Virginia State Fun Facts:
The great state of Virginia is known as the "Old Dominion State". The capital of Virginia is Richmond, VA. The state bird is the Cardinal. The Virginia state flower is the Dogwood. Virginia is a state that loves college basketball (Virginia) and professional football (Washington Redskins). As a three time player of the year, Ralph Sampson led the Cavaliers to a NIT championship as a freshman in 1980 and took his squad to the final four in 1981. The state of Virginia also loves horse racing. The Gold Cup and its sister, The International Gold Cup, are the two most prominent Steeple Chase events in the US. To win the Gold Cup, horses compete over a 4-mile course with 23 jumps, two of which are over water. Virginia is the home state to such great athletes as Arthur Ashe, Lawrence Taylor, Secretariat, Bruce Smith, Sam Snead, Moses Malone, David Robinson, Ralph Sampson, Grant Hill, Alonzo Mourning and Allen Iverson. The greatest player to ever live in or play for a team in this state is Michael Vick and Ralph Sampson. Major college programs include Virginia Tech Hokies, Richmond Spiders and the Virginia Cavaliers. Virginia’s biggest rivals include North Carolina and Maryland. Virginia’s biggest rivalries are Virginia vs. Virginia Tech. The states major cities include Richmond, VA, Chesapeake, VA, Virginia Beach, VA, Norfolk, VA, Fredericksburg, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Winchester, VA, Bristol, VA, Arlington, VA and Alexandria, VA. The Virginia economy can be divided into two primary categories: Agriculture -- Cattle, poultry, dairy products, tobacco, hogs and soybeans. Industry -- Transportation equipment, textiles, warehousing, food processing, printing, electric equipment and chemicals. *Source: Sports Illustrated.