West Virginia's regions, rivers, counties and neighbors on a map

Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   West Virginia's neighbors and location

   Map 1, "Neighbors and borders" (today): Ohio lies across the Ohio River to the west and northwest, a border of about 277 miles. Kentucky lies to the southwest, across the Tug Fork and the Big Sandy River, about 114 miles. Virginia lies to the south and east. Maryland lies to the northeast, across the Potomac River. Pennsylvania lies to the north, along the Mason-Dixon Line and a second straight line that runs north to the river. Map 2, "Exact location" (today): The lines of 39 degrees north latitude and 80 degrees west longitude cross the state. The geographic center is four miles west of Centralia, in Braxton County. The capital is Charleston, made the permanent seat of government after a statewide vote in 1877. Key: a solid line is a river border; a dashed line is a straight-line border; a star is the capital; a dot is the geographic center. Below the maps: The whole boundary is about 1,170 miles long: 52 percent follows rivers, 31 percent follows mountain crestlines, and 17 percent is straight lines drawn by people.

2. 1.

   On Ari's map, which state lies across the Ohio River to the west?

   • Kentucky
   • Maryland
   • Ohio
   • Pennsylvania
3. 2.

   Which state lies to the north of West Virginia, by Bo's map?

   • Ohio
   • Pennsylvania
   • Virginia
   • Kentucky
4. 3.

   Which river forms the border with Maryland, Esme asks?

   • The Big Sandy River
   • The Mason-Dixon Line
   • The Ohio River
   • The Potomac River
5. 4.

   On the key, what does a dashed line show, Jun asks?

   • A straight-line border
   • The geographic center
   • The state capital
   • A river border
6. 5.

   What does the star on map 2 mark, Kira asks?

   • A river border
   • The geographic center
   • The highest mountain in the state
   • The capital, Charleston
7. 6.

   Where is West Virginia's geographic center, by map 2, Luz asks?

   • Across the Ohio River
   • Near Centralia, in Braxton County
   • On the Mason-Dixon Line in the north
   • In Charleston, the capital city
8. 7.

   By the note, what percent of the boundary follows rivers, Noah asks?

   • 31 percent
   • 17 percent
   • 48 percent
   • 52 percent
9. 8.

   Which lines of latitude and longitude cross the state, Pia asks?

   • 39 degrees north and 80 degrees west
   • 45 degrees north and 90 degrees west
   • 80 degrees north and 39 degrees west
   • 39 degrees south and 80 degrees east
10. 9.

    Why did Charleston become the permanent capital, by map 2, Ren asks?

    • Its place on the Mason-Dixon Line
    • A statewide vote in 1877
    • A rule in the US Constitution
    • A choice made by Virginia in 1861
11. 10.

    Which claim fits the note, Tala asks?

    • The boundary is 277 miles long
    • Rivers form about half of the boundary
    • The whole boundary is straight lines
    • Mountains form most of the boundary