Suffolk, independent city, coextensive with former Nansemond County, southeastern Virginia, on the James and Nansemond rivers; settled 1720, incorporated as a city 1910. Productive peanut farms and industries manufacturing processed peanuts and tea, communications equipment, forest products, and farm machinery are here. The merger, in 1974, of the old city of Suffolk and Nansemond County made the present city, with a land area of 1039 sq km (401 sq mi), one of the most extensive in the U.S. Part of Great Dismal Swamp is within the city limits. The community, chartered in 1742, is named for Suffolk, England. During the American Revolution it was burned (1779) by the British, and during the American Civil War it was captured (1862) by Union troops. Population 47,621 (1980); 52,141 (1990); 63,677 (2000).
