Norfolk, << NAWR fuhk, >> Virginia (pop. 238,005), is a leading United States port. It lies in southeastern Virginia. Norfolk is one of the largest cities in Virginia. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake form a metropolitan area with 1,780,059 people.
Hampton Roads, one of the world’s finest natural deepwater harbors, forms Norfolk’s northwestern boundary. Naval Station Norfolk employs more people and harbors more ships than any other naval base in the United States. It serves as headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Forces Command and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command.
In 1680, the Virginia General Assembly founded a port in Norfolk County to serve ships sailing to and from England and the West Indies. The port was later named Norfolk for the county. It became an independent borough in 1736 and an independent city in 1845.
Description.
Norfolk covers 53 square miles (137 square kilometers) of land. The Elizabeth River borders the city on the west. Chesapeake Bay is on the north.
Features of downtown Norfolk include a cultural and convention center called Scope. This complex includes Chrysler Hall, where the Virginia Symphony Orchestra performs. Norfolk’s Chrysler Museum of Art houses a large art collection. A science museum called Nauticus celebrates the region’s seafaring heritage. Next to Nauticus on the downtown waterfront, the World War II (1939-1945) battleship USS Wisconsin is open for tours.
The city’s colleges and universities include Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University. Norfolk is also home to Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Every year, many visitors come to Norfolk for the Norfolk NATO Festival (formerly called the International Azalea Festival) and for a festival called Harborfest. Many tourists also visit St. Paul’s Church, which dates from 1739. This church was one of only a few buildings that survived a British bombardment during the American Revolution (1775-1783).
Economy
of Norfolk depends heavily on its port. Naval Station Norfolk is the city’s largest employer. The Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) is a huge center on the waterfront for loading and unloading cargo from container ships from all over the world. The cargo is loaded onto trucks and trains for distribution across North America. NIT and terminals in the neighboring cities of Portsmouth and Newport News are part of the Virginia International Terminals, which handle millions of tons of cargo a year. Norfolk International Airport handles domestic and international flights.
The Norfolk metropolitan area has hundreds of manufacturing companies. Their chief products include processed foods, ships, and trucks.
Government and history.
Norfolk has a council-manager form of government. The voters elect a mayor and seven other council members to four-year terms. The council members hire a city manager to carry out their policies.
Powhatan Indians lived in what is now the Norfolk area when European explorers first arrived there in the early 1600’s. Early Norfolk served as a tobacco and naval supply port. In 1776, during the American Revolution, a British fleet bombarded and destroyed much of the town. Norfolk was incorporated as a city in 1845.
The city grew slowly until the Navy began to build the Norfolk naval station in 1917, shortly after the nation entered World War I. During World War II, thousands of civilians moved to the city to work in the navy yards and on the base. The population of Norfolk rose from 144,332 in 1940 to 213,513 in 1950.
The city launched an urban renewal program in 1951 that included slum clearance and the construction of public housing. During the 1970’s, the city constructed several high-rise buildings and a waterfront hotel. In 1983, the Waterside, a festival marketplace, was completed on the downtown waterfront. Downtown revitalization continued through the late 1900’s and into the 2000’s. MacArthur Center Mall opened in 1999.
For the monthly weather in Norfolk, see Virginia (Climate). See also Naval Station Norfolk.
