why is virginia and many northeast states considered southern when they are geographically up north?
Because it was part of the SOUTH (1) During the division which led to the Civil War (it joined a newly created country called the Confederate States of America) and (2) It is part of the distinct culture which makes up the SOUTH. Historically Virginia had much more in common with the states south and west of it than any state north of it. And besides it’s not “up north”. Virginia’s actually right in the middle as far as the Mexican/Canadian borders go. But on the east coast, it’s very much in the southern half of the coast.
