My Virginia

It's easy to determine the obvious. There is no question that Mississippi is the South. Or Alabama, or South Carolina.  Or Georgia.  But there's the "Deep South", and then there's "The South"... That Mason Dixon line is a good start, but the closer you are to the line, the more ambiguous.  I made some maps here as to what I determine the area of predominant Southern culture to be. Instead of making a black and white chart of "North vs South", I include "transition zones"- those areas that are kind of the in between region, or some times "no  man's land". In my maps, notice only the Eastern 1/3 of the country is shaded in. I do not generally consider Texas or anything west of it to be "South". But it can be considered a transition area. Unlike most, I consider the Mid Atlantic region to be a sub region of the South, and not the Northeast.  For that reason, I feel some states can be both Southern and Mid Atla...

Virginia is located at the very northern tip of the South- or the Southern end of the Mid-Atlantic region, whichever way you look at it. We Virginians are Northern-Southerners. Because of this, Virginia is in a unique position. Her cultural identity was firmly rooted in the Old South, but  with the advent of the jet plane, Virginia is at New York's doorstep! Northern Virginia, close to Washington D.C., is a melting pot of people from all nations and all backgrounds. Spreading out as far as Winchester to the west, and stemming from Fairfax and Loudoun County to the East, and as far south as Fredericksburg. This area with its transient feel, represents a culture far removed from Old Virginia, despite having its old roots left in the plantation homes and historic markers and schools named after Confederate Generals. This is also the most liberal area of Virginia, and pushed Virginia into a "blue state" during both the 2008 and 2012 elections, although by a narrow margin. ...