Inside Look: Norfolk, VA: Which Country Is It In?

Norfolk, Virginia, is a vibrant coastal city in the United States of America, but have you ever wondered which country it's actually in? Sounds like a silly question, right? But the truth is, Norfolk is not always as straightforward when it comes to its international identity. As a major port city located in the southeastern part of Virginia, Norfolk has a rich history and a unique cultural makeup that often blurs the lines between American and international influences.

Located on the Elizabeth River and Hampton Roads harbor, Norfolk has been a strategic military and commercial center since its founding in 1682. With a population of over 247,000 people, it is the second-largest city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, which comprises seven counties and more than 1.7 million people.

Despite its U.S. citizenship, Norfolk's worldliness is evident in its diverse heritage. People of various ethnicities make up almost a third of the population, reflecting the legacy of people from over 100 countries who have arrived in the city in the past few centuries. Historically, Africans, Europeans, and Latin Americans settled in Norfolk interaction the urban jungle of colonial Virginia. Unable to bring their professions to the New World, many African slaves entered as skilled artisans. Additionally, many Irish, Scottish, German, and Welsh immigrants came to the region for the shipbuilding industry, the city being one of the top shipbuilding communities in the Americas for centuries. Hispanic people of American descent number over three times as much as those with any other ancestry. Consequently, its cultural identity encompasses people from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean nations, and other Hispanic and Latin American nations.