians, 1.9% Lithuanians, 0.6% Germans, and 0.5% Poles.

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Karachi
Karachi ( Karācī (help·info), Urdu: کراچی; Sindhi: ڪراچي) is the largest city, main seaport and financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 13 million. Results in April 2012 of Pakistan's latest census initial tabulations show that the district is home to over 21 million people, at a density of nearly 6,000 people per square kilometer (15,500 per square mile). Karachi is the most populous city in the country, one of the world's largest cities in terms of population and also the 10th largest urban agglomeration in the world. It is Pakistan's premier centre of banking, industry, economic activity and trade and is home to Pakistan's largest corporations, including those involved in textiles, shipping, automotive industry, entertainment, the arts, fashion, advertising, publishing, software development and medical research. The city is a major hub of higher education in South Asia and the wider Muslim world.

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Kentucky
Kentucky (ⁱ/kɨnˈtʌki/), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the Upper South of the United States. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth (the others being Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts). Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States.
Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State", a nickname based on the fact that bluegrass is present in many of the pastures throughout the state, because of the fertile soil. It made possible the breeding of high-quality livestock, especially thoroughbred racing horses. It is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources, including the world's longest cave system, Mammoth Cave National Park; the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States; and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River. It is also home to the highest per capita number of deer and turkey in the United States, the largest free-ranging elk herd east of Montana, and the nation's most productive coalfield. Kentucky is also known for horse racing, bourbon distilleries, bluegrass music, automobile manufacturing, tobacco and college basketball.

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Lafayette River
Coordinates: 36°53′28″N 76°17′5″W / 36.89111°N 76.28472°W / 36.89111; -76.28472 The Lafayette River, earlier known as Tanner's Creek, is a 6.2-mile-long (10.0 km) tidal estuary which empties into the Elizabeth River just south of Sewell's Point near its mouth at Hampton Roads, which in turn empties into the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. It is entirely located in the city of Norfolk.
The small river was initially known as Tanner's Creek. At the time of the arrival of the English colonists in 1607, the area around the creek was inhabited by the Chesepians, a group of eastern-Algonquian speaking Native Americans (American Indian) affiliated with the Powhatan Confederacy. The main village of the Chesepians was called Skicoak, believed to have been located along Tanner's Creek.
As the British Colony of Virginia expanded, the Native Americans were overwhelmed, initially moving further inland. In 1634, the original eight shires of Virginia (counties) were formed, and the area of Tanner's Creek was designated as within Elizabeth River Shire. (Despite popular misconception that the namings were related Queen Elizabeth I, both Elizabeth River Shire and the Elizabeth River were named to honor Princess Princess Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of King James I of England. She was the sister of the ill-fated Prince Henry and his younger brother Prince Charles, who later ascended to the throne as King Charles I). The naming of Tanner's Creek and Tanner's Point at its confluence with the Elizabeth River each derived from one of the early settler's and adjacent landowners, Daniel Tanner.

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Liberia
Liberia ⁱ/laɪˈbɪəriə/, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Ivory Coast on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open to a plateau of drier grasslands. The country possesses 40% of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest. Liberia has a hot equatorial climate, with significant rainfall during the May to October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. Liberia covers an area of 111,369 km² (43,000 sq mi) and is home to about 3.7 million people. English is the official language, while over 30 indigenous languages are spoken within the country.
Along with Ethiopia, Liberia is one of the two modern countries in Sub-Saharan Africa without roots in the European colonization of Africa. Beginning in 1820, the region was colonized by freed American slaves with the help of the American Colonization Society, a private organization that believed ex-slaves would have greater freedom and equality in Africa. Slaves freed from slave ships were also sent there instead of being repatriated to their countries of origin. In 1847, these colonists founded the Republic of Liberia, establishing a government modeled on that of the United States and naming the capital city Monrovia after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States and a prominent supporter of the colonization. The colonists, known as Americo-Liberians, led the political and economic sectors of the country.

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Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (German: Niedersachsen [ˈniːdɐzaksən], Low German: Neddersassen) is a German state situated in northwestern Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany. In rural areas Northern Low Saxon, a dialect of Low German, is still spoken, but the number of speakers is declining.
Lower Saxony borders on (from north and clockwise) the North Sea, the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In fact, Lower Saxony borders more neighbours than any other single federal state. The state of Bremen forms two enclaves within Lower Saxony, one being the city of Bremen, the other, its seaport city of Bremerhaven. The state's principal cities include Hanover, Brunswick, Lüneburg, Osnabrück, Oldenburg, and Göttingen.
The northwestern area of Lower Saxony, which lies on the coast of the North Sea, is called East Frisia and the seven East Frisian Islands offshore are popular with tourists. In the extreme west of Lower Saxony is the Emsland, a traditionally poor and sparsely populated area, once dominated by inaccessible swamps. The northern half of Lower Saxony, also known as the North German Plains, is almost invariably flat except for the gentle hills around the Bremen geestland. Towards the south and southwest lie the northern parts of the German Central Uplands: the Weser Uplands and the Harz mountains. Between these two lie the Lower Saxon Hills, a range of low ridges.

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Lynnhaven River
Coordinates: 35°53′45″N 76°5′33″W / 35.89583°N 76.0925°W / 35.89583; -76.0925
The Lynnhaven River is a tidal estuary located in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the United States, and flows into the Chesapeake Bay west of Cape Henry at Lynnhaven Inlet, beyond which is Lynnhaven Roads. It has a small, developed watershed covering 64 square miles (170 km²), terminating at Lynnhaven Bay. It was once famous along the East Coast of the United States for its oysters, which declined through pollution and runoff. It is now being restored by the Lynnhaven River Now restoration project.
Notable historic residences near the entrance include the Adam Keeling House, Adam Thoroughgood House, and Ferry Plantation House and the area was the site of the early colonial settlement of Henry Town.
Adam Thoroughgood was from King's Lynn in Norfolk, England. Many locations in Virginia Beach, including the Lynnhaven River, Lynn Shores, Thalia Lynn, Lynnhaven Road (parkway, drive, etc.) are named Lynn after King's Lynn.

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Middle Peninsula
Coordinates: 37°36′10″N 76°39′15″W / 37.60278°N 76.65417°W / 37.60278; -76.65417
The Middle Peninsula is the second of three large peninsulas on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, in the United States. It lies between the Northern Neck and the Virginia Peninsula. This peninsula is bounded by the Rappahannock River on the north and the York River on the south. It encompasses six Virginia counties: Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Mathews, and Middlesex. The Middle Peninsula is known for its quiet rural life, vegetable truck-farming, and fishing.
There are no cities on the Middle Peninsula and little industry. Among the towns found there, West Point has a pulp-and-paper mill, and the unincorporated community of Deltaville is a popular spot for city-dwellers seeking a weekend boating on the bay. Tappahannock is a thriving community on the Rappahannock River, and Urbanna has a small but prosperous tourism industry.
There are two tiny land reservations, home to the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Indian tribes.

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NATO
Coordinates: 50°52′34.16″N 4°25′19.24″E / 50.8761556°N 4.4220111°E / 50.8761556; 4.4220111
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO ( /ˈneɪtoʊ/ NAY-toh; French: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique Nord (OTAN)), also called the (North) Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. NATO's headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, one of the 28 member states across North America and Europe, the newest of which, Albania and Croatia, joined in April 2009. An additional 22 countries participate in NATO's Partnership for Peace, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programs. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the world's defence spending.
For its first few years, NATO was not much more than a political association. However, the Korean War galvanized the member states, and an integrated military structure was built up under the direction of two U.S. supreme commanders. The course of the Cold War led to a rivalry with nations of the Warsaw Pact, which formed in 1955. The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay, stated in 1949 that the organization's goal was "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down." Doubts over the strength of the relationship between the European states and the United States ebbed and flowed, along with doubts over the credibility of the NATO defence against a prospective Soviet invasion—doubts that led to the development of the independent French nuclear deterrent and the withdrawal of the French from NATO's military structure in 1966.

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Nauticus
Nauticus is a maritime-themed science center and museum located in Norfolk, Virginia.
Nauticus was incorporated under the National Maritime Center Authority in February 1988. The following month, Rear Admiral Jackson Knowles Parker USN, (Ret), retired commander of Norfolk Naval Base, became the Founding Executive Director. He took an active role in raising funds and developing the plans for this center. Parker died weeks before Nauticus opened its doors to the public. Although he did not live to see his beloved project to fruition, Nauticus is truly "The House That Jack Built."
Construction began at the former site of Norfolk's Banana Pier on the downtown Norfolk Waterfront in February 1992 and Nauticus opened to the public in June 1994. Other attractions close by include the Virginia Zoo, Norfolk Scope and Harbor Park, home to the Norfolk Tides.
The City of Norfolk opened the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center—located at Nauticus in downtown Norfolk—on Saturday, April 7, 2007.
The 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m²), passenger-friendly facility features stunning views of the Elizabeth River; an enclosed, elevated passenger gangway; a retractable bridge leading into a 16-slip marina; a 54-foot (16 m) long mermaid cast in terrazzo floor tile in the Grand Rotunda entrance; a separate lounge and check-in area for cruise line VIP passengers; the most contemporary and security-focused Customs and Border Protection area of any cruise terminal in the nation; and state-of-the-art embarkation stations designed specifically for the Half Moone. The Half Moone welcomed its first passenger ship, RCI's Empress of the Seas, on Saturday, April 28 2007.

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New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. The city is referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. As a global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.
Located on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which comprises a state county. The five boroughs—The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a Census-estimated 2011 population of 8,244,910 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km²), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. The New York City Metropolitan Area's population is the United States' largest, with 18.9 million people distributed over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km²), and is also part of the most populous combined statistical area in the United States, containing 22.1 million people as of the 2010 Census.

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Norfolk
Norfolk ( /ˈnɔrfək/) is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The city of Norwich is the county town at Norfolk which is fifth largest ceremonial county in England, with an area of 5,371 km² (2,074 sq mi).
Of the 34 non-metropolitan English counties, Norfolk is the seventh most populous, with a population of 850,800 (mid 2008). However, as a largely rural county it has a low population density, 155 people per square kilometre (or 401 per square mile). Norfolk has about one-thirtieth the population density of central London, the tenth lowest density county in the country, with 38% of the county’s population living in the four major built up areas of Norwich (195,000), Great Yarmouth (67,000), King's Lynn (41,000) and Thetford (22,000).The Broads, a well known network of rivers and lakes, is located towards the county's east coast, bordering Suffolk. The area has the status of a National Park and is protected by the Broads Authority. Historical sites, such as those in the centre of Norwich, also contribute to tourism.

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Norfolk Academy
Norfolk Academy is an independent co-educational day school in Norfolk, Virginia. Chartered in 1728, it is the oldest secondary school in Virginia and the eighth oldest in the United States. In 1966, Norfolk Academy merged with Country Day School for Girls in Virginia Beach, Virginia to create the current co-educational school.
The school fosters competitive sports, competing in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS). Males compete in the Virginia Preparatory League (VPL) and females in the League of Independent Schools (LIS).
The Academy attempts to maintain high standards, both academic and ethical, for students and faculty. Norfolk Academy’s German program was recognized in 2007 as the number one German program in the country among high schools.^{[citation needed]} The College Board recognition for the school and German program has been earned, as the Report^{[clarification needed]} notes, through the performance of students on the AP German Language Exam. The ongoing exchange with the Copernicus Gymnasium, Löningen (Germany) has been in place since 1973. This exchange is the longest-running high school student exchange program between the two countries.

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Norfolk Assembly
Norfolk Assembly was a Ford manufacturing plant that opened on April 20, 1925 on the Elizabeth River, near downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Modeled after the River Rouge Plant, the facility eventually including a power house, water treatment plant, barber shop, safety-shoe store, restaurant, fitness center and TV studio. Norfolk Assembly produced models including the Model T, Model A, chassis for school buses, The last model manufactured at the plant was the F150, built until the plants closure in 2007.
Before it closed, the plant employed more than 2,600 people at the 2,800,000-square-foot (260,000 m²) facility. Ford had invested $375 million at the plant in 2002 to upgrade it for production of the redesigned eleventh generation 2004 F-150.
As of 2004, the plant’s productivity ranked 17th-best among 45 truck assembly plants., producing a truck in 22 hours, 54 minutes – 83 minutes faster than the national average, operating at 109 percent capacity compared with 94 percent in 2003. As late as December 2005, it had appeared that Norfolk Assembly would be spared closing.

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Norfolk Scope
Norfolk Scope is a multipurpose culture, entertainment, convention and sports arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi in conjunction with the (now defunct) local firm of Williams and Tazewell. Nervi's design for the reinforced concrete dome evolved from his much smaller Palazzetto dello Sport, which was built in the 1950s for the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
Construction on Scope began in June 1968 and was completed in 1971 at a cost of $35 million. Federal funds covered $23 million of the cost, and when it opened formally on November 12, 1971, the structure was the second-largest public complex in Virginia, behind only the Pentagon.
Scope, which features the world's largest concrete dome, won the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects Test of Time award in 2003. Wes Lewis, director of Old Dominion University's civil engineering technology program, called it "a beautiful marrying of art and engineering." Noted architectural critic James Howard Kunstler described the design as looking like "yesterday's tomorrow."

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North Carolina
North Carolina (ⁱ/ˌnɔrθ kærəˈlaɪnə/) is a state in the Southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina is the 28th most extensive and the 10th most populous of the 50 United States.
North Carolina is comprised of 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte. In the past five decades, North Carolina's economy has undergone a transition from heavy reliance upon tobacco and furniture making to a more diversified economy with engineering, biotechnology, and finance sectors.
North Carolina has a wide range of elevations, from sea level on the coast to 6,684 feet (2,037 m) at Mount Mitchell, the highest point in the Eastern US. The climate of the coastal plains is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical climate zone. More than 300 miles (500 km) from the coast, the western, mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate.

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Northern Neck
Coordinates: 37°58′N 76°38′W / 37.967°N 76.633°W / 37.967; -76.633
The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This peninsula is bounded by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. It encompasses the following Virginia counties: Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland. The inclusion of King George in the Northern Neck varies among commentators. Historically the grant for the Northern Neck included all land between the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers including far upstream of King George. The boundaries of King George and Westmoreland Counties have changed radically since their establishment with significant exchanges of territory. Significant portions of the early King George lay in what is now Westmoreland county.
In the winter of 1607-08, Captain John Smith traveled up the Rappahannock River as a prisoner of the Powhatans and became the first European known to have visited the Northern Neck.

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Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 45°13′N 62°42′W / 45.217°N 62.7°W / 45.217; -62.7 (Nova Scotia)
Nova Scotia (pronounced /ˌnoʊvə ˈskoʊʃə/; French: Nouvelle-Écosse; Scottish Gaelic: Alba Nuadh) is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province of the four in Atlantic Canada. Located almost exactly halfway between the Equator and the North Pole (44º 39' N Longitude), its provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of 55,284 square kilometres (21,300 sq mi), including Cape Breton and some 3,800 coastal islands. As of 2011, the population was 921,727, making Nova Scotia the second-most-densely populated province in Canada.
Nova Scotia was already home to the Mi'kmaq people when French colonists established Port Royal, Nova Scotia, the first permanent European settlement in North America north of Florida in 1605. Almost one hundred and fifty years later, the first English and German settlers arrived with the founding of Halifax (1749). The first Scottish migration was on the Hector (1773) and then the first Black migration happened after the American Revolution (1783). Despite the diversity of the cultural heritage of Nova Scotia, much of the twentieth-century tourism efforts focused primarily on all things Scottish. Many recent tourism efforts embrace and showcase Nova Scotia's diversity.

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Pakistan
Pakistan (ⁱ/ˈpækɨstæn/ or ⁱ/pɑːkiˈstɑːn/; Urdu: پاکستان) (Urdu pronunciation: [paːkɪˈst̪aːn] ( listen)), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان), is a sovereign country in South Asia. It sits at the crossroads of the strategically important regions of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046-kilometre (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west and north, Iran to the southwest and China in the far northeast. It is separated from Tajikistan by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor in the north, and it shares a marine border with Oman.
The territory of modern Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures, including the Neolithic Mehrgarh and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation, and has undergone invasions or settlements by Hindu, Persian, Indo-Greek, Islamic, Turco-Mongol, Afghan and Sikh cultures. Thus the area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties, including the Indian Mauryan Empire, the Persian Achaemenid Empire, the Arab Umayyad Caliphate, the Mongol Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Durrani Empire, the Sikh Empire and the British Empire. As a result of the Pakistan Movement led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and India's struggle for independence, Pakistan was created in 1947 as an independent nation for Muslims from the regions in the east and west of India where there was a Muslim majority. Initially a dominion, Pakistan adopted a new constitution in 1956, becoming an Islamic republic. A civil war in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh.

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Philippines
The Philippines ⁱ/ˈfɪlɨpiːnz/ FI-lə-peenz (Filipino: Pilipinas [ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs]), officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas) is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 98 million people, the Philippines is the 7th most populated Asian country and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional 12.5 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples who brought with them influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic societies. Trade introduced Chinese cultural influences which remain to this day.

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Russia
Russia ⁱ/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.

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Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians (excluding Massanutten Mountain), to the north by the Potomac River and to the south by the James River. The cultural region covers a larger area that includes all of the valley plus the Virginia highlands to the west, and the Roanoke Valley to the south. It is physiographically located within the Ridge and Valley province and is a portion of the Great Appalachian Valley.
Named for the river that stretches much of its length, the Shenandoah Valley encompasses nine counties in Virginia and two counties in West Virginia.
In addition, the cultural region also includes five more counties in Virginia:
Between the Roanoke Valley in the south and Harpers Ferry in the north, where the Shenandoah River joins the Potomac, the Valley cultural region contains 10 independent cities:

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Tennessee
Tennessee (ⁱ/tɛnɨˈsiː/) (Cherokee: ᏔᎾᏏ) is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. Tennessee is the 36th most extensive and the 17th most populous of the 50 United States. Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, and the Mississippi River forms the state's western border. Tennessee's capital and second largest city is Nashville, which has a population of 626,144.Memphis is the state's largest city, with a population of 670,902.
The state of Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachians. What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later part of the Southwest Territory. Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in 1861, and the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war.

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Toulon
Coordinates: 43°08′N 5°55′E / 43.13°N 5.92°E / 43.13; 5.92
Toulon (French pronunciation: [tu.lɔ̃]; Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm), italian language: Tolone, is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence.
Toulon is an important centre for naval construction, fishing, wine making, and the manufacture of aeronautical equipment, armaments, maps, paper, tobacco, printing, shoes, and electronic equipment.
The military port of Toulon is the major naval centre on France's Mediterranean coast, home of the French Navy aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle and her battle group. The French Mediterranean Fleet is based in Toulon.
Archaeological excavations, such as those at the Cosquer Cave near Marseilles, show that the coast of Provence was inhabited since at least the Paleolithic era. Greek colonists came from Asia Minor in about the 7th century BC and established trading depots along the coast, including one, called Olbia, at Saint-Pierre de l'Almanarre south of Hyères, to the east of Toulon. The Ligurians settled in the area beginning in the 4th century BC.

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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.

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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.

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USS Monitor
USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads. The Monitor fought the ironclad CSS Virginia (the former frigate USS Merrimack) of the Confederate States Navy.
The need for an ironclad warship in the U.S. Navy began when the state of Virginia seceded from the Union and ships at the Gosport Navy Yard in Norfolk were scuttled to prevent them from falling into Confederates hands. The Merrimack was only burnt to her waterline and was successfully raised by the Confederate States Navy (CSN). Her hull, with new upper works added, including an armored casemate, began to be refitted as Virginia. When Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the Navy, found out about this, he created a board of three naval officers to review designs for an ironclad. Three ships were accepted, including USS Monitor, designed by the Swedish-born engineer and inventor John Ericsson.

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Virginia
Virginia (ⁱ/vərˈdʒɪnjə/), officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city and Fairfax County the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's population is over eight million.
The area's history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent New World English colony. Slave labor and the land acquired from displaced Native American tribes each played a significant role in the colony's early politics and plantation economy. Virginia was one of the 13 Colonies in the American Revolution and joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War, during which Richmond was made the Confederate capital and Virginia's northwestern counties separated to form the state of West Virginia. Although the Commonwealth was under conservative single-party rule for nearly a century following Reconstruction, both major national parties are competitive in modern Virginia.

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Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.
Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name. The land portion of Hampton Roads has been historically divided into two regions, the Virginia Peninsula or Peninsula on the north side, and South Hampton Roads on the south side. (Locally, South Hampton Roads is commonly called "the Southside", which is not to be confused with "Southside Virginia", which is a separate region of the south central portion of Virginia located farther inland.) More recently, the metropolitan area has expanded to include the two southernmost counties of the Middle Peninsula, across the York River from the Virginia Peninsula.
Geographically located at the northwestern reaches, Charles City and New Kent counties are by some reckonings part of the Virginia Peninsula. However, in modern times, they are more often considered part of the Richmond-Petersburg region. The rest of the Virginia Peninsula is all part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) with a population of about 1.6 million. The Hampton Roads MSA is the seventh largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States and the largest between Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, North Carolina.

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West Virginia
West Virginia (ⁱ/ˌwɛst vərˈdʒɪnjə/) is a state in the Appalachian region of the Eastern United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east. West Virginia is the 41st most extensive and the 37th most populous of the 50 United States. The capital and largest city is Charleston.
West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions and broke away from Virginia during the American Civil War. The new state was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key Civil War border state. West Virginia was the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state, and was one of two states formed during the American Civil War (the other one being Nevada, which separated from Utah Territory).
The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the South. The northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio, with the West Virginia cities of Wheeling and Weirton just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, while Bluefield is less than 70 miles (110 km) from North Carolina. Huntington in the southwest is close to the states of Ohio and Kentucky, while Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry in the Eastern Panhandle region are considered to be a part of the Washington metropolitan area, in between the states of Maryland and Virginia. The unique position of West Virginia means that it is often included in several geographical regions, including the Mid-Atlantic, the Upland South, and the Southeastern United States. Notably, it is the only state that is entirely within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission; the area is commonly defined as "Appalachia".

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Willoughby Spit
Willoughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.
The area known as Willoughby Spit takes its name from Thomas Willoughby, who came to Virginia in 1610 and received a land grant around 1625. Willoughby's son, Thomas II, was living there in the 1660s, and legend has it that his wife awoke one morning following a terrific storm (possibly the "Harry Cane" of 1667) to see a point of land in front her home, where there had been only water the night before. The Willoughby family, it is said, were quick to apply for an addendum to the original land grant, giving them ownership of the "new" property.
Severe storms and hurricanes would continue to transform the contour of the coast, and the Willoughby holdings, for more than a century. Although official records of Hampton Roads weather go back only to 1871 when the National Weather Service was established in downtown Norfolk, records of earlier storms have been located in ships' logs, newspaper accounts, history books and writings of early settlers.

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Adam Thoroughgood
Adam Thoroughgood (1604–1640) was a colonist and community leader in the Virginia Colony who helped settle the area of South Hampton Roads known in contemporary times as the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Young Thoroughgood was from a prominent family in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England, the ninth son of Rector of Grimston Rev. William Thorowgood, and baptised at St.Botolph's Church on July 14, 1604. Some of Henry Spelman's family lived in Congham, a mile to the north of Grimston and Adam heard about Spelman's exploits in Virginia. At the age of 18, he became an indentured servant to pay for passage to the Virginia Colony, a project of the Virginia Company of London at the time. Around 1622, he settled in an area south of the Chesapeake Bay and a few miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. This area had been passed by when the earlier settlements such as Jamestown where established beginning in 1607 in favour of locations further inland which would be less susceptible to attacks by other European forces, such as the Spanish.

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African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans or Afro-Americans, and formerly as American Negroes) are citizens or residents of the United States that have ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa.
African Americans make up the single largest racial minority in the United States. Most African Americans are of West and Central African descent and are descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States. However, some immigrants from African, Caribbean, Central American or South American nations, or their descendants, may be identified or self-identify with the term.
African-American history starts in the 16th century with African slaves who quickly rose up against the Spanish explorer Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón and progresses to the present day, with Barack Obama as the 44th and current President of the United States. Between those landmarks there have been events and issues, both resolved and ongoing, including slavery, racism, Reconstruction, development of the African-American community, participation in the great military conflicts of the United States, racial segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement.

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Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter-performer who records and tours with the E Street Band. Springsteen is widely known for his brand of heartland rock, poetic lyrics, and Americana sentiments centered on his native New Jersey.
Springsteen's recordings have included both commercially accessible rock albums and more somber folk-oriented works. His most successful studio albums, Born in the U.S.A. and Born to Run, showcase a talent for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily American life; he has sold more than 65 million albums in the United States and more than 120 million worldwide and he has earned numerous awards for his work, including 21 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award. He is widely regarded by many as one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century, and in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him as the 23rd Greatest Artist of all time.
Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and spent his childhood and high school years in Freehold Borough. He lived on South Street in Freehold Borough and attended Freehold Borough High School. His father, Douglas Frederick Springsteen, was of Dutch and Irish ancestry and worked, among other vocations, as a bus driver, although he was frequently unemployed; his surname is Dutch for jump stone. His mother, Adele Ann (née Zerilli), was a legal secretary and was of Italian ancestry. His maternal grandfather was born in Vico Equense, a city near Naples. He has two younger sisters, Virginia and Pamela. Pamela had a brief film career, but left acting to pursue still photography full time; she took photos for the Human Touch and Lucky Town albums.

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Cajun
Cajuns ( /ˈkeɪdʒən/; French: les Cadiens or les Acadiens, [le kadjɛ̃, lez‿akadjɛ̃]) are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles (French-speakers from Acadia in what are now the Canadian Maritimes). Today, the Cajuns make up a significant portion of south Louisiana's population, and have exerted an enormous impact on the state's culture.
While Lower Louisiana had been settled by French colonists since the late 18th century, the Cajuns trace their roots to the influx of Acadian settlers after the Great Expulsion from their homeland during the French and Indian War (1754 to 1763). The Acadia region to which modern Cajuns trace their origin consisted largely of what are now Nova Scotia and the other Maritime provinces, plus parts of eastern Quebec and northern Maine. Since their establishment in Louisiana the Cajuns have developed their own dialect, Cajun French, and developed a vibrant culture including folkways, music, and cuisine.

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Charles I of England
Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles believed was divinely ordained. Many of his English subjects opposed his actions, in particular his interference in the English and Scottish churches and the levying of taxes without parliamentary consent, because they saw them as those of a tyrannical absolute monarch.
Charles's reign was also characterised by religious conflicts. His failure to successfully aid Protestant forces during the Thirty Years' War, coupled with the fact that he married a Roman Catholic princess, generated deep mistrust concerning the king's dogma. Charles further allied himself with controversial ecclesiastic figures, such as Richard Montagu and William Laud, whom Charles appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. Many of Charles's subjects felt this brought the Church of England too close to the Roman Catholic Church. Charles's later attempts to force religious reforms upon Scotland led to the Bishops' Wars, strengthened the position of the English and Scottish parliaments and helped precipitate his own downfall.

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Clarence Clemons
Clarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death, he was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone.
He released several solo albums and in 1985, had a hit single with "You're a Friend of Mine", a duet with Jackson Browne. As a guest musician he also featured on Aretha Franklin's classic "Freeway of Love" and on Twisted Sister's "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" as well as performing in concert with The Grateful Dead and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. As an actor Clemons featured in several films, including New York, New York and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
He also made cameo appearances in several TV series, including Diff'rent Strokes, Nash Bridges, The Simpsons and The Wire. Together with his television writer friend Don Reo he published his semi-fictional autobiography told in third person, Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales, in 2009. Clemons suffered a stroke on June 12, 2011, and died of complications from it on June 18.

