1. Your Geo Gnome is in Northern Virginia, near Washington, DC area.
2. The climate is considered mild compared to other areas of the United States. Most of the state east of the Blue Ridge, plus the southern part of the Shenandoah Valley, has a humid subtropical climate. In the mountainous areas west of the Blue Ridge, the climate becomes humid continental.
Many variations occur because of the state's significant relief. Elevations in Virginia vary from sea level to Mount Rogers at 5,729 ft (1,746 m) above sea level, with major gradations occurring at the edges of the Atlantic Ocean, the end of the Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge and Allegheny chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The usually moderating influence of the ocean from the east, powered by the Gulf Stream, is interspersed with brief moments of danger due to the potential for hurricanes near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. On the other hand, cold air masses arrive over the mountains, especially in winter, leading to significant snowfalls. However, in something of an anomaly, much of the state south of Northern Virginia has not had over one foot of snow in a single storm since the Blizzard of 1996. The interaction of these elements with the state's topography create micro-climates in the Shenandoah Valley, the mountainous southwest, and the coastal plains that are slightly but noticeably distinct from each other. An additional element in recent years is the expansion of the southern suburbs of Washington into northern Virginia, creating an urban heat island due to the increased energy output of the city. However, aside from the urban stations, no global warming effects have been noted by Virginia weather stations by 2001.
Severe weather is a concern in Virginia. Hurricanes make the coastal area of Virginia vulnerable. It is rare for a major hurricane to threaten the Virginia coast as hurricanes this far north tend to become somewhat weakened. Virginia is often struck with the remnants of systems which hit further south bringing torrential rain to the state. Thunderstorms are an occasional concern with the state averaging anywhere from 30-50 days of thunderstorm activity annually, with the highest area of occurrence going towards the west. Eastern Virginia has a lower rate of tornadoes, and the state averages around 2 tornadoes per year. The last tornado that Virginia experienced was around November 2006.
3. All types of food are available in Northern Virginia, as the population is very diverse. In addition to standard American-type food, the most popular are Chinese, Indian, Thai, Japanese, South American, Mexican, and Lebanese.
4. The religious affiliations of the people of Virginia are:
Christian – 76%
Protestant – 49%
Baptist – 30%
Methodist – 7%
Episcopal – 3%
Presbyterian – 3%
Lutheran – 2%
Pentecostal – 2%
Other Protestant or general Protestant – 2%
Roman Catholic – 14%
Other Christian – 13%
Jewish – 1%
Muslim – 1%
Other religions 4%
Non-religious – 12%
Virginia is prominently Protestant; Baptists account as the largest single group with 32.1% of the population being members. Roman Catholics are the second-largest group (14%), and also the third fastest growing. Islam, the second fastest growing group, accounts for 0.99% of the population. Buddhism and Hinduism combined form the fastest growing group, and largest of the "Other Religions" shown above, accounting for 1.00% of the population. About 50.0% of those practicing non-Christian faiths come from India, 5.50% from China, 3.70% from the Middle East, 2.20% from Guyana, 0.1% from Sri Lanka, and 37.9% from other nations. Data as of 2001.
Here is some information about Baptist Churches:
Baptist churches do not have a central governing authority. Therefore, beliefs are not totally consistent from one Baptist church to another, especially beliefs that may be considered minor. However, on major theological issues, Baptist distinctive beliefs are held in common among almost all Baptist churches. Baptists share so-called "orthodox" Christian beliefs with most other moderate or conservative Christian denominations. These would include beliefs about one God, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious atoning death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ, the Trinity (the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, together with God the Father), the need for salvation (though the understanding of means for achieving it may differ at times), grace, the church, the Kingdom of God, last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness), evangelism and missions. Some historically significant Baptist doctrinal documents include the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, the 1833 New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith, the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith and Message, and written church "covenants" which some individual Baptist churches adopt as a statement of their faith and beliefs.
Baptists generally believe in the literal Second Coming of Christ at which time God will sit in judgment and divide humanity between the saved and the lost (the Great White Throne judgment Rev 20:11) and Christ will sit in judgment of the believers (the Judgment Seat of Christ 2Cor 5:10), rewarding them for things done while alive. Beliefs among Baptists regarding the "end times" include amillennialism, dispensationalism, and historic premillennialism, with views such as postmillennialism and preterism receiving some support.
See also: List of Baptist Confessions or Doctrinal Statements
The following acrostic backronym, spelling BAPTIST, represents a useful summary of Baptists' distinguishing beliefs:
Biblical authority (Mat 24:35; 1Pet 1:23; 2Tim 3:16–17)
Autonomy of the local church (Mat 18:15–17; 1Cor 6:1–3)
Priesthood of all believers (1Pet 2:5–9; 1Tim 5)
Two ordinances (believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper) (Acts 2:41–47; 1Cor 11:23–32)
Individual soul liberty (Rom 14:5–12)
Separation of Church and State (Mat 22:15–22)
Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon) (1Tim 3:1–13; Tit 1–2)
Most Baptist traditions believe in the "Four Freedoms" articulated by Baptist historian Walter B. Shurden:
Soul freedom: the soul is competent before God, and capable of making decisions in matters of faith without coercion or compulsion by any larger religious or civil body
Church freedom: freedom of the local church from outside interference, whether government or civilian (subject only to the law where it does not interfere with the religious teachings and practices of the church)
Bible freedom: the individual is free to interpret the Bible for himself or herself, using the best tools of scholarship and biblical study available to the individual
Religious freedom: the individual is free to choose whether to practice their religion, another religion, or no religion; Separation of church and state is often called the "civil corollary" of religious freedom
5. Historical sites in the Washington, DC area include the White House, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Smithsonian Museums, the Holocaust Museum, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Marine Corps Memorial, Korean War Memorial, World War II Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, many Civil War battlefields, Mount Vernon, the Pentagon, and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
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