Name __________________________
Date of Test _______________
Study Guide for Regions of Virginia
(VS 2a,b,c)
Word Bank
Eastern
York
rivers
Dismal Swamp
fishing
Atlantic Ocean
Flat
plateau
coal
railroads
southwestern
George Washington
Markets
Fall Line
west
mountain ridges
Kentucky
Washington D.C.
Source
tourism
peak
Luray Caverns
Cumberland Gap Eastern Shore
near
Valley & Ridge
Appalachian Mountain System
Shenandoah National Park
The Tidewater Region
1) Virginia’s Tidewater Region is located in the ___________________ part of the state.
2) The most important geographical feature of the Tidewater region is the many
______________________ that rise and fall with the ocean tides.
3) Three main industries of the Tidewater Region are _______________________,
shipbuilding, and ________________________.
4) Lake Drummond and The Great _________________ _____________________ are
located in this region.
The Piedmont Region
5) The surface of the Piedmont Region is a __________________ that tilts gently
downward with rolling hills.
6) The Piedmont Region which is nicknamed “land at the foot of the mountains” is located
_____________________ of the Fall Line.
7) The _______________________ is the place at the eastern edge of the Piedmont Region
where the land drops down and rivers tumble onto flat Tidewater land forming
waterfalls and rapids.
8) ___________________ that started to develop at the Fall Line had the strongest effect
on the growth of cities in the Piedmont Region.
The Blue Ridge Mountain Region
9) The Blue Ridge Mountain Region is known as the _________________ of many rivers.
10) It lies between the Piedmont Region and the _____________________________
Region.
11) Mount Rogers, the mountain known to have the highest ______________ in Virginia, is
found in the Blue Ridge Mountain Region.
12) The top tourist attraction for the Blue Ridge Mountain Region is ___________________
_____________________ ___________________.
The Valley & Ridge Region
13) Two natural wonders that attract many visitors to the Valley and Ridge Region are
_____________________ ___________________ and the Natural Chimneys.
14) The Valley and Ridge Region is part of the ______________________
____________________ system.
15) The two main features of the Valley and Ridge Region are its ____________________
____________________ and valleys.
16) The ______________________ ____________ is a passageway to the west that is
found in the Valley and Ridge Region.
The Appalachian Plateau Region
17) The Appalachian Plateau Region is located in the ____________________________
corner of Virginia.
18) ________________ is the most important natural resource of the Appalachian Plateau
Region.
19) A plateau is elevated land which is fairly ___________________ on top.
20) Due to the invention of ______________________ in the late 1800’s, the economy of
the Appalachian Plateau region changed for the better.
Geography
21) The four major rivers of Virginia from North to South are the Potomac, Rappahannock,
______________________, and James rivers.
22) _________________ _____________________ surveyed the Great Dismal Swamp.
23) The _________________ _______________ and the Chesapeake Bay are two
important water features that define the east coast of Virginia.
24) The five states that surround Virginia are Maryland, West Virginia,
__________________, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
25) ___________________ __________ is a major city that borders Virginia to its
northeast corner, but is not in Virginia.
26) Relative location means _______________, next to, and bordering.
27) Another name for the Delmarva Peninsula is the _________________ _____________.
Essay Questions
28) Name three things that either Lake Drummond or the Great Dismal Swamp are known
for.
 George Washington surveyed the Great Dismal Swamp
 Lake Drummond is the largest natural lake in Virginia
 Lake Drummond is almost perfectly round, yet it is a natural lake
29) Be prepared to state two main reasons why rivers were important to early Virginians.
 Rivers were important to early Virginians because they provided a source of food
and transportation.
o Early Virginians could gather fish, clams, crabs, etc. from the rivers
o The rivers also provided a way for them to get from one place to another by
boat
 Cities grew along the Fall Line because ships could not go any further due to the
treacherous conditions
o Many ships stopped, unloaded, and people began to set up a town
30) Be prepared to label the:
 Five regions of Virginia from east to west (Tidewater, Piedmont, Blue Ridge
Mountain, Valley and Ridge, Appalachian Plateau)
o Be able to identify the region we live in (the Piedmont Region)
 the various states that surround Virginia
 the major rivers and bodies of water in or bordering Virginia