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Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines Campaign. Arthur MacArthur, Jr., and Douglas MacArthur were the first father and son to each be awarded the medal. He was one of only five men ever to rise to the rank of General of the Army in the U.S. Army, and the only man ever to become a field marshal in the Philippine Army.
Douglas MacArthur was raised in a military family in the American Old West. He attended the West Texas Military Academy, where he was valedictorian, and the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was First Captain and graduated top of the class of 1903. During the 1914 United States occupation of Veracruz, he conducted a reconnaissance mission, for which he was nominated for the Medal of Honor. In 1917, he was promoted from major to colonel and became chief of staff of the 42nd (Rainbow) Division. In the fighting on the Western Front during World War I, he rose to the rank of brigadier general, was again nominated for a Medal of Honor, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross twice and the Silver Star seven times.

wn.com/Douglas_MacArthur
Franklin Buchanan
Franklin Buchanan (September 17, 1800-May 11, 1874) was an officer in the United States Navy who became an admiral in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War, and commanded the ironclad CSS Virginia.
Buchanan was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the fifth child and third son of a physician, George Buchanan and Laetitia McKean Buchanan. He became a midshipman in 1815, was promoted to lieutenant in 1825, commander in 1841 and captain in 1855.
During the 45 years he served in the U.S. Navy, Buchanan had extensive and worldwide sea duty. He commanded the sloops of war Vincennes and Germantown during the 1840s and the steam frigate Susquehanna in the Perry expedition to Japan during the 1850s.
From 1845-1847, he served as the first Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, followed by notable Mexican-American War service. From 1859-1861, Captain Buchanan was the Commandant of the Washington Navy Yard. During the Civil War, he joined the Confederate forces.
Buchanan was the captain of the ironclad CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack) during the Battle of Hampton Roads in Virginia. He climbed to the top deck of Virginia and began furiously firing toward shore with a carbine as the USS Congress was shelled. He soon was brought down by a sharpshooter's minie ball to the thigh. He would eventually recover from his leg wound. He never did get to command Virginia against the USS Monitor. That honor went to Catesby ap Roger Jones. But Buchanan had handed the United States Navy the worst defeat it would take until Pearl Harbor.

wn.com/Franklin_Buchanan
French Forrest
French Forrest (1796 – December 22, 1866) was an American naval officer who served first in the United States Navy and later the Confederate States Navy. His combat experience prior to the American Civil War included service in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.
Born in Maryland, he became a midshipman on June 9, 1811 and participated in the War of 1812. He fought with Commodore Oliver Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie and was present in the action between the USS Hornet and HMS Peacock on February 24, 1813.^{[citation needed]} He became a lieutenant on March 5, 1817, a commander on February 9, 1837, and a captain March 30, 1844. He was adjutant general in the Mexican-American War, and in 1847, he commanded the American naval forces in the landing at Vera Cruz, Mexico.
When Virginia seceded from the United States on April 17, 1861, Forrest was made its first and only flag officer of the Virginia State Navy and assumed command at the Norfolk Navy Yard. When Virginia joined the Confederate States and merged its military, he joined the navy of the Confederate States of America and was appointed the commander of the navy yard at Norfolk, Virginia. He served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Confederate Navy, and had two stints as Commander of the James River Squadron.

wn.com/French_Forrest
George Yeardley
Sir George Yeardley (1587–1627) was a plantation owner and three time colonial Governor of the British Colony of Virginia. A survivor of the Virginia Company of London's ill-fated Third Supply Mission, whose flagship, the Sea Venture, was shipwrecked on Bermuda for 10 months in 1609-10, he is best remembered for presiding over the initial session of the first representative legislative body in Virginia in 1619. With representatives from throughout the settled portion of the colony, the group became known as the House of Burgesses. It has met continuously since, and is known in modern times as the Virginia General Assembly.
Yeardley was baptized on July 28, 1588, in St. Saviour's Parish, Southwark, Surrey. He was the son of Ralph Yeardley (1549–1604), a London merchant-tailor, and Rhoda Marston (d. 1603). He chose not to follow his father into trade, but instead became a soldier and joined a company of English foot-soldiers to fight the Spanish in the Netherlands. As captain of a personal bodyguard, he was selected to serve Sir Thomas Gates during his term as Governor of Virginia.

wn.com/George_Yeardley
Gideon Welles
Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878) was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869. His buildup of the Navy to successfully execute blockades of Southern ports was a key component of Northern victory of the Civil War. Welles was also instrumental in the Navy's creation of the Medal of Honor.
Gideon Welles, the son of Samuel Welles and Ann Hale, was born on July 1, 1802 in Glastonbury, Connecticut. His father was a shipping merchant and fervent Jeffersonian; he was a member of the Convention which formed the first state Connecticut Constitution in 1818 that abolished the colonial charter and officially severed the political ties to England. This constitution is also notable for having reversed the earlier Orders and provided for freedom of religion. He was a member of the seventh generation of his family in America. His original immigrant ancestor was Thomas Welles, who arrived in 1635 and was the only man in Connecticut's history to hold all four top offices: governor, deputy governor, treasurer, and secretary. He was also the transcriber of the Fundamental Orders. Welles was the second great grandson of Capt. Samuel Welles and Ruth (Rice) Welles, the daughter of Edmund Rice, a 1638 immigrant to Sudbury and founder of Marlborough, Massachusetts.

wn.com/Gideon_Welles
Grant Gustin
Thomas Grant Gustin (born January 14, 1990), better known as Grant Gustin, is an American theater and television actor from Norfolk, Virginia.
During his high school years, Grant attended the Governor's School for the Arts program in Norfolk, Virginia for Musical Theatre. In 2008, he graduated from Granby High School and went on to attend the BFA Music Theatre Program at Elon University in North Carolina for two years.
He left school to take the role of Baby John in the Broadway Revival Tour of West Side Story, and performed with the tour from its opening on September 30, 2010 through September 23, 2011.
On November 8, 2011, he debuted on the television series Glee as Sebastian Smythe, an openly gay member of the Dalton Academy Warblers. Gustin won the recurring role of Sebastian, a promiscuous and scheming character, after "an exhaustive, weeks-long casting search". He began filming the role early on Monday, September 26, 2011, after having finished his final West Side Story performance the Friday night before.

wn.com/Grant_Gustin
Gustavus Fox
Gustavus Vasa Fox (June 13, 1821–October 29, 1883) was an officer of the United States Navy, who served during the Mexican-American War, and as Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the Civil War.
He was born at Saugus, Massachusetts, and studied at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts (1835). On 12 January 1838, Fox was appointed midshipman. During the Mexican-American War, he served in the brig Washington in the squadron of Commodore Matthew Perry, and took part in the capture of Tabasco, Mexico, on 14–16 January 1847. He later commanded several mail steamers. He resigned from the Navy on 30 July 1856, and engaged in the manufacture of woolen materials.
At the start of the American Civil War he volunteered for service. President Abraham Lincoln gave him a temporary appointment in the Navy and sent him in the steamer Baltic to the relief of Fort Sumter. Fox could not relieve the fort before Confederate bombardment forced its surrender, but afterwards he brought away the garrison.
On 1 August 1861, Lincoln appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy, an office which he held until the close of the Civil War. In 1866, he was sent on a special mission to Russia; he conveyed the congratulations of the President to Tsar Alexander II upon his escape from assassination. His voyage was made in the monitor Miantonomoh, which was the first vessel of this class to cross the Atlantic. They were accompanied by Augusta.

wn.com/Gustavus_Fox
JoAnn Falletta
JoAnn Falletta (born February 27, 1954, in Queens, New York City) is an American classical musician and orchestral conductor.
Falletta was educated at the Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School in New York City. She began her musical career as a virtuoso guitar and mandolin player, and as a teenager often was called to perform with the Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic when a work called for a mandolin or guitar obbligato. She entered Mannes in 1971 as a guitar student, but began conducting the student orchestra in her freshman year, immediately precipitating her desire for a career as a conductor. While the Mannes administration at that time expressed doubts about the ability of any woman to gain a music directorship, it consented to an official transfer of emphasis for Falletta. After graduation, she pursued further study at Queens College (M.A. in orchestral conducting) and the Juilliard School of Music (M.M., D.M.A. in orchestral conducting). Falletta studied conducting with Jorge Mester, Semyon Bychkov, and others, including master classes under Leonard Bernstein.

wn.com/JoAnn_Falletta
John Ericsson
John Ericsson (July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American inventor and mechanical engineer, as was his brother Nils Ericson. He was born at Långbanshyttan in Värmland, Sweden, but primarily came to be active in England and the United States. He is remembered best for designing the steam locomotive Novelty (in partnership with engineer John Braithwaite) and the ironclad USS Monitor.
John's and Nils's father Olaf Ericsson who worked as the supervisor for a mine in Värmland had lost money in speculations and had to move his family from Värmland to Forsvik in 1810. There he worked as a 'director of blastings' during the excavation of the Swedish Göta Canal. The extraordinary skills of the two brothers were discovered by Baltzar von Platen, the architect of the Göta Canal. The two brothers were dubbed cadets of mechanics of the Swedish Royal Navy and engaged as trainees at the canal enterprise. At the age of fourteen, John was already working independently as a surveyor. His assistant had to carry a footstool for him to reach the instruments during surveying work.

wn.com/John_Ericsson
John Lorimer Worden
John Lorimer Worden (12 March 1818 – 19 October 1897) was a U.S. rear admiral who served in the American Civil War. He commanded Monitor against the Confederate vessel Virginia (originally named Merrimack) in first battle of ironclad ships in 1862.
Worden was born in Sparta, Mount PleasantTownship, Westchester County, New York. He grew up in Fishkill, New York, and was married to Olivia Toffey, the aunt of Daniel Toffey, captain's clerk of the USS Monitor. He was appointed midshipman in the Navy on 10 January 1834. He served his first three years in the sloop-of-war Erie on the Brazil Station. Following that, he was briefly assigned to the sloop Cyane before reporting to the Naval School at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for seven months of instruction. He returned to sea in July 1840 for two years with the Pacific Squadron.
Between 1844 and 1846, Worden was stationed at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. During the Mexican-American War, he cruised the west coast, primarily in the store ship Southampton, but in other ships as well. In 1850, he returned to the Naval Observatory for another two-year tour of duty. The ensuing nine years were filled with sea duty which took Worden on several cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas.

wn.com/John_Lorimer_Worden
Justin Upton
Justin Irvin Upton (born August 25, 1987, in Norfolk, Virginia) is a National Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He was selected first overall by the Diamondbacks in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. Justin is considered a 5-tool player, acknowledged for having hitting prowess as well as solid fielding capabilities. Justin and his brother B.J. Upton of the Tampa Bay Rays are the only brothers in Major League Baseball to ever be selected in the number one and two slots of a first round draft.
He was previously an all-district shortstop for Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, and was awarded the AFLAC National High School Player of the Year Award. He is also the brother of Tampa Bay Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, who was taken at the number two pick in the 2002 draft.
In his first professional season he played for Class-A South Bend Silver Hawks. He began 2007 with the Class-A Advanced Visalia Oaks, but was promoted to the AA Mobile BayBears after hitting .341 with 5 home runs for the Oaks in April.

wn.com/Justin_Upton
Korean War
The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁 or 조선전쟁, Hanja: 韓國戰爭 or 朝鮮戰爭; 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was a war between the Republic of Korea (supported primarily by the United States of America, with contributions from allied nations under the aegis of the United Nations) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (supported by the People's Republic of China, with military and material aid from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). The Korean War was primarily the result of the political division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World War II. The Korean Peninsula was ruled by the Empire of Japan from 1910 until the end of World War II. Following the surrender of the Empire of Japan in September 1945, American administrators divided the peninsula along the 38th parallel, with U.S. military forces occupying the southern half and Soviet military forces occupying the northern half.

wn.com/Korean_War
Lenoir Chambers
Lenoir Chambers (1891-1970) was a writer, biographer and newspaper editor. In 1960, as editor of The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Virginia (now owned by Landmark Communications), he won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for his series of editorials on desegregation and the school integration problem in Virginia. He was elected to the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame in 1991.
Mr. Chambers was also the author of two books: Stonewall Jackson (1959), a two-volume biography of the Civil War general, and Salt Water & Printer's Ink: Norfolk and Its Newspapers (1967), a history of the newspaper industry in Norfolk. Stonewall Jackson was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1960.
As a young man in World War I, he served in 52nd Infantry, Sixth Division, American Expeditionary Forces.
Leidhodlt, Alex, Standing Before the Shouting Mob: Lenoir Chambers and Virginia's Massive Resistance to Public School Integration (University of Alabama Press, 1997)

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Nottz
Dominick Lamb better known by his stage name, Nottz is a music producer, writer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. He sometimes extends his executive name to Nottz Raw.
Nottz has produced for some of the biggest names in hip hop including Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, The Game, Notorious B.I.G., Pusha T, Scarface, J Dilla, and Asher Roth. Some of his earliest production work was on the Rawkus Records compilation Lyricist Lounge, Volume One, in 1998. From there he landed three tracks on Busta Rhymes' Extinction level Event LP, after Rhymes stumbled across one of his beat tapes.
Like many other hip hop producers to emerge before the 2000s, Nottz samples from old (primarily soul) records and film soundtracks to reconstruct new beats. West Coast hip hop icon, Dr. Dre, has named Nottz as one of his favourite producers, and has selected him as one of the few guest producers on his much delayed, yet anticipated Detox album.
Nottz also has a group called D.M.P., which stands for "Durte Muzik Prahdukshun". They released an EP in 2004 and a full length album on Koch Records, titled Nottz Presents D.M.P., in 2005.

wn.com/Nottz
Rob Estes
Robert Estes (born July 22, 1963; Norfolk, Virginia) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Harry Wilson on the Teen drama 90210, as Sgt. Chris Lorenzo on the Crime drama Silk Stalkings, and as Kyle McBride on the Primetime Soap opera Melrose Place.
Estes first became interested in an acting career while training to be a stunt double. One of his first acting jobs was in the daytime drama Days of Our Lives playing Glenn Gallagher (1986–1987, 1999–2000). He later gained widespread recognition for his role as Sergeant Chris Lorenzo in Silk Stalkings (1991–1995), half of the "dynamic duo" alongside Mitzi Kapture.
In 1993, Estes had a guest role on the primetime FOX soap opera Melrose Place, playing Sam Towler. Three years later, the producers of the series brought him back but cast him in a different role, that of restaurateur Kyle McBride. Estes played the role from 1996 to the series' cancellation in 1999.
Following Melrose Place he had guest starring roles on Providence, Suddenly Susan, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and Gilmore Girls. He also performed in theatre, and had roles in Same Time, Next Year (2004) and The Lake (2005).

wn.com/Rob_Estes
Samuel Mason
Samuel Mason or Meason (1739–1803) was a Revolutionary War militia captain on the frontier, who following the war, became the leader of a gang of river pirates and highwaymen on the lower Ohio River and the Mississippi River in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was associated with Cave-in-Rock, Stack Island, and the Natchez Trace.
Mason was born in Norfolk, Virginia and raised in what is now Charles Town, Virginia, where he lived until moving to what is now Ohio County, West Virginia in 1773. During the American Revolution, Samuel Mason was a captain of the Ohio County Militia, Virginia State Forces. According to Ohio County court minutes dated 7 January 1777, Mason was recommended to the governor of Virginia to serve as captain of the militia. On 28 January, he was present and cited as a captain from Ohio county at a “council of war” held Catfish Camp. Catfish Camp was located at or near present Washington, Pennsylvania. On 8 June 1777, Mason wrote a letter from Fort Henry, now Wheeling, West Virginia, to brigadier general Edward Hand, at Fort Pitt. The letter was signed Samuel Meason. On 1 September 1777, he was wounded but survived an ambush by Native Americans near Fort Henry. Most of the men in his company perished during the attack. He moved again in 1779, this time to what is now Washington County, Pennsylvania, where he was elected justice of the peace and later selected as associate judge, leaving for Kentucky in 1784. Mason's surname was spelled interchangeably as Meason in many of the early records. This is explained in at least two family histories of the Mason/Meason family. One is Pioneer Period and Pioneer People of Fairfield County, Ohio by C. M. L. Wiseman, dated 1901, and the other, Torrence and Allied Families by Robert M. Torrence, dated 1938.

wn.com/Samuel_Mason
Scott Rigell
Edward Scott Rigell (born May 28, 1960) is the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 2nd congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Rigell was raised in Titusville, Florida. He served for six years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1978–1984, attaining the rank of Sergeant. His father served in the Marines in World War II, landing on Iwo Jima, and his son is a Marine. He holds an A.A. from Brevard Community College, a B.B.A. from Mercer University, and a M.B.A. from Regent University.
He founded Freedom Automotive in 1991, initially purchasing the former Bruce Flournoy Ford dealership in Norfolk, then expanding to purchase Thompson Ford in Hampton. Later, Rigell subsequently added a Volvo dealership and a Lincoln-Mercury dealer, the former Connolly-Phillips in Chesapeake. He and his wife Teri live in Virginia Beach and have four children. Freedom Automotive distinguished itself by advertisements in which the entire Rigell family appeared, and Rigell himself gave out his personal home phone number to customers, so that they could talk to him directly if they had compliments or complaints. From the beginning, he billed the company as "a different kind of dealership."

wn.com/Scott_Rigell
Stephen Mallory
Stephen Russell Mallory (1812 – November 9, 1873) served in the United States Senate as, Senator (Democrat) from Florida from 1850 to the secession of his home state and the outbreak of the American Civil War. For much of that period, he was chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs. This was a time of rapid naval reform, and he insisted that the ships of the United States Navy should be as capable as those of Great Britain and France, the foremost navies in the world at that time. He also wrote a bill and guided it through Congress that provided for compulsory retirement of officers who did not meet the standards of the profession.
Although he was not a leader in the secession movement, Mallory followed his state out of the Union. When the Confederate States of America was formed, he was named Secretary of the Navy in the administration of President Jefferson Davis. He held the position throughout the existence of the Confederacy. Because of indifference to naval matters by most others in the Confederacy, Mallory was able to shape the Confederate Navy according to the principles he had learned while serving in the US Senate. Some of his ideas, such as the incorporation of armor into warship construction, were quite successful and became standard in navies around the world; on the other hand, the navy was often handicapped by administrative ineptitude in the Navy Department. During the war, he was weakened politically by a Congressional investigation into the Navy Department for its failure in defense of New Orleans. After months of taking testimony, the investigating committee concluded that it had no evidence of wrongdoing on his part.

wn.com/Stephen_Mallory
Steven Newsome
Steven Newsome (born 1952) is an American arts and museum administrator. Newsome grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. He attended Trinity College, Hartford and Emory University. He is the former Chief of the Office of Cultural and Educational Services in the Division of History and Cultural Program at the Department of Housing and Community Development, in Annapolis, Maryland. He was Executive Director of the Maryland Commission on Afro-American History and Culture and director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum. In 1990 he became the director of the Anacostia Museum, before retiring in 2004. Newsome is the founding director of the Prince George's County African American Museum.

wn.com/Steven_Newsome
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt ( /ˈroʊzəvɛlt/ ROH-zə-velt; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) was the 26th President of the United States of America (1901–1909). He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity. He was a leader of the Republican Party and founder of the short-lived Progressive ("Bull Moose") Party of 1912. Before becoming President, he held offices at the city, state, and federal levels. Roosevelt's achievements as a naturalist, explorer, hunter, author, and soldier are as much a part of his fame as any office he held as a politician. Roosevelt was 42 years old when sworn in as President of the United States in 1901, making him the youngest president ever; he beat out the youngest elected president, John F. Kennedy, by only one year. Roosevelt was also one of only three sitting presidents to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the other two being Woodrow Wilson and Barack Obama.

wn.com/Theodore_Roosevelt
Tim Reid
Timothy L. "Tim" Reid (born December 19, 1944) is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Brown on Simon & Simon (1983–87), Ray Campbell on Sister, Sister (1994–99) and William Barnett on That '70s Show (2004-2006). Reid starred in a CBS series, Frank's Place, as a professor who inherits a Louisiana restaurant.
Reid was born in Norfolk, Virginia, the son of Augustine (née Wilkins) and William Lee Reid. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration at Norfolk State College in 1968. Reid also became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. After graduation he was hired by Dupont Corporation, where he worked for three years.
Reid's entertainment career also began in 1968, under atypical circumstances. He and insurance salesman Tom Dreesen met at a Junior Chamber of Commerce meeting near Chicago. They were "put together to promote an anti-drug program in the local schools" and, prompted by a comment from a child, decided to form a comedy team. The team, later billed as "Tim and Tom", was the first interracial comedy duo. Years later, Reid and Dreesen co-wrote a book about those years called Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White (ISBN 978-0-226-70900-0, co-written with sports writer Ron Rapoport).

wn.com/Tim_Reid
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972) better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper. Timbaland's first full credit production work was in 1996 on Ginuwine...the Bachelor for R&B singer Ginuwine. After further work on Aaliyah's 1996 album One in a Million and Missy Elliott's 1997 album Supa Dupa Fly, Timbaland became a prominent producer for R&B and hip-hop artists. As a rapper he initially released several albums with fellow rapper Magoo, but later released his debut solo album Tim's Bio in 1998. In 2007, Timbaland released the first album in his Shock Value series, Timbaland Presents: Shock Value. Then In 2009 Timbaland Presents: Shock Value II. It is expected that Timbaland will release Timbaland Presents: Shock Value III in June 2012.
Timothy Zachery Mosley was born on March 10, 1972 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he was raised. He graduated from Salem High School. During his time as a DJ, he was known as "DJ Tim" or "DJ Timmy Tim". His brother, Sebastian, is nine years younger. Timbaland began making hip hop backing tracks on a Casio keyboard. While attending high school, he began a long-term collaboration with rapper Melvin Barcliff, who performed under the name of Magoo. The teenaged Mosley also joined the production ensemble S.B.I. (which stood for surrounded by idiots) which also featured Neptunes producer Pharrell. Mosley was also high school friends with Terrence and Gene Thorton, who would go on to be known as Pusha T and Malice of the rap group Clipse. In 1986, when Timbaland was 15 years old, he was shot while working a part time job at his local Red Lobster and was partially paralyzed for nine months. During this time, he began to learn how to DJ using his left hand.

wn.com/Timbaland
William Woodford
William Woodford (October 6, 1734 – November 13, 1780) was an American Revolutionary War general from Virginia.
He was born in Caroline County, Virginia, in a town now known as Woodford. He served in the French and Indian War as an ensign in Colonel George Washington's Virginia Regiment, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1761. During that year he served in the Cherokee expedition under William Byrd and Adam Stephen.
At war with Great Britain loomed, Woodford was a delegate to the Third Virginia Convention, and there was appointed colonel in command of the 2nd Virginia Regiment. He drove the royal governor, Lord Dunmore from the Norfolk peninsula after the Battle of Great Bridge on December 9, 1775, the first significant battle of the Revolution on Virginia soil.
Woodford was promoted to brigadier general in February 1777. He was wounded later that year at the Battle of Brandywine, where he and his troops performed well. In 1778 he led his brigade at the Battle of Monmouth where he took control of Comb's Hill and with artillery was able to pound the British left flank.. In late 1779 he and his brigade were sent to join the Southern army, only to be captured at the Siege of Charleston in 1780. He was sent to New York, where he died on board a British prison ship later that year. He was buried at Trinity Church, New York.

wn.com/William_Woodford
World War I
World War I (WWI), which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939 (World War II), and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world's great powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally centred around the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy; but, as Austria–Hungary had taken the offensive against the agreement, Italy did not enter into the war). These alliances both reorganised (Italy fought for the Allies), and expanded as more nations entered the war. Ultimately more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of enormous increases in lethality of weapons, thanks to new technology, without corresponding improvements in protection or mobility. It was the sixth-deadliest conflict in world history, subsequently paving the way for various political changes such as revolutions in the nations involved.

wn.com/World_War_I

Norfolk, VA : Follow the Water

www.norfolkcvb.com...

published: 17 Sep 2008

author: norfolkcvb

Opening Day - Tide Light Rail - Norfolk Virginia

This is me and my friend riding the tide light rail on opening day. We got on at the newto...

published: 24 Feb 2012

author: videoroad2

Landing in Norfolk,Virginia

Landing At Norfolk Int'l Airport in Virginia from Detroit, Michigan...

published: 14 Apr 2007

author: whodatyo

Ghent Norfolk Virginia VA

Ghent Norfolk Virginia Neighborhood Real Estate...

published: 15 Jan 2009

author: NorfolkRealEstate

PRAISE BREAK-- NORFOLK ,VA

THESE WERE SOME DANCING FOOLS!! LOL THEY DANCED FOR 20 MINS BEFORE THEY EVEN OPENED THEIR ...

published: 09 Sep 2010

author: TheAulegend

Jabbawockeez Monsters of Hip Hop Norfolk VA

Jabbawockeez perform at Monsters of Hip Hop in Norfolk, VA on June 21, 2008...

published: 23 Jun 2008

author: jernet

OF TOUR 2012 - NORFOLK, VA

OF TOUR 2012 - NORFOLK, VA...

published: 07 Sep 2012

author: OFWGKTA

Barack Obama in Norfolk, VA: "Enough"

You should be with us in 2012, join now: my.barackobama.com In Norfolk, VA Barack Obama re...

published: 10 Sep 2008

author: BarackObamadotcom

Hurricane Sandy From Norfolk Virginia

Video Footage Shot By My Cousin 10/28/2012 From East Beach In Norfolk Virginia Please Stay...

published: 29 Oct 2012

author: MaKaElectric

State of the City of Norfolk - 2013 Address

Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce presented the 2013 Norfolk State of the City Address del...

published: 09 Feb 2013

author: NorfolkTV

Cessna 150 Night Landing Norfolk (KORF) Virginia Airport

FreePilotTips.com - free tips on IFR, WX, ATC, & more... This is a video of me landing at ...

published: 07 Feb 2006

author: pilotboy17

Disturbed - Decadence (Live @ Norfolk, VA 2006)

This is Disturbed performing Decadence live at Norfolk, Virginia. Enjoy....

published: 07 Jun 2010

author: bloodkillerX

J. Cole performng in Norfolk, VA

J. Cole performing on Wale's "Attention Deficit Tour" at The Norva in Norfolk, VA on April...

published: 13 Apr 2009

author: DreamvilleRecords

One Less Lonely Girl Norfolk, VA WOW 11/13/10

One Less Lonely Girl Norfolk, VA WOW 11/13/10...

published: 14 Nov 2010

author: Dave Reynolds

Fam-Lay - Beach Cruiser hitmybeeper.com

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published: 08 Aug 2011

author: Illusive Media

Travis Sewell's S2000

Travis Sewell's S2000 shot in Norfolk, Virginia....

published: 12 Jun 2012

author: Jared Houston

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This is a preview of an upcoming video highlighting Norfolk, Virginia USA...

published: 15 May 2010

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A walk through beautiful old charm neighborhoods of Norfolk Virginia....

published: 17 May 2010

author: Microdac

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photo: AP / Los Angeles Police Department

This undated photo released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows suspect Christopher Dorner, a former Los Angeles officer.

$1 million reward offered on information on ex-cop Christopher Dorner

Denver Post

11 Feb 2013

A San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy searches a home for Christopher Dorner, a former police officer, on Sunday in Big Bear Lake, Calif. (Jae C. Hong, The Associated Press) ... "We will not tolerate anyone undermining the security of the community," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a news conference. "We will not tolerate this reign of terror." ... "He has targeted those we entrust to protect the public." ... Copyright 2012 The Denver Post ... ....(size: 2.3Kb)

photo: AP / Lee Jin-man

A South Korean man watches a TV news showing a file footage of North Korea's nuclear test at the Seoul train station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013.

‘North Korea conducts third nuclear test’

The Hindu

12 Feb 2013

A magnitude 5.1 “artificial earthquake” was reported near a nuclear test site in North Korea on Tuesday morning, with South Korean Defence Ministry officials telling local media that the seismic activity was the result of a third nuclear test conducted by the reclusive state ... The reported test has, however, not yet been confirmed by North Korean State media ... The move is set to heighten regional tensions ... Keywords....(size: 3.4Kb)

photo: White House / Pete Souza

File - President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia, attend a church service at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013.

North Korea nuclear test puts pressure on Obama

Irish Times

12 Feb 2013

JULIAN BORGER. North Korea’s and Iran’s ambitions to become nuclear powers may make US plans to cut its own warheads difficult to pass. President Barack Obama is expected to address the threat posed by North Korea in tonight’s state of the union speech, after news of Pyongyang’s third underground nuclear test triggered some last-minute rewriting of the presidential text ... Obama speech ... ....(size: 4.8Kb)

photo: AP / Kevin Frayer

An Indian woman weeps as she and other family members mourn next to the body of a relative who was killed in a stampede on a railway platform at the main railway station in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013.

India stampede kills 36 at world's largest religious festival

Daily Press

11 Feb 2013

ALLAHABAD, India (Reuters) - A stampede at a railway station in northern India killed at least 36 Hindu pilgrims on Sunday, the busiest day of the world's largest religious festival at which some 30 million had gathered to wash away their sins in the sacred Ganges river. Twenty-seven of the dead were women, mostly elderly and poor. An eight-year-old girl was also crushed to death ... Daily Press Eyewitness ... M ... ....(size: 5.2Kb)

photo: AP / Riccardo De Luca

Pope Benedict XVI waves to faithful during his weekly audience in St. Peter's square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 11, 2012.

Pope Benedict 'Will Not Interfere In Choosing New Pope'

Peace FM Online

12 Feb 2013

Pope Benedict XVI will not interfere in choosing his successor after his shock decision to resign at the end of the month, the pontiff's brother has said. Georg Ratzinger told the BBC the Pope would only "make himself available" if he were needed. Benedict said on Monday he would resign after nearly eight years as the head of the Catholic Church because he was too old to continue at the age of 85 ... But resignation is extremely rare....(size: 3.8Kb)

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1940 Civil War drama "Virginia City" at BYU film series Feb. 15 (BYU - Brigham Young University)

noodls

13 Feb 2013

adventure "Virginia City" starring Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, and Randolph Scott will have a one-time showing in the auditorium of the Harold B ... The screening of "Virginia City" is sponsored by the Friends of the Lee Library and Special Collections. "Virginia City" is a dramatization of a little-known episode of Civil War history in December 1864, ......(size: 2.1Kb)

ATR Supports Thomas Jefferson Institute's Friendly Amendment to Gov. McDonnell's Transportation Plan (ATR - Americans for Tax Reform)

noodls

13 Feb 2013

This plan appears to be revenue neutral and a step in the right direction for real tax reform in Virginia. Americans for Tax Reform applauds the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy's friendly amendment to the Governor's transportation plan, which addresses maintenance funding for Virginia's transportation system....(size: 3.1Kb)

Mid-State Archery (Flatwoods) to host next Archery in the Schools Instructor Training April 9 - 10 (State of West Virginia)

noodls

13 Feb 2013

State of West Virginia) ... - The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Section (DNR) will hold its next instructor training for the Archery in the Schools (AIS) Program April 9 and 10 at Mid-State Archery in Flatwoods, according to Krista Snodgrass, program coordinator ... This noodl was issued by State of West Virginia and was initially posted at www.wv.gov....(size: 2.8Kb)

Azerbaijani ambassador to visit

Daily Press

13 Feb 2013

WILLIAMSBURG– At first glance, it's hard to see what Williamsburg and Azerbaijan have in common. One's a tiny college town — its glory days of the Colonial period long past — nestled between two major metroplexes on Interstate 64 ... In fact, the most recent tie between Azerbaijan and Virginia is that a Virginia company put Azerbaijan's first satellite in orbit ... The satellite was designed and built in Northern Virginia ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)

Combine Countdown: Watching Rodgers, Geno Smith a 'film junkie'

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

13 Feb 2013

. ... When Jake Spavital returned to his office at West Virginia, quarterback Geno Smith was usually camped out watching tape ... West Virginia’s Smith is the headliner and could go as high as No ... So he started doing the same thing at West Virginia ... There were times at West Virginia when (Smith) had to create things.” ... ... The next week — surrounded by 100,000-plus at Texas — he led West Virginia to a 48-45 win ... State) ... ... ....(size: 9.7Kb)

Businessman, ex-SEAL seeks Mass. US Senate seat

my SA

13 Feb 2013

BOSTON (AP) — Businessman and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez officially launched his U.S. Senate campaign on Tuesday, becoming the second Republican to announce a bid for the seat formerly held by Democrat John Kerry. Gomez, of Cohasset, just southeast of Boston, announced his decision in a statement and a video. He said a formal campaign kickoff would come on Feb ... The primary will be held on April 30 ... Gov ... Norfolk state Rep ... Reps ... Sen ... ....(size: 4.1Kb)

2 USS Monitor sailors to be interred at Arlington

STL Today

13 Feb 2013

The remains of two unknown Union sailors recovered from the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery on March 8, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said Tuesday. "These may very well be the last Navy personnel from the Civil War to be buried at Arlington," Mabus said in a statement ... The Monitor's confrontation with the CSS Virginia ended in a draw. The Virginia, built on the carcass of the U.S ... ___ ... Online.....(size: 3.4Kb)

Scientists study environmental change, while citizens observe it

Sacramento Bee

13 Feb 2013

Thomas Jefferson was one of America's Founding Fathers. He was also a voracious reader and prolific writer. And an inveterate note-taker, cataloging the temperature and humidity observed daily at his Virginia home at Monticello. Indeed, he was an early meteorologist, observing the climate in his area and in the Mid-Atlantic region and committing those observations to paper ... Enter the public media ... Project BudBurst. www.budburst.org....(size: 2.6Kb)

Effective rate

Ohio

13 Feb 2013

Ron Amstutz promises a “deep-dive analysis” of the governor’s budget plan, the chairman of the Ohio House Finance and Appropriations Committee ready to examine how all the parts fit together ... The firm looked at the impact of state and local taxes on oil and gas drilling in eight states, Ohio, Arkansas, Michigan, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia ... ....(size: 2.4Kb)

Reeling Charlotte 49ers facing tough A-10 road hazards

The Charlotte Observer

13 Feb 2013

Charlotte 49ers coach Alan Major neither wants nor expects sympathy about the rugged stretch of the Atlantic 10 schedule his team is working its way through. The 49ers (17-6, 5-4) have lost two straight and four of their past six ... The Bulldogs and Billikens share the conference lead with Virginia Commonwealth, which beat Charlotte 68-61 Saturday at Halton Arena ... “So that’s a very similar stretch for us....(size: 2.6Kb)

ALOHA KUPONO LOW (Carolina RailHawks)

noodls

13 Feb 2013

(Source. Carolina RailHawks) Haga clic aqui para la version en español. The player RailHawks fans have designated as Mr ... Low began his professional career with the Syracuse Salty Dogs in 2004 before moving to Ireland to play with Sligo Rovers for two seasons. Upon returning to the U.S., Low joined the Virginia Beach Mariners where his path would cross with Colin Clarke for the first time ... distributed by ... (noodl. 17525388) ....(size: 2.9Kb)

Dome: Tillis plays finders keepers with budget

The News & Observer

13 Feb 2013

Here’s a little more about House Speaker Thom Tillis’ thinking on budget cuts this year ... But no matter how big the surplus, Tillis said, he would expect state agencies to keep looking for ways to save money. Until now, he said, there hasn’t been any incentive to do that. As a result ... Gov ... McCrory also told those attending Tuesday’s event that he plans to go Washington next week to meet with Virginia Gov ... Gov ... ....(size: 3.4Kb)

NASA accused of technology transfers

The Washington Times

13 Feb 2013

Facebook. Follow @washtimes. Do you think the next pope at the Vatican will be non-European?. View results ... Reps. Frank R. Wolf of Virginia and Lamar Smith of Texas are citing unnamed sources to accuse employees at the NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley of possibly violating International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The U.S ... Melinda Haag, the U.S ... Haag said. “Those allegations are untrue ... Mr ... Mr....(size: 3.8Kb)

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This article is about the city in the United States. For the county in the United Kingdom, see Norfolk. For other uses of the term "Norfolk", see Norfolk (disambiguation).

