Virginia is the state in which we live. It is in the southeast region of the United States. The United States is on the continent of North America.
Relative location is a term that means a point or place in relation to another point or place. It may be described using terms that show connections between two places such as “next to”, “near”, or “bordering”.
Virginia is bordered by two bodies of water. The Atlantic Ocean is located to the east of the Eastern Shore. Chesapeake Bay is between the Eastern Shore and the east coast of mainland Virginia. It goes as far north as Maryland.
There are five states that border Virginia. Maryland (MD) is to the north and northeast. West Virginia (WV) is to the north and northwest. Kentucky (KY) is due west. Tennessee (TN) is southwest. North Carolina is directly south.
Some people like to use mnemonic devices to help them remember the names of places. A mnemonic device is a sentence where the first letter of each word stands for one something. Here is an example to help you remember the names of the states that border Virginia. May We Keep The New Car? The M in May stands for Maryland. The W in We stands for West Virginia. The K stands for Kentucky, the T for Tennessee, and the N and C for North Carolina.
There are five regions in Virginia. The geography of each is different. The fist is the Coastal Plain (Tidewater). It is made of flat land, and it is near the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. It also includes the Eastern Shore. It is to the east of the Fall Line.
The Fall Line is the natural border between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont regions. Waterfalls prevent further travel on the river. West of the Fall Line is the Piedmont region. It is made up of rolling hills. Richmond is in this region.
The next region to the west is the Blue Ridge Mountains. These are old, rounded mountains and are part of the Appalachian mountain system. It is the source of many rivers.
West of the Blue Ridge Mountain region is the Valley and Ridge region. It includes the Great Valley of Virginia and other valleys separated by ridges. Like the Blue Ridge Mountains, it too is part of the Appalachian mountain system.
The final region, located in the southwest corner of the state, is the Appalachian Plateau. Only a small part of the plateau is located in Virginia.
A peninsula is a piece of land bordered by water on three sides. Virginia is made up of many peninsulas. The Eastern Shore is a peninsula bordered by the Chesapeake Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Poquoson is located on a peninsula with Newport News and Hampton.
The Atlantic Ocean is to the east of Virginia. It provided links between Virginia and other places. Early settlers sailed across the Atlantic to travel from Europe to Virginia and from Virginia back to Europe or other places, like Africa and the Caribbean.
Chesapeake Bay provided a safe harbor for the early settlers. It was also a source of food and transportation.
The James River flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Jamestown is located on the James. Farther upriver is the capital city of Richmond.
The York River also flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Yorktown is located along the York River. We live on a peninsula with the York River to our north and the James River to our south.
Two other rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay are the Rappahannock and the Potomac Rivers. Fredericksburg is located on the Rappahannock. Alexandria and Washington, DC are located on the Potomac.
Each river was a source of food and provided a pathway for exploration and settlement of Virginia.
First Americans and Language Groups
American Indians, also called First Americans, were the first people to live in Virginia. They lived in ALL areas of the state. They were called Indians because that is what Christopher Columbus called them. When he came to the New World, he thought he was in the Indies.
There is evidence that tells us that American Indians lived in all areas of the state. This evidence refers to the artifacts found throughout Virginia. An artifact is an object, such as a tool, weapon, or ornament produced by people, that is of archaeological or historical interest.
There were three major language groups in Virginia. The Algonquian was spoken primarily in the Tidewater (Coastal Plain) region. The Powhatans were members of this group. Siouan was spoken primarily in the Piedmont region. Iroquoian was spoken in Southwestern Virginia and in Southern Virginia, near what is today North Carolina. The Cherokee were part of this group.
Here is a good website to learn more about these groups: http://www.scott.k12.va.us/martha2/History%20Page.htm.
A mnemonic device to help you remember this is
TAP – Tidewater, Algonquian, Powhatans
PeeU – Piedmont, Siouan
SWICS – Southwest, Iroquoian, Cherokees, South
OR
Virginia Is Such A Cool Place
First Americans - Adapting to Their Environment
The climate in Virginia is relatively mild with distinct seasons. There is a definite spring, summer, fall, and winter. This type of climate results in a variety of vegetation.
Forests, which have a variety of trees, cover most of the land. For this reason, Virginia’s Indians are referred to as Eastern Woodland Indians.
Virginia’s Indians interacted with the climate and their environment to meet their basic needs. Animal skins, especially deerskins, were used for clothing. Shelter was made from the materials around them.
The food they ate changed with the seasons. In winter, they hunted birds and animals. In spring, they fished and picked berries. In summer, they grew crops like beans, corn, and squash. In fall, they harvested their crops.