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![]() Richmond |
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, located at the fall line of the James River where the coastal plain meets the piedmont plateau. Founded in 1607 by Christopher Newport and John Smith, the city is thought to have been so named because the bend in the river in the city is similar to that of the Thames in Richmond, England. The first canal system established in the US was the James River and Kanawha Canal that connected Richmond with the eastern part of Virginia. As a result, Richmond became the center for some of the largest manufacturing facilities in the county. When canal traffic gave way to railroads, Richmond became a major crossroads for the rail lines on the east coast. The Richmond area has a strong and diverse economic base. Information technology and semiconductor manufacturing are important to the region; the Richmond area is sometimes called "Silicon Dominion". As headquarters for the Fifth Federal Reserve District, Richmond has always been an important banking and financial services center.
Richmond was the capital city of the Confederate States of America (CSA) during the Civil War (from 1861 to 1865).
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