page_title: Virginia
section_title: State symbols
hierarchical_section_title: Virginia / State symbols
caption_attribution_description: English: Virginia's welcome sign with the slogan.
context_page_description: Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. 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 is the most-populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2019 is over 8.54 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 English colony in the New World. Virginia's state nickname, the Old Dominion, is a reference to this status. 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.
context_section_description: 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. Charles' supporters were called Cavaliers, and "The Cavalier State" nickname was popularized after the American Civil War to romanticize the antebellum period. Sports teams from the University of Virginia are called the Cavaliers. 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.
  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. The majority of the other symbols were made official in the late 20th century. The Virginia reel is among the square dances classified as the state dance. In 1940, Virginia made "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" the state song, but it was retired in 1997 due to its references to slavery. In March 2015, Virginia named "Our Great Virginia", which uses the tune of "Oh Shenandoah", as the traditional state song and "Sweet Virginia Breeze" as the popular state song.
  Mammal: Virginia big-eared bat
  Beverages: Milk, Rye Whiskey
  Boat: Chesapeake Bay deadrise
  Bird: Cardinal
  Dance: Square dancing
  Dog: American Foxhound
  Fish: Brook trout, striped bass
  Flower/Tree: Dogwood
  Fossil: Chesapecten jeffersonius
  Insect: Tiger swallowtail
  Motto: Sic Semper Tyrannis
  Nickname: The Old Dominion
  Shell: Eastern oyster
  Slogan: Virginia is for Lovers
  Songs: "Our Great Virginia", "Sweet Virginia Breeze"
  Tartan: Virginia Quadricentennial
caption: The state slogan, "Virginia is for Lovers", was developed in 1968 and is featured on the state's welcome signs.
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