The South region has three divisions. The South Atlantic states are Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The East South Central states are Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. The West South Central states are Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
Washington, DC is also in the South region, but it is a federal district, not a state, so it isn't asked.
Texas is the anchor here: the largest of the lower 48 states, it borders New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Work east from it along the Gulf Coast to Florida, then north up the Atlantic coast to Delaware, and the inland states fill in the gaps.
Shapes worth knowing in the South
- Tennessee is long and thin, stretching from North Carolina to the Mississippi River and touching eight states.
- Alabama and Mississippi look alike; Alabama is the eastern one, with a small strip of coast at Mobile.
- Louisiana looks like a boot; Arkansas sits directly above it.
The 16 states in this quiz
| State | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Montgomery | South |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | South |
| Delaware | Dover | South |
| Florida | Tallahassee | South |
| Georgia | Atlanta | South |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | South |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | South |
| Maryland | Annapolis | South |
| Mississippi | Jackson | South |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | South |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | South |
| South Carolina | Columbia | South |
| Tennessee | Nashville | South |
| Texas | Austin | South |
| Virginia | Richmond | South |
| West Virginia | Charleston | South |
Questions people ask
Why are Delaware and Maryland in the South?
The Census Bureau places both in its South Atlantic division, and both lie south of the Mason-Dixon line. In everyday speech many people call them Mid-Atlantic states instead.
Is Oklahoma a Southern state?
In the Census Bureau's definition, yes; it's in the West South Central division with Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.