…the largest naval and military base in the world, including the Atlantic Fleet and Nato commands in Norfolk and the Air Force strategic and tactical commands at Langley.

…the second largest port on the Eastern Seaboard, with the finest cargo facilities.

…a leading tourist destination, with famous colonial sights in Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown, popular beaches and aquarium in Virginia Beach, the superb Chrysler Museum in Norfolk and Mariners Museum in Newport News and many other attractions.

…a center of higher education, with six colleges and universities (Old Dominion, William & Mary, Norfolk State, Hampton, Christopher Newport, Regent). and community colleges (Tidewater, Thomas Nelson, Paul D. Camp).

…a notable concentration of research facilties, including the NASA Langley Aeronautical Center, the Jefferson National Laboratory nuclear accelerator, and the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center.

…the arts capital of Virginia as the home of the Virginia Symphony, the Virginia Opera, the Virginia Stage Company, Ballet Virginia International, and Virginia Musical Stage.

…rich in history: the first permanent English settlement in America—America’s first region.