Norfolk

— Independent city —

Downtown Norfolk skyline, Chrysler Museum of Art, Ocean View Fishing Pier, The Tide light rail, Naval Station Norfolk

Official seal of Norfolk
Seal

Motto: Crescas (Latin for, "Thou shalt grow.")

Norfolk

Coordinates: 36°55′N 76°12′W / 36.917°N 76.2°WCoordinates: 36°55′N 76°12′W / 36.917°N 76.2°W

United States

1682

1736

Government

• Mayor

Paul D. Fraim (D)

Area

• Independent city

249.4 km² (96.3 sq mi)

• Land

139.2 km² (53.7 sq mi)

• Water

110.3 km² (42.6 sq mi)

Elevation

2.13 m (7 ft)

Population (2010 Census)

• Independent city

242,803 (78th)

• Density

1,684.4/km² (4,363/sq mi)

• Urban

1,047,869

• Metro

1,672,319

Time zone

EST (UTC-5)

• Summer (DST)

EDT (UTC-4)

ZIP Code

23501-23515, 23517-23521, 23523, 23529, 23541, 23551

Area code(s)

757

FIPS code

51-57000^[1]

GNIS feature ID

1497051^[2]

Website

http://www.norfolk.gov/

Norfolk ( /ˈnɔrfɨk/ NOR-fək) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census,^[3] it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach.

Norfolk is located at the core of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, named for the large natural harbor of the same name located at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. It is one of nine cities and seven counties that constitute the Hampton Roads metro area, officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA. The city is bordered to the west by the Elizabeth River and to the north by the Chesapeake Bay. It also shares land borders with the independent cities of Chesapeake to its south and Virginia Beach to its east. One of the oldest of the cities in Hampton Roads, Norfolk is considered to be the historic, urban, financial, and cultural center of the region.

The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point. Norfolk Naval Base is the world's largest such base, and the world's largest military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has its defense headquarters here. The city also has the corporate headquarters of Norfolk Southern Railway, one of North America's principal Class I railroads, and Maersk Line, Limited, who manages the world's largest fleet of US-flag vessels. As the city is bordered by multiple bodies of water, Norfolk has many miles of riverfront and bayfront property. It is linked to its neighbors by an extensive network of Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes.

History [link]

Main article: History of Norfolk, Virginia

In 1619, the Governor for the Virginia Colony, Sir George Yeardley established four incorporations, termed citties, for the developed portion of the colony. These formed the basis for colonial representative government in the newly minted House of Burgesses. What would become Norfolk was put under the Elizabeth Cittie incorporation.

In 1622, Adam Thoroughgood (1604–1640) of King's Lynn, Norfolk, England, came to Virginia as an indentured servant. At the end of his contracted servitude, he earned his freedom and became a leading citizen of the fledgling colony.

In 1634 King Charles I reorganized the colony into a system of shires. The former Elizabeth Cittie became Elizabeth City Shire. After persuading 105 people to settle in the colony, Thoroughgood was granted a large land holding along the Lynnhaven River in 1636.

When the South Hampton Roads portion of the shire was partitioned off, Thoroughgood suggested the name of his birthplace for the newly formed New Norfolk County. One year later, it split into two counties, Upper Norfolk County and Lower Norfolk County (present day Norfolk), chiefly on Thoroughgood’s recommendation.^[4]

Tricentennial half dollar commemorative

Where one of Lord Dunmore's shells landed

Joseph Jenkins Roberts, born and raised in Norfolk, became the first President of Liberia.

Norfolk grew in the late 17th century as a "Half Moone" fort was constructed and 50 acres (200,000 m²) were acquired in exchange for 10,000 pounds of tobacco. The House of Burgesses established "Towne of Lower Norfolk County" in 1680.^[5]^[6] In 1691, a final county subdivision took place when Lower Norfolk County split to form Norfolk County (present day Norfolk, Chesapeake, and parts of Portsmouth) and Princess Anne County (present day Virginia Beach). Norfolk was incorporated in 1705 and in 1736, George II granted Norfolk a royal charter as a borough.^[7]

By 1775, Norfolk developed into what contemporary observers argued was the most prosperous city in Virginia. It was an important port for exporting goods to the British Isles and beyond. In part because of its merchants' numerous trading ties with other parts of the British Empire, Norfolk served as a strong base of Loyalist support during the early part of the American Revolution. After fleeing the colonial capitol of Williamsburg, Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, tried to reestablish control of the colony from Norfolk. Dunmore secured small victories at Norfolk but was forced into exile by the American rebels, commanded by Colonel Woodford. His departure brought an end to more than 168 years of British colonial rule in Virginia.^[8]

On New Year's Day, 1776, Lord Dunmore's fleet of three ships shelled the city of Norfolk for over eight hours. The damage from the shells, and fires started by the British and spread by the patriots, destroyed over 800 buildings, almost two-thirds of the city. The patriots destroyed the remaining buildings for strategic reasons in February.^[9] Only the walls of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church survived the bombardment and subsequent fires. A cannonball from the bombardment (fired by the Liverpool) remains within the wall of Saint Paul's.^[10]

Following recovery from the Revolutionary War's burning, the 19th century began inauspiciously for Norfolk and her citizens. In 1804, another serious fire along the city’s waterfront destroyed some 300 buildings and the city experienced a serious economic setback.

During the 1820s, agrarian communities across the American South suffered a prolonged recession, which caused many families to migrate to other areas. Many moved west into the Piedmont, or into Kentucky and Tennessee. Such migration also followed the exhaustion of soil due to tobacco cultivation in the Tidewater. Virginia made various attempts to phase out slavery, either through law (see Thomas Jefferson Randolph's 1832 resolution) or through "repatriation" of blacks to Africa. Many emigrants to Africa from Virginia and North Carolina embarked from the port of Norfolk. Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a native of Norfolk, was an emigrant who became the first president of Liberia.^[11]

In early 1861, Norfolk voters instructed their delegate to vote for ratification of the ordinance of secession. Virginia voted to secede from the Union. In the spring of 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads took place off the northwest shore of the city's Sewell's Point Peninsula, marking the first fight between two ironclads, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. The battle ended in a stalemate, but forever changed the course of naval warfare; from then on, warships were fortified with metal.^[12] In May 1862, Norfolk Mayor William Lamb surrendered the city to General John E. Wool and Union forces. They held the city under martial law for the duration of the Civil War. Thousands of slaves escaped to Union lines to gain their freedom and set up schools in Norfolk so they could start learning before the end of the war.^[13]

1907 brought both the Virginian Railway and the Jamestown Exposition to Sewell's Point. The large Naval Review at the Exposition demonstrated the peninsula's favorable location and laid the groundwork for the world's largest naval base. Commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the exposition featured many prominent officials, including President Theodore Roosevelt, members of Congress, and diplomats from 21 countries.

Logo for Jamestown Exposition in 1907

By 1917, as the US built up to enter World War I, the Naval Air Station Hampton Roads had been constructed on the former exposition grounds.^[14]

In the first half of the 20th century, Norfolk expanded its borders through annexation. In 1906, the city annexed the incorporated town of Berkley, which stretched the city limits across the Elizabeth River.^[15] In 1923, the city expanded to include Sewell's Point, Willoughby Spit, the town of Campostella, and the Ocean View area. The city included the Navy Base and miles of beach property fronting on Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.^[16] After a smaller annexation in 1959, and a 1988 land swap with Virginia Beach, the city assumed its current boundaries.^[17]

With the dawn of the Interstate Highway System, new highways opened in the region. A series of bridges and tunnels constructed during fifteen years linked Norfolk with the Peninsula, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. In 1952, the Downtown Tunnel opened to connect Norfolk with the city of Portsmouth. In 1991, the new Downtown Tunnel/Berkley Bridge complex opened a new system of multiple lanes of highway and interchanges connecting Downtown Norfolk and Interstate 464 with the Downtown Tunnel tubes.^[18] Additional bridges and tunnels included the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel in 1957,^[19] the Midtown Tunnel in 1962,^[20]

Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel

and the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (Interstate 264 and State Route 44) in 1967.^[21]

In reaction to the Supreme Court ruling in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case which held that segregated schools were unconstitutional and order integration, Virginia pursued a policy of "massive resistance". The Virginia General Assembly prohibited state funding for integrated public schools. Norfolk's private schools had voluntarily integrated by choosing to comply with the Brown decision. In 1958, United States district courts in Virginia ordered schools to open for the first time on a racially-integrated basis. In response, Governor James Lindsay Almond, Jr. ordered the schools closed.

Six Norfolk public schools serving over 10,000 Norfolk children were closed. The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals declared the state law to be in conflict with the state constitution and ordered all public schools to be funded, whether integrated or not. About 10 days later, Almond capitulated and asked the General Assembly to rescind several "massive resistance" laws.^[22] In September 1959, 17 black children entered six previously segregated Norfolk public schools. Virginian-Pilot editor Lenoir Chambers editorialized against massive resistance and earned the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing.^[23]

Waterside

After desegregation, and with new suburban developments beckoning, many white middle-class residents moved out of the city along new highway routes, and Norfolk's population fell. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the advent of newer suburban shopping destinations along with freeways spelled demise for the fortunes of downtown's Granby Street commercial corridor, located just a few blocks inland from the waterfront. The opening of malls and large shopping centers drew off retail business from Granby Street.^[24]

Norfolk's city leaders began a long push to revive its urban core. While Granby Street underwent decline, Norfolk city leaders focused on the waterfront and its collection of decaying piers and warehouses. Many obsolete shipping and warehousing facilities were demolished. In their place, planners created a new boulevard, Waterside Drive, along which many of the high-rise buildings in Norfolk's skyline were erected.

The city and The Rouse Company developed the Waterside festival marketplace in 1983 to attract people to the waterfront and catalyze further downtown redevelopment.^[25] Other facilities opened in the ensuing years, including the Harbor Park baseball stadium, home of the Norfolk Tides Triple-A minor league baseball team. In 1995, the Park was named the finest facility in minor league baseball by Baseball America.^[26]

Norfolk's efforts to revitalize its downtown have attracted acclaim from economic development and urban planning circles throughout the country. Downtown's rising fortunes helped to expand the city's revenues and allowed the city to direct attention to other neighborhoods.^[27]

Geography [link]

Newport News, Hampton, Isle of Wight County, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia from space, July 1996. Norfolk is located in the upper right quadrant, and east is at the top.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 96.3 square miles (249 km²), of which, 53.7 square miles (139 km²) of it is land and 42.6 square miles (110 km²) of it (44.22%) is water. Norfolk is located at 36°55′N 76°12′W / 36.917°N 76.2°W / 36.917; -76.2 (36.8857° N, 76.2599° W)

The city is located at the southeastern corner of Virginia at the junction of the Elizabeth River and Chesapeake Bay. The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area (officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA) is the 34th largest in the United States, with a total population of 1,576,370. The area includes the Virginia cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, Surry, and York, as well as the North Carolina county of Currituck. The city of Norfolk is recognized as the central business district, while the Virginia Beach oceanside resort district and Williamsburg are primarily centers of tourism. Virginia Beach is the most populated city within the MSA though it functions more as a suburb.

In addition to extensive riverfront property, Norfolk has miles of bayfront resort property and beaches in the Willoughby Spit and Ocean View communities.

Climate [link]

Norfolk has a humid subtropical climate with moderate changes of seasons. Spring arrives in March with mild days and cool nights, and by late May, the temperature has warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days. Summer temperatures can be unpleasantly hot, often topping 90 °F (32 °C) with high humidity. On average, July is the warmest month of the year, with the maximum average precipitation. Hurricanes and tropical storms usually brush Norfolk and only occasionally make landfalls in the area. Fall is marked by mild to warm days and cooler nights. Winter is usually mild in Norfolk, with the coldest days featuring lows near or slightly above freezing and highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s (8 to 13 °C). On average, the coldest month of the year is January. Norfolk's record high was 105 °F (41 °C) on August 7, 1918 and July 24 and 25, 2010, and record low was −3 °F (−19 °C) recorded on January 21, 1985.^[28] Snow does occur occasionally in winter, with an average annual accumulation of 8.1 inches.^[29]

Climate data for Hampton Roads (Norfolk International Airport)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °F (°C)	48.9 (9.4)	51.6 (10.9)	58.9 (14.9)	68.3 (20.2)	76.1 (24.5)	84.2 (29.0)	88.0 (31.1)	85.8 (29.9)	80.0 (26.7)	70.7 (21.5)	61.8 (16.6)	52.7 (11.5)	68.92 (20.51)
Average low °F (°C)	32.7 (0.4)	34.5 (1.4)	40.6 (4.8)	48.9 (9.4)	58.0 (14.4)	67.3 (19.6)	72.0 (22.2)	70.8 (21.6)	65.3 (18.5)	54.0 (12.2)	44.6 (7.0)	36.2 (2.3)	52.08 (11.15)
Precipitation inches (mm)	3.40 (86.4)	3.12 (79.2)	3.68 (93.5)	3.40 (86.4)	3.41 (86.6)	4.25 (108)	5.14 (130.6)	5.43 (137.9)	4.75 (120.7)	3.41 (86.6)	3.15 (80)	3.26 (82.8)	46.41 (1,178.8)
Snowfall inches (cm)	2.3 (5.8)	2.1 (5.3)	0.3 (0.8)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1.0 (2.5)	5.7 (14.5)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	10.4	9.5	10.6	10.1	10.6	9.9	11.1	10.1	8.8	7.6	8.5	9.8	117
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	1.5	1.3	0.4	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.5	3.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours	170.5	178.0	229.4	252.0	272.8	279.0	279.0	260.4	231.0	207.7	177.0	161.2	2,698
Source: NOAA ^[30], HKO (sun, 1961-1990) ^[31]

Cityscape [link]

Norfolk skyline as seen from Portsmouth, stretching from USS Wisconsin (BB-64) to the Dominion Tower.

Norfolk skyline as seen from Portsmouth, stretching from USS Wisconsin (BB-64) to the Dominion Tower.

A home in the Ghent neighborhood

When Norfolk was first settled, homes were made of wood and frame construction, similar to most medieval English-style homes. These homes had wide chimneys and thatch roofs. Some decades after the town was first laid out in 1682, the Georgian architectural style, which was popular in the South at the time, was used. Brick was considered more substantial construction; patterns were made by brick laid and Flemish bond. This style evolved to include projecting center pavilions, Palladian windows, balustraded roof decks, and two-story porticoes. By 1740, homes, warehouses, stores, workshops, and taverns began to dot Norfolk's streets.

Norfolk was burned down during the Revolutionary War. After the Revolution, Norfolk was rebuilt in Federal style, based on Roman ideals. Federal-style homes kept Georgian symmetry, though they had more refined decorations to look like New World homes. Federal homes had features such as narrow sidelights with an embracing fanlight around the doorway, giant porticoes, gable or flat roofs, and projecting bays on exterior walls. Rooms were oval, elliptical or octagonal. Few of these federal rowhouses remain standing today. A majority of buildings were made of wood and had simple construction.

In the early 19th century, Neoclassical architectural elements began to appear in the federal style row homes, such as iconic columns in the porticoes and classic motifs over doorways and windows. Many Federal-style row houses were modernized by placing a Greek-style porch at the front. Greek and Roman elements were integrated into public buildings such as the old City Hall, the old Norfolk Academy, and the Customs House.

Taylor-Whittle House (ca. 1790), now occupied by the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach and the Norfolk Historical Society^[32]

Greek-style homes gave way to Gothic Revival in the 1830s, which emphasized pointed arches, steep gable roofs, towers and tracer-lead windows. The Freemason Baptist Church and St. Mary's Catholic Church are examples of Gothic Revival. Italianate elements emerged in the 1840s including cupolas, verandas, ornamental brickwork, or corner quoins. Norfolk still had simple wooden structures among its more ornate buildings.

High-rise buildings were first built in the late 19th century when structures such as the current Commodore Maury Hotel and the Royster Building were constructed to form the initial Norfolk skyline. Past styles were revived during the early years of the 20th century. Bungalows and apartment buildings became popular for those living in the city.

As the Great Depression wore on, Art Deco emerged as a popular building style, as evidenced by the Post Office building downtown. Art Deco consisted of streamlined concrete faced appearance with smooth stone or metal, with terracotta, and trimming consisting of glass and colored tiles.

Neighborhoods [link]

Norfolk has a variety of historic neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods, such as Berkley, were formerly cities and towns. Others, such as Willoughby Spit and Ocean View, have a long history tied to the Chesapeake Bay. Today neighborhoods such as Downtown and Ghent have transformed with the revitalization that the city has undergone.

Demographics [link]

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	2,959	—
1800	6,926	134.1%
1810	9,193	32.7%
1820	8,478	−7.8%
1830	9,814	15.8%
1840	10,929	11.4%
1850	14,326	31.1%
1860	14,620	2.1%
1870	19,229	31.5%
1880	21,966	14.2%
1890	34,871	58.7%
1900	46,624	33.7%
1910	67,452	44.7%
1920	115,777	71.6%
1930	129,710	12.0%
1940	144,335	11.3%
1950	213,513	47.9%
1960	305,872	43.3%
1970	307,951	0.7%
1980	266,979	−13.3%
1990	261,229	−2.2%
2000	234,403	−10.3%
2010	242,803	3.6%
Population 1790 - 1990^[33]

Population age distribution for Norfolk

As of the census^[1] of 2010, there were 242,803 people, 86,210 households, and 51,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,362.8 people per square mile (1,684.4/km²). There were 94,416 housing units at an average density of 1,757.3 per square mile (678.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.1% White, 43.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.6% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 44.3% of the population in 2010,^[34] down from 68.5% in 1970.^[35]

There were 86,210 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.07.

The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 18.2% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males. This large gender imbalance is due to the military presence in the city, most notably Naval Station Norfolk.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,815, and the median income for a family was $36,891. Males had a median income of $25,848 versus $21,907 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,372. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) arriving at Naval Station Norfolk

For the year of 2007, Norfolk had a total crime index of 514.7. The national average is 320.9. For 2007, the city experienced 48 homicides giving Norfolk a murder rate of 21.1 per 100,000 residents. Total crime has decreased when compared to the year 2000, which the city had a total crime index of 546.3. The highest murder rate Norfolk has experienced for the 21st century was in 2005 when the city experienced a rate of 24.5 per 100,000 residents. For the year 2007 per 100,000, Norfolk experienced 21.1 murders, 42.6 rapes, 399.3 robberies, 381.3 assaults, 743.3 burglaries, and 450.6 automobile thefts.^[36] According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Norfolk,Virginia ranks as the 87th most dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants.^[37]

Economy [link]

Main article: Economy of Norfolk, Virginia

Since Norfolk serves as the commercial and cultural center for the unusual geographical region of Hampton Roads (and in its political structure of independent cities), it can be difficult to separate the economic characteristics of Norfolk from that of the region as a whole.

The waterways which almost completely surround the Hampton Roads region play an important part in the local economy. As a strategic location at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, its protected deep-water channels serve as a major trade artery for the import and export of goods from across the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and internationally.^[38]

In addition to commercial activities, Hampton Roads is a major military center, particularly for the United States Navy, and Norfolk serves as the home for the most important of these regional installations, Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval station. Located on Sewell's Point Peninsula, in the northwest corner of the city, the installation is the current headquarters of the United States Fleet Forces Command (formerly known as the Atlantic Fleet), as well as being home port for the Second Fleet, which compromises approximately 62,000 active duty personnel, 75 ships, and 132 aircraft. The base also serves as the headquarters to the Allied Command Transformation (NATO) and the United States Joint Forces Command.^[39]

The region also plays an important role in defense contracting, with particular emphasis in the shipbuilding and ship repair businesses for the city of Norfolk. Major private shipyards located in Norfolk or the Hampton Roads area include: Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Northrop Grumman Newport News) in Newport News, BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, General Dynamics NASSCO Norfolk, and Colonna's Shipyard Inc., while the US Navy's Norfolk Naval Shipyard is just across the Downtown Tunnel in Portsmouth. Most contracts fulfilled by these shipyards are issued by the Navy, though some private commercial repair also takes place. Over 35% of Gross Regional Product (which includes the entire Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach MSA), is attributable to defense spending, and that 75% of all regional growth since 2001 is attributable to increases in defense spending.^[40]

A view of Norfolk from Portsmouth

After the military, the second largest and most important industry for Hampton Roads and Norfolk based on economic impact are the region's cargo ports. Headquartered in Norfolk, the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) is a Commonwealth of Virginia owned-entity that, in turn, owns and operates three major port facilities in Hampton Roads for break-bulk and container type cargo. In Norfolk, Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) represents one of those three facilities and is home to the world's largest and fastest container cranes.^[41] Together, the three terminals of the VPA handled a total of over 2 million TEUs and 475,000 tons of breakbulk cargo in 2006, making it the second busiest port on the east coast of North America by total cargo volume after the Port of New York and New Jersey.^[42]

In addition to NIT, Norfolk is home to Lambert's Point Docks, the largest coal trans-shipment point in the Northern Hemisphere, with annual throughput of approximately 48 million tons.^[43] Bituminous coal is primarily sourced from the Appalachian mountains in western Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The coal is loaded onto trains and sent to the port where it is unloaded onto large breakbulk cargo ships and destined for New England, Europe, and Asia.

Between 1925 and 2007, Ford Motor Company operated Norfolk Assembly, a manufacturing plant located on the Elizabeth River that had produced the Model T, sedans and station wagons before building F-150 pick-up trucks.^[44] Before it closed, the plant employed more than 2,600 people at the 2,800,000-square-foot (260,000 m²) facility.^[44]^[44]

Dominion Square, headquarters of Dominion Enterprises

Most major shipping lines have a permanent presence in the region with some combination of sales, distribution, and/or logistical offices, many of which are located in Norfolk. In addition, many of the largest international shipping companies have chosen Norfolk as their North American headquarters. These companies are either located at the Norfolk World Trade Center building or have constructed buildings in the Lake Wright Executive Center office park. The French firm CMA CGM, the Israeli firm Zim Integrated Shipping Services, and Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary of the world's largest shipping line, A. P. Moller-Maersk Group, have their North American headquarters in Norfolk.^[45]^[46]^[47] Major companies headquartered in Norfolk include Norfolk Southern,^[48] Landmark Communications,^[49] Dominion Enterprises,^[50] FHC Health Systems (parent company of ValueOptions),^[51] Portfolio Recovery Associates,^[52] and BlackHawk Products Group.^[53]

Nauticus and USS Wisconsin

Though Virginia Beach and Williamsburg have traditionally been the centers of tourism for the region, the rebirth of downtown Norfolk and the construction of a cruise ship pier at the foot of Nauticus in downtown has driven tourism to become an increasingly important part of the city's economy. The number of cruise ship passengers who visited Norfolk increased from 50,000 in 2003, to 107,000 in 2004 and 2005. Also in April 2007, the city completed construction on a $36 million state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal alongside the pier.^[54] Partly due to this construction, passenger counts dropped to 70,000 in 2006, but is expected to rebound to 90,000 in 2007, and higher in later years. Unlike most cruise ship terminals which are located in industrial areas, the downtown location of Norfolk's terminal has received favorable reviews from both tourists and the cruise lines who enjoy its proximity to the city's hotels, restaurants, shopping, and cultural amenities.^[55]

Hampton Roads is home to four Fortune 500 companies. Representing the food industry, transportation, retail and healthcare, these four companies are located in Smithfield, Norfolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.

2011 Fortune 500 Corporations^[56]

Arts and culture [link]

Main article: Culture in Norfolk, Virginia

The MacArthur Statue

Norfolk is the cultural heart of the Hampton Roads region. In addition to its museums, Norfolk is the principal home for several major performing arts companies. Norfolk also plays host to numerous yearly festivals and parades, mostly at Town Pointe Park in downtown.

Nauticus

The Chrysler Museum of Art, located in the Ghent district, is the region's foremost art museum and is considered by The New York Times to be the finest in the state.^[57] Of particular note is the extensive glass collection and American neoclassical marble sculptures.

Nauticus, the National Maritime Center, opened on the downtown waterfront in 1994. It features hands-on exhibits, interactive theaters, aquaria, digital high-definition films and an extensive variety of educational programs. Since 2000, Nauticus has been home to the battleship USS Wisconsin, the last battleship to be built in the United States. It served briefly in World War II and later in the Korean and Gulf Wars.^[58]

The General Douglas MacArthur Memorial, located in the 19th century Norfolk court house and city hall in downtown, contains the tombs of the late General and his wife, a museum and a vast research library, personal belongings (including his famous corncob pipe) and a short film that chronicles the life of the famous General of the Army.^[59]

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the world's largest animal rights organization, is based in Norfolk.^[60]

The Hermitage Foundation Museum, located in an early 20th century Tudor-style home on a 12-acre (49,000 m²) estate fronting the Lafayette River, features an eclectic collection of Asian and Western art, including Chinese bronze and ceramics, Persian rugs, and ivory carvings.^[61]

Harrison Opera House

Norfolk has a variety of performing groups with regular seasons.

The Virginia Opera was founded in Norfolk in 1974. Its artistic director since its inception has been Peter Mark,^[62] who conducted his 100th opera production for the VOA in 2008. Though performances are staged statewide, the company's principal venue is the Harrison Opera House in the Ghent district.^[63]

The Virginia Stage Company, founded in 1968, is one of the country's leading regional theaters and produces a full season of plays in the Wells Theatre downtown. The company shares facilities with the Governor's School for the Arts.^[64]

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1920 and directed by JoAnn Falletta, has been a regular staple on the regional fine arts scene. Most Norfolk performances take place at Chrysler Hall in the Scope complex downtown. The orchestra also provides musicians for many other performing arts organizations in the area.^[65]

Large-scale concerts are held at either the Norfolk Scope arena or the Ted Constant Convocation Center at ODU, while The Norva provides a more intimate atmosphere for smaller groups. Other Norfolk cultural venues include the Attucks Theatre, the Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Canter (formerly the Loew's State Theater) and the Naro Expanded Cinema.

The revitalization of downtown Norfolk has helped to improve the Hampton Roads cultural scene. In particular, a large number of clubs,^[66] representing a wide range of music interests and sophistication now line the lower Granby Street area.^[67]

Norfolk celebrates the rich ethnic diversity of its population with sights, sounds, attractions and special events that pay tribute to the city’s long multicultural heritage.^[68]

Sports [link]

Main article: Sports in Norfolk, Virginia

Harbor Park

The Norfolk Scope

From 1970 to 1976, Norfolk served as home court (along with Hampton, Richmond and Roanoke) for the Virginia Squires regional professional basketball franchise of the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA). From 1970 to 1971, the Squires played their Norfolk home games at the Old Dominion University Fieldhouse. In November 1971, the Virginia Squires played their Norfolk home games at the new Norfolk Scope arena, until the team and the ABA league folded in May 1976.^[69]

In 1971, Norfolk built an entertainment and sports complex, featuring Chrysler Hall and the 13,800-seat Norfolk Scope indoor arena, located in the northern section of downtown. Norfolk Scope has served as a venue of major events including the American Basketball Association's All-Star Game in 1974,^[70] and the first and second NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships (also known as the Women's Final Four) in 1982 and 1983.^[71]^[72] The Norfolk Scope has served as the site of many professional wrestling events, including Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Destination X and World Championship Wrestling's World War 3. Norfolk Scope was also the site of an infamous episode of WCW Monday Nitro, where several World Wrestling Federation wrestlers literally drove a tank to the entryway of the Scope, thus "invading" the competition.

Currently, Norfolk serves as home to the two highest level professional franchises in the state of Virginia, the Norfolk Tides of the International League and the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League. On the collegiate level, the Old Dominion Monarchs and the Norfolk State University Spartans provide many sports including football, basketball, and baseball. Virginia Wesleyan College also provides sports at the NCAA Division III level.^[73]^[74]^[75]^[76]^[77]

A July 2010 announcement that the UFL had definitively set Norfolk as an expansion city in 2011 brings a form of professional football to the region.^[78] Additionally, Norfolk is also home to the Norfolk Blues Rugby Football Club.

Parks and recreation [link]

Norfolk Botanical Garden

Town Point Park in downtown plays host to a wide variety of annual events from early spring through late fall. Harborfest, the region's largest annual festival, celebrated its 30th year in 2006. It is held during the first weekend of June and celebrates the region's proximity and attachment to the water. The Parade of Sail (numerous tall sailing ships from around the world form in line and sail past downtown before docking at the marina), music concerts, regional food, and a large fireworks display highlight this three-day festival.^[79] Bayou Boogaloo and Cajun Food Festival, a celebration of the Cajun people and culture, had small beginnings. This three-day festival during the third week of June has become one of the largest in the region and, in addition to serving up Cajun cuisine, also features Cajun music.^[79] Norfolk's Fourth of July celebration of American independence, contains a spectacular fireworks display and a special Navy reenlistment ceremony.^[79] The Norfolk Jazz Festival, though smaller by comparison to some of the big city jazz festivals, still manages to attract the country's top jazz performers. It is held in August.^[79] The Town Point Virginia Wine Festival has become a showcase for Virginia-produced wines and has enjoyed increasing success over the years. Virginia's burgeoning wine industry has become noted both within the United States and on an international level. The festival has grown with the industry. Wines can be sampled and then purchased by the bottle and/or case directly from the winery kiosks. This event takes place during the third weekend of October. There is also a Spring Wine Festival held during the second weekend of May.^[79]

The St. Patrick's Day annual parade in the city's Ocean View neighborhood, celebrates Ocean View's rich Irish heritage.^[80]

Virginia Zoo

Norfolk has a variety of parks^[81] and open spaces in its city parks system. The city maintains three beaches on its north shore in the Ocean View area. Five additional parks contain picnic facilities and playgrounds for children. The city also has some community pools open to city citizens.^[82]

The Norfolk Botanical Garden, opened in 1939, is a 155-acre (0.6 km²) botanical garden and arboretum located near the Norfolk International Airport. It is open year round.^[83]

The Virginia Zoological Park, opened in 1900, is a 65-acre (260,000 m²) zoo with hundreds of animals on display, including the critically endangered Siberian Tiger and threatened White Rhino.^[84]

The city is also known for its "Mermaids on Parade," a public art program launched in 2002 to place mermaid statues all over the city. Tourists can take a walking tour of downtown and locate 17 mermaids while others can be found further afield.^[85]

Government [link]

Norfolk, as seen from the Portsmouth waterfront.

Norfolk is an independent city with services that both counties and cities in Virginia provide, such as a sheriff, social services, and a court system. Norfolk operates under a council-manager form of government.

Norfolk city government consists of a city council with representatives from seven districts serving in a legislative and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large mayor. The city manager serves as head of the executive branch and supervises all city departments and executing policies adopted by the Council. Citizens in each of the five wards elect one council representative each to serve a four-year term. There are two additional council members elected from two city-wide "Superwards." The city council meets at City Hall weekly^[86] and, as of May, 2012, consists of: Mayor Paul D. Fraim; Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot, Ward 3; Angelia Williams, Superward 7; Paul R. Riddick, Ward 4; Dr. Theresa W. Whibley, Ward 2; Andrew A. Protogyrou, Ward 1; Barclay C. Winn, Superward 6; Thomas R. Smigiel, Jr., Ward 5.^[86]

City government has infrastructure to create close working relationships with its citizens. Norfolk's city government provides services for neighborhoods, including service centers and civic leagues that interact directly with members of City Council. Such services include preserving area histories, home rehabilitation centers, outreach programs, and a university that trains citizens in neighborhood clean-up, event planning, neighborhood leadership, and financial planning.^[87] Norfolk's police department also provides support for neighborhood watch programs including a citizens' training academy, security design, a police athletic program for youth, and business watch programs.^[88]

Norfolk also has a federal courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Courthouse in Norfolk has four judges, four magistrate judges, and two bankruptcy judges.^[89] Additionally, Norfolk has its own General District and Circuit Courts which convene downtown.^[90]

Norfolk is located in the Virginia's 2nd congressional district, served by U.S. Representative Scott Rigell and in the Virginia's 3rd congressional district, served by U.S. Representative Robert C. Scott.

