What are the five physiographic provinces of Virginia?

What are the five physiographic provinces of Virginia?

• A. Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and the Appalachian Plateau
• B. Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Great Valley, Appalachian Plateau
• C. Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Adirondack Mountains, Valley and Ridge, Appalachian Plateau
• D. Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley, and Appalachian Highlands

Answer: (A)

Virginia's landscape is divided into five physiographic provinces: Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and the Appalachian Plateau. This ordering from east to west reflects how elevation and rock type change across the state: the Coastal Plain sits at low elevation along the coast and bays, the Piedmont is a gently rolling region just inland, the Blue Ridge mountains form a high, rugged belt, the Valley and Ridge region features long, parallel ridges and valleys, and the Appalachian Plateau sits in the western part as a relatively flat, plateau-like area. The listed set matches these five distinct regions. One option uses Adirondack Mountains, which are located far to the north in New York and not part of Virginia’s provinces. Another option substitutes Great Valley for Valley and Ridge, which isn’t the standard Virginia designation. The remaining choice uses Appalachian Highlands instead of Appalachian Plateau, which isn’t the conventional name for Virginia’s western plateau region.

Virginia's landscape is divided into five physiographic provinces: Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and the Appalachian Plateau. This ordering from east to west reflects how elevation and rock type change across the state: the Coastal Plain sits at low elevation along the coast and bays, the Piedmont is a gently rolling region just inland, the Blue Ridge mountains form a high, rugged belt, the Valley and Ridge region features long, parallel ridges and valleys, and the Appalachian Plateau sits in the western part as a relatively flat, plateau-like area.

The listed set matches these five distinct regions. One option uses Adirondack Mountains, which are located far to the north in New York and not part of Virginia’s provinces. Another option substitutes Great Valley for Valley and Ridge, which isn’t the standard Virginia designation. The remaining choice uses Appalachian Highlands instead of Appalachian Plateau, which isn’t the conventional name for Virginia’s western plateau region.