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| An Evergreen ship loaded with the company's signature green containers. |
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| Deck hands on a container vessel secure containers to the deck. |
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| A dock scene at night. |
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| Colliers loading coal at Newport News coal piers. |
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| A fishing boat in Ocean City, Maryland, bringing fish aboard with winches. |
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| A ships chandler, with stores for a commercial ship, readies the supplies in a cargo net for transfer to the ship's deck. |
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| One of Virginia and Maryland's biggest exports, casks of tobacco await transport to foreign ports. |
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| Cranes at Norfolk International Terminals move containerized cargo onto and off of container ships. |
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| Imported cocoa beans awaiting transfer to rail cars. |
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| Clam Rig |
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| Menhaden fishing fleet with striker boat away, 1930 |
The area is also a major port for container cargo and products such as grain, tobacco, cocoa beans and rubber. Containers are the large trailers hauled by tractor-trailer trucks and trains. Easily loaded onto container vessels, they make the transportation of goods more efficient. In addition to container vessels, colliers or coal carriers come and go from the area. Hampton Roads exports more coal and imports more cocoa beans and rubber than any other U.S. port. Exporting coal has remained as important as it was in the 1890s, with coal trains delivering to the coal piers in Newport News and Lambert's Point in Norfolk.
Agriculture still plays an important part in Virginia's economy. Besides providing jobs for local communities and needed food and fiber crops, Virginia farmers undertake the most environmentally friendly use of the land. Statistics show that over the past forty years farm production has increased 63 percent while the land use decreased 47 percent and labor decreased by 89 percent.
Production of broiler chickens is the state's leading agricultural commodity, followed by milk, cattle, turkeys, tobacco, greenhouse and nursery plants, soybeans, eggs, winter wheat, and corn. Cotton is making a comeback with the new demand for natural fibers, and in 1996 a new record was set for cotton production at 160, 000 bales.
The seafood industry remains a major factor in the economic life of the Chesapeake Bay. Modern refrigerated trucks and containers make it possible for fresh catches of oysters, fish, clams, and especially the famous Chesapeake Bay blue crab to be shipped anywhere in the world. The long-term outlook for the seafood industry is in question however, as over-fishing and pollution of the Bay and rivers have caused a decrease in marine life populations and a destruction of habitat.
Maryland and Virginia serve as national centers for space and aviation research, development, and production. Recently, high-tech Japanese companies and European- based companies have located in the Hampton Roads area, bringing with them jobs and a boost to the area economy. Many companies use the local workforce to process credit card transactions, take orders for merchandise, and handle insurance claims.
Tourism continues to play an important part in the economy of the Chesapeake Bay region. Each year visitors come to the area from all over the U.S. and other countries. Attracted by the water, beaches and shores of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, these visitors can also take in the historic sites, museums, and family entertainment venues available in the region. In 2001 Maryland tourism reports show that visitors to the state spent almost 7.7 billion dollars on goods and services, generated 646 million dollars in tax revenue, and indirectly provided over 103, 000 jobs. Destinations like Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and Annapolis with its charming homes and The Naval Academy are popular attractions. In Virginia there are 275 historic attractions that host more than 6.5 million visitors annually, with another 22 million annual visits to National Park Service areas. One-fourth of Virginia's visitors stop at Civil War sites, and are among the highest daily spenders of all visitors. Among historic sites, Colonial Williamsburg alone brings in over half a billion dollars a year to the state economy.
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