1. VirginiaNorth CarolinaSouth Carolina GeorgiaFloridaAlabamaMississippi TennesseeArkansasLouisiana

2. Motto : Sic Semper tyrannis (Thus always to tyrants) Nickname : The Old Dominion; Mother of Presidents Origin of Name : In honor of Elizabeth, Virgin Queen of England Capital : Richmond Population : 7,078,515 American DogwoodHome of George Washington - Mount Vernon Monticello - Home of Thomas Jefferson Arlington House – Home of Robert E. Lee Virginia Beach, VA

3. James Madison James Monroe Woodrow Wilson Arlington National Cemetery Appomattox Courthouse Victory Monument - Yorktown Jefferson Davis Monument - Richmond Bull Run Battlefield - Manassas Area = 42,774 sq mi

4. Motto : Esse quam videri (To be rather than to seem) Nickname : Tar Heel state Origin of Name : In honor of Charles I of England Capital : Raleigh Population : 8,049,313 Dogwood The first airplane flight - Kitty Hawk Fishing at Cape Hatteras The Outer Banks Roanoake island – Site of the first colony in the U.S. Tobacco Field

5. Mottoes : Animis opibusque parati (Prepared in mind and resources) and Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope) Nickname : Palmetto state Origin of Name : In honor of Charles I of England Capital : Columbia Population : 4,012,012 Carolina yellow jessamine Ft. Sumter – Charleston Where the Civil War Began Historic Downtown Charleston Myrtle BeachPalmetto Tree

6. Stone Mountain - Atlanta Motto : Wisdom, justice, and moderation Nicknames : Peach State, Empire State of the South Origin of Name : In honor of George II of England Cherokee Rose Capital Atlanta Population 8,186,453

7. Motto : In God we trust Nickname : Sunshine state Origin of Name : From the Spanish, meaning "feast of flowers" Orange Blossom Miami Skyline Everglades Epcot Center Kennedy Space Center Key West Capital Tallahassee Population 15,982,378

8. Motto: Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere (We Dare Defend Our Rights)‏ Nickname : The Heart of Dixie, The Cotton State, The Yellowhammer state Origin of Name : May come from Choctaw word meaning "thicket-clearers" or "vegetation-gatherers" Camellia Alabama Cotton Field Capital MontgomeryPopulation 4,447,100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial - Selma

9. Motto :Virtute et armis (By valor and arms) Nickname : Magnolia state Origin of Name : Named for the Mississippi river which forms the state's western boundary. According to the State of Mississippi's "About Mississippi" page, the name means "Father of Waters," roughly translated from Native American folklore. Capital : Jackson Population : 2,844,658 Magnolia Tupelo Delta Blues Museum - Clarksville Vicksburg National Military Park Gulf Islands National Seashore Natchez Trace – Northern MS

10. Iris Beal St. - Memphis Elvis Presley's Home - Memphis Great Smokey Mountains The Hermatige – Home of Andrew Jackson The Grand Ole Opry - Nashville Motto : Agriculture and Commerce Nickname : Volunteer state Origin of Name : Of Cherokee origin; the exact meaning is unknown. Capital : Nashville Population : 5,689,283

11. Motto : Regnat Populus (The People Rule) Nickname : The Natural State, Land of Opportunity Origin of Name : From the Quapaw word Apple Blossom Digging for diamonds - Crater of Diamonds State Park Bill Clinton's Birthplace – Hope, AR Capital Little Rock Population 2,673,400 meaning "south wind"

12. Motto : Union, Justice, and Confidence Nickname : Pelican State, Sportsman's Paradise, Creole State, and Sugar state Origin of Name : Named in honor of Louis XIV of France Capital : Baton Rouge Population : 4,468,976 Magnolia French Quarter – New Orleans Bayou Cajuns and Crawdads Gumbo Mississippi Delta Jazz Band Myrtles Plantation