pop (2000e) 1 808 300; area 62 758 km²/24 232 sq mi. State in E USA, divided into 55 counties; the Mountain State; part of Virginia until the Civil War, when the area remained loyal to the Union, and split from Confederate East Virginia, 1861; 35th state admitted to the Union as West Virginia, 1863; capital, Charleston; other chief cities, Huntington, Wheeling, Parkersburg, Morgantown; Ohio R follows the Ohio state border, with several tributaries; Potomac R forms part of the N border; Allegheny Mts dominate the E; highest point, Mt Spruce Knob (1481 m/4859 ft); a rugged, hilly state, most of which is in the Allegheny Plateau; 65% forested; some cattle, dairy products, apples, eggs, corn, tobacco; nation's leading producer of bituminous coal; major producer of natural gas; also stone, cement, salt, oil; glass, chemicals, metals, machinery; both summer and winter tourism.
background: none;">| Flag of West Virginia | Seal of West Virginia |
| Nickname(s): Mountain State | |
| Motto(s): Montani semper liberi | |
| Official language(s) | English |
| Capital | Charleston |
| Largest city | Charleston |
| Area | Ranked 41st |
| - Total |
24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²) |
| - Width | 130 miles (210 km) |
| - Length | 240 miles (385 km) |
| - % water | 0.6 |
| - Latitude | 37°10'N to 40°40'N |
| - Longitude | 77°40'W to 82°40'W |
| Population | Ranked 37th |
| - Total (2000) | 1,808,344 |
| - Density |
75.1/sq mi 29.0/km² (27th) |
| - Median income | $32,589 (50th) |
| Elevation | |
| - Highest point |
Spruce Knob 4,863 ft (1,427 m) |
| - Mean | 1,500 ft (460 m) |
| - Lowest point |
Potomac River 240 ft (73 m) |
| Admission to Union | June 20, 1863 (35th) |
| Governor | Joe Manchin (D) |
| U.S. Senators |
Robert C. Byrd (D) Jay Rockefeller (D) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Abbreviations | WV US-WV |
| Web site | www.wv.gov |
West Virginia is a state of the United States in the region of Appalachia, also known as The Mountain State. West Virginia broke away from the Commonwealth of Virginia during the American Civil War and was admitted to the Union as a separate state on June 20, 1863 (an anniversary now celebrated as West Virginia Day in the state).
The Census Bureau considers West Virginia part of the South because much of the state is below the Mason-Dixon Line, despite its northern panhandle extending as far north as Staten Island, New York. Many citizens of West Virginia claim they are part of Appalachia, rather than the Mid-Atlantic or the South, while the state's Northern Panhandle, and North-Central region, feel an affinity for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Geography
See also: List of counties in West Virginia and List of West Virginia county seatsWest Virginia is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north;
West Virginia is the only state in the nation located entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range, and in which all areas are mountainous;
On the southeastern state line with Virginia, high peaks in the Monongahela National Forest region give rise to an island of colder climate and ecosystems similar to those of northern New England and eastern Canada.
Other areas under protection and management include:
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail Bluestone National Scenic River Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park | Gauley River National Recreation Area George Washington National Forest Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge |
The native vegetation for most of the state was originally mixed hardwood forest of oak, chestnut, maple, beech, and white pine, with willow and American sycamore along the state's waterways.
History
Prehistory
The area now known as West Virginia was a favorite hunting ground of numerous Native American peoples before the arrival of European settlers.
Trans-Allegheny Virginia, 1776-1861
Social conditions in western Virginia were entirely unlike those in the eastern portion of the state.
The convention which met in 1829 to form a new constitution for Virginia, against the protest of the counties beyond the mountains, required a property qualification for suffrage and gave the slave-holding counties the benefit of three-fifths of their slave population in apportioning the state's representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Another grievance of the west was the large expenditure for internal improvements at state expense by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the East compared with the scanty proportion allotted to the West.
Separation from Virginia
See also: West Virginia in the Civil WarIn 1861, only nine of the forty-six delegates from the area located in present state of West Virginia voted to secede. Almost immediately after the vote to proceed with secession prevailed in the Virginia General Assembly, a mass meeting at Clarksburg recommended that each county in northwestern Virginia send delegates to a convention to meet in Wheeling on May 13, 1861. Some delegates favored the immediate formation of a new state, while others argued that, as Virginia's secession had not yet been passed by the required referendum, such action would constitute revolution against the United States. The legislature, composed of the members from the western counties who had been elected on May 23 and some of the holdover senators who had been elected in 1859, met at Wheeling on July 1, filled the remainder of the state offices, organized a state government and elected two United States senators who were recognized at Washington, D.C. At that point, therefore, there were two state governments in Virginia, one pledging allegiance to the United States and one to the Confederacy.
