West Virginia

West Virginia is a state
of the United States,
known as The Mountain State.
                                   State nickname: Mountain State
While many consider it
part of the South, many
in the northern panhandle
counties are probably
emotionally closer to
Pittsburgh, while those   Capital                  Charleston
in the eastern panhandle  Largest City             Charleston
counties are probably
emotionally closer to     Area                     Ranked 41st
Washington D.C.. West     Ê- Total                 62,809 km2
Virginia broke away from  Ê- Land                  62,436 km2
Virginia during the       Ê- Water                 376 km2
American Civil War. The   Ê- % water               0.6%

state is noted for its    Population               Ranked 37th
coal mining heritage, and Ê- Total (2000)          1,808,344
union organizing mine     Ê- Density               28.8/km2
wars in particular.
                          Admittance into Union
The state has a rich,     Ê- Order                 35th
stark beauty reflecting   Ê- Date                  June 20, 1863
its topography. Tourist   Time zone                Eastern: UTC-5/-4
sites include the New
River Gorge Bridge (where Latitude                 37¡10'N to 40¡40'N
on Bridge Day the state   Longitude                77¡40'W to 82¡40'W
government allows         Width                    210 km
parachuting from the      Length                   385 km
bridge), as well as many  Elevation                Ê
national and state parks. Ê -Highest               1,482 meters
It is also home to the    Ê -Mean                  455 meters
Green Bank Radioastronomy Ê -Lowest                73 meters
Center.                   ISO 3166-2:              US-WV

The US Navy has named a series of ships USS West Virginia in honor of this state.

History

West Virginia is the only American state formed as a direct result of the
American Civil War. Originally the western part of the state of Virginia,
considerable dissatisfaction over the control of the state existed between
those in the western part of the state, and plantation owners in the plains
and tidewater regions. Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War and the
seccession of Virginia from the union, the western counties of the state in
turn seceded from Virginia on April 27, 1861. Representatives of these
western counties formed a reformed government for Virginia based in
Wheeling. This reformed government authorized the creation of the state of
West Virginia, which was admitted to the union in 1863, following Abraham
Lincoln's signing of an act on December 31, 1862 that authorized this.

Law and Government

The capital is Charleston, in the south west area of the state.

The legislature is bicameral, consisting of the House of Delegates and a
Senate. Legislators are not full-time, but part-time. Consequently, the
legislators hold a full-time job in their community of residence, which
stands in stark contrast to the neighboring states of Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and Ohio.

Typically, the legislature is in session between January and early April.
The remainder of the year sees legislators gathering periodically for
interim meetings to discuss issues which will see debate during the next
regular session.

The governor is elected every four years, on the same day as the president,
sworn in during January.

Geography

It is bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland to the north, by Ohio and
Kentucky to the west, and by Virginia to the east. The Ohio River and the
Potomac River form parts of the boundaries.

Demographics

The population as of 2000 is 1,808,344.

Important Cities and Towns

    * Beckley        * Moundsville
    * Bluefield      * Parkersburg
    * Charleston     * St. Albans
    * Clarksburg     * South Charleston
    * Cross Lanes    * Teays Valley
    * Fairmont       * Vienna
    * Huntington     * Weirton
    * Martinsburg    * Wheeling
    * Morgantown

Education

Colleges and Universities

    * Alderson-Broaddus College    * Salem International University
    * Bethany College              * Shepherd College
    * Bluefield State College      * University of Charleston
    * College of West Virginia     * West Liberty State College
    * Concord College              * West Virginia State College
    * Davis and Elkins College     * West Virginia University
    * Fairmont State College       * West Virginia University Institute of
    * Glenville State College        Technology
    * Marshall University          * West Virginia University at
    * Mountain State University      Parkersburg
    * Ohio Valley College          * West Virginia Wesleyan College
                                   * Wheeling Jesuit University

Professional Sports Teams

The Minor League Baseball Teams are:

    * Princeton Devil Rays
    * Charleston Alley Cats

The minor league hockey team is:

   * Wheeling Nailers

Miscellaneous Information

   * State colors: Blue and Gold
   * State bird: Cardinal
   * State flower: Rhododendron

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