West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.[Note 1] It is bordered by 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.[7] The capital and largest city is Charleston.
West Virginia | |
|---|---|
| State of West Virginia | |
| Nickname: Mountain State | |
| Motto(s): | |
| Anthem: 4 songs | |
 Map of the United States with West Virginia highlighted | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Part of Virginia |
| Admitted to the Union | June 20, 1863 (35th) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Charleston |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Charleston–Huntington (combined) Huntington (metro and urban) |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Jim Justice (R) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Craig Blair (R) |
| Legislature | West Virginia Legislature |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | House of Delegates |
| Judiciary | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia |
| U.S. senators | Joe Manchin (D) Shelley Moore Capito (R) |
| U.S. House delegation | 1: Carol Miller (R) 2: Alex Mooney (R) (list) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 24,230 sq mi (62,755 km2) |
| • Land | 24,078 sq mi (62,361 km2) |
| • Water | 152 sq mi (394 km2) 0.6% |
| • Rank | 41st |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 240 mi (385 km) |
| • Width | 130 mi (210 km) |
| Elevation | 1,513 ft (461 m) |
| Highest elevation | 4,863 ft (1,482 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 240 ft (73 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 1,793,716[4] |
| • Rank | 39th |
| • Density | 77/sq mi (29.8/km2) |
| • Rank | 29th |
| • Median household income | $43,469[5] |
| • Income rank | 49th |
| Demonyms | West Virginian, Mountaineer |
| Language | |
| • Official language | De jure: English[6] |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | WV |
| ISO 3166 code | US-WV |
| Traditional abbreviation | W.Va. and W.V. |
| Latitude | 37°12′ N to 40°39′ N |
| Longitude | 77°43′ W to 82°39′ W |
| Website | wv |
| West Virginia state symbols | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Living insignia | |
| Bird | Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) |
| Butterfly | Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) |
| Fish | Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) |
| Flower | Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) |
| Insect | Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) |
| Mammal | Black bear (Ursus americanus) |
| Reptile | Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) |
| Tree | Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) |
| Inanimate insignia | |
| Colors | Old gold and blue |
| Food | Golden Delicious apple (Malus domestica) |
| Fossil | Jefferson's ground sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) |
| Gemstone | Silicified Mississippian fossil coral (Lithostrotionella) |
| Rock | Coal |
| Slogan | "Wild and Wonderful" "Open for Business" (former) "Almost Heaven" (former) |
| Soil | Monongahela Silt Loam |
| Song | "The West Virginia Hills" |
| Tartan | West Virginia Shawl |
| State route marker | |
 | |
| State quarter | |
 Released in 2005 | |
| Lists of United States state symbols | |
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, the second to separate from a state after Maine separated from Massachusetts, and one of two states (along with Nevada) admitted to the Union during the Civil War. 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 and Weirton 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".[8]
The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills, its historically significant coal mining and logging industries, and its political and labor history. It is also known for 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.[9]
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.