Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name at the same time of a stretch of water and surrounding grounds being in the south-east of the Virginia to the the United States, historically known for a naval battle which proceeded there at the time of the American Civil War.

The stretch of water named Hampton Roads (familiarly called the harbor ) is one of the largest natural ports in the world which gathers the mouth of the rivers Elizabeth and James as well as several minor rivers and which is thrown then in the Baie of Chesapeake, then in the Atlantic Ocean.

The name of Hampton Roads applied to the coastal region gathers the majority of the counties and cities of the south-eastern area of Virginia and is included in the statistical area of Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News ( VA-NC MSA ). This area, sheltering a total population from approximately 1.6 million inhabitants, is the fourth the greater zone metropolitan of the south-east of the United States and most important between Washington D.C and Atlanta.

History of the area

The term “Hampton Roads” has been used for several centuries, the area not being whereas a British outpost . Used with 18th to indicate the natural port, this name honors the memory with the one of the founder of the Virginia Company and large defender of the colonization of Virginia Henry Wriothesley 3 {{E}} count de Southampton. In addition, pointing out the safety of the natural port, the name of “Road”, in the nautical terminology, means “place less sheltered than a port where the boats can go up to the anchor”. The entry of bay of Chesapeake is then defended by Fort Monroe, built in 1819 and by Fort Wool, (also known under the name of Fort Calhoun ), built in 1829.

Famous the Combat of Hampton Roads between the US '' Monitor '' and the CS '' Virginia '' (known under the name of Merrimack ) at the time of the American Civil War occurred in water of Hampton Road between the 8 and the March 9th 1862.

A World Fair (named Jamestown Exposure ) is organized in 1907 in the area. Complete commercial failure (the demonstration will cost on the whole more than 7 million dollars the Steering Committee), this exposure makes all the same the happiness of the US Navy which recovers the installations to transform them, thus creating the naval Base of Norfolk.

The February 21st 1922, the explosion in flight of a Dirigeable with the top of Hampton Roads caused 34 dead and 9 seriously injureds out of the 45 people present at edge.

In 1957, the first complex bridge-tunnel of the world is built in Hampton Roads under the name of Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. Southern terminus of the famous Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, it is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Geography

The named stretch of water Hampton Roads is a natural channel where water of the rivers James, Nansemond and Elizabeth meets before being thrown in bay of Chesapeake. Still nowadays, the area presents great wild extents, with in particular several kilometers of beaches and a Marais. In these places several refuges as well as botanical gardens and national parks are installed.

The grounds are divided into two geographical areas, the Péninsule , on northern bank and South Hampton Roads , on southern bank, where the majority of the local population is.

It should be noted that the Middle Peninsula , (including/understanding the counties of Gloucester and Mathews) although not forming part of the geographical area, is included in the metropolitan zone.

Political divisions

The area of Hampton Roads is made up of the following counties:

Moreover, the area includes/understands the independent cities (not attached to one counted) following:

Chesapeake
Franklin
Hampton
Newport News
Norfolk
Poquoson
Portsmouth
Suffolk
Virginia Beach
Williamsburg

Infrastructure and economy

The area of Hampton Roads is a gravitational area of the east coast of the United States of share its position central geography (it is in a ray of 1 200 km of six of the ten greater American agglomerations, namely New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Indianapolis and Jacksonville) and of its infrastructures.

The region is linked to the national highway network in particular by I 64 and the Bridge-Tunnel of Bay of Chesapeake which makes it possible to skirt the coast directly in the car.

Moreover Hampton Road is served by two international airports, the International airport of Newport News/Williamsburg and the International airport of Norfolk which is the main thing hub for the transport of passengers and freight of the area with more than 200 daily flights.

The port

Hampton Roads is known as being the largest natural port of the world, located at only a few kilometers of the ocean in a bay of more than 15 meters of depth and at the shelter of the ices all the year. Since 1989, it is used as turntable for the maritime foreign trade on the Atlantic, is classified with the second row (after the port of the New-Orleans) on tonnage of export and with the third national rank in the total face.

In 1996, with its 2 700 places of mooring, the port is classified with the ninth national rank. The equipment of loading of the coal makes it possible to annually treat more than 65 tons.

A project of extension of 400 million dollars over 15 years is currently under development. This project will allow, from here 2010, to currently double its capacity of more than 55 million tons.

Maritime almost the whole of the transport companies moor in the Port of Hampton Roads which connects Virginia to more than 250 ports in a hundred destinations.

Economy

One estimates the active population of Hampton Roads at close to 790 000 people with more 35 000 people working in the maritime sector, the Distribution or the Logistic . Growth rate is strong, with approximately 6 000 extra works every year.

In 2005, one counts 168 multinational companies, representing 24 different countries, in the area. The France is there the fourth country investor (7%), after the Germany (21%), the Japan (19%) and Great Britain (14%).

Military presence

Hampton Roads is also one of the key points of the US Navy. Indeed, the area gathers one of the strongest concentrations of military bases in the world with, for example:

the Command combined with the transformation of NATO.
the bases naval of Norfolk.
the research center of Langley of NASA and bases it US Air Force same name

In addition to these major centers, ten less important bases are also in the surroundings.

Historical zone

In the area of the Péninsule one of the principal historical zone of the United States is, named the “historical Triangle” ( Historic Triangle ) which gathers three colonial communities connected by the Colonial Parkway :

Jamestown : The first English station permanant on the ground of the New World was establishes in 1607 with Jamestown (Virginia)|Jamestown which is a tourist village today.
Williamsburg : First capital of Virginia, this city is a museum with open sky today on the everyday life of the first American colonists.
Yorktown : The last point of the triangle presenting, in two centers, various attractions on the famous battles of the American Civil War.

See too

External bonds

Tourist bureau of Hampton Road
tourist Guide of the area
Economic study of the area

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