Education [link]

Main article: Education in Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk City Public Schools, the public school system, comprises five high schools, eight middle schools, 34 elementary schools, and nine special-purpose/preschools. In 2005, Norfolk Public Schools won the $1 million Broad Prize for Urban Education award for having demonstrated, "the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps for poor and minority students".^[91] The city had previously been nominated in 2003 and 2004. There are also a number of private schools located in the city, the oldest of which, Norfolk Academy, was founded in 1728. Religious schools located in the city include St. Pius X Catholic School, Holy Trinity Parish School, Alliance Christian School, Christ the King School,]Norfolk Christian Schools and Trinity Lutheran School.^[92] The City also hosts the Governor's School for the Arts which holds performances and classes at the Wells Theatre.

The Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk is home to three public universities and one private. It also hosts a community college campus in downtown. Old Dominion University, founded as the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary in 1930, became an independent institution in 1962 and now offers degrees in 68 undergraduate and 95 (60 masters/35 doctoral) graduate degree programs. Eastern Virginia Medical School, founded as a community medical school by the surrounding jurisdictions in 1973, is noted for its research into reproductive medicine^[93] and is located in the region's major medical complex in the Ghent district. Norfolk State University is the largest majority black university in Virginia and offers degrees in a wide variety of liberal arts.^[94] Virginia Wesleyan College is a small private liberal arts college, and shares its eastern border with the neighboring city of Virginia Beach.^[95] Tidewater Community College offers two-year degrees and specialized training programs, and is located in downtown. Additionally, several for-profit schools operate in the city.

Norfolk Public Library, Virginia's first public library, offer ten locations around the city and a bookmobile. The library also has a local history and genealogy room and contains government documents dating back to the 19th century. The libraries offer services such as computer classes, book reviews, tax forms, and online book clubs.^[96]

Media [link]

Norfolk's daily newspaper is The Virginian-Pilot. Its alternative papers include the (now defunct) Port Folio Weekly, the New Journal and Guide, and the online AltDaily.com. Inside Business serves the regional business community with local business news.^[97]

Local universities publish their own newspapers: Old Dominion University's Mace and Crown, Norfolk State University's The Spartan Echo, and Virginia Wesleyan College's Marlin Chronicles.^[97]

Hampton Roads Magazine serves as a bi-monthly regional magazine for Norfolk and the Hampton Roads area.^[98]

Hampton Roads Times (HamptonRoadsTimes.com) serves as an online magazine for Norfolk and the Hampton Roads area.

Norfolk is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials, with towers located around the Hampton Roads area. These cater to many different interests, including news, talk radio, and sports, as well as an eclectic mix of musical interests.^[99]

Norfolk is also served by several television stations. The Hampton Roads designated market area (DMA) is the 42nd largest in the U.S. with 712,790 homes (0.64% of the total U.S.).^[100] The major network television affiliates are WTKR-TV 3 (CBS), WAVY 10 (NBC), WVEC-TV 13 (ABC), WGNT 27 (CW), WTVZ 33 (MyNetworkTV), WVBT 43 (Fox), and WPXV 49 (Ion Television). The Public Broadcasting Service station is WHRO-TV 15. Norfolk residents also can receive independent stations, such as WSKY broadcasting on channel 4 from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and WGBS broadcasting on channel 7 from Hampton.

Several major motion pictures have been filmed in and around Norfolk include Rollercoaster (filmed at the former Ocean View Amusement Park), Navy Seals, and Mission: Impossible III (partially filmed at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel).^[101]

Infrastructure [link]

Transportation [link]

Main articles: Transportation in Norfolk and Hampton Roads Transit

File:HRT 1603 at Norfolk General.jpg

Hampton Roads Transit bus at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

Norfolk is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of arterial and Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes. The major east-west routes are Interstate 64, U.S. Route 58 (Virginia Beach Boulevard) and U.S. Route 60 (Ocean View Avenue). The major north-south routes are U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 460, also known as Granby Street. Other main roadways in Norfolk include Newtown Road, Waterside Drive, Tidewater Drive, and Military Highway. The Hampton Roads Beltway (I-64 and its spurs I-264, I-464, and I-664) makes a loop around Norfolk.

Norfolk is primarily served by the Norfolk International Airport (IATA: ORF, ICAO: KORF, FAA LID: ORF), now the region's major commercial airport. The airport is located near Chesapeake Bay, along the city limits straddling neighboring Virginia Beach.^[102] Seven airlines provide nonstop services to twenty five destinations. ORF had 3,703,664 passengers take off or land at its facility and 68,778,934 pounds of cargo were processed through its facilities.^[103] Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport also provides commercial air service for the Hampton Roads area.^[104] The Chesapeake Regional Airport provides general aviation services and is located five miles (8 km) outside the city limits.

Norfolk is served by Amtrak through the Newport News station, via connecting buses. The line runs west along the Virginia Peninsula to Richmond and points beyond. A high speed rail connection at Richmond to both the Northeast Corridor and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor are also under study.^[105]

Greyhound provides service from a central bus terminal in downtown Norfolk. Bus service to New York City via the Chinatown bus, Today's Bus, is located on Newtown road.^[106]

In April 2007, construction of the new $36 million Half Moone Cruise Terminal was completed downtown adjacent to the Nauticus Museum, providing a state-of-the-art permanent structure for various cruise lines and passengers wishing to embark from Norfolk. Previously, makeshift structures were used to embark/disembark passengers, supplies, and crew.^[54]

The Intracoastal Waterway passes through Norfolk. Norfolk also has extensive frontage and port facilities on the navigable portions of the Western and Southern branches of the Elizabeth River.

Ferry To Portsmouth

Light rail, bus, ferry and paratransit services are provided by Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), the regional public transport system headquartered in Hampton. HRT buses operate throughout Norfolk and South Hampton Roads and onto the Peninsula all the way up to Williamsburg. Other routes travel to Smithfield. HRT's ferry service connects downtown Norfolk to Old Town Portsmouth.^[107] Additional services include an HOV express bus to the Norfolk Naval Base, paratransit services, park-and-ride lots, and the Norfolk Electric Trolley, which provides service in the downtown area.^[108] The Tide light rail service began operations in August 2011.^[109] The light rail is a starter route running along the southern portion of Norfolk, commencing at Newtown Road and passing through stations serving areas such as Norfolk State University and Harbor Park before going through the heart of downtown Norfolk and terminating at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.^[110] Hampton Roads Transportation, Inc. dispatches Black and White Cabs of Norfolk, Yellow Cab of Norfolk and Norfolk Checker Cab.

Utilities [link]

Water and sewer services are provided by the city's Department of Utilities. Norfolk receives its electricity from Dominion Virginia Power which has local sources including the Chesapeake Energy Center (a gas power plant), coal-fired plants in Chesapeake and Southampton County, and the Surry Nuclear Power Plant. Norfolk-headquartered Virginia Natural Gas, a subsidiary of AGL Resources, distributes natural gas to the city from storage plants in James City County and Chesapeake.

Norfolk's water quality has been recognized as the fourth best in the United States by Men's Health.^[111] The city of Norfolk owns nine reservoirs: Lake Whitehurst, Little Creek Reservoir, Lake Lawson, Lake Smith, Lake Wright, Lake Burnt Mills, Western Branch Reservoir, Lake Prince and Lake Taylor.^[112] The Virginia tidewater area has grown faster than the local freshwater supply. The river water has always been salty, and the fresh groundwater is no longer available in most areas. Currently, water for the tidewater area is pumped from Lake Gaston, which straddles the Virginia-North Carolina borderm along with the Blackwater and Nottoway rivers. The pipeline is 76 miles (122 km) long and 60 inches (1,500 mm) in diameter. Much of its follows the former right-of-way of an abandoned portion of the Virginian Railway.^[113] It is capable of pumping 60 million gallons of water per day(60MGD); Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are partners in the project.^[114]

The city provides wastewater services for residents and transports wastewater to the regional Hampton Roads Sanitation District treatment plants.^[111]

Healthcare [link]

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

Because of the prominence of the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and V.A. Hospital in Hampton, Norfolk has had a strong role in medicine. Norfolk is served by Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara Leigh Hospital, and Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center. The city is also home to the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.^[115]

Norfolk is home to Eastern Virginia Medical School, which is known for its specialists in diabetes, dermatology, and obstetrics. It achieved international fame on March 1, 1980, when Drs. Georgianna and Howard Jones opened the first [[in^[116] vitro fertilization]] clinic in the U.S. at EVMS. The country's first in vitro test-tube baby was born there in December 1981.^[117]

The international headquarters of Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization that specializes in repairing facial deformities in underprivileged children from around the globe, is located in the city.^[118]

Physicians for Peace,^[119] a non profit that focuses on providing training and education to medical professionals in the developing world, is based in Norfolk.

Sister cities [link]

Norfolk has seven sister cities:^[120]

Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan (1963)
Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony, Germany (1976)
Norfolk (County), United Kingdom (1986)
Karachi, Pakistan
Toulon, France (1989) (Europe's largest military harbour)
Kaliningrad, Russia (1992)
Halifax, Nova Scotia (2006)
Cagayan de Oro, Philippines (2008)
Kochi, India, 2010^[121]

Notable people [link]

David S. Bill III, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral
Clarence Clemons, saxophonist with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band
Rob Estes, actor
Grant Gustin, actor, singer
William Hockstedler, United States Air Force Liaison to the Defense Intelligence Agency United States Air Force
Samuel Mason, Revolutionary War soldier and early American outlaw
Steven Newsome, arts and museum administrator^[122]
Nottz, musician, hip-hop producer
Tim Reid, actor
Timbaland, musician, hip-hop producer
Patrick Wilson, actor
David Wright, Major League third baseman for the New York Mets
B. J. Upton, Major League outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays
Justin Upton, Major League outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks

References [link]

^ ^a ^b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
^ "Weldon Cooper Center 2010 Census Count". Coopercenter.org. http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
^ "The Origins of Norfolk's Name". Norfolk Historical Society. http://www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/04.html. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
^ "The "Half Moone" Fort". Norfolk Historical Society. http://www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/06.html. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
^ "The Birth of "Norfolk Towne"". Norfolk Historical Society. http://www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/07.html. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
^ "Norfolk Becomes a Borough". Norfolk Historical Society. http://www.norfolkhistorical.org/highlights/09.html. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
^ "Cultural & Political Chronology (1750-1783)". Colonial Williamsburg. http://www.history.org/Almanack/resources/dateline/polcron.cfm#seeds. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
^ Guy, Louis L. jr.Norfolk's Worst Nightmare, Norfolk Historical Society Courier (Spring 2001)- accessed 2008-01-03
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^ U.S. Courts - Norfolk courthouse
^ Norfolk Courts Dockets^{[dead link]}
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^ Holmes, Gary. "Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006-2007 Season." Nielsen Media Research. September 23, 2006. Retrieved on September 28, 2007.
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External links [link]

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Startup Competition
AltDaily.com Norfolk Community Resource
City of Norfolk
Norfolk Sheriff's Office
Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance (serving Norfolk)
Norfolk Convention and Visitor's Bureau
Norfolk Historical Society
Downtown Norfolk Council
Cosmopolitan Makeover for a Tidewater Backwater - New York Times
Norfolk Highlights 1584 - 1881 by George Holbert Tucker
Main Street, Norfolk in 1910

	City of Hampton	Chesapeake Bay
City of Portsmouth		City of Virginia Beach
	Norfolk, Virginia East

	City of Chesapeake

v t e City of Norfolk

Topics	Downtown · History · Neighborhoods · Culture · People · Sports · Media · Education · Economy · Transportation · Elizabeth River

Attractions	Nauticus • Chrysler Hall • Chrysler Museum of Art • Virginia Zoo • Waterside • Harbor Park • Wells Theatre • Mermaids

Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area · Virginia · United States

v t e Hampton Roads

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News Metropolitan Area

Major Cities	Chesapeake Hampton Newport News Norfolk Portsmouth Suffolk Virginia Beach

Counties	Currituck Gloucester Isle of Wight James City Mathews Surry York

Other cities	Franklin Poquoson Williamsburg

Towns	Claremont Dendron Smithfield Surry Windsor

Sub-regions	South Hampton Roads Virginia Peninsula

Topics	Transportation People History Battle of Hampton Roads

Note: Italic indicates independent city not part of any county

v t e Commonwealth of Virginia

Richmond (capital)

Topics	Climate Colleges and universities Colony Congressional Districts Culture Delegations Demographics Economy Education Environment Furniture Geography Government Governors History Historic Landmarks Magisterial Districts Homes Music People Police Politics Rights Rivers School divisions Scouting Slogan Sports teams State Fair State parks Symbols Towns Transportation Tribes Visitor Attractions

Regions	Allegheny Mountains Atlantic Coastal Plain Blue Ridge Chesapeake Bay Cumberland Mountains Delmarva Peninsula Eastern Shore Hampton Roads Middle Peninsula Northern Neck Northern Virginia Piedmont Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians Shenandoah Valley South Hampton Roads Southside Southwest Virginia Tennessee Valley Tidewater Tri-Cities Virginia Peninsula

Metro areas	Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Bluefield Bristol Charlottesville Culpeper Danville Fredericksburg Harrisonburg Lynchburg Martinsville Richmond Roanoke Staunton Hampton Roads Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Waynesboro Winchester

Counties	Accomack Albemarle Alleghany Amelia Amherst Appomattox Arlington Augusta Bath Bedford Bland Botetourt Brunswick Buchanan Buckingham Campbell Caroline Carroll Charles City Charlotte Chesterfield Clarke Craig Culpeper Cumberland Dickenson Dinwiddie Essex Fairfax Fauquier Floyd Fluvanna Franklin Frederick Giles Gloucester Goochland Grayson Greene Greensville Halifax Hanover Henrico Henry Highland Isle of Wight James City King and Queen King George King William Lancaster Lee Loudoun Louisa Lunenburg Madison Mathews Mecklenburg Middlesex Montgomery Nelson New Kent Northampton Northumberland Nottoway Orange Page Patrick Pittsylvania Powhatan Prince Edward Prince George Prince William Pulaski Rappahannock Richmond Roanoke Rockbridge Rockingham Russell Scott Shenandoah Smyth Southampton Spotsylvania Stafford Surry Sussex Tazewell Warren Washington Westmoreland Wise Wythe York

Independent cities	Alexandria Bedford Bristol Buena Vista Charlottesville Chesapeake Colonial Heights Covington Danville Emporia Fairfax Falls Church Franklin Fredericksburg Galax Hampton Harrisonburg Hopewell Lexington Lynchburg Manassas Manassas Park Martinsville Newport News Norfolk Norton Petersburg Poquoson Portsmouth Radford Richmond Roanoke Salem Staunton Suffolk Virginia Beach Waynesboro Williamsburg Winchester

v t e The Battle of Hampton Roads

People	Gideon Welles Franklin Buchanan Catesby ap Roger Jones Gustavus Fox Stephen Mallory French Forrest John Ericsson John Lorimer Worden John Marston

Ships	USS Congress USS Cumberland USS Zouave CSS Virginia USS Merrimack USS Roanoke USS Minnesota USS Monitor USS St. Lawrence CSS Beaufort CSS Raleigh CSS Patrick Henry CSS Jamestown

Places	Hampton Roads Tidewater James River Elizabeth River Norfolk Fort Monroe

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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.

This article is about the county in England. For the city in the United States, see Norfolk, Virginia. For other uses of the term "Norfolk", see Norfolk (disambiguation).

Norfolk


Geography
Status	Ceremonial and non-metropolitan county
Region	East of England^[1]
Area - Total - Admin. council	Ranked 5th 5,371 km² (2,074 sq mi) Ranked 5th
Admin HQ	Norwich
ISO 3166-2	GB-NFK
ONS code	33
NUTS 3	UKH13
Demography
Population - Total (2010 est.) - Density - Admin. council	Ranked 25th 862,400 161 /km² (420 /sq mi) Ranked 7th
Ethnicity	98.5% white
Politics
Arms of Norfolk County Council with supporters Norfolk County Council http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/
Executive	Conservative
Members of Parliament	Richard Bacon (C) Henry Bellingham (C) Elizabeth Truss (C) Chloe Smith (C) Norman Lamb (LD) Brandon Lewis (C) George Freeman (C) Keith Simpson (C) Simon Wright (LD)
Districts
Norwich South Norfolk Great Yarmouth Broadland North Norfolk King's Lynn and West Norfolk Breckland

Norfolk ( /ˈnɔrfək/) is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The city of Norwich is the county town at Norfolk which is fifth largest ceremonial county in England, with an area of 5,371 km² (2,074 sq mi).

Of the 34 non-metropolitan English counties, Norfolk is the seventh most populous, with a population of 850,800 (mid 2008). However, as a largely rural county it has a low population density, 155 people per square kilometre (or 401 per square mile). Norfolk has about one-thirtieth the population density of central London, the tenth lowest density county in the country, with 38% of the county’s population living in the four major built up areas of Norwich (195,000), Great Yarmouth (67,000), King's Lynn (41,000) and Thetford (22,000).^[2] The Broads, a well known network of rivers and lakes, is located towards the county's east coast, bordering Suffolk. The area has the status of a National Park and is protected by the Broads Authority.^[3] Historical sites, such as those in the centre of Norwich, also contribute to tourism.

1 History
2 Economy and industry
3 Education
- 3.1 Primary and secondary education
- 3.2 Tertiary education
4 Politics
5 Settlements
6 Transport
7 Dialect, accent and nickname
8 Tourism
- 8.1 Amusement parks and zoos
- 8.2 Theatres
9 Notable people from Norfolk
10 People associated with Norfolk
11 See also
12 References
13 External links

History [link]

Main article: Prehistoric Norfolk

Main article: History of Norfolk

Norfolk was settled in pre-Roman times, with camps along the higher land in the west where flints could be quarried.^[4] A Brythonic tribe, the Iceni, inhabited the county from the first century BC, to the end of the first century (AD). The Iceni revolted against the Roman invasion in 47 AD, and again in 60 AD led by Boudica. The crushing of the second rebellion opened the county to the Romans. During the Roman era in Norfolk roads and ports were constructed throughout the county and farming took place.

Situated on the east coast, Norfolk was vulnerable to invasions from Scandinavia and northern Europe, and forts were built to defend against the Angles and Saxons. By the 5th century the Angles, after whom East Anglia and England itself are named, had established control of the region and later became the "north folk" and the "south folk", hence, "Norfolk" and "Suffolk". Norfolk, and several adjacent areas, became the kingdom of East Anglia, later merging with Mercia and then Wessex. The influence of the Early English settlers can be seen in the many place names ending in "-ton", and "-ham", as well as "-by" or "-thorpe" for Danish place names, In the 9th century the region again came under attack, this time from Danes who killed the king, Edmund the Martyr. In the centuries before the Norman Conquest the wetlands of the east of the county began to be converted to farmland, and settlements grew in these areas. Migration into East Anglia must have been high, as by the time of the Conquest and Domesday Book survey, it was one of the most densely populated parts of the British Isles. During the high and late Middle Ages the county developed arable agriculture and woollen industries. Norfolk's prosperity at that time is evident from the county's large number of mediaeval churches: of an original total of over one thousand, 659 survive, more than in the whole of the rest of Great Britain.^[5] The economy was in decline by the time of the Black Death, which dramatically reduced the population in 1349; suffice to say that the current population has yet to equal the population before that time. Over one-third of the population of Norwich died during a plague epidemic in 1579.^[6] By the 16th century Norwich had grown to become the second largest city in England, but in 1665 the Great Plague again killed around one third of the population.^[7] During the English Civil War Norfolk was largely Parliamentarian. The economy and agriculture of the region declined somewhat, and during the industrial revolution Norfolk developed little industry except in Norwich and was a late addition to the railway network.

In the 20th century the county developed a role in aviation. The first development in airfields came with the First World War; there was then a massive expansion during the Second World War with the growth of the Royal Air Force and the influx of the American USAAF 8th Air Force which operated from many Norfolk Airfields. During the Second World War agriculture rapidly intensified, and has remained very intensive since, with the establishment of large fields for cereal and oil seed rape growing. Norfolk's low-lying land and easily eroded cliffs, many of which are chalk and clay, make it vulnerable to the sea, the most recent major event being the North Sea flood of 1953.

The low-lying section of coast between Kelling and Lowestoft Ness in Suffolk is currently managed by the Environment Agency to protect the Broads from sea flooding. Management policy for the North Norfolk coastline is described in the North Norfolk Shoreline Management Plan which was published in 2006 but has yet to be accepted by the local authorities.^[8] The Shoreline Management Plan states that the stretch of coast will be protected for at least another 50 years, but that in the face of sea level rise and post-glacial lowering of land levels in the South East, there is an urgent need for further research to inform future management decisions, including the possibility that the sea defences may have to be realigned to a more sustainable position. Natural England have contributed some research into the impacts on the environment of various realignment options. The draft report of their research was leaked to the press, who created great anxiety by reporting that Natural England plan to abandon a large section of the Norfolk Broads, villages and farmland to the sea to save the rest of the Norfolk coastline from the impact of climate change.^[9]

Economy and industry [link]

Wells-next-the-Sea.

River Wensum, Norwich.

Norwich Cathedral: Spire and south transept.

In 1998 Norfolk had a Gross Domestic Product of £9,319 million, making it 1.5% of England's economy and 1.25% of the United Kingdom's economy. The GDP per head was £11,825, compared to £13,635 for East Anglia, £12,845 for England and £12,438 for the United Kingdom. In 1999–2000 the county had an unemployment rate of 5.6%, compared to 5.8% for England and 6.0% for the UK.^[10]

Important business sectors include tourism, energy (oil, gas and renewables), advanced engineering and manufacturing and food and farming.

Much of Norfolk's fairly flat and fertile land has been drained for use as arable land. The principal arable crops are sugar beet, wheat, barley (for brewing) and oil seed rape. Over 20% of employment in the county is in the agricultural and food industries.^[11]

Well-known companies in Norfolk are Aviva (formerly Norwich Union), Colman's (part of Unilever) and Bernard Matthews Farms. The Construction Industry Training Board is based on the former airfield of RAF Bircham Newton. The BBC East region is centred on Norwich, although it covers an area as far west as Milton Keynes.

New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership has been recently established by business leaders to help grow jobs across Norfolk and Suffolk. They have secured an enterprise zone to help grow businesses in the energy sector and established the two counties as being a centre for growing services and products for the green economy.

To help local industry in Norwich, Norfolk, the local council offered a wireless internet service but this has now been withdrawn following the end of the funding period.^[12]

Education [link]

Primary and secondary education [link]

Norfolk has a completely comprehensive state education system, with secondary school age from 11 to 16 or in some schools with sixth forms, 18 years old. In many of the rural areas, there is no nearby sixth form and so Sixth form colleges are found in larger towns. There are twelve independent, or private schools, including Gresham's School in Holt in the north of the county, Thetford Grammar School in Thetford--Britain's fourth oldest school, Langley School in Loddon, the original Norwich boys school, Norwich School and Norwich High School for Girls in the city of Norwich itself. The Kings Lynn district has the largest school population. Norfolk is also home to Wymondham College, the UK's largest remaining state boarding school.

Tertiary education [link]

The University of East Anglia is located on the outskirts of Norwich and Norwich University College of the Arts (previously Norwich School of Art and Design) is based in seven buildings in and around St George's Street in the city centre, next to the River Wensum.

The City College Norwich and the College of West Anglia are colleges covering Norwich and Kings Lynn as well as Norfolk as a whole. Easton College, 7 miles (11 km) west of Norwich, provides agriculture-based courses for the county, parts of Suffolk and nationally.

University Campus Suffolk also run higher education courses in Norfolk, from multiple locations including Great Yarmouth College.^[13]

Politics [link]

Norwich Roman Catholic Cathedral.

Norfolk is a shire county, under the control of Norfolk County Council. This is divided into seven local government districts, Breckland District, Broadland District, Great Yarmouth Borough, King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough, North Norfolk District, Norwich City and South Norfolk. As of 2011 the Conservatives control all of the six districts outside Norwich, while Norwich remains under No Overall Control with Labour as the largest party.

The county is traditionally a stronghold for the Conservatives, who have always won at least 50% of Norfolk's constituencies since 1979. The countryside is, as expected, mostly solid Conservative territory, with a few areas being strong for the Liberal Democrats. North Norfolk is competitive between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. From 1995 to 2007, South Norfolk was run by the Liberal Democrats, however the district switched back to the Conservatives in a landslide in 2007.

Norfolk's urban areas are more mixed, although Norwich and central parts of Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn are strong for the Labour Party UK. This said, Labour's dominance in Norwich has recently been stemmed by the Green Party, who are now the official opposition on Norwich City Council and also hold the greatest number of divisions within the city on Norfolk County Council.

In October 2006, the Department for Communities and Local Government produced a Local Government White Paper inviting councils to submit proposals for unitary restructuring. Norwich submitted its proposal in January 2007, which was rejected in December 2007, as it did not meet all the rigorous criteria for acceptance. In February 2008, the Boundary Committee for England, (from 1 April 2010 incorporated in the Local Government Boundary Commission for England), was then asked to consider alternative proposals for the whole or part of Norfolk, including whether Norwich should become a unitary authority, separate from Norfolk County Council. In December 2009, the Boundary Committee recommended a single unitary authority covering all of Norfolk, including Norwich.^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]

However, on 10 February 2010, it was announced that, contrary to the December 2009 recommendation of the Boundary Committee, Norwich would be given separate unitary status.^[18] The proposed change was strongly resisted, principally by Norfolk County Council and the Conservative opposition in Parliament.^[19] Reacting to the announcement, Norfolk County Council issued a statement that it would seek leave to challenge the decision in the courts.^[20] A letter was leaked to the local media, in which the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Communities and Local Government noted that the decision did not meet all the criteria and that the risk of it "being successfully challenged in judicial review proceedings is very high".^[21] The Shadow Local Government and Planning Minister, Bob Neill, stated that should the Conservative Party win the 2010 general election, they would reverse the decision.^[22]

Following the 2010 general election, Eric Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 12 May 2010 in a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government. According to press reports, he instructed his department to take urgent steps to reverse the decision and maintain the status quo in line with the Conservative Party manifesto.^[23]^[24] However, the unitary plans were supported by the Liberal Democrat group on the city council, and by Simon Wright, LibDem MP for Norwich South, who intended to lobby the party leadership to allow the changes to go ahead.^[25]

The Local Government Act 2010 to reverse the unitary decision for Norwich (and Exeter and Suffolk) received Royal Assent on 16 December 2010. The disputed award of unitary status had meanwhile been referred to the High Court, and on 21 June 2010 the court (Mr. Justice Ouseley, judge) ruled it unlawful, and revoked it. The city has therefore failed to attain permanent unitary status, and the previous 2-tier arrangement of County and District Councils (with Norwich City Council counted among the latter) remains the status quo.^[26]

Norfolk County Council is Conservative-controlled and led by Derrick Murphy. There are 63 Conservative councillors, 11 Liberal Democrat councillors, 5 Green Party councillors, 3 Labour councillors and 1 UKIP councillor.^[27] There was a 63% turnout at the most recent local election.

Following the May 2010 General Election, Norfolk is represented in the House of Commons by seven Conservative Members of Parliament and two Liberal Democrats. The Labour Party have lost the urban areas of Norwich and Great Yarmouth in recent elections, leaving them with no Commons representative in East Anglia; the former Home Secretary Charles Clarke being a high level casualty in the 2010 election.

**Norfolk Election Results**
Parliamentary 6 May 2010						County Council 4 June 2009
Party		Votes	Votes %	Seats	Seats %	Party		Votes	Votes %	Seats	Seats %
	Conservative	188,944	43.1%	7	77.8%		Conservative	115,396	45.9%	60	71.4%
	Liberal Democrat	121,710	27.8%	2	22.2%		Liberal Democrat	56,998	22.7%	13	15.5%
	Labour	83,088	19.0%	0	0%		Green	18,786	10.8%	7	8.3%
	UKIP	20,182	4.6%	0	0%		Labour	33,873	13.5%	3	3.6%
Others ^[1]		24,302	5.5%	0	0%	Others ^[2]		17,764	7.1%	1	1.2%
Totals		438,226		9				251,351		84
Turnout		66.8%						38.6%

^[1] Green, LCA, Independents, Others
^[2] UKIP, LCA, Independents, Others

Settlements [link]

Norfolk's county town and only city is Norwich, one of the largest settlements in England during the Norman era. Norwich is home to the University of East Anglia, and is the county's main business and culture centre. Other principal towns include the port-town of King's Lynn and the seaside resort and Broads gateway town of Great Yarmouth.

Based on the 2001 Census the county's largest centres of population are: Norwich (259,100) Great Yarmouth (71,700) Kings Lynn (43,100) Thetford (21,588) Dereham (15,659) Wymondham (12,539) North Walsham (11,998) Cromer (7,749) Fakenham (7,357) Swaffham (6,935) There are also several smaller market towns: Aylsham, Downham Market, Diss, Holt, Hunstanton, Sheringham and Harleston.

Transport [link]

Further information: Railways in Norfolk

Norfolk is one of the few counties in England that does not have a motorway. The A11 connects Norfolk to Cambridge and London via the M11. From the west there only two routes from Norfolk that have a direct link with the A1, the A47 which runs into the East Midlands and to Birmingham via Peterborough and the A17 which runs into the East Midlands via Lincolnshire. These two routes meet at King's Lynn which is also the starting place for the A10 which provides West Norfolk with a direct link to London via Ely, Cambridge and Hertford . The Great Eastern Main Line is a major railway from London Liverpool Street Station to Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. Norwich International Airport, offers flights within Europe including a link to Amsterdam which offers onward flights throughout the world.

Dialect, accent and nickname [link]

Main article: Norfolk dialect

The Norfolk dialect is also known as "Broad Norfolk", although over the modern age much of the vocabulary and many of the phrases have died out due to a number of factors, such as radio, TV and people from other parts of the country coming to Norfolk. As a result, the speech of Norfolk is more of an accent than a dialect, though one part retained from the Norfolk dialect is the distinctive grammar of the region.^{[citation needed]}

People from Norfolk are sometimes known as Norfolk Dumplings,^[28] an allusion to the flour dumplings that were traditionally a significant part of the local diet.^[29]

More cutting, perhaps, was the pejorative medical slang term "Normal for Norfolk",^[30] alluding to the county's perceived status as an illiterate incestuous backwater. The term has never been official, and is now discredited, its use discouraged by the profession.^{[citation needed]}

Tourism [link]

Norfolk is a popular tourist destination and has several major examples of holiday attractions. There are many seaside resorts, including some of the finest British beaches, such as those at Great Yarmouth, Waxham, Cromer and Holkham bay. Norfolk is probably best known for the Broads and other areas of outstanding natural beauty and many areas of the coast are wild bird sanctuaries and reserves with some areas designated as National Parks such as the Norfolk Coast AONB. Tourists and locals enjoy the wide variety of monuments and historical buildings in both Norfolk and the city of Norwich.

The historic city of Norwich
The Norfolk Coast at Cromer
WroxhamBridge.jpg

The Norfolk Broads
The beach at Holkham Bay

The Queen's residence at Sandringham House in Sandringham, Norfolk provides an all year round tourist attraction whilst the coast and some rural areas are popular locations for people from the conurbations to purchase weekend holiday homes. Arthur Conan Doyle first conceived the idea for The Hound Of The Baskervilles whilst holidaying in Cromer with Bertram Fletcher Robinson after hearing local folklore tales regarding the mysterious hound known as Black Shuck.^[31]^[32]

Amusement parks and zoos [link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Norfolk has several amusement parks and zoos.

Thrigby Hall near Great Yarmouth was built in 1736 by Joshua Smith Esquire and features a zoo which houses a large Tiger enclosure, primate enclosures and the swamp house which has many Crocodiles and Alligators.

Pettitts Animal Adventure Park at Reedham is a park with a mix of Animals, rides and live entertainment shows.

