With a population of about 437,994, Virginia Beach is considered to be the most inhabited city within the state of Virginia and the 39th largest city in the United States. It is situated at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. Virginia Beach is an independent city.
In the area referred to as "America's First Region" in the Hampton Roads area, Virginia Beach is the easternmost city. The other city's in the region, comprise Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, Portsmouth, Hampton, Norfolk, and Suffolk, as well as various other cities, small towns and counties.
Virginia Beach carries a reputation of being a party town, even though it also has a lot of museums and cultural attractions. The Virginia Symphony, as well as some other popular musicians, play performances at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater, that seats as much as 20,000 individuals. A hip hop group, the Neptunes comprising Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, are from Virginia Beach originally and run a recording studio in the city of Virginia Beach. The historic landmark of the colonies' very first settlement, that was established in the year 1607, is situated nearby in Jamestown and Williamsburg.
Virginia Beach presently holds the Guinness world record for the longest pleasure beach in the world. Water skiers, surfers, swimmers, and sunbathers all flock to the beach to take advantage of the expansive stretch of sand and cool water. Rollerbladers, joggers and bikers take advantage of the well-known Boardwalk. On the Virginia Beach Chesapeake Bay side is First Landing State Park, which provides more than 19 miles of hiking trails and a beautiful camping facilities. The most popular location for fishing and boating is a fishing pier situated just south of the main beaches that empties into the Rudee Inlet. The name of the area is Little Island Park, which is also home to basketball and volleyball counts.
The city's economy is mostly concentrated on tourism, although it does have a strong military sector with four bases spread out in the city. One more sector which has a major effect on the economy within the city is agriculture.
The wholesale and retail business sectors in Virginia Beach account for more than one third of the jobs. Companies that make power tools, furniture, recreational products, welding equipment and coated abrasives also hire a significant amount a individuals.
Numerous international companies are located within the area, including the North American head office for Stihl along with the head office for Lillian Vernon.
Not including agriculture, the main sectors of Virginia Beach's economy consists of government, trade, business and professional services, utilities and transportation, educational and heath services, hospitality and leisure, and manufacturing.