Virginia’s modern history has been shaped by its nonhuman natural environment. The state’s climate, geology, waterways, fisheries, wildlife population, flora and fauna, and soil content have provided the conditions for economic, cultural, and recreational possibilities across the state.
A review of the state’s bioregions reveals subtle examples of nature acting to shape Virginia’s modern history. Watersheds determined hunting and trade routes for Virginia’s native people. Mountains acted as barriers to westward expansion until routes were found through them, resulting in the formation of settlements.
Bioregions, geological regions and watersheds are defined through physical and environmental features, including soil and terrain characteristics, and all have helped to shape Virginia as it exists today.
For Further Reading:
Kirby, Jack Temple. “Virginia’s Environmental History: A Prospectus,” Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 99 (1991): 449–488.
This Vignette Provided By
Drawn from an Encyclopedia Virginia article by B. R. Cohen, assistant professor, Department of Science, Technology, and Society, University of Virginia