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is a free-entry theme park, hosting over 20 large rides as well as a crazy golf course, water attractions, children's rides and "white knuckle" rides.

BeWILDerwood is an award winning adventure park situated in the Norfolk Broads and is the setting for the book A Boggle at BeWILDerwood by local children's author Tom Blofeld.

Britannia Pier on the coast of Great Yarmouth has rides which include a ghost train. Also on the Pier is the famous Britannia Pier Theatre.

Banham Zoo is set amongst 35 acres (140,000 m²) of parkland and gardens with innovative enclosures providing sanctuary for almost 1000 animals including big cats, birds of prey, siamangs and shire horses. Its annual visitor attendance is in excess of 200,000 people, and has often been awarded the prize of Norfolk's Top Attraction, by numerous different organisations, including "Best Large Attraction" by Tourism In Norfolk in 2010.

Amazona Zoo is situated on 10 acres (40,000 m²) of derelict woodland and abandoned brick kilns on the outskirts of Cromer and is home to a range of tropical South American animals including jaguars, otters, monkeys and flamingos.

Amazonia is a tropical jungle environment in Great Yarmouth housing over 70 different species of reptiles including lizards, crocodiles, snakes, tortoises and terrapins.

Extreeme Adventure is a high ropes course built in some of the tallest trees in eastern England. in the 'New Wood' part of Weasenham Woods, Norfolk.

The Sea Life Centre in Great Yarmouth is One of the biggest sea life centres in the country. The Great Yarmouth centre is home to a tropical shark display, one resident of which is Britain's biggest shark 'Nobby' the Nurse Shark. The same display, with its walk-through underwater tunnel, also features the wreckage of a World War II aircraft. The centre also includes over 50 native species including shrimps, starfish, sharks, stingrays and Conger eels.

The Sea Life Sanctuary in Hunstanton is Norfolk's leading marine rescue centre and works both as a visitor attraction as well as a location for rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured sea creatures found in the nearby Wash and North Sea. The attractions main features are similar to that of the Sea Life Centre in Great Yarmouth, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.

Theatres [link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Britannia Pier

Theatre Royal

File:NorwichPlayhouse.JPG

Norwich Playhouse

The Pavilion Theatre(Cromer) is a 510-seater venue perched on the end of Cromer pier, best known for hosting the famous' end-of-the-pier' show, the Seaside Special. The theatre also presents a high-quality mix of comedy, music, dance, opera, musicals and community shows.

Britannia Pier Theatre (Great Yarmouth) host mainly popular comedy acts such as the Chuckle Brothers and Jim Davidson. the theatre seats 1200 seats and is one of the largest in Norfolk.

Theatre Royal (Norwich) has been on its present site for nearly 250 years, the Act of Parliament in the tenth year of the reign of George II having been rescinded in 1761. The 1300-seat theatre, the largest in the city, hosts a mix of national touring productions including musicals, dance, drama, family shows, stand-up comedians, opera and pop.

Norwich Playhouse (Norwich) is a superb venue in the heart of the city and one of the most modern performance spaces of its size in East Anglia. The theatre has a seating capacity of 300.

The Maddermarket Theatre (Norwich) opened in 1921 and was the first permanent recreation of an Elizabethan Theatre. The founder was Nugent Monck who had worked with William Poel. The Theatre is a world class Shakespearean style play house and has a seating capacity of 310.

Norwich Puppet Theatre (Norwich) was founded in 1979 by Ray and Joan DaSilva as a permanent base for their touring company and was first opened as a public venue in 1980, following the conversion of the medieval church of St. James in the heart of Norwich. Under subsequent artistic directors – Barry Smith and Luis Z. Boy – the theatre established its current pattern of operation. It is a nationally unique venue dedicated to puppetry, and currently houses a 185 seat raked auditorium, 50 seat Octagon Studio, workshops, an exhibition gallery, shop and licensed bar. It is the only theatre in the Eastern region with a year-round programme of family-centred entertainment.

The Garage studio theatre (Norwich) can seat up to 110 people in a range of different layouts. It can also be used for standing events and can accommodate up to 180 people. The high specification of equipment and design means that it is particularly versatile, and can be adapted to a variety of layouts offering a wide choice for performances or events.

The CCN Drama Centre (Norwich) is in the grounds of City College Norwich (CCN), and has a massive stage. The theatre mainly plays host to Broadway style American musicals and has, in the past, presented shows such as Bugsy Malone and Copacabana and in May 2010 saw the highly successful, Thirst Productions Guys and Dolls. The theatre is raked and seats about 220 people.

The Sewell Barn Theatre (Norwich) is the smallest theatre in Norwich and has a seating capacity of just 100. The auditorium features raked seating on three sides of an open acting space. This unusual staging helps to draw the audience deeply into the performance.

The Norwich Arts Centre (Norwich) theatre opened in 1977 in St. Benedict's Street, and has a capacity of 290.

The Princess Theatre (Hunstanton) stands overlooking the Wash and green in the busy East Coast resort of Hunstanton. The Princess Theatre is a 472 seat venue dubbed as one of the friendliest theatres in the country by artists who have performed there. Open all year round, the theatre plays host to a wide variety of shows from comedy to drama, celebrity shows to music for all tastes and children's productions. The venue also has a six week summer season plus an annual Christmas pantomime.

Sheringham Little Theatre (Sheringham) provides intimate and comfortable seating for 180. The theatre programmes a wide variety of plays, musicals, music and also shows films.

The Gorleston Pavilion (Gorleston) is an original Edwardian building with a seating capacity of 300, situated on the Norfolk coast. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes, musicals, concerts as well as the popular 26 week Summer Season.

Notable people from Norfolk [link]

Further information: Category:People from Norfolk

Peter Bellamy, folk singer and musician, who was brought up in North Norfolk
Henry Blofeld, Cricket commentator
Henry Blogg, the UK's most decorated lifeboatman, who was from Cromer
Francis Blomefield, Anglican rector, early topographical historian of Norfolk
James Blunt, English acoustic folk rock singer-songwriter who was raised in Norfolk during his childhood
James Blyth, author of weird fiction and crime mysteries, many of which are set in and around the Norfolk Broads
Boudica, scourge of the occupying Roman Army in first century Britain and queen of the Iceni, British tribe occupying an area slightly larger than modern Norfolk
Sir Thomas Browne, English Renaissance writer, physician and early archaeologist
Martin Brundle, former motor-racing driver and now a commentator was born in King's Lynn
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, writer, born at Heydon
Dave Bussey, former BBC Radio 2 and current BBC Radio Lincolnshire presenter
Howard Carter, archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamun's tomb; his childhood was spent primarily in Swaffham
Edith Cavell, a nurse executed by the Germans for aiding the escape of prisoners in World War I
Nick Conrad, UK speech radio presenter, born in Norwich
Deaf Havana, Alternative rockband from the King's Lynn area.
Cathy Dennis, singer and songwriter, from Norwich
Diana, Princess of Wales, first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, was born and grew up near Sandringham
Anthony Duckworth-Chad, landowner and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk
Sir James Dyson, inventor and entrepreneur, was born at Cromer, grew up at Holt and was educated at Gresham's School
Bill (1916–1986), Brian (1922–2009), Eric (1914–1993), Geoff (1918–2004), John (1937–), and Justin (1961–) Edrich, cricketers
E-Z Rollers, Drum and bass group was formed in Norwich.
Nathan Fake, electronic dance music producer/DJ
Pablo Fanque, equestrian and popular Victorian circus proprietor, whose 1843 poster advertisement inspired The Beatles song, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!, born in Norwich
Natasha and Ralph Firman, racing drivers, were both born and brought up in Norfolk and educated at Gresham's School
Caroline Flack, television presenter, who grew up in East Wretham and went to school in Watton
Margaret Fountaine, butterfly collector, was born in Norfolk, and her collection is housed in Norwich Castle Museum
Elizabeth Fry, prominent 19th century Quaker prison reformer pictured on the Bank of England £5 note, born and raised in Norwich
Stephen Fry, actor, comedian, writer, producer, director and author who was born in London and was brought up in the village of Booton near Reepham and also briefly attended Gresham's School. He now has a second home near King's Lynn.
Samuel Fuller, signed the Mayflower Compact
Claire Goose, actress who starred in Casualty, was raised in Norfolk
Roderick Gordon, writer of Tunneles series.
Ed Graham, drummer of Lowestoft band The Darkness, was born in Great Yarmouth
Sienna Guillory, actress, from north Norfolk, who was educated at Gresham's School
Sir Henry Rider Haggard, novelist, author of She, King Solomon's Mines, born Bradenham 1856 and lived after his marriage at Ditchingham
Jake Humphrey, BBC presenter, spent most of his childhood in Norwich
Andy Hunt, footballer, grew up in Ashill.
Julian of Norwich, mediaeval mystic, born probably in Norwich in 1342; lived much of her life as a recluse in Norwich
Robert Kett,leader of Kett's Rebellion in East Anglia 1549, from Wymondham
Sid Kipper, Norfolk humourist, author, songwriter and singer
Myleene Klass, former Hear'Say singer, comes from Gorleston
Holly Lerski, singer and songwriter, former member of the band Angelou, grew up and resides in Norfolk
Henry Leslie, actor and playwright, born 1830 at Walsoken.
Samuel Lincoln, ancestor of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln
Matthew Macfadyen, actor who starred in Spooks, was born in Great Yarmouth
Ruth Madoc, actress, was born in Norwich
Kenneth McKee, surgeon who pioneered hip replacement surgery techniques, lived in Tacolneston
Roger Taylor, drummer of the rock band Queen was born in King's Lynn and spent the early part of his childhood in Norfolk.
Danny Mills, footballer, born in Norwich.
Horatio, Lord Nelson, Admiral and British hero who played a major role in the Battle of Trafalgar, born and schooled in Norfolk.
Nimmo Twins, sketch comedy duo well known in Norfolk
King Olav V of Norway, born at Flitcham on the Sandringham estate
Beth Orton, singer/songwriter, was born in Dereham and raised in Norwich.
Thomas Paine, philosopher, born in Thetford.
Ronan Parke, Britain's Got Talent 2011 finalist and runner up.
Margaret Paston, author of many of the Paston Letters, born 1423, lived at Gresham.
Barry Pinches, snooker player who comes from Norwich.
Matthew Pinsent, Olympic champion rower, was born in Holt.
Prasutagus, 1st century king of the Iceni, who occupied roughly the area which is now Norfolk
Philip Pullman, author, born in Norwich
Anna Sewell, writer, author of Black Beauty, born at Great Yarmouth, lived part of her life at Old Catton near Norwich and buried at Lamas, near Buxton.
Thomas Shadwell, playwright, satirist and Poet Laureate
Allan Smethurst, 'The Singing Postman' who sang songs in his Norfolk dialect, was from Sheringham
Hannah Spearritt, actress and former S Club 7 singer, who is from Gorleston
Peter Trudgill, sociolinguist specialising in accents and dialects including his own native Norfolk dialect, was born and bred in Norwich
George Vancouver, born King's Lynn. Captain and explorer in the Royal Navy
Stella Vine, English artist, spent many of her early years in Norwich
Sir Robert Walpole, first Earl of Orford, regarded as the first British prime minister
Tim Westwood, rap DJ and Radio 1 presenter, grew up in and around Norwich
Parson Woodforde, 18th century clergyman and diarist

People associated with Norfolk [link]

The following people were not born or brought up in Norfolk but are long-term residents of Norfolk, are well known for living in Norfolk at some point in their lives, or have contributed in some significant way to the county.

Verily Anderson, writer, lived in North Norfolk.
Julian Assange, Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer, Internet activist and editor in chief of WikiLeaks, lived since 16 December 2010 in Ellingham Hall, the mansion of Vaughan Smith, under house arrest whilst fighting extradition to Sweden, before relocating to Kent in December 2011
Bill Bryson, writer, has lived in the county since 2003.
Adam Buxton, comedian and one half of Adam and Joe, moved to Norfolk in 2008
Richard Condon (impresario), Theatre Royal, Norwich and Pavilion Theatre, Cromer Pier manager
Revd Richard Enraght, 19th century clergyman, religious controversialist, Rector of St Swithun, Bintree
Liza Goddard TV and stage actress, lives in the village of Syderstone.
Trisha Goddard, TV personality, lives in Norwich and writes a column in the local newspaper the Eastern Daily Press.
John Major British Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, has a holiday home in Weybourne.
Ronan Parke,child singer.
Alan Partridge, fictional character associated with radio show Norfolk Nights
Pocahontas, who lived at Heacham Hall for part of her life
Martin Shaw, stage, television and film actor, is based in Norfolk.
Delia Smith, cookery writer and major Norwich City Football Club shareholder
John Wilson, angler, writer and broadcaster

References [link]

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^ Lowthorpe, Shaun (14 May 2010). "Government chief moves to axe Norwich unitary plans". Eastern Daily Press. http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED13%20May%202010%2019%3A12%3A43%3A450.
^ "Pickles stops unitary councils in Exeter, Norwich and Suffolk". Department for Communities and Local Government. http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/159177711. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
^ "New bid to end unitary plans". Yarmouth Mercury. 17 May 2010. http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/content/yarmouthmercury/news/story.aspx?brand=GYMOnline&category=news&tBrand=GYMonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED17%20May%202010%2009%3A50%3A04%3A040.
^ "September by-elections for Exeter and Norwich". BBC News. 19 July 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10687867. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^ BBC News, Election 2009, Norfolk County Council. [1].
^ Norfolk dumpling Retrieved 23 June 2011
^ Nicknames Retrieved 29 June 2011
^ Doctor slang is a dying art BBC News, 18 August 2003
^ ''The Bookbag''. Thebookbag.co.uk. Retrieved on 25 August 2011.
^ ''The District Messenger''. (PDF) . Retrieved on 25 August 2011.

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Norfolk, England

Norfolk at the Open Directory Project
Official Visitor site for the East of England
East of England Tourism
Eastern Daily Press – Norfolk Newspaper
Norfolk County Council
Norfolk tourism (official site)
Norfolk Tourist Information & Articles
Norfolk Tourist Information
"60 Years of Change". A digital story, telling of the changes in a village school in rural Norfok
Photos of Norfolk
Norfolk Rural Community Council, supports communities across Norfolk
Norfolk E-Map Explorer – historical maps and aerial photographs of Norfolk
Gallery of Norfolk – Photographs of Norfolk
Photographs of North Norfolk
Norfolk Record Office – Government agency that collects and preserves records of historical significance for the county of Norfolk and makes them accessible to the public. Useful for genealogical research.
Norfolk County Council YouTube channel

**Neighbouring counties**
Lincolnshire The Wash	North Sea	North Sea
Lincolnshire Cambridgeshire		North Sea
	Norfolk East

Cambridgeshire	Suffolk	North Sea Suffolk

v t e Ceremonial county of Norfolk

Boroughs or districts	Breckland Broadland Great Yarmouth King's Lynn and West Norfolk North Norfolk Norwich South Norfolk

Major settlements	Acle Attleborough Aylsham Cromer Dereham Diss Downham Market Fakenham Gorleston-on-Sea Great Yarmouth Hingham Holt Hunstanton King's Lynn Loddon North Walsham Norwich Redenhall with Harleston Reepham Sheringham Sprowston Stalham Swaffham Thetford Thorpe St Andrew Watton Wells-next-the-Sea Wymondham See also: List of civil parishes in Norfolk

Topics	History Museums Parliamentary constituencies Places

1974–1996 ← Ceremonial counties of England → current

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This article is about the U.S. state. For other uses, see Virginia (disambiguation).

Commonwealth of Virginia


Flag	Seal

Nickname(s): Old Dominion; Mother of Presidents; Mother of states.

Motto(s): Sic Semper Tyrannis (Latin)^[1]

Official language(s)

English

Spoken language(s)

English 94.6%, Spanish 5.9%

Demonym

Virginian

Capital

Richmond

Largest city

Virginia Beach

Largest metro area

Northern Virginia

Area

Ranked 35th in the U.S.

- Total

42,774.2 sq mi
(110,785.67 km²)

- Width

200 miles (320 km)

- Length

430 miles (690 km)

- % water

7.4

- Latitude

36° 32′ N to 39° 28′ N

- Longitude

75° 15′ W to 83° 41′ W

Population

Ranked 12th in the U.S.

- Total

8,096,604 (2011 est)^[2]

- Density

204/sq mi (79.0/km²)
Ranked 14th in the U.S.

- Median household income

$61,044^[3] (8th)

Elevation

- Highest point

Mount Rogers^[4]^[5]
5,729 ft (1746 m)

- Mean

950 ft (290 m)

- Lowest point

Atlantic Ocean^[4]
sea level

Before statehood

Colony of Virginia

Admission to Union

June 25, 1788 (10th)

Governor

Bob McDonnell (R)

Lieutenant Governor

Legislature

- Upper house

- Lower house

U.S. Senators

Jim Webb (D)
Mark Warner (D)

U.S. House delegation

8 Republicans,
3 Democrats (list)

Time zone

Eastern: UTC −5/−4

Abbreviations

VA US-VA

Website

www.virginia.gov

Virginia (ⁱ/vərˈdʒɪnjə/), officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city and Fairfax County the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's population is over eight million.^[2]

The area's history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent New World English colony. Slave labor and the land acquired from displaced Native American tribes each played a significant role in the colony's early politics and plantation economy. Virginia was one of the 13 Colonies in the American Revolution and joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War, during which Richmond was made the Confederate capital and Virginia's northwestern counties separated to form the state of West Virginia. Although the Commonwealth was under conservative single-party rule for nearly a century following Reconstruction, both major national parties are competitive in modern Virginia.^[6]

The Virginia General Assembly is the oldest legislature in the Western Hemisphere. The state government has been repeatedly ranked most effective by the Pew Center on the States.^[7] It is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginia's economy has many sectors: agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley; federal agencies in Northern Virginia, including the headquarters of the Department of Defense and CIA; and military facilities in Hampton Roads, the site of the region's main seaport. Virginia's public schools and many colleges and universities have contributed to growing media and technology sectors. As a result, computer chips have become the state's leading export.^[8]

Geography [link]

Main article: Environment of Virginia

Virginia has a total area of 42,774.2 square miles (110,784.7 km²), including 3,180.13 square miles (8,236.5 km²) of water, making it the 35th-largest state by area.^[9] Virginia is bordered by Maryland and Washington, D.C. to the north and east; by the Atlantic Ocean to the east; by North Carolina and Tennessee to the south; by Kentucky to the west; and by West Virginia to the north and west. Virginia's boundary with Maryland and Washington, D.C. extends to the low-water mark of the south shore of the Potomac River.^[10] The southern border is defined as the 36° 30′ parallel north, though surveyor error led to deviations of as much as three arcminutes.^[11]

Geology and terrain [link]

Terrain map of Virginia divided with lines into five regions. The first region on the far left is small and only in the state's panhandle. The next is larger and covers most of the western part of the state. The next is a thin strip that covers only the mountains. The next is a wide area in the middle of the state. The left most is based on the rivers which diffuse the previous region.

Virginia is divided into five geographic regions.

The Chesapeake Bay separates the contiguous portion of the Commonwealth from the two-county peninsula of Virginia's Eastern Shore. The bay was formed following a meteoroid impact crater during the Eocene.^[12] Many of Virginia's rivers flow into the Chesapeake Bay, including the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James, which create three peninsulas in the bay.^[13]^[14] Geographically and geologically, Virginia is divided into five regions from east to west: Tidewater, Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley, and Cumberland Plateau.^[15]

The Tidewater is a coastal plain between the Atlantic coast and the fall line. It includes the Eastern Shore and major estuaries of Chesapeake Bay. The Piedmont is a series of sedimentary and igneous rock-based foothills east of the mountains which were formed in the Mesozoic.^[16] The region, known for its heavy clay soil, includes the Southwest Mountains.^[17] The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the chain of Appalachian Mountains with the highest points in the state, the tallest being Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m).^[18] The Ridge and Valley region is west of the mountains, and includes the Great Appalachian Valley. The region is carbonate rock based, and includes Massanutten Mountain.^[19] The Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Mountains are in the south-west corner of Virginia, below the Allegheny Plateau. In this region rivers flow northwest, with a dendritic drainage system, into the Ohio River basin.^[20]

Green tree covered mountains turn blue as the progress toward the horizon.

Deciduous and evergreen trees give the Blue Ridge Mountains their distinct color^[21]

The state's carbonate rock is filled with more than 4,000 caves, ten of which are open for tourism.^[22] The Virginia seismic zone has not had a history of regular activity. Earthquakes are rarely above 4.5 on the Richter magnitude scale because Virginia is located away from the edges of the North American Plate. The largest earthquake, at an estimated 5.9 magnitude, was in 1897 near Blacksburg.^[23] A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck central Virginia on August 23, 2011, near Mineral. The earthquake was reportedly felt as far away as Toronto, Canada.^[24] Coal mining takes place in the three mountainous regions at 40 distinct coal beds near Mesozoic basins.^[25] Other resources such as slate, kyanite, sand, and gravel are mined, with an annual value of nearly $2 billion as of 2006^[update].^[26]

Climate [link]

Main article: Climate of Virginia

Virginia state-wide averages

Climate chart (explanation)

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
3.1 46 26	3.1 48 27	3.7 57 34	3.3 67 43	4 76 52	3.7 83 60	4.3 86 64	4.1 85 63	3.5 79 57	3.4 69 45	3.2 58 35	3.2 48 28
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: University of Virginia data 1895–1998

Metric conversion
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
79 8 -3	79 9 -3	94 14 1	84 19 6	102 24 11	94 28 16	109 30 18	104 29 17	89 26 14	86 21 7	81 14 2	81 9 -2
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm

The climate of Virginia becomes increasingly warmer and more humid farther south and east.^[27] Seasonal extremes vary from average lows of 26 °F (−3 °C) in January to average highs of 86 °F (30 °C) in July. The Atlantic ocean has a strong effect on eastern and southeastern coastal areas of the state. Influenced by the Gulf Stream, coastal weather is subject to hurricanes, most pronouncedly near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.^[28]

Virginia has an annual average of 35–45 days of thunderstorm activity, particularly in the western part of the state,^[29] and an average annual precipitation of 42.7 inches (108 cm).^[28] Cold air masses arriving over the mountains in winter can lead to significant snowfalls, such as the Blizzard of 1996 and winter storms of 2009–2010. The interaction of these elements with the state's topography creates distinct microclimates in the Shenandoah Valley, the mountainous southwest, and the coastal plains.^[30] Virginia averages seven tornadoes annually, most F2 or lower on the Fujita scale.^[31]

In recent years, the expansion of the southern suburbs of Washington, D.C. into Northern Virginia has introduced an urban heat island primarily caused by increased absorption of solar radiation in more densely populated areas.^[32] In the American Lung Association's 2011 report, 11 counties received failing grades for air quality, with Fairfax County having the worst in the state, due to automobile pollution.^[33]^[34] Haze in the mountains is caused in part by coal power plants.^[35]

Flora and fauna [link]

Forests cover 65% of the state, primarily with deciduous, broad leaf trees.^[36] Lower altitudes are more likely to have small but dense stands of moisture-loving hemlocks and mosses in abundance, with hickory and oak in the Blue Ridge.^[27] However since the early 1990s, Gypsy moth infestations have eroded the dominance of oak forests.^[37] In the lowland tidewater yellow pines tend to dominate, with bald cypress wetland forests in the Great Dismal and Nottoway swamps. Other common trees and plants include chestnut, maple, tulip poplar, mountain laurel, milkweed, daisies, and many species of ferns. The largest areas of wilderness are along the Atlantic coast and in the western mountains, where the largest populations of trillium wildflowers in North America are found.^[27]^[38] The Atlantic coast regions are host to flora commonly associated with the South Atlantic pine forests and lower Southeast Coastal Plain maritime flora, the latter found primarily in southeastern Virginia.

Two red-brown colored deer graze among yellow flowers in a meadow.

White-tailed deer, also known as Virginia deer, graze at Tanner Ridge in Shenandoah National Park

Mammals include White-tailed deer, black bear, beaver, bobcat, coyote, raccoon, skunk, groundhog, Virginia Opossum, gray fox, red fox, and eastern cottontail rabbit.^[39] Birds include cardinals, barred owls, Carolina chickadees, Red-tailed Hawks, Ospreys, Brown Pelicans, Quail, Sea gulls, Bald Eagles, and Wild Turkeys. The Peregrine Falcon was reintroduced into Shenandoah National Park in the mid-1990s.^[40] Walleye, brook trout, Roanoke bass, and blue catfish are among the 210 known species of freshwater fish.^[41] Running brooks with rocky bottoms are often inhabited by a plentiful amounts of crayfish and salamanders.^[27] The Chesapeake Bay is host to many species, including blue crabs, clams, oysters, and rockfish (also known as striped bass).^[42]

Virginia has 30 National Park Service units, such as Great Falls Park and the Appalachian Trail, and one national park, the Shenandoah National Park.^[43] Shenandoah was established in 1935 and encompasses the scenic Skyline Drive. Almost 40% of the park's area (79,579 acres/322 km²) has been designated as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System.^[44] Additionally, there are 34 Virginia state parks and 17 state forests, run by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Forestry.^[36]^[45] The Chesapeake Bay, while not a national park, is protected by both state and federal legislation, and the jointly run Chesapeake Bay Program which conducts restoration on the bay and its watershed. The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge extends into North Carolina, as does the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which marks the beginning of the Outer Banks.^[46]

History [link]

Main article: History of Virginia

A painting of a young dark-haired Native American woman shielding a Elizabethan era man from execution by a Native American chief. She is bare-chested, and her face is bathed in light from an unknown source. Several Native Americans look on at the scene.

The story of Pocahontas, an ancestress of many of the First Families of Virginia, was romanticized by later artists.

Jamestown 2007 marked Virginia's quadricentennial year, celebrating 400 years since the establishment of the Jamestown Colony. The celebrations highlighted contributions from Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans, each of which had a significant part in shaping Virginia's history.^[47]^[48] Warfare, including among these groups, has also had an important role. Virginia was a focal point in conflicts from the French and Indian War, the American Revolution and the Civil War, to the Cold War and the War on Terrorism.^[49] Stories about historic figures, such as those surrounding Pocahontas and John Smith, George Washington's childhood, or the plantation elite in the slave society of the antebellum period, have also created potent myths of state history, and have served as rationales for Virginia's ideology.^[50]

Colony [link]

Main article: Colony of Virginia

The first people are estimated to have arrived in Virginia over 12,000 years ago.^[51] By 5,000 years ago more permanent settlements emerged, and farming began by 900 AD. By 1500, the Algonquian peoples had founded towns such as Werowocomoco in the Tidewater region, which they referred to as Tsenacommacah. The other major language groups in the area were the Siouan to the west, and the Iroquoians, who included the Nottoway and Meherrin, to the north and south. After 1570, the Algonquians consolidated under Chief Powhatan in response to threats from these other groups on their trade network.^[52] Powhatan controlled more than 30 smaller tribes and over 150 settlements, who shared a common Virginia Algonquian language. In 1607, the native Tidewater population was between 13,000 to 14,000.^[53]

Several European expeditions, including a group of Spanish Jesuits, explored the Chesapeake Bay during the 16th century. In 1583, Queen Elizabeth I of England granted Walter Raleigh a charter to plant a colony north of Spanish Florida.^[54] In 1584, Raleigh sent an expedition to the Atlantic coast of North America.^[55] The name "Virginia" may have been suggested then by Raleigh or Elizabeth, perhaps noting her status as the "Virgin Queen", and may also be related to a native phrase, "Wingandacoa", or name, "Wingina".^[56] Initially the name applied to the entire coastal region from South Carolina to Maine, plus the island of Bermuda.^[57] The London Company was incorporated as a joint stock company by the proprietary Charter of 1606, which granted land rights to this area. The Company financed the first permanent English settlement in the "New World", Jamestown. Named for King James I, it was founded in May 1607 by Christopher Newport.^[58] In 1619, colonists took greater control with an elected legislature called the House of Burgesses. With the bankruptcy of the London Company in 1624, the settlement was taken into royal authority as a British crown colony.^[59]

A three story red brick colonial style hall and its left and right wings during winter.

Williamsburg was the capital from 1699 to 1780.

Life in the colony was perilous, and many died during the "starving time" in 1609 and the Anglo-Powhatan Wars, including the Indian massacre of 1622, which fostered the colonists' negative view of all tribes.^[60]^[61] By 1624, only 3,400 of the 6,000 early settlers had survived.^[62] However, European demand for tobacco fueled the arrival of more settlers and servants.^[63] The headright system tried to solve the labor shortage by providing colonists with land for each indentured servant they transported to Virginia.^[64] African workers were first imported in 1619, and their slavery was codified after a 1654 lawsuit over the servant John Casor.^[65]

Tensions and the geographic differences between the working and ruling classes led to Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, by which time current and former indentured servants made up as much as 80% of the population.^[66] Rebels, largely from the colony's frontier, were also opposed to the conciliatory policy towards native tribes. Colonists appropriated tribal land by force and treaty, including the Treaty of 1677, which made the signatory tribes tributary states. Williamsburg became the colonial capital in 1699, following the founding of The College of William & Mary in 1693.^[67] In 1747, a group of Virginian speculators formed the Ohio Company, with the backing of the British crown, to start English settlement and trade in the Ohio Country west of the Appalachian Mountains.^[68] France, which claimed this area as part of their colony of New France, viewed this as a threat, and the ensuing French and Indian War became part of the Seven Years' War (1756–1763). A militia from several British colonies, called the Virginia Regiment, was led by then-Lieutenant colonel George Washington.^[69]

Statehood [link]

Upper-class middle-aged man dressed in a bright red cloak speaks before an assembly of other angry men. The subject's right hand is raise high in gesture toward the balcony.

1851 painting of Patrick Henry's speech before the House of Burgesses on the Virginia Resolves against the Stamp Act of 1765

The British Parliament's efforts to levy new taxes following the French and Indian War were deeply unpopular in the colonies. In the House of Burgesses, opposition to taxation without representation was led by Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, among others.^[70] Virginians began to coordinate their actions with other colonies in 1773, and sent delegates to the Continental Congress the following year.^[71] After the House of Burgesses was dissolved by the royal governor in 1774, Virginia's revolutionary leaders continued to govern via the Virginia Conventions. On May 15, 1776, the Convention declared Virginia's independence from the British Empire and adopted George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was then included in a new constitution.^[72] Another Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, drew upon Mason's work in drafting the national Declaration of Independence.^[73]

When the American Revolutionary War began, George Washington was selected to head the colonial army. During the war, the capital was moved to Richmond at the urging of Governor Thomas Jefferson, who feared that Williamsburg's location would make it vulnerable to British attack.^[74] In 1781, the combined action of Continental and French land and naval forces trapped the British army on the Virginia Peninsula, where troops under George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau defeated British General Cornwallis in the Siege of Yorktown. His surrender on October 19, 1781, led to peace negotiations in Paris and secured the independence of the colonies.^[75]

Virginians were instrumental in writing the United States Constitution. James Madison drafted the Virginia Plan in 1787 and the Bill of Rights in 1789.^[73] Virginia ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788. The three-fifths compromise ensured that Virginia, with its large number of slaves, initially had the largest bloc in the House of Representatives. Together with the Virginia dynasty of presidents, this gave the Commonwealth national importance. In 1790, both Virginia and Maryland ceded territory to form the new District of Columbia, though the Virginian area was retroceded in 1846.^[76] Virginia is sometimes called "Mother of States" because of its role in being carved into states like Kentucky, which became the 15th state in 1792, and for the numbers of American pioneers born in Virginia.^[77]

Civil War and aftermath [link]

Main article: Virginia in the American Civil War

Wide view of a cityscape with evident destruction. Unused cannons and cannonballs litter the foreground, while a large Neoclassical building stands intact in the rear center.

Richmond, the capital of the Confederate States of America, was burned prior to its capture by the Union.

