Virginia's Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Region     Explore Virginia's Coastal Plain.  Print this graphic organizer to record your findings.  Use this page and your textbook to help you.    The Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Region is an area of low, flat coastal plain (an area of low, flat land that lies along an ocean) that begins at the Atlantic Coast and stretches inland to the Fall Line.  Here, at the Fall Line, rivers drop sharply from the Piedmont Region on their way to the sea.  Rocks and waterfalls at the Fall Line stop ships from going any farther inland.

Virginia's Peninsulas

    There are four peninsulas in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Region.  The part of Virginia known as the Eastern Shore is one of the peninsulas.  The Eastern Shore is separated from the mainland of Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay, which borders it on the west while the Atlantic Ocean borders it on the east.

     The other three peninsulas are located on the mainland.   One is the Northern Neck Peninsula.  It is located between the Potomac River, which forms part of Virginia's northern border,  and the Rappahannock River.  One is the Middle Peninsula.  This peninsula is between the Rappahannock and the York rivers.  One is simply called The Peninsula.  It is located between the York and James rivers.  The James River is 340 miles long.  It is the longest river entirely within Virginia.

        For years, the only way to get from the Eastern Shore to the mainland was by ferry.  Farmers on the Eastern Shore once used the ferries to carry their produce to cities on the mainland.   Now refrigerated trucks carry Eastern Shore fruits and vegetables across the Chesapeake Bay through tunnels and over bridges.  This great bridge-tunnel is 17 miles of road--some of which is a tunnel that goes under the water.

		A ferry is a boat that carries people and things across small bodies of water.
	On the left is a picture of the bridge. On the right is the tunnel under the Chesapeake Bay.

    The rest of the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Region, from the James River to the North Carolina border, has two natural features--the Hampton Roads harbor, which is the one of the world's largest natural harbors,  and the Dismal Swamp.

      The Hampton Roads harbor is one of the world's finest natural harbors.  It includes the ports of Newport News, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth.  Millions of tons of products and goods are loaded into oceangoing ships in Virginia's ports.  These ships sail to other ports in the United States and to ports all over the world. 

The Dismal Swamp is one of Virginia's most interesting natural features.  It is a huge wetland area in southeastern Virginia.  It provides protection and food for many types of wildlife.   The wildlife include deer, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, bobcats, and even bears.   Birds, snakes, frogs and turtles can also be found here.  Virginia's largest natural lake, Lake Drummond, is located here.

Lake Drummond

Sunset on Lake Drummond