Flag of Virginia

What the flag looks like

A dark blue field with the state seal on a white disc in the center: the figure of Virtue, armed with a spear and sword, standing over the fallen figure of Tyranny, with "Virginia" above and "Sic Semper Tyrannis" below, inside a ring of Virginia creeper.

What it means

Virtue defeating Tyranny, whose crown lies on the ground, celebrates the overthrow of British rule; the motto means "Thus always to tyrants".

How to remember it

Virginia's seal sits on a bright white disc and shows a warrior woman with her foot on a fallen tyrant.

Fun facts

• Virtue is shown with one breast bare, making Virginia's the only US state flag with nudity.
• The design was first adopted in 1861 and given a precise legal specification in 1950.

Virginia at a glance

Nickname

Old Dominion

Statehood

1788

Capital

Richmond

Region

South Atlantic

Population

8.6 million

Area

110,787 km²

Flag adopted

1861

Flags often confused with Virginia

• Kentucky: Kentucky and Virginia are both commonwealths with a seal on dark blue. Virginia's seal is on a white disc and shows a woman standing over a fallen tyrant; Kentucky's shows two men shaking hands, ringed by its name and goldenrod.