Chesapeake, Independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States
Chesapeake is an independent city in southeastern Virginia that stretches across flat coastal plains with urban neighborhoods, farmland, and parts of the Great Dismal Swamp refuge. Numerous canals and waterways cut through the area and separate different parts of town from each other.
The merger of South Norfolk and Norfolk County in 1963 formed today's political unit and created one of Virginia's largest cities by area. This union brought rural communities and a small port town under one administration.
The name comes from a Lenape word for the great bay and connects today's residents with the first people of this coastal region. The community uses its waterways as a visible feature in daily life and shows the importance of navigation for local identity.
The city covers a wide area so a vehicle is necessary for most errands and outings. Many public facilities and shopping districts lie along main roads that run through different zones.
Part of the urban area sits below sea level and is protected from flooding by levees and pump stations. This engineering recalls Dutch land reclamation methods and is rarely used on the Atlantic coast.
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