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Longwood
University, located in the town of
Farmville, is part of the commonwealth of
Virginia, which is rich in history.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James
Madison, and James Monroe, all Virginians,
were founding fathers of the United States
and were among the first five U.S.
presidents.
THE FARMVILLE AREA
Longwood University is located in historic
Farmville, Virginia -- 65 miles west of
Richmond, 48 miles east of Lynchburg, and
60 miles south of Charlottesville -- the
Heart of Virginia. The Town of Farmville
has a population of 6,500.
The Farmville Area is comprised of the
town of Farmville, along with the counties
of Prince Edward and Cumberland. This area
serves as a retail hub and commercial
activity center for eight counties of
Southside Virginia and has a service
market of more than 100,000 people.
Education is a dominant factor in the
area, with three outstanding colleges
offering educational and training
opportunities. In addition to Longwood
University, Hampden-Sydney and Southside
Virginia Community colleges are located in
the area.
The Farmville Area has a diversified
economy with strong manufacturing, trade,
service, and agricultural sectors.
Manufacturing activity centers around
natural resources, textiles, and a variety
of industrial and consumer goods.
The Town of Farmville is also home to the
annual Heart of Virginia Festival (first
Saturday in May) and many historical
sites, including Appomattox Courthouse and
Sailors Creek Battlefield. These points of
interest make the Farmville Area a very
attractive place to be. Located in and
near town are churches, hotels, motels, a
country club, a municipal airport, and a
community hospital. Many additional points
of interest are within a short distance of
the Farmville area.
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
The Commonwealth of Virginia is one of the
original 13 colonies. Named for the Virgin
Queen, Elizabeth I of England, Virginia
was England's first successful overseas
colony and the site of the first permanent
English settlement in America. West
Virginia was part of Virginia until 1863.
Virginia's rich political heritage helped
shape the democratic principles on which
the United States was founded. Virginia
played an important role in the American
Revolution (1775-1783), and it entered the
Union as the tenth of the original 13
states on June 25, 1788. During the
American Civil War (1861-1865) the state's
capital, Richmond, was also capital of the
Confederacy. The state has long been
nicknamed Old Dominion.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James
Madison, and James Monroe, all Virginians,
were founding fathers of the United States
and were among the first five U.S.
presidents. Virginia is also the
birthplace of U.S. presidents William
Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary
Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
Virginia is the 35th largest state in the
United States, bounded on the east by the
Atlantic Ocean, on the north and east by
Maryland and the District of Columbia, on
the west by West Virginia and Kentucky,
and on the south by Tennessee and North
Carolina.
According to the 2000 national census,
Virginia's population was 7,078,515,
ranking it 12th among the states. Virginia
Beach (425,257) is one of the most popular
resort destinations on the East Coast, as
well as Virginia's largest city. Richmond
(197,790) is the state capital and a
center of banking and insurance, and of
both retail and wholesale trade. The Naval
Base at Norfolk (234,403) and the Naval
Shipyard at Portsmouth (100,565) employ
thousands of civilians and military
personnel. Hampton (146,437) is important
for its aviation activities such as
Langley Air Force Base and a National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) facility. In Newport News (180,150)
is a shipyard that builds naval ships,
including aircraft carriers. Alexandria
(128,283) is part of the Washington, D.C.,
metropolitan area. Lynchburg (65,269) is
the site of light industries. Roanoke
(94,911) is the largeest city in western
Virginia.
Civilian and military employment, mostly
with the federal government, is an
essential part of the Virginia economy.
The Pentagon, which houses the Department
of Defense, is located in Virginia and is
the leading federal employer in the
northern part of the state. There are also
important military bases in Virginia,
particularly the massive complex of army,
navy, and air force bases in the vicinity
of Norfolk.
Average January temperatures range from
less than 32°F in the west to more than
42°F in southeastern Virginia. Average
July temperatures range from more than
78°F in the southeast to less than 68°F in
the western mountains. Total precipitation
ranges from about 35 to more than 50
inches. Snowfalls are moderate, except in
the mountain regions.
Besides Virginia, three other states -
Kentucky, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania -
use the term common-wealth as part of
their official names. The delegates to the
convention in Williamsburg, when the first
Constitution of Virginia was adopted on
June 29, 1776, used commonwealth as the
name for the new form of government. It is
very likely they had in mind the Puritans'
rebellion against the Crown in England
more than 100 years earlier.
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts also chose
to be called commonwealths after
independence from Great Britain. The other
10 former colonies took the name "state,"
the term used in the Declaration of
Independence. Kentucky was once part of
Virginia. When Kentuckians joined the
Union as the 15th state in 1792, it also
kept the name commonwealth.
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