In addition to agriculture, slave labor was increasingly used in mining, shipbuilding and other industries.^[78] Nat Turner's slave rebellion in 1831 and John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 showed deep social discontent about slavery and its role in the plantation economy. By 1860, almost half a million people, roughly 31% of the total population of Virginia, were enslaved.^[79] This division contributed to the start of the American Civil War.

Virginia voted to secede from the United States on April 17, 1861, after the Battle of Fort Sumter and Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers. On April 24, Virginia joined the Confederate States of America, which chose Richmond as its capital.^[77] After the 1863 Wheeling Convention, 48 counties in the northwest separated to form a new state of West Virginia, which chose to remain loyal to the Union. Virginian general Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862, and led invasions into Union territory, ultimately becoming commander of all Confederate forces. During the war, more battles were fought in Virginia than anywhere else, including Bull Run, the Seven Days Battles, Chancellorsville, and the concluding Battle of Appomattox Court House.^[80] After the capture of Richmond in 1865, the capital was briefly moved to Danville.^[81] Virginia was formally restored to the United States in 1870, due to the work of the Committee of Nine.^[82]

During the post-war Reconstruction era, Virginia adopted a constitution which provided for free public schools, and guaranteed political, civil, and voting rights.^[83] The populist Readjuster Party ran an inclusive coalition until the conservative white Democratic Party gained power after 1883.^[84] It passed segregationist Jim Crow laws and in 1902 rewrote the Constitution of Virginia to include a poll tax and other voter registration measures that effectively disfranchised most African Americans and many poor whites.^[85] Though their schools were segregated and underfunded, as were services, due to a lack of political representation, African Americans were able to create their own communities.^[86]

Modern era [link]

A white battleship with three smokestacks and two tall masts sitting in port.

Many Pre-Dreadnought and World War I-era warships were built in Newport News, including the USS Virginia.

New economic forces also changed the Commonwealth. Virginian James Albert Bonsack invented the tobacco cigarette rolling machine in 1880 leading to new industrial scale production centered around Richmond. In 1886, railroad magnate Collis Potter Huntington founded Newport News Shipbuilding, which was responsible for building six major World War I-era battleships for the U.S. Navy from 1907–1923.^[87] During the war, German submarines like U-151 attacked ships outside the port.^[88] In 1926, Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, rector of Williamsburg's Bruton Parish Church, began restoration of colonial-era buildings in the historic district with financial backing of John D. Rockefeller, Jr..^[89] Though their project, like others in the state, had to contend with the Great Depression and World War II, work continued as Colonial Williamsburg became a major tourist attraction.^[90]

File:Virginia Civil Rights Memorial wide.jpg

The Virginia Civil Rights Memorial was erected in 2008 to commemorate the protests which led to school desegregation.

Protests started by Barbara Rose Johns in 1951 in Farmville against segregated schools led to the lawsuit Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County. This case, filed by Richmond natives Spottswood Robinson and Oliver Hill, was decided in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education, which rejected the segregationist doctrine of "separate but equal". But, in 1958, under the policy of "massive resistance" led by the influential segregationist Senator Harry F. Byrd and his Byrd Organization, the Commonwealth prohibited desegregated local schools from receiving state funding.^[91]

The Civil Rights Movement gained many participants in the 1960s. It achieved the moral force and support to gain passage of national legislation with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1964 the United States Supreme Court ordered Prince Edward County and others to integrate schools.^[92] In 1967, the Court also struck down the state's ban on interracial marriage with Loving v. Virginia. From 1969 to 1971, state legislators under Governor Mills Godwin rewrote the constitution, after goals such as the repeal of Jim Crow laws had been achieved. In 1989, Douglas Wilder became the first African American elected as governor in the United States.^[93]

The Cold War led to the expansion of national defense government programs housed in offices in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., and correlative population growth.^[94] Among the federal developments was the Pentagon, built during World War II as the headquarters for the Department of Defense. It was one of the targets of the September 11 attacks; 189 people died at the site when a jet passenger plane crashed into the building.^[95]

Cities and towns [link]

Main article: Political subdivisions of Virginia

Nighttime panorama featuring lights from skyscrapers reflecting off black water in shades of red, blue, and yellow.

The population of the Hampton Roads area is over 1.6 million.

Virginia is divided into 95 counties and 39 independent cities, which both operate the same way since independent cities are considered to be county-equivalent.^[96] This method of treating cities and counties equally is unique to Virginia, with only three other independent cities in the United States outside Virginia.^[97] Virginia limits the authority of cities and counties to countermand laws expressly allowed by the Virginia General Assembly under what is known as Dillon's Rule.^[98] In addition to independent cities, there are also incorporated towns which operate under their own governments, but are part of a county. Finally there are hundreds of unincorporated communities within the counties. Virginia does not have any further political subdivisions, such as villages or townships.

Virginia has 11 Metropolitan Statistical Areas; Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Richmond-Petersburg are the three most populous. Richmond is the capital of Virginia, and its metropolitan area has a population of over 1.2 million.^[99] As of 2010^[update], Virginia Beach is the most populous city in the Commonwealth, with Norfolk and Chesapeake second and third, respectively.^[100] Norfolk forms the urban core of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, which has a population over 1.6 million people and is the site of the world's largest naval base, Naval Station Norfolk.^[99]^[101] Suffolk, which includes a portion of the Great Dismal Swamp, is the largest city by area at 429.1 square miles (1,111 km²).^[102]

Fairfax County is the most populous locality in Virginia, with over one million residents, although that does not include its county seat Fairfax, which is one of the independent cities.^[103] Fairfax County has a major urban business and shopping center in Tysons Corner, Virginia's largest office market.^[104] Neighboring Loudoun County, with the county seat at Leesburg, is both the fastest-growing county in Virginia and has the highest median household income ($114,204) in the country as of 2010^[update].^[105] Arlington County, the smallest self-governing county in the United States by land area, is an urban community organized as a county.^[106] The Roanoke area, with an estimated population of 300,399, is the largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in western Virginia.^[107]

Demographics [link]

Main article: Demographics of Virginia

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	691,737	—
1800	807,557	16.7%
1810	877,683	8.7%
1820	938,261	6.9%
1830	1,044,054	11.3%
1840	1,025,227	−1.8%
1850	1,119,348	9.2%
1860	1,219,630	9.0%
1870	1,225,163	0.5%
1880	1,512,565	23.5%
1890	1,655,980	9.5%
1900	1,854,184	12.0%
1910	2,061,612	11.2%
1920	2,309,187	12.0%
1930	2,421,851	4.9%
1940	2,677,773	10.6%
1950	3,318,680	23.9%
1960	3,966,949	19.5%
1970	4,648,494	17.2%
1980	5,346,818	15.0%
1990	6,187,358	15.7%
2000	7,078,515	14.4%
2010	8,001,024	13.0%

A map of Virginia with areas colored in green for low population changing to red for areas of high population. The most red areas are in the very north of the state, the center of the state, and the very south-east of the state. The rest is mostly green.

Virginia has metropolitan areas located throughout the state.

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the state population was 8,096,604 on July 1, 2011, a 1.19% increase since the 2010 United States Census,^[2] which showed Virginia had a population of 8,001,024.^[108] This includes an increase from net migration of 314,832 people into the Commonwealth since the 2000 census. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 159,627 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 155,205 people.^[109] The center of population is located in Goochland County outside of Richmond.^[110]

English was passed as the Commonwealth's official language by statutes in 1981 and again in 1996, though the status is not mandated by the Constitution of Virginia.^[111] English is the only language spoken by 6,245,517 (86.7%) Virginians, though it is spoken "very well" by an additional 570,638 (7.9%) for a total of 94.6% of the Commonwealth. Among speakers of other languages, Spanish is the most common with 424,381 (5.9%). 226,911 (3.2%) speak Asian and Pacific Islander languages, including Korean, Vietnamese, and Filipino.^[112]

Ethnicity [link]

The state's most populous ethnic group, Non-Hispanic White, has declined from 76% in 1990 to 64.8% in 2010.^[113]^[114] People of English heritage settled throughout the Commonwealth during the colonial period, and others of British and Irish heritage have since immigrated.^[115] Those who self-identify as having "American ethnicity" are predominantly of English descent, but have ancestry that has been in North America for so long that they choose to identify simply as American.^[116]^[117] Of the English immigrants to Virginia in the 1600s, 75% came as indentured servants.^[118] The western mountains have many settlements that were founded by Scots-Irish immigrants before the American Revolution.^[119]^[120] There are also sizable numbers of people of German descent in the northwestern mountains and Shenandoah Valley.^[121]

The largest minority group in Virginia is African American, at 19.4% as of 2010^[update].^[114] Most African American Virginians have been descendants of enslaved Africans who worked on tobacco, cotton, and hemp plantations. These men, women and children were brought from west-central Africa, primarily from Angola and the Bight of Biafra. The Igbo ethnic group of what is now southern Nigeria were the single largest African group among slaves in Virginia.^[122]^[123] Though the black population was reduced by the Great Migration, since 1965 there has been a reverse migration of blacks returning south.^[124] 2.9% of Virginians also describe themselves as biracial.^[125] Additionally, 0.4% of Virginians are American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% are Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.^[114] Virginia has extended state recognition to eight Native American tribes resident in the state, though all lack federal recognition status. Most Native American groups are located in the Tidewater region.^[126]

More recent immigration in the late 20th century and early 21st century has fueled new communities of Hispanics and Asians. As of 2010^[update], 7.9% of Virginians are Hispanic or Latino (of any race), and 5.5% are Asian.^[114] The state's Hispanic population rose by 92% from 2000 to 2010, with two-thirds of Hispanics living in Northern Virginia.^[125] Hispanic citizens in Virginia have higher median household incomes and educational attainment than the general Virginia population.^[127] Northern Virginia also has a signigicant population of Vietnamese Americans, whose major wave of immigration followed the Vietnam War,^[128] and Korean Americans, whose migration has been more recent and was induced in part by the quality school system.^[129] The Filipino American community has about 45,000 in the Hampton Roads area, many of whom have ties to the U.S. Navy and armed forces.^[130]

Ethnicity (2010)		Largest Ancestries by County	Ancestry (2000)
Non-Hispanic White	64.8%	U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 special tabulation. American Factfinder provides census data and maps.		African American	19.6%
Black or African American	19.4%			German	11.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	7.9%			American	11.4%
Asian	5.5%			English	11.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.4%			Irish	9.8%

Religion [link]

Religion (2008)
Christian^[131]		76%
	Baptist	27%
	Roman Catholic	11%
	Methodist	8%
	Lutheran	2%
	Other Christian	28%

Buddhism		1%
Hinduism		1%
Judaism		1%
Islam		0.5%
Unaffiliated		18%

Virginia is predominantly Christian and Protestant; Baptists are the largest single group with 27% of the population as of 2008^[update].^[131] Baptist denominational groups in Virginia include the Baptist General Association of Virginia, with about 1,400 member churches, which supports both the Southern Baptist Convention and the moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship; and the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia with more than 500 affiliated churches, which supports the Southern Baptist Convention.^[132]^[133] Roman Catholics are the second-largest religious group, and the group which grew the most in the 1990s.^[134]^[135] The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington includes most of Northern Virginia's Catholic churches, while the Diocese of Richmond covers the rest.

An 18th-century red brick church with white steeple behind a modern road in autumn.

Christ Church in Alexandria was frequented by George Washington and Robert E. Lee.

The Virginia Conference is the regional body of the United Methodist Church and the Virginia Synod is responsible for the congregations of the Lutheran Church. Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians each composed 1–3% of the population as of 2001^[update].^[136] The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, Southern Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia support the various Episcopal churches.

In November 2006, 15 conservative Episcopal churches voted to split from the Diocese of Virginia over the ordination of openly gay bishops and clergy in other dioceses of the Episcopal Church; these churches continue to claim affiliation with the larger Anglican Communion through other bodies outside the United States. Though Virginia law allows parishioners to determine their church's affiliation, the diocese claims the secessionist churches' properties. The resulting property law case is a test for Episcopal churches nationwide.^[137]

Among other religions, adherents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints constitute 1% of the population, with 190 congregations in Virginia as of 2010^[update].^[138] Fairfax Station is the site of the Ekoji Buddhist Temple, of the Jodo Shinshu school, and the Hindu Durga Temple. While the state's Jewish population is small, organized Jewish sites date to 1789 with Congregation Beth Ahabah.^[139] Muslims are a growing religious group throughout the Commonwealth through immigration.^[140] Megachurches in the Commonwealth include Thomas Road Baptist Church, Immanuel Bible Church, and McLean Bible Church.^[141] Several Christian universities are also based in the state, including Regent University, Liberty University, and Lynchburg College.

Economy [link]

Main article: Economy of Virginia

Aerial view of the huge five-sided building and its multiple rings. Parking lots and highways stretch away from it.

The Department of Defense is headquartered in Arlington at The Pentagon, the world's largest office building.^[142]

While Virginia is an employment-at-will state,^[143] its economy has diverse sources of income, including local and federal government, military, farming and business. Virginia has 4.1 million civilian workers, and one-third of the jobs are in the service sector.^[144]^[145] The unemployment in Virginia in among the lowest in the nation, at 5.6%, as of March 2012.^[146] The second fastest job growth town in the nation is Leesburg, as of 2011.^[147] The Gross Domestic Product of Virginia was $24 billion in 2010.^[148] According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Virginia had the most counties in the top 100 wealthiest in the United States based upon median income in 2007.^[149] Northern Virginia is the highest-income region in Virginia, having six of the twenty highest-income counties in the United States, including the three highest as of 2011^[update].^[150] According to CNN Money Magazine the highest-income town in the nation is Great Falls, as of 2011.^[151]

Virginia has the highest concentration of technology workers of any state.^[152] Computer chips became the state's highest-grossing export in 2006, surpassing its traditional top exports of coal and tobacco combined.^[8] Northern Virginia, once considered the state's dairy capital, now hosts software, communication technology, and consulting companies, particularly in the Dulles Technology Corridor. Northern Virginia's data centers currently carry more than 50% of the nation's internet traffic, and by 2012 Dominion Power expects that 10% of all its electricity in Northern Virginia will be used by data centers.^[153] Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia have the highest and second highest median household income, respectively, of all counties in the United States as of 2011^[update].^[105]

Virginia companies received the fourth-highest amount of venture capital funding in the first half of 2011 after California, Massachusetts, and New York.^[154] In 2009, Forbes Magazine named Virginia the best state in the nation for business for the fourth year in a row,^[155] while CNBC named it the top state for business in 2007, 2009, and 2011.^[156] Virginia has 20 Fortune 500 companies, ranking the state eighth nationwide.^[157]

Virginia has the highest defense spending of any state per capita, providing the Commonwealth with around 900,000 jobs, and 10% of all U.S. federal procurement money is spent in Virginia.^[158]^[159] Virginia has over 800,000 veterans, more than any other state, and is second to California in total Department of Defense employees.^[159]^[160] Many Virginians work for federal agencies in Northern Virginia, which include the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Defense, as well as the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Many others work for government contractors, including defense and security firms, which hold more than 15,000 federal contracts.^[161] The Hampton Roads area has the largest concentration of military bases and facilities of any metropolitan area in the world. The largest of the bases is Naval Station Norfolk.^[101]

High-rise hotels line the ocean front covered with colorful beach-goers.

Ocean tourism is an important sector of Virginia Beach's economy.

Agriculture occupies 24% of the land in Virginia. As of 2007^[update], about 357,000 Virginian jobs were in agriculture, with over 47,000 farms, averaging 171 acres (0.27 sq mi; 0.69 km²), in a total farmland area of 8.1 million acres (12,656 sq mi; 32,780 km²). Though agriculture has declined significantly since 1960 when there were twice as many farms, it remains the largest single industry in Virginia.^[162] Tomatoes surpassed soy as the most profitable crop in Virginia in 2006, with peanuts and hay as other agricultural products.^[163] Although it is no longer the primary crop, Virginia is still the fifth-largest producer of tobacco nationwide.^[164] Eastern oyster harvests are an important part of the Chesapeake Bay economy, but declining oyster populations from disease, pollution, and overfishing have diminished catches.^[165] Wineries and vineyards in the Northern Neck and along the Blue Ridge Mountains also have begun to generate income and attract tourists.^[166]

Virginia collects personal income tax in five income brackets, ranging from 3.0% to 5.75%. The state sales and use tax rate is 4%, while the tax rate on food is 1.5%. There is an additional 1% local tax, for a total of a 5% combined sales tax on most Virginia purchases and 2.5% on most food.^[167] Virginia's property tax is set and collected at the local government level and varies throughout the Commonwealth. Real estate is also taxed at the local level based on 100% of fair market value. Tangible personal property also is taxed at the local level and is based on a percentage or percentages of original cost.^[168]

Culture [link]

Main article: Culture of Virginia

Five women dressed in long colonial style clothing sit on the stairs of tan and beige buildings talking. In front of them is a wooden wheelbarrow full of wicker baskets.

Colonial Virginian culture, language, and style are reenacted in Williamsburg.

Virginia's culture was popularized and spread across America and the South by figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Robert E. Lee. Their homes in Virginia represent the birthplace of America and the South.^[169] Modern Virginia culture has many sources, and is part of the culture of the Southern United States.^[170] The Smithsonian Institution divides Virginia into nine cultural regions.^[171] The Piedmont region is one of the most famous for its dialect's strong influence on Southern American English. While a more homogenized American English is found in urban areas, various accents are also used, including the Tidewater accent, the Old Virginia accent, and the anachronistic Elizabethan of Tangier Island.^[172]^[173]

Besides the general cuisine of the Southern United States, Virginia maintains its own particular traditions. Virginia wine is made in many parts of the state.^[166] Smithfield ham, sometimes called "Virginia ham", is a type of country ham which is protected by state law, and can only be produced in the town of Smithfield.^[174] Virginia furniture and architecture are typical of American colonial architecture. Thomas Jefferson and many of the state's early leaders favored the Neoclassical architecture style, leading to its use for important state buildings. The Pennsylvania Dutch and their style can also be found in parts of the state.^[121]

Literature in Virginia often deals with the state's extensive and sometimes troubled past. The works of Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Glasgow often dealt with social inequalities and the role of women in her culture.^[175] Glasgow's peer and close friend James Branch Cabell wrote extensively about the changing position of gentry in the Reconstruction era, and challenged its moral code with Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice.^[176] William Styron approached history in works such as The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice.^[177] Tom Wolfe has occasionally dealt with his southern heritage in bestsellers like I Am Charlotte Simmons.^[178] Mount Vernon native Matt Bondurant received critical acclaim for his historic novel The Wettest County in the World about moonshiners in Franklin County during prohibition.^[179] Virginia also names a state Poet Laureate, currently Kelly Cherry of Halifax County, who will serve until mid-2012.^[180]

Fine and performing arts [link]

Festivals [link]

Dozens of brown and white ponies surge out of the shallow water onto a grassy shore crowded with onlookers.

The annual Chincoteague Pony Swim features over 200 wild ponies swimming across the Assateague Channel into Chincoteague.

Many counties and localities host county fairs and festivals. The Virginia State Fair is held at the Meadow Event Park every September. Also in September is the Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach, which celebrates the city, the waterfront, and regional artists. Norfolk's Harborfest, in June, features boat racing and air shows.^[190] Fairfax County also sponsors Celebrate Fairfax! with popular and traditional music performances.^[191] The Virginia Lake Festival is held during the third weekend in July in Clarksville.^[192] Wolf Trap hosts the Wolf Trap Opera Company, which produces an opera festival every summer.^[185] Each September, Bay Days celebrates the Chesapeake Bay as well as Hampton's 400 year history since 1610, and Isle of Wight County holds a County Fair on the second week of September as well. Both feature live music performances, and other unique events.

On the Eastern Shore island of Chincoteague the annual Pony Swim & Auction of feral Chincoteague ponies at the end of July is a unique local tradition expanded into a week-long carnival. The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is a six-day festival held annually in Winchester that includes parades and bluegrass concerts. The Old Time Fiddlers' Convention in Galax, begun in 1935, is one of the oldest and largest such events worldwide. Two important film festivals, the Virginia Film Festival and the VCU French Film Festival, are held annually in Charlottesville and Richmond, respectively.^[193]

Media [link]

Two geometric all glass towers connected by a central atrium stand in front of a grassy walkway and under a dark and cloudy sky

USA Today, the nation's most circulated newspaper, has its headquarters in McLean.

The Hampton Roads area is the 43rd-largest media market in the United States as ranked by Nielsen Media Research, while the Richmond-Petersburg area is 57th and Roanoke-Lynchburg is 66th as of 2010^[update].^[194] Northern Virginia is part of the much larger Washington, D.C. media market.

There are 36 television stations in Virginia, representing each major U.S. network, part of 42 stations which serve Virginia viewers.^[195] More than 720 FCC-licensed FM radio stations broadcast in Virginia, with about 300 such AM stations.^[196]^[197] The nationally available Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is headquartered in Arlington. Independent PBS affiliates exist throughout Virginia, and the Arlington PBS member station WETA-TV produces programs such as the PBS NewsHour and Washington Week.

The most circulated native newspapers in the Commonwealth are Norfolk's The Virginian-Pilot (156,968 daily subscribers), the Richmond Times-Dispatch (118,489), The Roanoke Times (75,740), and Newport News' Daily Press (63,366), as of 2010^[update].^[198] Several Washington, D.C. papers are based in Northern Virginia, such as The Washington Examiner and Politico. The paper with the nation's widest circulation, USA Today, with 1.83 million daily subscriptions, is headquartered in McLean.^[199] Besides traditional forms of media, Virginia is the home base for telecommunication companies such as Voxant and XO Communications. In Northern Virginia, The Washington Post is the dominant newspaper, since Northern VA is located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Education [link]

Main article: Education in Virginia

A red brick, Neoclassical dome with a large portico on the front and covered walkway on the sides lit up at dusk. Dark trees border the building on both sides.

The University of Virginia, a World Heritage Site, was founded by President Thomas Jefferson.^[200]

Virginia's educational system consistently ranks in the top ten states on the U.S. Department of Education's National Assessment of Educational Progress, with Virginia students outperforming the average in all subject areas and grade levels tested.^[201] The 2011 Quality Counts report ranked Virginia's K–12 education fourth best in the country.^[202] All school divisions must adhere to educational standards set forth by the Virginia Department of Education, which maintains an assessment and accreditation regime known as the Standards of Learning to ensure accountability.^[203] In 2010, 85% of high school students graduated on-time after four years.^[204] Between 2000 and 2008, school enrollment increased 5%, the number of teachers 21%.^[205]

Public K–12 schools in Virginia are generally operated by the counties and cities, and not by the state. As of April 2011^[update], a total of 1,267,063 students were enrolled in 1,873 local and regional schools in the Commonwealth, including three charter schools, and an additional 109 alternative and special education centers across 132 school divisions.^[206]^[207] Besides the general public schools in Virginia, there are Governor's Schools and selective magnet schools. The Governor's Schools are a collection of more than 40 regional high schools and summer programs intended for gifted students.^[208] The Virginia Council for Private Education oversees the regulation of 320 state accredited and 130 non-accredited private schools.^[209]^[210] An additional 24,682 students receive homeschooling.^[211]

As of 2011^[update], there are 176 colleges and universities in Virginia.^[212] In the U.S. News and World Report ranking of public colleges, the University of Virginia is second and The College of William & Mary is sixth.^[213]^[214] Virginia Commonwealth University is ranked the top public graduate school in fine arts, while James Madison University has been recognized as the top regional public master's program in The South since 1993.^[215]^[216] The Virginia Military Institute is the oldest state military college and a top ranked public liberal arts college.^[217]^[218] George Mason University is the largest university in Virginia with over 32,000 students.^[219] Virginia Tech and Virginia State University are the state's land-grant universities. Virginia also operates 23 community colleges on 40 campuses serving over 260,000 students.^[220] There are 129 private institutions, including Washington and Lee University, Randolph-Macon College, Hampden–Sydney College, Emory & Henry College, Roanoke College, and the University of Richmond.^[212]

Health [link]

A red brick high-rise building with several wings and levels in front of a bright blue sky with a traffic light and street sign visible at the bottom.

The A.D. Williams Clinic and West Hospital at VCU Medical Center in Richmond

Virginia has a mixed health record, and is ranked as the 22nd overall healthiest state according to the 2010 United Health Foundation's Health Rankings.^[221] Virginia also ranks 21st among the states in the rate of premature deaths, 7,104 per 100,000. In 2008, Virginia reached its lowest ever rate of infant mortality, at 6.7 deaths per 1,000.^[222] There are however racial and social health disparities, with African Americans experiencing 27.9% more premature deaths than whites, while 12.7% of Virginians lack any health insurance.^[221] According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2009 survey, 25.5% of Virginians are obese and another 35.1% are overweight. 78.1% of residents claim to have exercised at least once in the past three months.^[223]^[224] About 30% of Virginia's 10- to 17-year-olds are overweight or obese.^[225] Virginia banned smoking in bars and restaurants in January 2010.^[226] 19% of Virginians smoke tobacco.^[221] Residents of Virginia's 8th congressional district share the longest average life expectancy rate in the nation, over 83 years.^[227]

There are 89 hospitals in Virginia listed with the United States Department of Health and Human Services.^[228] Notable examples include Inova Fairfax Hospital, the largest hospital in the Washington Metropolitan Area, and the VCU Medical Center, located on the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. The University of Virginia Medical Center, part of the University of Virginia Health System, is highly ranked in endocrinology according to U.S.News & World Report.^[229] Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, part of the Hampton Roads based Sentara Health System and a teaching institution of Eastern Virginia Medical School, was the site of the first successful in-vitro fertilization birth.^[230]^[231] Virginia has a ratio of 124 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents, which is the 13th highest nationally.^[221] Virginia was one of five states to receive a perfect score in disaster preparedness according to a 2008 report by the Trust for America's Health, based on criteria such as detecting pathogens and distributing vaccines and medical supplies.^[232]

Transportation [link]

Main article: Transportation in Virginia

Blue and silver train engine with red and white accent lines moves closer leading a series of similarly colored passenger cars with shrubs and a sound wall in the background.

The Virginia Railway Express runs commuter lines in Northern Virginia.

Because of the 1932 Byrd Road Act, the state government controls most of Virginia's roads, instead of a local county authority as is usual in other states.^[233] As of 2011^[update], the Virginia Department of Transportation owns and operates 57,867 miles (93,128 km) of the total 70,105 miles (112,823 km) of roads in the state, making it the third largest state highway system in the United States.^[234] Although the Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes Northern Virginia, has the second worst traffic in the nation, Virginia as a whole has the 21st-lowest congestion and the average commute time is 26.9 minutes.^[235]^[236]

Virginia has Amtrak passenger rail service along several corridors, and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) maintains two commuter lines into Washington, D.C. from Fredericksburg and Manassas. VRE is one of the nation's fastest growing commuter rail services, handling nearly 20,000 passengers a day.^[237] The Washington Metro rapid transit system serves Northern Virginia as far west as communities along I-66 in Fairfax County, with expansion plans to reach Tysons Corner by 2013, and Loudoun County by 2017.^[238] Major freight railroads in Virginia include Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation. Commuter buses include the Fairfax Connector and the Shenandoah Valley Commuter Bus. The Virginia Department of Transportation operates several free ferries throughout Virginia, the most notable being the Jamestown-Scotland ferry which crosses the James River in Surry County.^[239]

Virginia has five major airports: Washington Dulles International handling over 23 million passengers a year, Reagan Washington National, Norfolk International serving the Hampton Roads area, Richmond International, and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. Several other airports offer limited commercial passenger service, and sixty-six public airports serve the state's aviation needs.^[240] The Virginia Port Authority's main seaports are those in Hampton Roads, which carried 17,726,251 short tons (16,080,984 t) of bulk cargo in 2007, the sixth most of United States ports.^[241] The Eastern Shore of Virginia is the site of Wallops Flight Facility, a rocket testing center owned by NASA, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, a commercial spaceport.^[242]^[243] Space tourism is also offered through Vienna-based Space Adventures.^[244]

Law and government [link]

Main article: Government of Virginia

All white Neoclassical building with pediment and six columns rises on a grassy hill with a large American elm tree in the left foreground. Two boxier, but similarly styled wings are attached at the building's rear.

The Virginia State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson and begun by Governor Patrick Henry in 1785, is home to the Virginia General Assembly.

In colonial Virginia, free men elected the lower house of the legislature, called the House of Burgesses, which together with the Governor's Council, made the "General Assembly". Founded in 1619, the Virginia General Assembly is still in existence as the oldest legislature in the Western Hemisphere.^[245] The modern government is ranked by the Pew Center on the States with an A− in terms of its efficiency, effectiveness, and infrastructure. This is the second time Virginia received the highest grade in the nation, which it shares with two others.^[7]

Since 1971, the government has functioned under the seventh Constitution of Virginia, which provides for a strong legislature and a unified judicial system. Similar to the federal structure, the government is divided in three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislature is the General Assembly, a bicameral body whose 100-member House of Delegates and 40-member Senate write the laws for the Commonwealth. The Assembly is stronger than the executive, as it selects judges and justices. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected every four years in separate elections. Incumbent governors cannot run for re-election, however the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General can, and governors may serve non-consecutive terms.^[246] The judicial system, the oldest in America, consists of a hierarchy from the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia to the Circuit Courts, the trial courts of general jurisdiction, and the lower General District Courts and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts.^[247]

The Code of Virginia is the statutory law, and consists of the codified legislation of the General Assembly. The Virginia State Police is the largest law enforcement agency in Virginia. The Virginia Capitol Police is the oldest police department in the United States.^[248] The Virginia National Guard consists of 7,500 soldiers in the Virginia Army National Guard and 1,200 airmen in the Virginia Air National Guard.^[249] Since the resumption of capital punishment in Virginia in 1982, 107 people have been executed, the second highest number in the nation.^[250] The "total crime risk" is 28% lower than the national average.^[251] Since Virginia ended prisoner parole in 1995, the rate of recidivism has fallen to 28.3%, among the lowest nationwide.^[252]

Politics [link]

Main article: Politics of Virginia

Over the 20th century, Virginia shifted from a largely rural, politically Southern and conservative state to a more urbanized, pluralistic, and politically moderate environment. Up until the 1970s, Virginia was a racially divided single-party state dominated by the Byrd Organization.^[253] The legacy of slavery in the state effectively disfranchised African Americans until after passage of civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s.^[254] Enfranchisement and immigration of other groups, especially Hispanics, have placed growing importance on minority voting.^[255] Regional differences play a large part in Virginia politics.^[256] Rural southern and western areas moved to support the Republican Party in response to its "southern strategy", while urban and growing suburban areas, including much of Northern Virginia, form the Democratic Party base.^[257]^[258] Democratic support also persists in union-influenced parts of Southwest Virginia, college towns such as Charlottesville and Blacksburg, and the southeastern Black Belt Region.^[259]

A crowded stage of politicians both white and African American stand before supporters and press.

Jim Webb speaks at a Richmond rally with former Governors Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and Douglas Wilder, President Barack Obama, and others.

Political party strength in Virginia has likewise been in flux. In the 2007 state elections, Democrats regained control of the State Senate, and narrowed the Republican majority in the House of Delegates to eight seats.^[260] Yet elections in 2009 resulted in the election of Republican Robert McDonnell as governor by a 17 point margin, the election of a Republican Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General, as well as Republican gains of six seats in the House of Delegates.^[261] In 2011, the Republican caucus took over two-thirds of the seats in the House of Delegates, and a majority of the Senate based on the Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling as the tie-breaker.^[262] State election seasons traditionally start with the annual Shad Planking event in Wakefield.^[263]

In federal elections since 2006, both parties have seen success. In the 2006 Senate election, Democrat Jim Webb won on a populist platform over the Republican incumbent following a very close race.^[264] The party took both U.S. Senate seats with the election of former Governor Mark Warner to replace retiring Republican John Warner.^[265] Virginia, which has 13 electoral votes, was won by Democrat Barack Obama in 2008, after being won by Republican candidates in the previous ten presidential elections.^[266] In the 2010 elections, Republicans picked up three House seats from Democrats. Of the state's 11 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans hold eight and Democrats hold three. Virginia may be considered a "swing state" in future presidential elections.^[6]

Sports [link]

A quarterback hands off the football to his running back. The team is dressed in Chicago maroon and burnt orange jerseys with white pants.

