The city of Norfolk VA is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States of America. It has a population of approximately 247,000, which makes it the second most populous city in the Commonwealth, behind it’s neighboring city Virginia Beach. The city occupies a total area of ninety-six square miles.
The city shares land borders with the cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach to it’s south and east respectively.
However, it is the city borders to the north and west that are of particular importance to the city. To the north of the city is found Chesapeake Bay and to the west is the Elizabeth River.
It is easy access to theses bodies of water that has provided the city with a long and proud history as a military and transportation hub.
The dominating feature of Norfolk is of course Naval Station Norfolk. This naval base is the largest naval base in the world and contains the largest concentration of U.S. Naval Forces in the world. The base, which occupies over 15 miles of waterfront, pier and wharf space is home to around seventy-five ships and over a hundred and thirty aircraft at any one time.
Owing to the presence of the base, shipbuilding and other military contractors have a large prescience in the city and make a major contribution to the local economy. It has been calculated that over 35% of Gross Regional Product is generated by defense spending.
There is also a heavy commercial shipping presence in the city, most notably the headquarters of the shipping giant Maersk, which operates the largest fleet of US registered commercial vessels in the world.
The city boasts a number of parks to help its residents relax and unwind. The most prominent of these is Town Point Park. A seven-acre waterfront development, the park plays host to a number of events ranging from outdoor concerts to a Cajun food festival!
The city shares land borders with the cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach to it’s south and east respectively.
However, it is the city borders to the north and west that are of particular importance to the city. To the north of the city is found Chesapeake Bay and to the west is the Elizabeth River.
It is easy access to theses bodies of water that has provided the city with a long and proud history as a military and transportation hub.
The dominating feature of Norfolk is of course Naval Station Norfolk. This naval base is the largest naval base in the world and contains the largest concentration of U.S. Naval Forces in the world. The base, which occupies over 15 miles of waterfront, pier and wharf space is home to around seventy-five ships and over a hundred and thirty aircraft at any one time.
Owing to the presence of the base, shipbuilding and other military contractors have a large prescience in the city and make a major contribution to the local economy. It has been calculated that over 35% of Gross Regional Product is generated by defense spending.
There is also a heavy commercial shipping presence in the city, most notably the headquarters of the shipping giant Maersk, which operates the largest fleet of US registered commercial vessels in the world.
The city boasts a number of parks to help its residents relax and unwind. The most prominent of these is Town Point Park. A seven-acre waterfront development, the park plays host to a number of events ranging from outdoor concerts to a Cajun food festival!