Difference between revisions of "West Virginia"
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Its odd shape, most boundaries following rivers and ridges, has caused one Mountaineer to remark, "It is a pretty good state for the shape it's in." | Its odd shape, most boundaries following rivers and ridges, has caused one Mountaineer to remark, "It is a pretty good state for the shape it's in." | ||
| − | The population | + | The population is 1,818,470.[http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/54000.html] |
The State Flower is the Rhododendron; the tree is the Sugar Maple; State Bird is the Cardinal, and the State Animal is the Black Bear. | The State Flower is the Rhododendron; the tree is the Sugar Maple; State Bird is the Cardinal, and the State Animal is the Black Bear. | ||
Revision as of 21:14, August 22, 2007
West Virginia became the thirty-fifth state on June 20, 1863, after separating from Virginia during the War Between the States. The official nickname is "The Mountain State" and the state has the highest mean elevation on any east of the Mississippi River. West Virginia is comprised of 55 counties lying between the Ohio River on the west and the high Allegheny ridges of the Appalachian Mountains on the East.
Its odd shape, most boundaries following rivers and ridges, has caused one Mountaineer to remark, "It is a pretty good state for the shape it's in."
The population is 1,818,470.[1]
The State Flower is the Rhododendron; the tree is the Sugar Maple; State Bird is the Cardinal, and the State Animal is the Black Bear.
The capital city is Charleston, population approximately 100,000, located on the Kanawha River, about 60 miles from where it flows into the Ohio.
The highest elevation in West Virginia is Spruce Knob in Pendleton County at 4,862 feet.
West Virginia is about 80% forested which accounts for much logging industry. It is also one of the leading coal producing states, in past decades often rotating with Kentucky as the number one producer although Wyoming has since surpassed both states to become the #1 coal producer. It is also a very productive farm state, and formerly a leader in steel and chemical prodution - before so much industry moved oversees.
Because of the state's spectacular rugged terrain, it is an attraction to campers, fisherman, hunters, spelunkers, whitewater rafters, hang gliders, and hikers.
The state was the birthplace of many men and woman of renown including Pearl S. Buck, General Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson, General Chuck Yeager, John Henry the "steel drivin' man," and Don Knotts.
Since 1928, West Virginia has generally voted mostly for Democratic candidates when a new President was being elected. However, the voters did help reelect some Republican presidents such as Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. In 2000, for the first time since 1928, the voters of West Virginia helped put a new Republican into the White House.
DHersman
West Virginia is the only state formed because of the American Civil War. The Commonwealth of Virginia wanted to secede from the Union, while many counties in western Virginia wanted to remain a part of the Union. To avoid seceding from the Union, these counties seceded from Virginia and created West Virginia. Sometimes called "Wild and Wonderful", "Wild and Woolly", John Denver's hit song 'Country Roads' has helped make West Virginia an icon of mountain life throughout the world.
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