VS 2 Virginia Geography & VS 10 Virginia Products and Industries
Virginia is an incredible place full of history and natural beauty. Did you
know that the first permanent English settlement was right here in Virginia?
(Years before the Pilgrims!) This year you are going to learn about our state and
its rich history, let’s begin our amazing journey!
Let’s start out by learning about our state’s physical geography. Physical
Geography is what the surface of Virginia looks like.
The two large bodies of water that border Virginia are
____________________________ and ______________________________
The 5 states the border Virginia are _____________________________,
____________________________, _____________________________,
___________________________, and ______________________________.
Here is an easy way to remember the bordering states starting at the top and
going around counter clockwise:
Mustard With Ketchup Tastes Nasty
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Virginia’s Relative Location & Regions
Virginia is located on the East Coast of the United States. Its location can also be
described in relative terms.
Relative location shows connections between two
places using words such as “next to,” “near,” and “bordering.” Virginia has two large
bodies of water that “border” it on the east. They are the Atlantic Ocean and the
Chesapeake Bay. It also has five “bordering” states. They include Maryland on
the north, West Virginia on the northwest, Kentucky on the west, Tennessee on
the southwest, and North Carolina on the south.
Virginia is divided into five geographic regions. Each of these regions has unique
characteristics.
Appalachian Plateau: This region is located in the southwestern part of Virginia.
It is a plateau, which is an area of flat land that is higher than the land around it.
Only a small part of the plateau is located in Virginia.
Valley and Ridge: This region includes the Great Valley of Virginia and the
Allegheny Mountain Ridge. This region is also a part of the Appalachian Mountain
System. A valley is an area of land between mountains and a ridge is a line of
mountains.
The Valley and Ridge region is located west of the Blue Ridge
Mountains.
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Blue Ridge Mountains: This region is made up of old, rounded mountains that are
part of the Appalachian Mountain System. It is located between the Piedmont
region and the Valley and Ridge region. Many of the major rivers in Virginia have
their sources in these mountains.
Piedmont (land at the foot of mountains): This region is located west of the Fall
Line. The land of this region consists of rolling hills.
The hilly land makes the
rivers narrower and faster as they tumble over waterfalls and through rapids.
These waterfalls and rapids, known as the Fall Line, prevent ships from traveling
farther west on the four major rivers.
Coastal Plain (Tidewater): This region stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the
east to a line of waterfalls and rapids called the Fall Line on the west. The Fall
Line forms a natural border between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont region. The
land of the Coastal Plain is flat and includes a peninsula called the Eastern Shore.
Four major rivers are also located here. They include the James, the York, the
Rappahannock, and the Potomac. All four of these rivers flow into the Chesapeake
Bay.
Write a sentence to help you remember the regions in order
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5 Geographic Regions of Virginia
Virginia is divided up into 5 geographic regions. Each of these regions has common physical
characteristics.
Appalachian Plateau (this region has areas of elevated land that is flat on top)
 Located in Southwest Virginia
 Only a small part of the Appalachian Plateau is located in Virginia
 a Plateau is an area of flat land that is higher than the land around it
Valley and Ridge (this region has valleys and ridges)
part of the Appalachian Mountain system
 includes the Great Valley of Virginia and other valleys separated by ridges
 located west of the Blue Ridge Mountains
 includes the Great Valley of Virginia and the Allegheny Mountain Ridge
 a Valley is an area of land between mountains
 a Ridge is a line of mountain
Blue Ridge (this region has mountains)
 part of the Appalachian Mountain system
 old rounded mountains
 Source of many rivers (where rivers begin)
Piedmont (this region has rolling hills)
 Piedmont means “land at the foot of the mountains”
 west of the fall line
Coastal Plain also called the Tidewater (this region has mostly flat land)
 located near Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay
 east of Fall Line
 Includes Eastern Shore
 4 major rivers begin here (Potomac, Rappahannock, York, & James)
 has many peninsulas- land surrounded by water on 3 sides
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Here is a way to remember the regions from west to east:
Armadillo Vikings Bike Past Cake
What is the Fall Line?
The Fall Line is the natural border between the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) and the
Piedmont regions, where waterfalls (rapids) prevent further travel on the rivers.
Virginia’s water features:
Peninsula: land bordered by water on 3 sides
Atlantic Ocean: ◊provided transportation links between Virginia and other
places (Europe, Africa, &Caribbean)
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Chesapeake Bay
◊ provided a safe harbor to ships from crashing waves of the ocean
◊ source of food and transportation
Eastern Shore
◊ a peninsula that is bordered on the west by the Chesapeake Bay and to the east by
the Atlantic Ocean
◊ part of the Coastal Plain/Tidewater Region
Potomac River
◊located in the northern part of the state
◊natural boundary between Virginia and Maryland
◊flows into the Chesapeake Bay
◊Alexandria is located along the Potomac River
Rappahannock River
◊flows downhill into the Chesapeake Bay
◊Fredericksburg is located along the Rappahannock River
York River
◊flows downhill into the Chesapeake Bay
◊Yorktown is located on the York River
James River
◊flows downhill into the Chesapeake Bay
◊Richmond (capital of Virginia) & Jamestown are located along the James River
Each of these rivers was a source of food and provided a pathway for exploration and
settlement of Virginia.
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Here’s a way to remember the rivers from north to south:
Please Read Your Journal
Lake Drummond
◊freshwater lake
◊located in the Coastal Plain region
◊shallow natural lake surrounded
by the Great Dismal Swamp
Dismal Swamp
◊located in the Coastal Plain
◊has a variety of wild life
◊George Washington explored and surveyed the Dismal Swamp
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