On May 13, the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state.
The question of the constitutionality of the formation of the new state was brought before the Supreme Court of the United States in the following manner: Berkeley and Jefferson counties lying on the Potomac east of the mountains, in 1863, with the consent of the reorganized government of Virginia voted in favor of annexation to West Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly repealed the act of secession and in 1866 brought suit against West Virginia asking the court to declare the counties a part of Virginia.
Beginning in Reconstruction, and for several decades thereafter, the two states disputed the new state's share of the pre-war Virginia government's debt, which had mostly been incurred to finance public infrastructure improvements, such as canals, roads, and railroads under the Virginia Board of Public Works. Although West Virginia's first constitution provided for the assumption of a part of the Virginia debt, negotiations opened by Virginia in 1870 were fruitless, and in 1871, that state funded two-thirds of the debt and arbitrarily assigned the remainder to West Virginia. The issue was finally settled in 1915, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that West Virginia owed Virginia $12,393,929.50.
Coal is not the only valuable mineral found in West Virginia, as the state was the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 g) Jones Diamond.
Demographics
Historical populationsof West Virginia
|
|
As of 2005, West Virginia has an estimated population of 1,816,856, which is an increase of 4,308, or 0.2%, from the prior year and an increase of 8,506, or 0.5%, since the year 2000.
| Demographics of West Virginia (csv) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By race | White | Black | AIAN | Asian | NHPI |
| AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | |||||
| 2000 (total population) | 96.01% | 3.49% | 0.59% | 0.66% | 0.05% |
| 2000 (hispanic only) | 0.63% | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| 2005 (total population) | 95.99% | 3.56% | 0.56% | 0.69% | 0.05% |
| 2005 (hispanic only) | 0.80% | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (total population) | 0.46% | 2.49% | -3.96% | 5.57% | -2.80% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (non-hispanic only) | 0.28% | 2.30% | -4.24% | 5.96% | -0.52% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (hispanic only) | 27.74% | 21.51% | 5.56% | -20.22% | -16.67% |
Only 1.1% of the state's residents were foreign-born, placing West Virginia last among the 50 states in that statistic.
Economy
The economy of West Virginia is one of the most fragile of any U.S. state.
West Virginia personal income tax is based on federal adjusted gross income (not taxable income), as modified by specific items in West Virginia law.
West Virginia counties administer and collect property taxes, although property tax rates reflect levies for state government, county governments, county boards of education and municipalities.
Transportation
Highways form the backbone of transportation systems in West Virginia, with over 37,300 miles of public roads in the state. West Virginia University in Morgantown boasts a PRT (personal rapid transit) system, the state's only single rail public transit system.
Because of the mountainous nature of the entire state, West Virginia has several notable tunnels and bridges.
Law and government
West Virginia's capital and seat of government is the city of Charleston, located in the southwest area of the state.
Judicial Branch
West Virginia is one of twelve states that does not have a death penalty. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the busiest appellate court of its type in the United States. West Virginia is one of 11 states with a single appellate court.
West Virginia is an alcoholic beverage control state.
Politics
West Virginia's politics are largely dominated by the Democratic Party, Democrats dominate most local and state offices. While the state continued its Democratic tradition by supporting Bill Clinton by large margins in 1992 and 1996, a majority of West Virginia voters supported George W.
The most consistent support for Democrats is found in the coal fields of southern West Virginia (especially McDowell, Mingo, Logan, Wyoming, and Boone Counties), while Republicans are most numerous to the east of the Allegheny Mountains, especially in the state's Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands.
