Virginia ACLS Certification and Recertification

VIRGINIA ACLS CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION

About Virginia

Virginia became the 10th state in 1788. The state capitol of Virginia is Richmond with a population of 193,777 people (2005 Census). Virginia Beach is the largest city in the state, with 438,415 people (2005 Census). The total population of Virginia is 8,001,024 people (2010 Census). Virginia is comprised of 39,594 square miles of mountain and valley areas in the west along the Blue Ridge Mountains, rolling hills to plateau to coastal plains in the east. The state flower is the American dogwood. The state bird is the cardinal. Virginia is one of the most historically famous states in the United States.

The first permanent settlement in North America was in Jamestown in 1607. Slavery was introduced to the area in 1619. Both American legend war surrenders occurred in Virginia; Yorktown during the American Revolution, and Appomattox during the Civil War. Agriculture has always been a prominent industry in Virginia, and today remains a leader in the production of tobacco, apples, peanuts, potatoes, beans, dairy products, etc. In recent years, service sector industries have expanded and now provide around one third of the total jobs in the state.

Manufacturing has remained an important industry as well. Transportation equipment, food processing, textiles, lumber, etc. are all heavily produced in the state. Over time, industry has shifted, however today; some of the primary founding industries still thrive. A good example is coal. Virginia is one of the top ten states producing coal. There is a great deal of history in Virginia thanks to its parts in both the American Revolution and the Civil War. Virginia is known as the “Mother of Presidents” due to the fact that eight United States presidents were born in the state. These eight presidents are William Harrison, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Zachary Taylor, John Tyler, George Washington, and Woodrow Wilson.

The birthplaces of these presidents are now popular tourist sites including Mt. Vernon, Monticello, Stratford, Richmond, Williamsburg, etc. Other popular tourist sites include the Chesapeake Bay, Fredericksburg, Arlington House, Booker Washington birthplace, Blue Ridge Parkway, and others. Other prominent historical figures and famous people from Virginia include Arthur Ashe, Warren Beatty, Richard Byrd, Roy Clark, Henry Clay, Ella Fitzgerald, George C. Scott, James Stuart, Nat Turner, Tom Wolfe and others.