The Virginia Tech Hokies football team has the third longest bowl game streak in the nation.^[267]

Virginia is the most populous U.S. state without a major professional sports league franchise.^[268] The reasons for this include the lack of any dominant city or market within the state, the proximity of teams in Washington, D.C. and North Carolina, and a reluctance to publicly finance stadiums.^[269] Virginia has several minor league clubs, especially in baseball and soccer, and the Virginia Destroyers are the 2011 champions of the United Football League.^[270] Additionally, the Washington Redskins have Redskins Park, their headquarters and training facility, in Ashburn and the Washington Capitals train at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston.^[271] Virginia has many professional caliber golf courses including the Greg Norman course at Lansdowne Resort and Kingsmill Resort, home of the Michelob ULTRA Open. NASCAR currently schedules Sprint Cup races on two tracks in Virginia: Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. Current Virginia drivers in the series include Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, and Elliott Sadler.^[272]

The Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles also have followings due to their proximity, and both are broadcast in the state on MASN.^[273] When the New York Mets ended their long affiliation with the Norfolk Tides in 2007, the Orioles adopted the minor league club as their top level (AAA) minor league affiliate.^[274] The San Francisco Giants' AA team, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, began play at The Diamond in 2010, replacing the AAA Richmond Braves, who relocated after 2008.^[275] Additionally, the Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and Atlanta Braves also have Single-A and Rookie-level farm teams in Virginia.^[276]

Virginia does not allow state appropriated funds to be used for either operational or capital expenses for intercollegiate athletics.^[277] Despite this, both the Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies have been able to field competitive teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference and maintain modern facilities. Their rivalry is followed statewide. Several other universities compete in NCAA Division I, particularly in the Colonial Athletic Association. Three historically black schools compete in the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, and two others compete in the Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Several smaller schools compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the USA South Athletic Conference of NCAA Division III. The NCAA currently holds its Division III championships in football, men's basketball, volleyball and softball in Salem.^[278]

State symbols [link]

Main article: List of Virginia state symbols

File:Virginia new sign.jpg

The Virginia welcome sign at the Virginia welcome center on I-95 employs the state bird, the cardinal, and the state tree and flower, the dogwood.

The state nickname is its oldest symbol, though it has never been made official by law. Virginia was given the title "Dominion" by King Charles II of England at the time of The Restoration, because it had remained loyal to the crown during the English Civil War, and the present moniker, "Old Dominion" is a reference to that title. The other nickname, "Mother of Presidents", is also historic, as eight Virginians have served as President of the United States, including four of the first five.^[1]

The state's motto, Sic Semper Tyrannis, translates from Latin as "Thus Always to Tyrants", and is used on the state seal, which is then used on the flag. While the seal was designed in 1776, and the flag was first used in the 1830s, both were made official in 1930.^[1] The majority of the other symbols were made official in the late 20th century.^[279] The Virginia reel is among the square dances classified as the state dance.^[15] Virginia currently has no state song. In 1940, Virginia made "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" the state song, but it was retired in 1997 and reclassified as the state song emeritus.^[280] Various alternatives, including a version of "Oh Shenandoah", have met with resistance in the Virginia House of Delegates.^[281]

References [link]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Factpack" (PDF). Virginia General Assembly. January 11, 2007. http://legis.state.va.us/1_cap_class/class_media/4_5_pdfs/factpack-1.pdf. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
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Pinn, Anthony B. (2009). African American Religious Cultures. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-57607-470-6. http://books.google.com/?id=xEEIY4Q1ZAIC&pg=PA175.
Olitzky, Kerry (1996). The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-28856-9.
Scott, David L.; Scott, Kay W. (2004). Guide to the National Park Areas. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot. ISBN 0-7627-2988-0. http://books.google.com/?id=Z8DCRmgPOewC&pg=PA307.
Smith, Julian (2008). Moon Virginia: Including Washington, D.C. (4 ed.). Berkeley, CA: Avalon Travel. ISBN 1-59880-011-6. http://books.google.com/?id=WNEYCRIIQy4C&pg=PA152.
Robertson, James I. (1993). Civil War Virginia: Battleground for a Nation. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. ISBN 0-8139-1457-4. http://books.google.com/?id=RKDkDZ6GLPcC.
Stewart, George (2008). Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States. New York: Random House. ISBN 1-59017-273-6.
Vollmann, William T. (2002). Argall: The True Story of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 0-14-200150-3. http://books.google.com/?id=hh0WYbclptAC&pg=PA695.
Wallenstein, Peter (2007). Cradle of America: Four Centuries of Virginia History. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1507-0. http://books.google.com/?id=qiwSAAAAYAAJ.
Williamson, CiCi (2008). The Best of Virginia Farms Cookbook and Tour Book. Birmingham, AL: Menasha Ridge Press. ISBN 0-89732-657-1. http://books.google.com/?id=pnuFW6zT0T8C&pg=PA41.

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"Barack" and "Obama" redirect here. For other uses, see Barak (disambiguation) and Obama (disambiguation). For President Obama's father, the Kenyan economist, see Barack Obama, Sr.

Barack Obama

44th President of the United States
Incumbent
Assumed office January 20, 2009
Vice President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	George W. Bush
United States Senator from Illinois
In office January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008
Preceded by	Peter Fitzgerald
Succeeded by	Roland Burris
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 13th District
In office January 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004
Preceded by	Alice Palmer
Succeeded by	Kwame Raoul
Personal details
Born	Barack Hussein Obama II (1961-08-04) August 4, 1961 (age 50)^[1] Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.^[2]
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Michelle Robinson (1992–present)
Children	Malia (born 1998) Sasha (born 2001)
Residence	White House (Official) Chicago, Illinois (Private)
Alma mater	Occidental College Columbia University (B.A.) Harvard Law School (J.D.)
Profession	Community organizer Lawyer Constitutional law professor Author
Religion	Christianity^[3]
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize
Signature
Website	barackobama.com

	This article is part of a series on Barack Obama
Background Illinois Senate US Senate Political positions Public image Family 2008 primaries Obama–Biden campaign Transition Inauguration Electoral history Presidency Timeline '09 '10 '11 '12 First 100 days Nobel Peace Prize Re-election campaign

Barack Hussein Obama II (ⁱ/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. In January 2005, Obama was sworn in as a U.S. Senator in the state of Illinois. He would hold this office until November 2008, when he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.

Following an unsuccessful bid against the Democratic incumbent for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 2000, Obama ran for the United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Illinois Democratic primary for the Senate election and his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in Illinois in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 presidential election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In April 2011, he announced that he would be running for re-election in 2012.

As president, Obama signed economic stimulus legislation in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Other domestic policy initiatives include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, and the Budget Control Act of 2011. In May 2012, he became the first sitting U.S. president to openly support legalizing same-sex marriage. In foreign policy, he ended the war in Iraq, increased troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered U.S. involvement in the 2011 Libya military intervention, and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.

Early life and career [link]

Main article: Early life and career of Barack Obama

Obama was born on August 4, 1961, at Kapiʻolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital (now Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children) in Honolulu, Hawaii,^[2]^[4]^[5] and is the first President to have been born in Hawaii.^[6] His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was born in Wichita, Kansas, and was of mostly English ancestry,^[7] along with Scottish, Irish, German, and Swiss.^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12] His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where his father was a foreign student on scholarship.^[13]^[14] The couple married on February 2, 1961,^[15] separated when Obama Sr. went to Harvard University on scholarship, and divorced in 1964.^[13] Obama Sr. remarried and returned to Kenya, visiting Barack in Hawaii only once, in 1971. He died in an automobile accident in 1982.^[16]

After her divorce, Dunham married Indonesian Lolo Soetoro, who was attending college in Hawaii. When Suharto, a military leader in Soetoro's home country, came to power in 1967, all Indonesian students studying abroad were recalled, and the family moved to the Menteng neighborhood of Jakarta.^[4]^[17] From ages six to ten, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, including Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School.^[18]

File:Ann Dunham with father and children.jpg

Barack Obama with his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, mother Ann Dunham and grandfather Stanley Dunham, in Hawaii

In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham, and with the aid of a scholarship attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.^[19] Obama's mother returned to Hawaii in 1972, remaining there until 1977 when she went back to Indonesia to work as an anthropological field worker. She finally returned to Hawaii in 1994 and lived there for one year before dying of ovarian cancer.^[15]^[20]

Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind."^[14] He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.^[21] Reflecting later on his years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."^[22] Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind."^[23] At the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency, Obama described his high-school drug use as a great moral failure.^[24]

Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College. In February 1981, he made his first public speech, calling for Occidental to divest from South Africa in response to its policy of apartheid.^[25] In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and sister Maya, and visited the families of college friends in Pakistan and India for three weeks.^[25] Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations^[26] and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation,^[27] then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.^[28]^[29]

Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School [link]

Two years after graduating, Obama was hired in Chicago as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale on Chicago's South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988.^[29]^[30] He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.^[31] Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute.^[32] In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time.^[33] He returned to Kenya in August 2006 for a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya.^[34]

In late 1988, Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year,^[35] and president of the journal in his second year.^[31]^[36] During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as an associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990.^[37] After graduating with a J.D. magna cum laude^[38] from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago.^[35] Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention^[31]^[36] and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,^[39] which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.^[39]

University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney [link]

In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book.^[39]^[40] He then taught at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years—as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004—teaching constitutional law.^[41]

From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration campaign with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading Crain's Chicago Business to name Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.^[42] In 1993, he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004. His law license became inactive in 2002.^[43]

From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project; and of the Joyce Foundation.^[29] He served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.^[29]

Legislative career: 1997–2008 [link]

State Senator: 1997–2004 [link]

Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama

Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which at that time spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park – Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn.^[44] Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation that reformed ethics and health care laws.^[45] He sponsored a law that increased tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.^[46] In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.^[47]

Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002.^[48] In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.^[49]

In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority.^[50] He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations.^[46]^[51] During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms.^[52] Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.^[53]

U.S. Senate campaign [link]

County results of the 2004 U.S. Senate race in Illinois. Counties in blue were won by Obama.

In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race; he created a campaign committee, began raising funds, and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002. Obama formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.^[54]

Obama was an early opponent of the George W. Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[55] On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War,^[56] Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally,^[57] and spoke out against the war.^[58] He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.^[59]

Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun to not participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.^[60] In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, Dreams from My Father.^[61] In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention,^[62] seen by 9.1 million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.^[63]

Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004.^[64] Six weeks later, Alan Keyes accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan.^[65] In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70 percent of the vote.^[66]

U.S. Senator: 2005–2008 [link]

Main article: United States Senate career of Barack Obama

Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005,^[67] becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.^[68] CQ Weekly characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. Obama announced on November 13, 2008, that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.^[69]

Legislation [link]

Obama cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.^[70] He introduced two initiatives that bore his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons;^[71] and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.^[72] On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain—introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.^[73]

Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee.^[74] Regarding tort reform, Obama voted for the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications companies complicit with NSA warrantless wiretapping operations.^[75]

Gray-haired man and Obama stand, wearing casual polo shirts. Obama wears sunglasses and holds something slung over his right shoulder.

Obama and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) visit a Russian facility for dismantling mobile-missiles (August 2005).^[76]

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.^[77] In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.^[78] Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections,^[79] and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007,^[80] neither of which was signed into law.

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges.^[81] This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.^[82] He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee; and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.^[83] Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.^[84]

Committees [link]

Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006.^[85] In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.^[86] He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs.^[87] As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before Abbas became President of the Palestinian National Authority, and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi in which he condemned corruption within the Kenyan government.^[88]

Presidential campaigns [link]

2008 presidential campaign [link]

Main articles: United States presidential election, 2008, Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008, and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008

Obama stands on stage with his family. They wave.

Obama stands on stage with his wife and daughters just before announcing his presidential candidacy in Springfield, Illinois, February 10, 2007.

Two men sit at a distance in front of a desk with their legs crossed and their backs on an angle toward the camera. They sit at right angles to each other.

President George W. Bush meets with President-elect Obama in the Oval Office on November 10, 2008.

On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.^[89]^[90] The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858.^[89]^[91] Obama emphasized issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care,^[92] in a campaign that projected themes of "hope" and "change".^[93]

A large number of candidates entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries. The field narrowed to a duel between Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process but with Obama gaining a steady lead in pledged delegates due to better long-range planning, superior fundraising, dominant organizing in caucus states, and better exploitation of delegate allocation rules.^[94] On June 7, 2008, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama.^[95]

On August 23, Obama announced his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate.^[96] Biden was selected from a field speculated to include former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.^[97] At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her supporters to endorse Obama, and she and Bill Clinton gave convention speeches in his support.^[98] Obama delivered his acceptance speech, not at the center where the Democratic National Convention was held, but at Invesco Field at Mile High to a crowd of over 75,000; the speech was viewed by over 38 million people worldwide.^[99]^[100]

During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations.^[101] On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976.^[102]

McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate and the two engaged in three presidential debates in September and October 2008.^[103] On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 electoral votes to 173 received by McCain.^[104] Obama won 52.9 percent of the popular vote to McCain's 45.7 percent.^[105] He became the first African American to be elected president.^[106] Obama delivered his victory speech before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's Grant Park.^[107]

2012 presidential campaign [link]

Main articles: United States presidential election, 2012 and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012

On April 4, 2011, Obama announced his re-election campaign for 2012 in a video titled "It Begins with Us" that he posted on his website and filed election papers with the Federal Election Commission.^[108]^[109]^[110] As the incumbent president he ran almost unopposed in the Democratic Party presidential primaries,^[111] and on April 3, 2012, Obama had secured the 2778 convention delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.^[112]

Presidency [link]

Main article: Presidency of Barack Obama

First days [link]

Barack Obama takes the oath of office as President of the United States.

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President, and Joe Biden as Vice President, took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office, Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq.^[113] He ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp,^[114] but Congress prevented the closure by refusing to appropriate the required funds.^[115]^[116]^[117] Obama reduced the secrecy given to presidential records,^[118] and changed procedures to promote disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.^[119] He also reversed George W. Bush's ban on federal funding to foreign establishments that allow abortions.^[120]

Domestic policy [link]

The first bill signed into law by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, relaxing the statute of limitations for equal-pay lawsuits.^[121] Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children.^[122] In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy which had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.^[123]

Barack Obama speaking at Joint session of Congress with Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on February 24, 2009

Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his Presidency. Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by Obama on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter, was confirmed on August 6, 2009,^[124] becoming the first Hispanic to be a Supreme Court Justice.^[125] Elena Kagan, nominated by Obama on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three, for the first time in American history.^[126]

On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration proposed new regulations on power plants, factories and oil refineries in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to curb global warming.^[127]^[128]

On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a measure that expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.^[129]^[130]

On March 30, 2010, Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, a reconciliation bill which ends the process of the federal government giving subsidies to private banks to give out federally insured loans, increases the Pell Grant scholarship award, and makes changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.^[131]^[132]

In a major space policy speech in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of human spaceflight to the moon and development of the Ares I rocket, Ares V rocket and Constellation program, in favor of funding Earth science projects, a new rocket type, and research and development for an eventual manned mission to Mars, and ongoing missions to the International Space Station.^[133]

On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, fulfilling a key promise made in the 2008 presidential campaign^[134]^[135] to end the Don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993 that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces.^[136]

President Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address focused on themes of education and innovation, stressing the importance of innovation economics to make the United States more competitive globally. He spoke of a five-year freeze in domestic spending, eliminating tax breaks for oil companies and reversing tax cuts for wealthy Americans, banning congressional earmarks, and reducing healthcare costs. He promised that the United States would have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 and would be 80% reliant on "clean" electricity.^[137]^[138]

As a candidate for the Illinois state senate Obama had said in 1996 that he favored legalizing same-sex marriage;^[139] but by the time of his run for the U.S. senate in 2004, he said that while he supported civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners, for strategic reasons he opposed same-sex marriages.^[140] On May 9, 2012, shortly after the official launch of his campaign for re-election as president, Obama said his views had evolved, and he publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.^[141]^[142]

Economic policy [link]

Main article: Economic policy of Barack Obama

Obama presents his first weekly address as President of the United States on January 24, 2009, discussing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus package aimed at helping the economy recover from the deepening worldwide recession.^[143] The act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals,^[144] which is being distributed over the course of several years.

In March, Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, took further steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which contains provisions for buying up to $2 trillion in depreciated real estate assets.^[145] Obama intervened in the troubled automotive industry^[146] in March 2009, renewing loans for General Motors and Chrysler to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat^[147] and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60 percent equity stake in the company, with the Canadian government shouldering a 12 percent stake.^[148] In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment.^[149] He signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", that temporarily boosted the economy.^[150]^[151]^[152]

Although spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations totaled about $11.5 trillion, only $3 trillion had been spent by the end of November 2009.^[153] However, Obama and the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the 2010 budget deficit will be $1.5 trillion or 10.6 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the 2009 deficit of $1.4 trillion or 9.9 percent of GDP.^[154]^[155] For 2011, the administration predicted the deficit will slightly shrink to $1.34 trillion, while the 10-year deficit will increase to $8.53 trillion or 90 percent of GDP.^[156] The most recent increase in the U.S. debt ceiling to $16.4 trillion was signed into law on January 26, 2012.^[157] On August 2, 2011, after a lengthy congressional debate over whether to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama signed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011. The legislation enforces limits on discretionary spending until 2021, establishes a procedure to increase the debt limit, creates a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction with a stated goal of achieving at least $1.5 trillion in budgetary savings over 10 years, and establishes automatic procedures for reducing spending by as much as $1.2 trillion if legislation originating with the new joint select committee does not achieve such savings.^[158] By passing the legislation, Congress was able to prevent an unprecedented U.S. government default on its obligations.^[159]

Employment statistics (changes in unemployment rate and net jobs per month) during Obama's tenure as U.S. President^[160]^[161]

The unemployment rate rose in 2009, reaching a peak in October at 10.1 percent and averaging 10.0 percent in the fourth quarter. Following a decrease to 9.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate fell to 9.6 percent in the second quarter, where it remained for the rest of the year.^[162] Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8 percent, which was less than the average of 1.9 percent experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries.^[163] GDP growth returned in the third quarter of 2009, expanding at a rate of 1.6 percent, followed by a 5.0 percent increase in the fourth quarter.^[164] Growth continued in 2010, posting an increase of 3.7 percent in the first quarter, with lesser gains throughout the rest of the year.^[164] In July 2010, the Federal Reserve expressed that although economic activity continued to increase, its pace had slowed, and Chairman Ben Bernanke stated that the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain."^[165] Overall, the economy expanded at a rate of 2.9 percent in 2010.^[166]

The Congressional Budget Office and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth.^[167]^[168] The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 1–2.1 million,^[168]^[169]^[170]^[171] while conceding that "It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package."^[167] Although an April 2010 survey of members of the National Association for Business Economics showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73 percent of 68 respondents believed that the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.^[172]

Within a month of the 2010 midterm elections, Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 income tax rates, a one-year payroll tax reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for estate taxes.^[173] The compromise overcame opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858 billion Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.^[174]

Health care reform [link]

Main article: Health care reform in the United States

Obama signs bill at desk while others look on.

Barack Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the White House, March 23, 2010

Obama called for Congress to pass legislation reforming health care in the United States, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal.^[175] He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, to cap premium increases, and to allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900 billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan, also known as the public option, to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of health care. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.^[176]^[177]

On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.^[175] After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over the proposals.^[178] In March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on stem cell research.^[179]

File:PPACA Premium Chart.jpg

Maximum Out-of-Pocket Premium as Percentage of Family Income and federal poverty level, under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, starting in 2014. (Source: CRS)

On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House.^[180]^[181] On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own bill—without a public option—on a party-line vote of 60–39.^[182] On March 21, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212.^[183] Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010.^[184]

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes health-related provisions to take effect over four years, including expanding Medicaid eligibility for people making up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) starting in 2014,^[185] subsidizing insurance premiums for people making up to 400 percent of the FPL ($88,000 for family of four in 2010) so their maximum "out-of-pocket" payment for annual premiums will be from 2 to 9.5 percent of income,^[186]^[187] providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, prohibiting denial of coverage and denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing health insurance exchanges, prohibiting annual coverage caps, and support for medical research. According to White House and Congressional Budget Office figures, the maximum share of income that enrollees would have to pay would vary depending on their income relative to the federal poverty level.^[186]^[188]

The costs of these provisions are offset by taxes, fees, and cost-saving measures, such as new Medicare taxes for those in high-income brackets, taxes on indoor tanning, cuts to the Medicare Advantage program in favor of traditional Medicare, and fees on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies;^[189] there is also a tax penalty for those who do not obtain health insurance, unless they are exempt due to low income or other reasons.^[190] In March, 2010, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the net effect of both laws will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143 billion over the first decade.^[191]

In March 2012, the Supreme Court heard arguments by a coalition of 26 states maintaining that it is unconstitutional to force individuals to buy health insurance.^[192]

Gulf of Mexico oil spill [link]

On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore drilling rig at the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a major sustained oil leak. The well's operator, BP, initiated a containment and cleanup plan, and began drilling two relief wells intended to stop the flow. Obama visited the Gulf on May 2 among visits by members of his cabinet, and again on May 28 and June 4. On May 22, he announced a federal investigation and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards, after a review by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and concurrent Congressional hearings. On May 27, he announced a 6-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits and leases, pending regulatory review.^[193] As multiple efforts by BP failed, some in the media and public expressed confusion and criticism over various aspects of the incident, and stated a desire for more involvement by Obama and the federal government.^[194]

Foreign policy [link]

Main articles: Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration and Barack Obama foreign policy

Barack Obama speaking on "A New Beginning" at Cairo University on June 4, 2009

In February and March, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration.^[195] Obama attempted to reach out to Arab leaders by granting his first interview to an Arab cable TV network, Al Arabiya.^[196]

On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran.^[197] This attempt at outreach was rebuffed by the Iranian leadership.^[198] In April, Obama gave a speech in Ankara, Turkey, which was well received by many Arab governments.^[199] On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "a new beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.^[200]

On June 26, 2009, in response to the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following Iran's 2009 presidential election, Obama said: "The violence perpetrated against them is outrageous. We see it and we condemn it."^[201] On July 7, while in Moscow, he responded to a Vice President Biden comment on a possible Israeli military strike on Iran by saying: "We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East."^[202]

British Prime Minister David Cameron and Barack Obama, during the 2010 G-20 Toronto summit.

On September 24, 2009, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.^[203]

In March 2010, Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.^[204]^[205] During the same month, an agreement was reached with the administration of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about one-third.^[206] The New START treaty was signed by Obama and Medvedev in April 2010, and was ratified by the U.S. Senate in December 2010.^[207]

On December 6, 2011, he instructed agencies to consider LGBT rights when issuing financial aid to foreign countries.^[208]

Iraq War [link]

On February 27, 2009, Obama declared that combat operations in Iraq would end within 18 months. His remarks were made to a group of Marines preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Obama said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end."^[209] The Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troops levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of 35,000 to 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. On August 19, 2010, the last United States combat brigade exited Iraq. The plan is to transition the mission of the remaining troops from combat operations to counter-terrorism and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces.^[210]^[211] On August 31, 2010, Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over.^[212] On October 21, 2011 President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq in time to be, "home for the holidays".^[213]

War in Afghanistan [link]

Main article: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan.^[214] He announced an increase to U.S. troop levels of 17,000 in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires".^[215] He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with former Special Forces commander Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war.^[216] On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan.^[217] He also proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date.^[218]^[219] McChrystal was replaced by David Petraeus in June 2010, after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article.^[220]

Israel [link]

Obama meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, 2009

During the initial years of the Obama administration, the U.S. increased military cooperation with Israel, including a record number of U.S. troops participating in military exercises in the country, increased military aid, the re-establishment of the U.S.-Israeli Joint Political Military Group and the Defense Policy Advisory Group, and an increase in visits among high-level military officials of both countries, including Ehud Barak and Admiral Mike Mullen.^[221]

In 2011, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, with the United States being the only nation to do so.^[222] Obama supports the two-state solution to the Arab–Israeli conflict based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.^[223]

War in Libya [link]

Main article: 2011 military intervention in Libya

In March 2011, as forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi advanced on rebels across Libya, calls for a no-fly zone came from around the world, including Europe, the Arab League, and a resolution^[224] passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate.^[225] In response to the unanimous passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 on March 17, Gaddafi who had previously vowed to "show no mercy" to the citizens of Benghazi^[226]—announced an immediate cessation of military activities,^[227] yet reports came in that his forces continued shelling Misrata. The next day, on Obama's orders, the U.S. military took a lead role in air strikes to destroy the Libyan government's air defense capabilities in order to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly-zone,^[228] including the use of Tomahawk missiles, B-2 Spirits, and fighter jets.^[229]^[230]^[231] Six days later, on March 25, by unanimous vote of all of its 28 members, NATO took over leadership of the effort, dubbed Operation Unified Protector.^[232] Some Representatives^[233] questioned whether Obama had the constitutional authority to order military action in addition to questioning its cost, structure and aftermath.^[234]^[235]

Osama bin Laden [link]

Obama and the U.S. national security team gathered in the Situation Room to monitor the military operation resulting in the death of Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011.

Main article: Death of Osama bin Laden

Starting with information received in July 2010, intelligence developed by the CIA over the next several months determined what they believed to be the location of Osama bin Laden in a large compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a suburban area 35 miles from Islamabad.^[236] CIA head Leon Panetta reported this intelligence to President Obama in March 2011.^[236] Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks, Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound, and authorized a "surgical raid" to be conducted by United States Navy SEALs.^[236] The operation took place on May 1, 2011, resulting in the death of bin Laden and the seizure of papers and computer drives and disks from the compound.^[237]^[238] Bin Laden's body was identified through DNA testing,^[239] and buried at sea several hours later.^[240] Within minutes of the President's announcement from Washington, DC, late in the evening on May 1, there were spontaneous celebrations around the country as crowds gathered outside the White House, and at New York City's Ground Zero and Times Square.^[237]^[241] Reaction to the announcement was positive across party lines, including from former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush,^[242] and from many countries around the world.^[243]

2010 midterm election [link]

Obama called the November 2, 2010 election, where the Democratic Party lost 63 seats in, and control of, the House of Representatives,^[244] "humbling" and a "shellacking".^[245] He said that the results came because not enough Americans had felt the effects of the economic recovery.^[246]

Cultural and political image [link]

Main article: Public image of Barack Obama

Obama conducting the first completely virtual interview from the White House in 2012^[247]

Obama's family history, upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.^[248] Obama is also not a descendant of American slaves.^[249] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong".^[250] Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."^[251]

Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator.^[252] During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.^[253]

According to the Gallup Organization, Obama began his presidency with a 68 percent approval rating^[254] before gradually declining for the rest of the year, and eventually bottoming out at 41 percent in August 2010,^[255] a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office.^[256] He experienced a small poll bounce shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden, which lasted until around June 2011, when his approval numbers dropped back to where they were prior to the operation.^[257]^[258]^[259] Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries,^[260] and before being elected President he has met with prominent foreign figures including then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair,^[261] Italy's Democratic Party leader and then Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni,^[262] and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.^[263]

Obama talks with pub-goers as the First Lady draws a pint of stout at the Ollie Hayes pub in Moneygall, Ireland, in 2011

In a February 2009 poll conducted by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most respected world leader, as well as the most powerful.^[264] In a similar poll conducted by Harris in May 2009, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.^[265]^[266]

Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008.^[267] His concession speech after the New Hampshire primary was set to music by independent artists as the music video "Yes We Can", which was viewed 10 million times on YouTube in its first month^[268] and received a Daytime Emmy Award.^[269] In December 2008, Time magazine named Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments".^[270]

On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".^[271] Obama accepted this award in Oslo, Norway on December 10, 2009, with "deep gratitude and great humility."^[272] The award drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures.^[273]^[274] Obama is the fourth U.S. president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office.

Family and personal life [link]

Main article: Family of Barack Obama

Barack Obama posing in the White House with wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia in 2009

In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family: "It's like a little mini-United Nations", he said. "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher."^[275] Obama has a half-sister with whom he was raised, Maya Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of his mother and her Indonesian second husband and seven half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family – six of them living.^[276] Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham,^[277] until her death on November 2, 2008,^[278] two days before his election to the Presidency. Obama also has roots in Ireland; he met with his Irish cousins in Moneygall in May 2011.^[279] In Dreams from My Father, Obama ties his mother's family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.^[280]

Obama was known as "Barry" in his youth, but asked to be addressed with his given name during his college years.^[281] Besides his native English, Obama speaks Indonesian at the conversational level, having learned the language during his four childhood years in Jakarta.^[282] He plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team.^[283]

Obama about to take a shot while three other players look at him. One of those players is holding is arms up in an attempt to block Obama.

