Norfolk

Norfolk, county, England

Norfolk (nôr`fək), county (1991 pop. 736,700), 2,054 sq mi (5,320 sq km), E England. The county seat is Norwich. The region is one of flat, fertile farmlands, with a long, low coast bordering on the North Sea and the Wash. The principal rivers are the Ouse, the Bure, the Yare and its tributary the Wensum, and the Waveney. A series of connected shallow lakes, known as the Broads, occupies the eastern portion of the county. Norfolk produces cereal and root crops and supports extensive breeding of cattle and poultry. Fishing, the manufacture of agricultural machinery, and light industries are also important. Numerous vestiges of habitation dating from prehistoric times remain. After the Anglo-Saxon invasion of England, Norfolk became a part of the kingdom of East Anglia, the home of the "north folk" of that region (thus its name). In 1974, Norfolk was reorganized as a nonmetropolitan county, and a small area of NE East Suffolk was added to it.

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Norfolk, cities, United States

Norfolk (1, 2 nôr`fək; 2 nôr`fôk').

1 City (1990 pop. 21,476), Madison co., NE Nebr., on the Elkhorn River; inc. 1881. A trade and railroad center in a fertile farming region, it has a livestock market. Its industries produce animal feeds, food and beverages, and electronic products.

2 City (1990 pop. 261,229), independent and in no county, SE Va., on the Elizabeth River and the southern side of Hampton Roads; founded 1682, inc. as a city 1845. It is a port of entry and a major commercial, industrial, shipping, and distribution center. With Portsmouth and Newport News, it forms the Port of Hampton Roads, one of the world's best natural harbors. The city has 50 mi (80 km) of waterfront and an extensive maritime trade, exporting coal, grain, tobacco, seafood, and farm products. Industries include shipbuilding, meat and seafood processing, and the manufacture of lumber, steel, sheet metal, leather products, farm implements, textiles, trucks, and furniture.

Norfolk is also a major military center; with Portsmouth the city forms an extensive naval complex. The headquarters of the 5th Naval Dist., the Atlantic Fleet, the 2d Fleet, and the Supreme Allied Command are there. The operating base is the largest in the United States and includes a naval air station and other facilities. The Norfolk navy yard is in Portsmouth.

Of interest in Norfolk are St. Paul's Church (1738; only building to survive the burning of 1776); Fort Norfolk (1794); the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Memorial, where the general is buried; and many old homes. Norfolk is home to Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk State Univ., Virginia Wesleyan College, and Eastern Virginia Medical School. A national maritime center is there, and the city hosts an international arts festival. Bridge-tunnels link Norfolk with the Delmarva Peninsula and with Hampton, Va.

A rallying point for Tory forces at the start of the American Revolution, Norfolk was attacked (1776) by Americans and in the ensuing battle caught fire and was nearly destroyed. In the Civil War it was first a Confederate naval base; the battle between the Monitor and Merrimack was fought in Hampton Roads. Norfolk fell to Union forces in May, 1862.

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Norfolk

Administrative and historic county (pop., 2001: 796,733), eastern England. Bounded by Suffolk (south), Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire (west), and the North Sea (north and east), it is low-lying and has reed swamps, including the famous Broads that resulted from medieval peat cutting and a subsequent change in sea level. Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic artifacts have been found, including impressive Stone Age flint mines in Breckland. In the Middle Ages the region's prosperity depended mainly on wool. Among the county's most important cities is Norwich. The economy is now largely agricultural.

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Norfolk

City (pop., 2000: 234,403), southeastern Virginia, U.S. A port of entry on the Elizabeth River, it is located just south of Hampton Roads. Founded in 1682, it was incorporated as a borough in 1736. It was destroyed by fires in 1776 and 1799. Yellow fever killed 10% of the population in 1855. During the American Civil War the city was occupied by Union troops. Prosperity resumed after 1870 when railroads linked the port to other trade centres. With Newport News and Portsmouth it makes up the Port of Hampton Roads. Shipping, shipbuilding, and light industry are the major economic activities. Norfolk is the headquarters of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and NATO's Supreme Allied Command, Atlantic.

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Norfolk

1. a county of E England, on the North Sea and the Wash: low-lying, with large areas of fens in the west and the Broads in the east; rich agriculturally. Administrative centre: Norwich. Pop.: 810 700 (2003 est.). Area: 5368 sq. km (2072 sq. miles)

2. a port in SE Virginia, on the Elizabeth River and Hampton Roads: headquarters of the US Atlantic fleet; shipbuilding. Pop.: 241 727 (2003 est.)

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Norfolk (Independent City), Virginia

810 Union St Rm 1101
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 664-4242
Fax: (757) 664-4239
www.norfolk.gov

In southeastern VA on the Elizabeth River just south of Hampton Roads. Established 1682; incorporated as a town in 1736; as a city in 1845. Major port; distribution center for nearby coal-mining regions. Site of Norfolk Naval Base, largest naval installation in the U.S.; headquarters of the Atlantic Command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Site of Old Dominion University. Name Origin: For the county in England, former home of Adam Thoroughgood, an early settler.

Area (sq mi): 96.30 (land 53.73; water 42.58). Pop per sq mi: 4317.00.
Pop 2005: 231,954. State rank: 7. Pop change: 2000-20005 -1.00%; 1990-2000 -10.30%. Pop 2000: 234,403 (White 47.00%; Black or African American 44.10%; Hispanic or Latino 3.80%; Asian 2.80%; Other 4.80%). Foreign born: 5.00%. Median age: 29.60.
Income 2000: per capita $17,372; median household $31,815; Pop below poverty level: 19.40%. *Personal per capita income 2000-2003: $23,546-$25,895.
Unemployment 2004: 5.40%. Change from 2000: -0.30%. Median travel time to work: 21.70 minutes. Working outside county of residence: 33.50%.

Cities with population over 10,000:

Norfolk (237,835)

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See other counties in Virginia.

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Norfolk 

a county in Great Britain, in eastern England, situated along the North Sea and the Wash, in the basins of the Yare and Ouse rivers. Area, 5,300 sq km. Population, 616,000 (1971). The capital of Norfolk is Norwich. The county is part of East Anglia, an important agricultural region. Local industries include fishing, food processing, and footwear. Norfolk also has enterprises producing agricultural machinery and electrical equipment. Natural gas is drilled along the coast.

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Norfolk 

a city in the state of Virginia, in the southern USA. Population, 308,000 (1970); Norfolk-Portsmouth metropolitan area, 680,000.

Norfolk is a port on Hampton Roads. In 1972 it handled 42 million tons of freight, chiefly exports of coal and tobacco. Norfolk is the country’s most important tobacco export center. There are 20,000 workers employed in industry. The city has a major shipyard, an automobile assembly plant, a chemical plant, and a fertilizer plant. Food processing is also among the city’s main industries (peanuts, cottonseed, and meat). Norfolk was founded in the 1680’s.

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Norfolk 

a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, 1,500 km east of Australia. Area, 36 sq km. Population, 1,400 (1969).

Norfolk is an external territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. Most of the island’s inhabitants are descendants of English settlers. The highest elevation is 316 m. The climate and vegetation are tropical. Citrus fruits, bananas, and vegetables are cultivated. Tourism is important to the island’s economy. Norfolk Island was discovered by J. Cook in 1774.