VIRGINIA, one of the states of the United States, bounded on the S. by North Carolina; S.W. by Tennessee; W. by Kentucky; N.W. by the State of Ohio; N. by Pennsylvania and Maryland; N.E. by another section of Maryland, and E. by the Atlantic Ocean; having outlines: Miles.
Along N. Lat. 36° 30', in common with North Carolina, - 340 Along Tennessee from its extreme north-east ern angle, to the extreme western angle of Virginia, at Cumberland Gap in Cumber land Mountain, - 110 Along the main ridge of Cumberland Moun tain in common with Kentucky, to the east ern and main branch of Sandy river, - 110 Down Sandy river by comparative courses to its influx into Ohio river, - - 70 Up Ohio river opposite to the state of Ohio, and following the bends to the western boun dary of Pennsylvania, say - 400 Along the western boundary of Pennsylvania, due south, to the extreme south-western angle of that state, - - - 65 Thence due east along the southern boundary of Pennsylvania to the extreme north-west ern angle of Maryland, - - 60 These distances being measured from Tanner's Map of the United States by a scale, may not be minutely correct, but we trust are sufficiently ac curate for all the ordinary purposes of geography. It may be necessary to note, that the short line over the peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake bay, and between Accomac county of Virginia and Worcester county of Maryland, is usually drawn on maps along N. Lat. 38°; it is,
however, actually farther north by about two min utes of latitude on the ocean, and declining to the southward, still strikes Pocomoke bay above N. Lat. 38°.
Again, the south-western boundary of Virginia on the state of Tennessee, ought, and is commonly supposed, to extend along N. Lat. 36' 30', but by an error in the original survey this latter demarca tion stretches two minutes or more, of latitude, to the north of the curve along which it was to have been extended.
In latitude, Virginia lies between 36° 30', and 40° 37' N., and in longitude, from 1° 46' E., to 36' W. from W. C.
The longest straight line that can be drawn in Virginia, is in length 485 miles, and extends from the north-eastern angle on the Atlantic Ocean, to the extreme south-western on Tennessee and Ken tucky. Measured carefully by the rhombs, the area of Virginia comes out about 70,000 square miles; therefore the mean breadth is 144 miles very nearly.
Nature has so palpably divided Virginia into two sections that her demarcations are obeyed in the legis lation of the state, and in the taking of the decennial census by the general government. The following Tables exhibit the counties of each section, with their aggregate population, agreeably to the census of 1830.