Friday, August 5, 2016

Up with U.S. Geography: Virginia

State Name:
Virginia

Capital:
Richmond

Date of Entry:
June 25, 1788

Maps:

Map of USA. Virginia outlined in dark ink, shaded &
with name written on it.

A close-up of Virginia & its neighbors.

Neighbors:
West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky

Water Borders:
Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean

Total Area:
42,774 square miles

Five Largest Cities:
Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, Newport News

Famous Geographical Point:
Blue Ridge Mountains

State Nickname:
Old Dominion. This nickname dates back all the way to the 1600s and the explanation is rather long. I'm too lazy to condense it, so here's a source for you to READ.

Famous Person:
Patton Oswalt, comedian & actor

Book Set In/About:
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I'm selfishly choosing this one because I love this book, which is the first in a series (The Raven Cycle). Set in a fictional town in Virginia, it's about a group of private school boys, and their local girl friend, who are searching for an ancient Welsh king who, kept alive in suspended animation for centuries, will grant the person who wakes him a wish. There are a lot of nice details about small-town Virginia life.

Movie Set In/About:
"Gods and Generals" (2003), directed by Ronald F. Maxwell

It's about Confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

Headline of the Day:
"In Battleground Virginia, Kaine May Give Democrats an Edge" on pbs.org.

2 comments:

Patricia said...

Hey look! I've not only been to Virginia,but also to all the surrounding states. (Thanks Matt's brother for getting married in North Carolina, so we had to visit.)

I like Virginia. It's got a nice mix of everything (North/South, Urban/Rural, Liberal/Conservative, etc.)

balyien said...

I've only been to Virginia once, but I thought it was very pretty.