AI Tutor
If you look closely at a map of the United States, one state looks almost like a soaring bird or an open hand.
That uniquely shaped state is West Virginia, tucked right into the green Appalachian Mountains.
Notice those two skinny strips reaching out to the north and east? Geographers call those long parts panhandles because they look just like the handle of a cooking pan!
West Virginia does not sit alone—it shares its edges with five neighboring states. But what do we call the line between two states?

What Is a Border?

A border is an official line on a map that shows where one state ends and another state begins.
Sometimes a border is a natural river you can splash in, and sometimes it is an imaginary line drawn across hills and roads.
West Virginia has exactly five border neighbors. Can you guess which states touch its northern edges?

The Northern Neighbors: Pennsylvania and Maryland

Look straight up to the north: Pennsylvania sits right on top of West Virginia like a sturdy roof.
Right beside it to the northeast, hugging West Virginia's long eastern panhandle, is the state of Maryland.