Obama taking a shot during a game on the White House basketball court, 2009

Obama is a well known supporter of the Chicago White Sox, and threw out the first pitch at the 2005 ALCS when he was still a senator.^[284] In 2009, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the all star game while wearing a White Sox jacket.^[285] He is also primarily a Chicago Bears fan in the NFL, but in his childhood and adolescence was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and recently rooted for them ahead of their victory in Super Bowl XLIII 12 days after Obama took office as President.^[286] In 2011, Obama invited the 1985 Bears to the White House; in 1986, the team did not attend due to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.^[287]

In June 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin.^[288] Assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial requests to date.^[289] They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992.^[290] The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998,^[291] followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), on June 10, 2001.^[292] The Obama daughters attended the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the private Sidwell Friends School.^[293] The Obamas have a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy.^[294]

Applying the proceeds of a book deal, the family moved in 2005 from a Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to a $1.6 million house in neighboring Kenwood, Chicago.^[295] The purchase of an adjacent lot—and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer, campaign donor and friend Tony Rezko—attracted media attention because of Rezko's subsequent indictment and conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.^[296]

In December 2007, Money magazine estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3 million.^[297] Their 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5 million—up from about $4.2 million in 2007 and $1.6 million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books.^[298]^[299] On his 2010 income of $1.7 million, he gave 14 percent to non-profit organizations, including $131,000 to Fisher House Foundation, a charity assisting wounded veterans' families, allowing them to reside near where the veteran is receiving medical treatments.^[300]^[301]

As per the latest financial disclosure, Obama may be worth as much as $10 million.^[302]

Obama tried to quit smoking several times, sometimes using nicotine replacement therapy, and, in early 2010, Michelle Obama said that he had successfully quit smoking.^[303]^[304]

Religious views [link]

Obama is a Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life. He wrote in The Audacity of Hope that he "was not raised in a religious household". He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists"), to be detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known". He described his father as "raised a Muslim", but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful". Obama explained how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change".^[305]

In an interview with the evangelical periodical Christianity Today, Obama stated: "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life."^[306]

On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views saying "I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me."^[307]^[308]

Obama was baptized at the Trinity United Church of Christ, a black liberation church, in 1988, and was an active member there for two decades.^[309] Obama resigned from Trinity during the Presidential campaign after controversial statements made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright became public.^[310] After a prolonged effort to find a church to attend regularly in Washington, Obama announced in June 2009 that his primary place of worship would be the Evergreen Chapel at Camp David.^[311]

Notes [link]

^ "President Barack Obama". Washington, D.C.: The White House. 2008. http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Certificate of Live Birth: Barack Hussein Obama II, August 4, 1961, 7:24 pm, Honolulu". Department of Health, State of Hawaii. The White House. April 27, 2011. http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
^ "American President: Barack Obama". Charlottesville, VA: Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. 2009. http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/obama. Retrieved January 23, 2009. "Religion: Christian"
- "The Truth about Barack's Faith". Obama for America. http://www.fightthesmears.com/file_download/2/baracksfaith.pdf. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- Miller, Lisa (July 18, 2008). "Finding his faith". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971. Retrieved February 4, 2010. "He is now a Christian, having been baptized in the early 1990s at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago."
- Barakat, Matthew (November 17, 2008). "Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized; D.C. churches have started extending invitations to Obama and his family". Associated Press. MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27775757. Retrieved January 20, 2009. "The United Church of Christ, the denomination from which Obama resigned when he left Wright's church, issued a written invitation to join a UCC denomination in Washington and resume his connections to the church." .
- "Barack Obama, long time UCC member, inaugurated forty-fourth U.S. President". News. United Church of Christ. January 20, 2009. http://www.ucc.org/news/obama-inauguration.html. Retrieved January 21, 2009. "Barack Obama, who spent more than 20 years as a UCC member, is the forty-fourth President of the United States."
- Sullivan, Amy (June 29, 2009). "The Obama's find a church home—away from home". Time. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907610,00.html. Retrieved February 5, 2010. "instead of joining a congregation in Washington, D.C., he will follow in George W. Bush's footsteps and make his primary place of worship Evergreen Chapel, the nondenominational church at Camp David." .
- Kornblut, Anne E. (February 4, 2010). "Obama's spirituality is largely private, but it's influential, advisers say". The Washington Post: p. A6. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303619.html. Retrieved February 5, 2010. "Obama prays privately ... And when he takes his family to Camp David on the weekends, a Navy chaplain ministers to them, with the daughters attending a form of Sunday school there."
^ ^a ^b Maraniss, David (August 24, 2008). "Though Obama had to leave to find himself, it is Hawaii that made his rise possible". The Washington Post: p. A22. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082301620.html. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
^ Nakaso, Dan (December 22, 2008). "Twin sisters, Obama on parallel paths for years". The Honolulu Advertiser: p. B1. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Dec/22/ln/hawaii812220320.html. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
^ Rudin, Ken (December 23, 2009). "Today's Junkie segment On TOTN: a political review Of 2009". Talk of the Nation (Political Junkie blog). NPR. http://www.npr.org/blogs/politicaljunkie/2009/12/todays_junkie_segment_on_totn_5.html. Retrieved April 18, 2010. "We began with the historic inauguration on January 20—yes, the first president ever born in Hawaii"
^ for Stanley Ann's first name, see Obama (1995, 2004), p. 19.
^ Ewen MacAskill in Washington and Nicholas Watt (May 20, 2011). "Obama looks forward to rediscovering his Irish roots on European tour". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/20/obama-irish-roots-european-tour. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
^ Mason, Jeff (May 23, 2011). "Obama visits family roots in Ireland". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/23/us-obama-ireland-idUSTRE74M09F20110523. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
^ "Obama urged to create own tartan". BBC News. January 20, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7838208.stm. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
^ "Researchers: Obama has German roots". USA Today. June 4, 2009. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-06-04-obama-roots_N.htm. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
^ "Honorary citizenship papers sent to Obama". Swissinfo.ch. July 14, 2010. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Honorary_citizenship_papers_sent_to_Obama.html?cid=17963746. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Jones, Tim (March 27, 2007). "Barack Obama: Mother not just a girl from Kansas; Stanley Ann Dunham shaped a future senator". Chicago Tribune: p. 1 (Tempo). Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-0703270151mar27-archive,0,5853572,full.story. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 9–10.
^ ^a ^b Ripley, Amanda (April 9, 2008). "The story of Barack Obama's mother". Time. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1729524,00.html. Retrieved April 9, 2007.
^ Ochieng, Philip (November 1, 2004). "From home squared to the US Senate: how Barack Obama was lost and found". The EastAfrican. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927223905/http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-11.html. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
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^ Karana, Kinanti Pinta (December 9, 2009). "Statue of a young Obama to watch over Indonesian capital". Jakarta Globe. http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/statue-of-us-president-barack-obama-to-be-unveiled-in-jakarta-park/346178. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
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^ Pickler, Nedra (January 24, 2007). "Obama debunks claim about Islamic school". The Washington Post. Associated Press. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012400371_pf.html. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
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^ Serafin, Peter (March 21, 2004). "Punahou grad stirs up Illinois politics". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/03/21/news/story4.html. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
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- Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 3 and 4.
^ Suryakusuma, Julia (November 29, 2006). "Obama for President... of Indonesia". The Jakarta Post. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2006/11/29/obama-president-indonesia.html. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
^ Serrano, Richard A. (March 11, 2007). "Obama's peers didn't see his angst". Los Angeles Times: p. A20. http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obamahawaii11-2007mar11,0,199085,full.story. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
- Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 4 and 5.
^ Reyes, B.J. (February 8, 2007). "Punahou left lasting impression on Obama". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/02/08/news/story02.html. Retrieved February 10, 2007. "As a teenager, Obama went to parties and sometimes sought out gatherings on military bases or at the University of Hawaii that were mostly attended by blacks."
^ Elliott, Philip (November 21, 2007). "Obama gets blunt with N.H. students". The Boston Globe. Associated Press: p. 8A. http://articles.boston.com/2007-11-21/news/29233371_1_barack-obama-education-plan-campaign-trail. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
- Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 93–94.
- for analysis of the political impact of the quote and Obama's more recent admission that he smoked marijuana as a teenager ("When I was a kid, I inhaled"), see:
- Seelye, Katharine Q. (October 24, 2006). "Obama offers more variations from the norm". The New York Times: p. A21. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E2DB173FF937A15753C1A9609C8B63. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
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^ Hornick, Ed (August 17, 2008). "Obama, McCain talk issues at pastor's forum". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/16/warren.forum/. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Gordon, Larry (January 29, 2007). "Occidental recalls 'Barry' Obama". Los Angeles Times: p. B1. http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/29/local/me-oxy29. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
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- Kovaleski, Serge F. (February 9, 2008). "Old friends say drugs played bit part in Obama's young life". The New York Times: p. A1. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/us/politics/09obama.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
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- Remnick, David (2010). The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 98–112. ISBN 978-1-4000-4360-6.
- Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 92–112.
- Mendell (2007), pp. 55–62.
^ Boss-Bicak, Shira (January 2005). "Barack Obama '83". Columbia College Today. ISSN 0572-7820. http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jan05/cover.php. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
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^ Scott, Janny (July 30, 2007). "Obama's account of New York often differs from what others say". The New York Times: p. B1. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
- Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 133–140.
- Mendell (2007), pp. 62–63.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Chassie, Karen, ed. (2007). Who's Who in America, 2008. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who. p. 3468. ISBN 978-0-8379-7011-0.
^ Lizza, Ryan (March 19, 2007). "The agitator: Barack Obama's unlikely political education". The New Republic 236 (12): 22–26, 28–29. ISSN 0028-6583. http://www.tnr.com/article/the-agitator-barack-obamas-unlikely-political-education. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
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^ Obama, Barack (August–September 1988). "Why organize? Problems and promise in the inner city". Illinois Issues 14 (8–9): 40–42. ISSN 0738-9663. reprinted in:
Knoepfle, Peg, ed. (1990). After Alinsky: community organizing in Illinois. Springfield, IL: Sangamon State University. pp. 35–40. ISBN 0-9620873-3-5. "He has also been a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, an organizing institute working throughout the Midwest."
^ Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 299–437.
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^ ^a ^b Levenson, Michael; Saltzman, Jonathan (January 28, 2007). "At Harvard Law, a unifying voice". The Boston Globe: p. 1A. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/28/at_harvard_law_a_unifying_voice/?page=full. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
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^ ^a ^b Butterfield, Fox (February 6, 1990). "First black elected to head Harvard's Law Review". The New York Times: p. A20. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/06/us/first-black-elected-to-head-harvard-s-law-review.html. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
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^ Aguilar, Louis (July 11, 1990). "Survey: Law firms slow to add minority partners". Chicago Tribune: p. 1 (Business). http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/28774085.html?dids=28774085:28774085&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
^ Adams, Richard (May 9, 2007). "Barack Obama". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/09/barackobama.uselections20081. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
- Barack Obama at Encyclopædia Britannica
^ ^a ^b ^c Scott, Janny (May 18, 2008). "The story of Obama, written by Obama". The New York Times: p. A1. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/politics/18memoirs.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
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^ "Floor Statement by Senator McCain Introducing the Senate Resolution Calling for a No-Fly Zone in Libya". Senate.gov. March 14, 2011. http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.FloorStatements&ContentRecord_id=b63b7b6f-a466-ba23-dea8-7bc024f54655. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
^ "Senate Passes Resolution Calling for No-Fly Zone Over Libya". National Journal. March 1, 2011. http://nationaljournal.com/congress/senate-passes-resolution-calling-for-no-fly-zone-over-libya-20110301?page=1. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
^ Winnett, Robert (March 17, 2011). "Libya: UN approves no-fly zone as British troops prepare for action". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8389565/Libya-UN-approves-no-fly-zone-as-British-troops-prepare-for-action.html. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
^ "Libya declares ceasefire". New Statesman. UK. http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/03/fly-zone-ceasefire-libya. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
^ "Obama: US to Transfer Lead Role in Libya". RTT Newswire. http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Id=1580433&SM=1. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
^ "Obama says US efforts in Libya have saved lives, control of operation can be turned over soon". Ventura County Star. Associated Press. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/mar/23/ap-news-in-brief/. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
^ Ian Pannell (March 21, 2011). "Gaddafi 'not targeted' by allied strikes". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12813757. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
^ Jones, Sam (March 22, 2011). "F-15 fighter jet crashes in Libya". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/22/f15-fighter-crash-libya. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
^ "NATO No-Fly Zone over Libya Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR". NATO. March 25, 2011. http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_03/20110325_110325-unified-protector-no-fly-zone.pdf.
^ Montopoli, Brian (March 22, 2011). "Is Obama's Libya offensive constitutional?". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20045927-503544.html. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
^ Stein, Sam (March 21, 2011). "Obama's Libya Policy Makes Strange Bedfellows Of Congressional Critics". The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/20/obama-libya_n_838219.html. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
^ "Obama juggles Libya promises, realities". CNN. March 25, 2011. http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/25/obama.libya/index.html?hpt=T1. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Mazzetti, Mark; Helene Cooper, Peter Baker (May 3, 2011). "Clues Gradually Led to the Location of Osama bin Laden". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html?hp=&pagewanted=all. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan" – washingtonpost.com Retrieved May 2, 2011
^ "Official offers details of bin Laden raid" – newsday.com Retrieved May 2, 2011
^ Schabner, Dean; Karen Travers (May 1, 2011). "Osama bin Laden Killed by U.S. Forces in Pakistan". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-killed/story?id=13505703. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ Baker, Peter; Helene Cooper, Mark Mazzetti (May 2, 2011). "Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ Walsh, Declan; Richard Adams and Ewen MacAskill (May 2, 2011). "Osama bin Laden is dead, Obama announces". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
^ Dorning, Mike (May 2, 2011). "Death of Bin Laden May Strengthen Obama's Hand in Domestic, Foreign Policy". Bloomberg News. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/death-of-bin-laden-may-strengthen-obama-s-hand-in-domestic-foreign-policy.html. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
^ "World Reaction To Osama Bin Laden's Death". NPR. May 2, 2011. http://www.npr.org/2011/05/02/135919728/world-reaction-to-osama-bin-ladens-death. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
^ Paul Harris in Oakland and Ewen MacAskill in Washington (November 3, 2010). "US midterm election results herald new political era as Republicans take House". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/03/us-midterm-election-results-tea-party. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
^ "Obama calls midterm elections a 'shellacking' for Democrats". The Christian Science Monitor. November 4, 2010. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Vox-News/2010/1104/Obama-calls-midterm-elections-a-shellacking-for-Democrats. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
^ "See Obama's first paragraph of his transcript". All Things Considered. NPR. November 3, 2010. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131048554. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
^ "President Obama Hangs Out With America", The White House, January 30, 2012.
^ Wallace-Wells, Benjamin (November 2004). "The Great Black Hope: What's Riding on Barack Obama?". Washington Monthly. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0411.wallace-wells.html. Retrieved April 7, 2008. See also:Scott, Janny (December 28, 2007). "A Member of a New Generation, Obama Walks a Fine Line". International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/28/america/obama.php. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
^ Harris, Paul (March 4, 2007). "Obama told of family's slave-owning history in deep South". The Observer (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/mar/04/uselections2008.barackobama. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
^ Payne, Les (August 19, 2007). "In One Country, a Dual Audience" (paid archive). Newsday (New York). http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/1322008241.html?dids=1322008241:1322008241&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
^ Dorning, Mike (October 4, 2007). "Obama Reaches Across Decades to JFK" (paid archive). Chicago Tribune. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1353513781.html?dids=1353513781:1353513781&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+4%2C+2007&author=Mike+Dorning. Retrieved April 7, 2008. See also:Harnden, Toby (October 15, 2007). "Barack Obama is JFK Heir, Says Kennedy Aide". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1565992/Barack-Obama-is-JFK-heir%2C-says-Kennedy-aide.html. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
^ Holmes, Stephanie (November 30, 2008). "Obama: Oratory and originality". The Age (Melbourne). http://www.theage.com.au/world/a-classic-orator-obama-learnt-from-the-masters-20081129-6nf1.html. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- Gallo, Carmine (March 3, 2008). "How to Inspire People Like Obama Does". BusinessWeek. http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/mar2008/sb2008033_156351.htm. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
- Zlomislic, Diana (December 11, 2008). "New emotion dubbed 'elevation". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/living/article/551538. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- Greene, Richard (January 25, 2011). "Obama Is America's Third Greatest Presidential Orator in Modern Era". The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greene/obama-is-americas-3rd-gre_b_813868.html. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "YouTube – ChangeDotGov's Channel". Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/user/ChangeDotGov. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
^ "Obama Starts With 68% Job Approval". Gallup.com. January 24, 2009. http://www.gallup.com/poll/113962/obama-starts-job-approval.aspx. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
^ "Obama hits low point in Gallup Poll – 41%". USA Today. April 15, 2011. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/04/obama-hits-low-point-in-gallup-poll/1. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
^ Jon Terbush (December 9, 2010). "Approval By Numbers: How Obama Compares To Past Presidents". Tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com. http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/approval-by-numbers-how-obama-compares-to-past-presidents.php. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
^ Oliphant, James (May 11, 2011). "Bin Laden bounce? New poll shows jump in Obama approval", Los Angeles Times. Accessed June 7, 2011
^ Balz, Dan; Cohen, John (June 6, 2011). "Obama loses bin Laden bounce; Romney on the move among GOP contenders", The Washington Post. Accessed June 7, 2011
^ Henningsen, Patrick (May 23, 2011). "Washington Still Working Hard to Plug Gaps in The Bin Laden Story", 21st Century Wire. Accessed June 7, 2011
^ "World wants Obama as president: poll". Reuters. ABC News. September 9, 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/09/2360240.htm.
^ "Obama to visit nuclear, biological weapons destruction facilities in former Soviet Union" (Press release). Obama.senate.gov. August 24, 2005. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081218122125/http://obama.senate.gov/press/050823-obama_to_visit/. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
^ Scherer, Steve (September 12, 2007). "Rome Mayor's Leadership Bid May Lead to Early Italian Elections". Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aea6jJJwShpQ&refer=europe. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
^ Pedder, Sophie (February 20, 2008). "Sarkozy, Obama and McCain". The Economist. http://www.economist.com/blogs/certainideasofeurope/2008/02/sarkozy_obama_and_mccain.cfm. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
^ Freed, John C. (February 6, 20009). "Poll shows Obama atop list of most respected". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/world/americas/06iht-poll.4.19983290.html. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
^ "Obama Most Popular Leader, Poll Finds". The New York Times. May 29, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/world/europe/29iht-poll.html. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
^ "Obama remains a popular symbol of hope". France 24. June 2, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110513050036/http://www.france24.com/en/20090529-obama-remains-popular-symbol-hope-harris-interactive-poll-world-leaders. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
^ Goodman, Dean (February 10, 2008). "Obama or Clinton? Grammys go for Obama". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSN0852813420080210. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
^ Strange, Hannah (March 5, 2008). "Celebrities join YouTube revolution". The Times (London). http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3491460.ece. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
^ Wappler, Margaret (June 20, 2008). "Emmys give knuckle bump to will.i.am; more videos on the way". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110516090327/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/soundboard/2008/06/emmys-give-knuc.html. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
^ Von Drehle, David (December 16, 2008). "Why History Can't Wait". Time. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/personoftheyear/article/0,31682,1861543_1865068,00.html. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 2009". Nobel Foundation. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
^ "Obama: 'Peace requires responsibility'". CNN. December 10, 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/10/obama.transcript/index.html. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
^ Philp, Catherine (October 10, 2009). "Barack Obama's peace prize starts a fight". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6868905.ece. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
^ Samuelsohn, Darren (October 9, 2009). "Obama Wins Nobel Prize in Part for Confronting 'Great Climatic Challenges'". The New York Times. Greenwire. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/10/09/09greenwire-obama-wins-nobel-prize-in-part-for-confronting-55250.html. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
^ "Keeping Hope Alive: Barack Obama Puts Family First". The Oprah Winfrey Show. October 18, 2006. http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20061018/10. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ Fornek, Scott (September 9, 2007). "Half Siblings: 'A Complicated Family'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5msGZ6sKn. Retrieved June 24, 2008. See also:"Interactive Family Tree". Chicago Sun-Times. September 9, 2007. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080703042659/http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/special/family_tree.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ Fornek, Scott (September 9, 2007). "Madelyn Payne Dunham: 'A Trailblazer'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5gm7oJqn9. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ "Obama's grandmother dies after battle with cancer". CNN. November 3, 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/obama.grandma/index.html. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
^ Smolenyak, Megan (May 9, 2011). "Tracing Barack Obama's Roots to Moneygall". The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-smolenyak-smolenyak/tracing-barack-obamas-roo_b_859151.html.
^ Obama (1995, 2004), p. 13. For reports on Obama's maternal genealogy, including slave owners, Irish connections, and common ancestors with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Harry Truman, see:Nitkin, David; Harry Merritt (March 2, 2007). "A New Twist to an Intriguing Family History". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070930033339/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/politics/bal-te.obama02mar02,0,3453027.story. Retrieved June 24, 2008. Jordan, Mary (May 13, 2007). "Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051201551.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008. "Obama's Family Tree Has a Few Surprises". CBS 2 (Chicago). Associated Press. September 8, 2007. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080602215833/http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Barack.Obama.family.2.339709.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ "When Barry Became Barack". Newsweek. March 31, 2008. http://www.newsweek.com/id/128633. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
^ Zimmer, Benjamin (2009). "Obama's Indonesian Redux". Language Log. http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1025. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- Obama: Saya Kangen Nasi Goreng, Bakso, dan Rambutan
^ Kantor, Jodi (June 1, 2007). "One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/01/us/politics/01hoops.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008. See also: "The Love of the Game" (video). Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO). April 15, 2008. http://www.hbo.com/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes#/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes/0/133-april-15-2008/index.html. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
^ "Barack Obama: White Sox 'serious' ball". The Swamp. August 25, 2008. http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/barack_obama_white_sox_serious.html. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
^ "Barack Obama Explains White Sox Jacket, Talks Nats in All-Star Booth Visit". MLB Fanhouse. July 14, 2009. http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/07/14/barack-obama-explains-white-sox-jacket-talks-nats-in-all-star-b/. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
^ Branigin, William (January 30, 2009). "Steelers Win Obama's Approval". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012903196.html. "But other than the Bears, the Steelers are probably the team that's closest to my heart."
^ "1985 Bears honored by President Obama". Chicagobears.com. 2011-10-07. http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=8232. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
^ Obama (2006), pp. 327–332. See also:Brown, Sarah (December 7, 2005). "Obama '85 masters balancing act". The Daily Princetonian. http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2005/12/07/14049. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
^ Obama (2006), p. 329.
^ Fornek, Scott (October 3, 2007). "Michelle Obama: 'He Swept Me Off My Feet'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5msGZDbMO. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
^ Martin, Jonathan (July 4, 2008). "Born on the 4th of July". Politico. http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/Born_on_the_4th_of_July.html. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
^ Obama (1995, 2004), p. 440, and Obama (2006), pp. 339–340. See also:"Election 2008 Information Center: Barack Obama". Gannett News Service. http://www.gannettnewsservice.com/?cat=153. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
^ "Obamas choose private Sidwell Friends School", International Herald Tribune, November 22, 2008
^ Cooper, Helene (April 13, 2009). "One Obama Search Ends With a Puppy Named Bo". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/politics/13obama.html. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
^ Zeleny, Jeff (December 24, 2005). "The first time around: Sen. Obama's freshman year". Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-051224obama,0,1779783,full.story. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
^ Slevin, Peter (December 17, 2006). "Obama says he regrets land deal with fundraiser". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600729.html. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
- Robinson, Mike (June 4, 2008). "Rezko found guilty in corruption case". Associated Press. MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24973282/. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ Harris, Marlys (December 7, 2007). "Obama's Money". CNNMoney.com. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/5.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
See also:Goldfarb, Zachary A (March 24, 2007). "Measuring Wealth of the '08 Candidates". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR2007032400305.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
^ Zeleny, Jeff (April 17, 2008). "Book Sales Lifted Obamas' Income in 2007 to a Total of $4.2 Million". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/politics/17obama.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
^ Shear, Michael D.; Hilzenrath, David S. (April 16, 2010). "Obamas report $5.5 million in income on 2009 tax return". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041504485.html. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
^ Solman, Paul (April 18, 2011). "How Much Did President Obama Make in 2010?". PBS NewsHour. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2011/04/how-much-did-president-obama-m.html. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
^ Solman, Paul (April 27, 2011). "The Obamas Gave $131,000 to Fisher House Foundation in 2010; What Is It?". PBS NewsHour. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/04/the-obamas-gave-131000-to-the-fisher-house-foundation-last-year-what-is-it.html. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
^ Jackson, David (May 15, 2012). "Obama worth as much as $10 million". USA Today. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
^ Elsner, Alan (December 7, 2008). Obama says he won't be smoking in White House". Reuters. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
^ Zengerle, Patricia (February 8, 2011). "Yes, he did: first lady says Obama quit smoking". Reuters. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
^ Obama (2006), pp. 202–208. Portions excerpted in:Obama, Barack (October 16, 2006). "My Spiritual Journey". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546579,00.html. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
- Obama, Barack (June 28, 2006). "'Call to Renewal' Keynote Address". Barack Obama: U.S. Senator for Illinois. Archived from the original on January 4, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090104231501/http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
^ Christianity Today: "Q&A: Barack Obama" Interview by Sarah Pulliam and Ted Olsen, January 23, 2008
^ Obama 'Christian By Choice': President Responds To Questioner by Charles Babington and Darlene Superville, Associated Press, September 28, 2010
^ Video – President Obama: "I am a Christian By Choice" by ABC News, September 29, 2010.
^ Kantor, Jodi (April 30, 2007). "Barack Obama's search for faith". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/world/americas/30iht-30obama.5501905.html. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
^ "Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized". Associated Press. MSNBC. November 17, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
^ Sullivan, Amy (June 29, 2009.) "The Obamas Find a Church Home—Away from Home". Time. Retrieved December 14, 2009.

References [link]

Mendell, David (2007). Obama: From Promise to Power. New York: Amistad/HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-085820-6.
Obama, Barack (1995, 2004). Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 1-4000-8277-3.
Obama, Barack (2006). The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 0-307-23769-9.

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Offices and distinctions

Illinois Senate
Preceded by Alice Palmer	Illinois State Senator from the 13th district 1997–2004	Succeeded by Kwame Raoul
Party political offices
Preceded by Carol Moseley Braun	Democratic nominee for Senator from Illinois (Class 3) 2004	Succeeded by Alexi Giannoulias
Preceded by Harold Ford	Keynote Speaker of the Democratic National Convention 2004	Succeeded by Mark Warner
Preceded by John Kerry	Democratic nominee for President of the United States 2008	Most recent
United States Senate
Preceded by Peter Fitzgerald	United States Senator (Class 3) from Illinois 2005–2008 Served alongside: Dick Durbin	Succeeded by Roland Burris
Preceded by George Allen	Chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs 2007–2008	Succeeded by Jeanne Shaheen
Political offices
Preceded by George W. Bush	President of the United States 2009–present	Incumbent
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Martti Ahtisaari	Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2009	Succeeded by Liu Xiaobo

Barack Obama

August 4, 1961

Life and politics	Early life and career Illinois Senate elections Illinois Senate career Illinois-1st elections, 2000 2004 Democratic National Convention U.S. Senate election in Illinois, 2004 U.S. Senate career 2008 presidential primary campaign Obama–Biden 2008 Electoral history Political positions Economic Social Energy Foreign/Administration foreign policy Nobel Peace Prize 2012 presidential re-election campaign West Wing Week

Presidency	Transition Inauguration Timeline 2009 2010 2011 2012 Judiciary Supreme Court candidates Foreign policy Obama Doctrine First 100 days Health care reform Presidential trips 2009 2010 2011 2012 People pardoned Death of Osama bin Laden

Books	Dreams from My Father The Audacity of Hope Of Thee I Sing

Speeches	"The Audacity of Hope" (2004) "A More Perfect Union" (2008) "Change Has Come to America" (2008) "A New Birth of Freedom" (2009) Joint session of Congress (February 2009) "A New Beginning" (2009) Joint session of Congress (health care reform) (September 2009) State of the Union address: 2010, 2011, 2012 Barack Obama Tucson memorial speech (2011) Joint session of Congress (jobs) (2011)

Family	Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (spouse) Stanley Ann Dunham (mother) Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. (father) Lolo Soetoro (step-father) Maya Soetoro-Ng (half-sister) Stanley Armour Dunham (grandfather) Madelyn Payne Dunham (grandmother) Marian Shields Robinson (mother-in-law) Craig Robinson (brother-in-law) Bo (family dog)

Public image

News and political events	Oprah Winfrey's endorsement Citizenship conspiracy theories litigation legislation Religion conspiracy theories Bill Ayers controversy Jeremiah Wright controversy Republican and conservative support (2008) Barack Obama assassination threats 2008 assassination scare in Denver 2008 assassination scare in Tennessee Inauguration invitations Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial Citizen's Briefing Book Tea Party protests New Energy for America Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Gates-Crowley Rose Garden meeting Resignation of Shirley Sherrod

Books about	Self-authored Dreams from My Father The Audacity of Hope Obama: From Promise to Power Barack Obama – Der schwarze Kennedy The Case Against Barack Obama The Obama Nation Culture of Corruption Catastrophe Barack and Michelle The Speech The Obama Story Game Change

Music	Obama Girl "I Got a Crush... on Obama" "Barack the Magic Negro" will.i.am "Yes We Can" "We Are the Ones" "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama" "Sí Se Puede Cambiar" "My President" "Deadheads for Obama" "Air and Simple Gifts" Change Is Now Hope! – Das Obama Musical

Other media	@BarackObama Artists for Obama "Hope" poster "Joker" poster The Situation Room (photograph) Obama logo In comics

Miscellaneous	Places named after Obama Obama Day (Kenya)

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United States presidential election, 2008

Democratic Party

Democratic candidates

Nominee: Barack Obama
(campaign
positions)

VP nominee: Joe Biden
(positions)

Republican Party

Republican candidates

Nominee: John McCain
(campaign
positions)

VP nominee: Sarah Palin
(positions)

Draft movements

Democratic Party:
Al Gore
Mark Warner (movement)

Republican Party:
Newt Gingrich
Condoleezza Rice (movement)

Independent:
Michael Bloomberg (movement)

Third party and independent candidates

Constitution Party: Convention	Nominee: Chuck Baldwin (campaign) VP nominee: Darrell Castle Candidates: Daniel Imperato Alan Keyes (campaign)

Green Party: Convention	Nominee: Cynthia McKinney (campaign positions) VP nominee: Rosa Clemente Candidates: Elaine Brown Jesse Johnson Kent Mesplay Kat Swift

Libertarian Party: Convention	Nominee: Bob Barr (campaign positions) VP nominee: Wayne Allyn Root Candidates: Mike Gravel (campaign) Daniel Imperato Michael Jingozian Steve Kubby Wayne Allyn Root Mary Ruwart Doug Stanhope

American Party	Nominee: Diane Beall Templin

America's Independent Party	Nominee: Alan Keyes (campaign) VP nominee: Brian Rohrbough

Boston Tea Party	Nominee: Charles Jay

New American Independent Party	Nominee: Frank McEnulty

Objectivist Party	Nominee: Tom Stevens

Peace and Freedom Party	Nominee: Ralph Nader (campaign) VP nominee: Matt Gonzalez Candidates: Gloria LaRiva Cynthia McKinney (campaign) Brian Moore (campaign)

Prohibition Party	Nominee: Gene Amondson

Reform Party	Nominee: Ted Weill VP nominee: Frank McEnulty

Socialism and Liberation Party	Nominee: Gloria La Riva VP nominee: Eugene Puryear

Socialist Party	Nominee: Brian Moore (campaign) VP nominee: Stewart Alexander Candidates: Eric Chester

Socialist Workers Party	Nominee: Róger Calero Alternate nominee: James Harris VP nominee: Alyson Kennedy

Independent / Other	Earl Dodge Bradford Lyttle Frank Moore Joe Schriner Jonathon Sharkey

Other 2008 elections:
House
Senate
Gubernatorial

United States presidential election, 2012

Democratic Party

Incumbent and presumptive nominee: Barack Obama (campaign) Incumbent and presumptive VP nominee: Joe Biden

Challengers: Bob Ely Keith Russell Judd Warren Mosler Darcy Richardson Jim Rogers Vermin Supreme Randall Terry John Wolfe

Republican Party

Presumptive nominee: Mitt Romney (campaign)

Candidates: Michele Bachmann (campaign)
Herman Cain (campaign)
Jack Fellure
Newt Gingrich (campaign)
Stewart Greenleaf
Jon Huntsman (campaign)
Gary Johnson (campaign)
Fred Karger
Andy Martin
Thaddeus McCotter (campaign)
Jimmy McMillan
Roy Moore
Ron Paul (campaign)
Tim Pawlenty (campaign)
Rick Perry (campaign)
Buddy Roemer (campaign)
Rick Santorum (campaign)
Jonathon Sharkey

Libertarian Party
Convention

Nominee: Gary Johnson (campaign)
VP Nominee: Jim Gray

Green Party
Convention


Candidates: Stewart Alexander Roseanne Barr Kent Mesplay Jill Stein

Other Third party and independent candidates

American Third Position Party	Nominee: Merlin Miller VP Nominee: Virginia Abernethy

America's Party	Nominee: Tom Hoefling

Boston Tea Party	Nominee: Jim Duensing

Constitution Party	Nominee: Virgil Goode VP Nominee: Jim Clymer Candidates: Darrell Castle Laurie Roth Robby Wells

Freedom Socialist Party	Nominee: Stephen Durham

Justice Party	Nominee: Rocky Anderson

Objectivist Party	Nominee: Tom Stevens

Party for Socialism and Liberation	Nominee: Peta Lindsay

Peace and Freedom Party	Candidates: Stewart Alexander Rocky Anderson Stephen Durham Peta Lindsay

Prohibition Party	Nominee: Jack Fellure Candidates: James Hedges

Reform Party USA	Candidates: Andre Barnett Laurence Kotlikoff Buddy Roemer (campaign) Robert David Steele Robby Wells

Socialist Equality Party	Nominee: Jerry White

Socialist Party USA	Nominee: Stewart Alexander (campaign) VP Nominee: Alejandro Mendoza

Independents	Candidates: Lee Abramson Randy Blythe Robert Burck Terry Jones Joe Schriner

Draft movements	Michael Bloomberg (movement)

Authority control: PND: 132522136 | LCCN: n94112934 | VIAF: 52010985 | WorldCat

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

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Playlist

Film Summary

Persondata
Name	Obama, Barack
Alternative names
Short description	American politician, 44th President of the United States
Date of birth	August 4, 1961
Place of birth	Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Date of death
Place of death

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