According to INDEXDOTCOM, Virginia is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered by Maryland to the northeast, Washington, D.C. to the north, West Virginia to the west and Kentucky to the southwest. The state is divided into five distinct regions: Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, Tidewater, Southside and Southwest Mountains. Northern Virginia includes Arlington and Fairfax Counties and is home to many of DC’s suburbs as well as major cities such as Alexandria. Central Virginia is home to Richmond, Charlottesville and other smaller cities such as Lynchburg and Danville. Tidewater includes Hampton Roads with its many naval bases and cities such as Norfolk and Newport News while Southside includes cities such as Petersburg, Emporia and Farmville. Southwest Mountains includes Roanoke and other rural areas in the Appalachian Mountains. According to SIMPLYYELLOWPAGES, Virginia is home to some of the most prestigious universities in the country. The University of Virginia and Virginia Tech are both nationally renowned public research universities that offer a wide range of academic programs and resources. Other notable public schools include James Madison University, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, and Radford University. Virginia also has a number of highly ranked private universities such as Washington & Lee University, Liberty University, and the College of William & Mary. All of these institutions offer a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields from engineering to business to education.