West Virginia

West Virginia
Nickname
Mountain State
Motto(s)
Montani semper liberi
(English: Mountaineers Are Always Free)
Anthem: 4 songs
Map of the United States with West Virginia highlighted
Map of the United States with West Virginia highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodPart of Virginia
Admitted to the UnionJune 20, 1863 (1863-06-20) (35th)
Capital
(and largest city)
Charleston
Largest county or equivalentKanawha
Largest metro and urban areasCharleston–Huntington (combined)
Huntington (metro and urban)
Government
 • GovernorJim Justice (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorCraig Blair (R)
LegislatureWest Virginia Legislature
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Delegates
JudiciarySupreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
U.S. senatorsJoe Manchin (D)
Shelley Moore Capito (R)
U.S. House delegation1: Carol Miller (R)
2: Alex Mooney (R) (list)
Area
 • Total24,230 sq mi (62,755 km2)
 • Land24,078 sq mi (62,361 km2)
 • Water152 sq mi (394 km2)  0.6%
 • Rank41st
Dimensions
 • Length240 mi (385 km)
 • Width130 mi (210 km)
Elevation
1,513 ft (461 m)
Highest elevation4,863 ft (1,482 m)
Lowest elevation240 ft (73 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,793,716[3]
 • Rank39th
 • Density77/sq mi (29.8/km2)
  • Rank29th
 • Median household income
$43,469[4]
 • Income rank
49th
DemonymsWest Virginian, Mountaineer
Language
 • Official languageDe jure: English
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation
WV
ISO 3166 codeUS-WV
Traditional abbreviationW.Va. and W.V.
Latitude37°12′ N to 40°39′ N
Longitude77°43′ W to 82°39′ W
Websitewv.gov
Symbols of West Virginia
Slogan"Wild and Wonderful"
"Open for Business" (former)
"Almost Heaven"
Song"Take Me Home, Country Roads"
"The West Virginia Hills"
"West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home" "
"This Is My West Virginia"
BirdNorthern cardinal
(Cardinalis cardinalis)
ButterflyMonarch butterfly
(Danaus plexippus)
FishBrook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
FlowerRhododendron
(Rhododendron maximum)
InsectWestern honey bee
(Apis mellifera)
MammalBlack bear
(Ursus americanus)
ReptileTimber rattlesnake
(Crotalus horridus)
TreeSugar maple
(Acer saccharum)
Color(s)Old gold and blue
FoodGolden Delicious apple
(Malus domestica)
FossilJefferson's ground sloth
(Megalonyx jeffersonii)
GemstoneSilicified Mississippian fossil coral
(Lithostrotionella)
RockCoal
TartanWest Virginia Shawl

West Virginia (/vərˈɪnjəˌ -ni.ə/ vər-JIN-yə, -⁠nee-ə)[5] is a state in the Southern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.[note 2] It borders Pennsylvania to the north and east, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. West Virginia is the 10th-smallest state by area and ranks as the 12th-least populous state, with a population of 1,793,716 residents.[6] The capital and most populous city is Charleston with a population of 49,055.

West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key border state during the American Civil War. It was the only state to form by separating from a Confederate state, one of two states (along with Nevada) admitted to the Union during the Civil War, and the second state to separate from another state, after Maine separated from Massachusetts in 1820. Some of its residents held slaves, but most were yeoman farmers, and the delegates provided for the gradual abolition of slavery in the new state constitution. The state legislature abolished slavery in the state, and at the same time ratified the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery nationally on February 3, 1865.

West Virginia's northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio to form a tristate area, with Wheeling, Weirton, and Morgantown just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Huntington in the southwest is close to Ohio and Kentucky, while Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry in the eastern panhandle region are considered part of the Washington metropolitan area, between Maryland and Virginia. West Virginia is often included in several U.S. geographical regions, including the Mid-Atlantic, the Upland South, and the Southeastern United States. It is the only state entirely within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission; the area is commonly defined as "Appalachia".[7]

The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills,[8] its historically significant coal mining and logging industries,[9][10] and its political and labor history. It is also known for its tourism[9] and a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hunting. From the Great Depression to the 1990s, the state voted heavily for the Democratic Party due to its tradition of union-based politics. Since then, the state has become heavily Republican, and is considered a "deep red" state at the federal level.[11]

Other nominated names for the state included Vandalia, Kanawha, Appalachia, and Western Virginia. The capital was originally Wheeling, before switching to Charleston, moving back to Wheeling, and finally back to Charleston. The first governor was Arthur Boreman.

  1. ^ "Spruce Knob Cairn 1956". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  3. ^ "2020 Census Apportionment Results". United States Census Bureau. April 26, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  4. ^ "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  5. ^ "West Virginia". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  6. ^ "Census Data" (PDF). Census.gov. April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  7. ^ "Appalachian Region: Counties in Appalachia". Appalachian Regional Commission. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
  8. ^ Justine Fontes; Ron Fontes (January 2, 2003). West Virginia: The Mountain State. Gareth Stevens. p. 4. ISBN 9780836851632.
  9. ^ a b "West Virginia - Economy". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  10. ^ "Railroad Came to the Highlands to Speed Major Tree Harvesting". Asheville Citizen-Times. June 27, 1965. p. 84.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference slate.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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