Name: ______Test Date: ______

Geography Study Guide

1. Label Virginia and its 5 bordering states. Remember: Mustard With Ketchup Tastes Nasty.

Maryland

West Virginia

Kentucky

Tennessee North Carolina

2. Label Virginia’s five regions. Color the dark green. Color the Appalachian purple. Color the Blue Ridge blue. Color the Piedmont light green. Color the Valley and Ridge red.

Blue Ridge Mountains

Valley and Ridge

Appalachian Plateau

Piedmont

Coastal Plain

3. Label Virginia’s 4 major rivers.

A:

B: Rappahannock River

C: York River

D: James River

4. What is a ? What is Virginia’s largest peninsula?

A peninsula is a piece of land bordered by water on three sides. Virginia’s largest peninsula is the Eastern .

5. What body of water do all of Virginia’s rivers flow into?

All of Virginia’s rivers flow into the Chesapeake .

6. Describe where the following bodies or water are located and what they look like.

Body of Water Location and Features  Coastal Plain Region Drummond  Shallow natural lake surrounded by Dismal Swamp  Freshwater

 Coastal Plain Region  Misty, wet, wooded Dismal Swamp  Pools of standing water  Variety of wildlife

7. Describe the land of each of the following regions. Draw a picture to match the description.

Region Characteristics Picture

land Coastal Plain  Rivers are wide and flow slowly  Near the Atlantic and  East of the Fall Line

 Rolling hills Piedmont  West of the Fall Line  Piedmont = land at the foot of the mountains  Waterfalls and rapids

Blue Ridge  Old, rounded mountains Mountains  Source of many rivers  Part of the Appalachian system  West of the Fall Line

Valley and  Includes the Great Valley of Virginia & other Ridge valleys separated by ridges  Water rushes over rocks downhill  Many creeks

Appalachian  Many (elevated land that is flat on top) Plateau  Only a small part of plateau is located in Virginia

8. Complete the chart.

River Major City or Cities Located on the River

Potomac Alexandria

Rappahannock Fredericksburg

York Yorktown

James Jamestown & Richmond

9. What is the Fall Line? Where is it located?

The Fall Line is the natural border between the Coastal Plain and Piedmont Regions. Many cities developed along the Fall Line because the waterfalls prevented travel further west on the river.

10. What major ocean borders Virginia? Why is it important?

The Atlantic Ocean borders Virginia. It is important because it provided a transportation link between Virginia and other places like Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.

11. List three facts about the Chesapeake Bay.

1. It provided a safe harbor to ships.

2. It was a source of food and transportation.

3. Virginia’s four major rivers flow into the Chesapeake Bay.

4. The Eastern Shore is a peninsula bordered by the Chesapeake Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

12. What is relative location? Describe something using relative location.

Relative location shows the connection between two places using words like:  Next to  Near  Bordering