- West Virginia's motto, Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers Are Always Free), refers to the state's …
The state of West Virginia was a product of the American Civil War. When slaveholders in Virginia voted to secede (withdraw) from the Union in 1861, leaders from the northwestern counties rebelled and set up their own government. These counties split from Virginia because the state government in Richmond had long ignored this region and favored eastern Virginia. In addition, the northwestern counties had few slaveholders, and they had little in common with the plantation life of the South. This division of Virginia lasted until the United States Congress voted to name West Virginia the 35th state of the Union on June 20, 1863. The capital is Charleston. GeographyWest Virginia is in the east-central part of the United States. It is bordered on the north by Pennsylvania and Maryland, on the west by Ohio and Kentucky, and on the east and south by Virginia. West Virginia is a relatively small state, with an area of 24,232 square miles (62,761 square kilometers). - Rugged terrain of the central Appalachian Plateau runs through the Dolly Sods Wilderness area of …
Nicknamed the Mountain State, West Virginia is part of the Appalachian Mountain region of the eastern United States. It is the most mountainous state east of the Mississippi River. The state's two main natural regions are the Allegheny Plateau and the Great Valley. They are separated by a steep slope called the Allegheny Front. This slope separates rivers flowing to the Atlantic Ocean from those that flow to the Gulf of Mexico. The Allegheny Plateau covers the western two thirds of the state. The northeastern part of the plateau contains the state's highest point, Spruce Knob, which reaches 4,861 feet (1,482 meters). Plants and animalsForests cover much of West Virginia. The forests on the Allegheny Plateau have hardwoods of oak, poplar, maple, hickory, beech, basswood, black cherry, and yellow birch. Softwoods of pine, spruce, and hemlock cover the mountain slopes and gorges. Other species such as the sycamore, locust, chestnut, elm, and dogwood are common. West Virginia has many rabbits, squirrels, gray foxes, opossums, skunks, raccoon, and groundhogs. White-tailed deer are found in protected areas, and black bears live in the high country. People and cultureThe first inhabitants of the area that became West Virginia were Native Americans who used the land as hunting grounds. European explorers encountered Shawnee, Iroquois, and Cherokee tribes. The first European settlements were founded by Germans along the Potomac River. Later came English and Scots-Irish settlers. These groups formed the bulk of the population until the late 1800s. At that time many European immigrants began coming to the area to work in the coal mines and other industries. CitiesMost West Virginians live in rural areas. The state's main cities are fairly small and are located in river valleys. Charleston, the capital, lies on the banks of the Kanawha River. Huntington, Parkersburg, and Wheeling are on the Ohio River. Harpers Ferry is a famous village on the Potomac in the northeast. It is known for a raid made in 1859 by John Brown, the famous opponent of slavery. RecreationMany tourists come to West Virginia's mountain resorts. The state's numerous mineral springs have attracted visitors since the days of George Washington. Among the better known are Berkeley Springs and White Sulphur Springs. Hunting, skiing, whitewater rafting, and fishing are popular sports. West Virginia's state parks attract more than a million visitors a year. The larger cities have fine recreational areas such as Wheeling's Oglebay Park and Charleston's Coonskin Park. Pipestem State Park has an amphitheater, golf courses, horse stables, and conference facilities. EducationWest Virginia established a public school system in 1863. The state's public institutions of higher education include West Virginia University at Morgantown and Marshall University at Huntington. The state has several other state colleges, private colleges, community colleges, and technical schools. EconomyThe traditional basis of West Virginia's economy has been mining. The state is rich in natural resources, including coal, natural gas, oil, and salt. The mining industry decreased substantially beginning in the late 1970s, however, leading to the loss of many jobs. Employment declined also in the state's manufacturing industries, including chemical and metal production. These job losses led many young people to move out of West Virginia in the 1980s in search of work. This huge population loss caused the state to make its economy more diverse. Service industries, such as tourism, retail trade, education, and health care, helped the state's economy improve in the 1990s. Another boost to the economy was the transfer of some government jobs to the state from Washington, D.C. Growth in the timber industry was important as well. Much of West Virginia's land is too mountainous for farming. Agriculture is concentrated in the river valleys. Farmers raise cattle and poultry. The main crops include apples and other fruits, corn, soybeans, wheat, and tobacco. HistoryThe first Native Americans to live in the area that is now West Virginia arrived some 14,000 years ago. The first permanent European settlement was established in what is now Berkeley County in 1726. After Virginia adopted a constitution in 1776 and ratified the federal Constitution in 1788, the entire area became part of the new republic of the United States. For the next 70 years what is now West Virginia gradually grew away from the rest of the state. Separated by the mountain barrier, the two sections became unlike politically, socially, and economically. These differences eventually led to the creation of the new state of West Virginia in 1863. After the Civil War industry grew rapidly in the state. West Virginia's rich raw materials helped the growth of industry in other states as well. In the early 20th century a number of worker-related disputes arose in mining areas. In 1972 poor mining practices and heavy rain caused a major dam to collapse at Buffalo Creek in the southern part of the state. The flood killed 125 people and left thousands homeless. As unemployment soared in West Virginia in the 1980s, about 8 percent of the state's people moved out. The population grew slightly in the 1990s, however. Population (2000 census), 1,808,344. |