Important cities and towns
Large cities (+ 10,000 population)
| Charleston, 53,421 (2005 estimate: 51,176) Huntington, 51,475 (2005 estimate: 49,198) Parkersburg, 33,099 (2005 estimate: 32,020) Wheeling, 31,419 (2005 estimate: 29,639) Morgantown, 26,809 (2005 estimate: 28,292) Weirton, 20,411 (2005 estimate: 19,544) Fairmont, 19,097 (2005 estimate: 19,049) Beckley, 17,254 (2005 estimate: 16,936) | Clarksburg, 16,743 (2005 estimate: 16,439) Martinsburg, 14,972 (2005 estimate: 15,996) South Charleston, 13,390 (2005 estimate: 12,700) Teays Valley, 12,704 (2005 estimate: N/A) St. Albans, 11,567 (2005 estimate: 11,105) Bluefield, 11,451 (2005 estimate: 11,119) Vienna, 10,861 (2005 estimate: 10,770) Cross Lanes, 10,353 (2005 estimate: N/A) |
Towns and small cities
| Barboursville Berkeley Springs Bridgeport Buckhannon Charles Town Dunbar Elkins Fayetteville Follansbee | Grafton Harpers Ferry Hinton Hurricane Kenova Keyser Kingwood Lewisburg Madison | Mannington Marlinton Moorefield Moundsville New Martinsville Nitro Oak Hill Paden City Petersburg | Philippi Pleasant Valley Point Pleasant Princeton Ranson Ravenswood Richwood Ripley Romney | Salem Shepherdstown Summersville Welch Wellsburg Weston Westover White Sulphur Springs Williamson |
Metropolitan Statistical Areas
| Charleston, WV MSA Cumberland, MD-WV MSA Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA Morgantown, WV MSA Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH MSA | Pittsburgh, PA-WV MSA Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA Wheeling, WV-OH MSA Winchester, VA-WV MSA |
Micropolitan Statistical Areas
| Beckley, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) Bluefield, WV-VA MSA Clarksburg, WV MSA | Fairmont, WV MSA Oak Hill, WV MSA Point Pleasant, WV-OH MSA |
Education
Colleges and universities
| Alderson-Broaddus College Appalachian Bible College Bethany College Bluefield State College Concord University Davis and Elkins College Fairmont State University Glenville State College Marshall University Mountain State University Ohio Valley University Salem International University | Shepherd University University of Charleston West Liberty State College West Virginia Northern Community College West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine West Virginia State University West Virginia University Potomac State College of West Virginia University West Virginia University Institute of Technology West Virginia University at Parkersburg West Virginia Wesleyan College Wheeling Jesuit University |
Professional sports teams
| Club | Sport | League |
|---|---|---|
| Bluefield Orioles | Baseball | Appalachian League |
| Princeton Devil Rays | Baseball | Appalachian League |
| West Virginia Power | Baseball | South Atlantic League |
| Wheeling Nailers | Ice hockey | ECHL |
| West Virginia Wild | Basketball | International Basketball League |
| Huntington Heroes | Indoor football | World Indoor Football League |
| Ohio Valley Greyhounds | Indoor football | United Indoor Football |
| West Virginia Chaos | Soccer | USL Premier Development League |
Miscellaneous topics
The state has a rich, lush beauty reflecting its temperate topography.
State symbols
|
West Virginia Symbols |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Symbol | Year |
| State colors | Old Gold and Blue | 1963 |
| State motto | Montani Semper Liberi ("Mountaineers Are Always Free") | 1863 |
| State nickname |
Mountain State Panhandle State (unofficial) Switzerland of America (unofficial) |
|
| State slogans |
Open for Business Wild and Wonderful (former) Almost Heaven (former) |
|
|
Flora |
||
| State flower | Rhododendron Rhododendron maximum | 1903 |
| State tree | Sugar Maple Acer saccharum | 1949 |
| State fruit | Golden Delicious Apple Malus domestica | 1995 |
|
Fauna |
||
| State bird | Cardinal Richmondena cardinalis | 1949 |
| State animal | Black Bear Ursus americanus | 1973 |
| State fish | Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis | 1973 |
| State butterfly | Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus | 1995 |
| State insect | European Honey Bee Apis mellifera | 2002 |
|
Geological |
||
| State gem | Silicified Mississippian Fossil Coral Lithostrotionella | 1990 |
| State soil | Monongahela Silt Loam | 1997 |
|
Music |
||
| State songs |
"The West Virginia Hills" "This Is My West Virginia" "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home" "My Home Among the Hills" (unofficial) "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (unofficial) |
1963 |
Film
See also: List of television shows and movies in West VirginiaSilent Hill (2006): adapted from the Konami video game series of the same name, this film is set in the fictional Toluca County, West Virginia.
Music
Appalachian Music
West Virginia's folk heritage is a part of the Appalachian folk music tradition, and includes styles of fiddling, ballad singing, and other styles that draw on Scots-Irish music.
Musical Innovation
The West Virginia Cultural Center in Charleston is home to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History which helps underwrite and coordinate a large number of musical activities. The program also travels to other venues in the state such as the West Virginia Creative Arts Center in Morgantown.
The town of Glenville has long been home to the annual West Virginia State Folk Festival. ^ West Virginia Department of Transportation, accessed 9 June 2006 ^ de Hart, A, and Sundquist, B., Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Charleston, WV 1993. ^ West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council, accessed 9 June 9, 2006 ^ Hatfield and McCoys Trail web site, accessed 6 June 2006 ^ WV White Water web site, access 6 June 2006 ^ Cass Scenic Railroad web site, accessed 6 June 9, 2006 ^ Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, accessed 6 June 2006 ^ The New River Gorge Bridge is one of just two U.S. sites which have granted explicit permission for BASE jumping. Joe William Trotter Jr., Coal, Class, and Color: Blacks in Southern West Virginia, 1915-32 (1990) John Alexander Williams, West Virginia: A History for Beginners.
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