詹姆斯河

维基百科，自由的百科全书

詹姆斯河在美國維吉尼亞州,長達547.160公里(340英哩)。附近有2.6百萬人民(2000年)。是維吉尼亞之內最大的河。

The James River forms in the Allegheny Mountains, near Iron Gate on the border between Alleghany and Botetourt counties. from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers, and flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Tidal waters extend west to Richmond, the capital of Virginia, at its fall line, (the head of navigation).

美國的印第安人稱詹姆斯河為Powhatan河。英國的殖民命它為"詹姆斯"紀念英國的國王。

Navigation of the river played an important role in early Virginia commerce and the settlement of the interior. Produce from the Piedmont and Great Valley regions traveled down the river to seaports at Richmond through such port towns as Lynchburg, Scottsville, Columbia and Buchanan. Below the falls at Richmond, many James River plantations had their own wharfs, and additional ports and early railheads were located at City Point, Claremont, Scotland, and Smithfield. The James River was considered as a route for transport of produce from the Ohio Valley, and the James River and Kanawha Canal was built for this purpose.

During the American Civil War, the XVIII Corps and X Corps of the Union Army merged to form the Army of the James, named after the river. During the war the army took part in many battles and military operations along the river.

The James River also contains numerous parks and other recreational attractions. Canoeing, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and swimming are some of the activities that people enjoy along the river during the summer. From the rivers start in the Blue Ridge mountains to Richmond, Virginia, numerous rapids and pools offer fishing and white water rafting. After the fall line and continuing east of Richmond, the river is better suited for water skiing and other large boat recreation.

Due to ocean-going shipping upriver as far as the Port of Richmond, a combination of ferryboats, high bridges and bridge-tunnels are used for highway traffic. The Pocahontas Parkway (VA-895) uses a high-level bridge to connect to VA-150 at I-95. The Varina-Enon Bridge is a high cable-stayed bridge carrying I-295 which was the second of its type in the U.S. when it was completed. The Benjamin Harrison Bridge is a drawbridge on VA-156 which replaced ferry service in 1966.

In the Hampton Roads area, the river is as much as 5 miles wide at points. Vehicles cross on the Jamestown Ferry, the James River Bridge, and the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel.