Download Unit 1- Virginia`s Regions Notes - Fredericksburg City Public Schools

Virginia’s Regions Unit Interactive Notes
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Virginia’s Relative Location & Five Regions
Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Region
Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Products & Industries
Piedmont Region
Blue Ridge Region
Valley and Ridge Region
Appalachian Plateau
WORDS TO KNOW
Atlantic Ocean
Border
Chesapeake Bay
Eastern Shore
Fall Line
Industry
Peninsula
Plateau
Poultry
Product
Recreation
Relative Location
Tourism
Virginia’s Relative Location &
Regions
The relative location of places can be described in
relative terms. Relative terms show connections between
two places. The following are relative terms: next to, near,
and bordering. In order to describe Virginia’s relative
location, we use these terms. For example, Virginia is
located next to the Chesapeake Bay. The Atlantic Ocean is
located near Virginia. Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee, and North Carolina are all states bordering
Virginia.
Now, we need to locate each of Virginia’s bordering
states and their location in relation to Virginia. We use the
following sentence to do so: Mustard (Maryland) with
(West Virginia) ketchup (Kentucky) tastes (Tennessee)
nasty (North Carolina). Maryland is northeast, West
Virginia is northwest, Kentucky is west, Tennessee is
southwest, and North Carolina is south. You can remember
these bordering states and their locations because these
states form a letter C around Virginia.
Virginia is separated into five sections called regions.
Each region has a different type of geography. The regions of
Virginia have different industries where Virginians can make
money and various products that are produced in those
regions. An industry is a business or way of making money.
A product is an item that is produced in a certain location.
Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Region
The Coastal Plain region of Virginia is also known as
the Tidewater region. It is an area of low, flat land that lies
along large bodies of water, the Chesapeake Bay and the
Atlantic Ocean. The Chesapeake Bay separates mainland
Virginia and the Eastern Shore. The Chesapeake Bay
provided a safe harbor and was a source of food and
transportation for early settlers. Located to the east of the
Eastern Shore is the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Ocean
provided transportation links between Virginia and other
countries of the world.
The Coastal Plain region has 4 peninsulas, or pieces
of land bordered by water on three sides. These peninsulas
are the Northern Neck, the Middle Peninsula, the Peninsula,
and the Eastern Shore. The peninsulas lie between and
separate 4 well-known rivers of Virginia that flow into the
Chesapeake Bay. From northern Virginia to southern Virginia
these rivers are the Potomac River, the Rappahannock River,
the York River, and the James River. We can easily
remember these rivers in order from north to south with this
sentence: Please (Potomac) remember (Rappahannock) your
(York) jacket (James)! Each of these rivers was a source of
food and provided a pathway for exploration and settlement
for early settlers.
There are several important cities that are located
along these Virginia rivers: Alexandria is located on the
Potomac River, Fredericksburg is located on the
Rappahannock River, Yorktown is located on the York River,
and Richmond and Jamestown are located along the James
River.
Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Products
& Industries
Some of the Coastal Plain’s industries are determined
by its closeness to the ocean. Some people have jobs on
fishing boats, fishing for seafood, such as crab. Other
people work in the shipbuilding yards in Norfolk, building
new ships. On farms, peanuts are produced and then sold.
Tourism is very important here also. Tourism is the
business of helping people have fun when they are visiting a
new place. Finally, this region is known for its military
bases for the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and National
Guard.
There are two other water features found in the
Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region of Virginia. Lake
Drummond is a shallow, natural lake surrounded by the
Dismal Swamp. The Dismal Swamp is an area of low lying
land that provides a variety of wildlife. George Washington
explored and surveyed the Dismal Swamp.
Some of the Coastal Plain’s industries are determined
by its closeness to the ocean. Some people have jobs on
fishing boats, fishing for seafood, such as crab. Other people
work in the shipbuilding yards in Norfolk, building new ships.
On farms, peanuts are produced and then sold. Tourism is
very important here also. Tourism is the business of helping
people have fun when they are visiting a new place. Finally,
this region is known for its military bases for the Army, Navy,
Marines, Air Force, and National Guard.
Piedmont Region
The Piedmont, also known as the land at the foot of
the mountains, is located west of the Coastal Plain
(Tidewater). It is an area of land covered with rolling hills.
The Piedmont is separated from the Coastal Plain by the Fall
Line, the natural border between the Piedmont and the
Coastal Plain regions, where waterfalls prevent further travel
on the river. The waterfalls occur because the land in the
Piedmont is at a higher level than the land in the Coastal
Plain. The cities of Richmond and Fredericksburg are
located along the fall line.
The Potomac, Rappahannock, and James Rivers all
flow downhill across the Piedmont towards the Chesapeake
Bay. Located just outside of the Piedmont, to the northeast,
is the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. separated from the
Piedmont by the Potomac River.
Since the northern part of the Piedmont region is near
Washington, D.C., many of its industries are big city
industries. Many people who work for the federal government
and in information technology live in the northern part of the
Piedmont. Closer to Richmond there are many people
working for the state government. In the southern part of
this region, there is quite a bit of farming, in which tobacco
products are produced to be sold. This region of Virginia is
also known for its horse industry.
Blue Ridge Region
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a narrow strip of high
land, located west of the Piedmont. They are old, rounded
mountains that are part of a much larger mountain range
known as the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian
Mountain range stretches from northern Alabama to Canada.
Due to the high land in the Blue Ridge, this region is the
source of many rivers which flow downhill, east towards the
Chesapeake Bay.
In the Blue Ridge, many people make money by
farming. Apples are produced on these farms. Recreation
activities, like hiking, fishing, camping, and canoeing are also
popular here.
Valley and Ridge Region
The Valley and Ridge region, also known as the Ridge
and Valley, is located west of the Blue Ridge. As its name
states, the Valley and Ridge region is made up of ridges and
valleys. Located to the far west of the Valley and Ridge are
the Allegheny Mountains. Similar to the Blue Ridge
Mountains, the Allegheny Mountains and the ridges in the
Valley and Ridge are part of the mountain range known as
the Appalachian Mountains. Within the Valley and Ridge
region is a large valley known as the Great Valley or the
Shenandoah Valley. The Great Valley provides excellent
farmland because of its nutrient-rich, fertile soil. Located in
the southwest corner of the Valley and Ridge region is the
Cumberland Gap, a passage through the mountains for the
early settlers.
The biggest industry in the Valley and Ridge is farming.
There are poultry farms which produce birds we can eat, like
chicken and turkey. There are also many dairy and beef
farms that are full of cows, providing us with milk, cheese,
hamburgers, and steaks. Last we have the farms that
produce apples. Many of our apples actually come from a
town in the Valley and Ridge region called Winchester.
Appalachian Plateau
The Appalachian Plateau, also known as the
Allegheny Plateau, is Virginia’s smallest physical region. It is
located in the southwestern part of the state. Only a small
part of the plateau is located in Virginia. A plateau is an
area of elevated land that is flat on top, however; the
Appalachian Plateau is a mountainous area covered with
thick forests. Over millions of years, streams have cut deep,
narrow valleys into the land.
The most important industry in the Appalachian
Plateau is coal mining. Miners go deep underground into
coal mines to dig out the black coal rocks, which can be
burned to provide heat energy.