West Virginia
West Virginia is a
state of the
United States, known as
The Mountain State.
While many consider it part of the
South, many in the state's
Northern Panhandle feel a greater affinity for
Pittsburgh, while those in the Eastern Panhandle feel a greater affinity for
Washington D.C. West Virginia broke away from
Virginia during the
American Civil War. The state is noted for its
coal mining heritage, and union organizing mine wars in particular.
The state has a rich, stark beauty reflecting its topography. Tourist sites include the
New River Gorge Bridge (where on
Bridge Day the federal government, which controls the landing site, allows parachuting from the bridge), as well as many national and state parks. It is also home to the
Green Bank Telescope at the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
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. However, under the United States constitution, state boundaries could not be redrawn without the consent of the state in question.
However, the American Civil War allowed western Virginia to form its own state. Western Virginia was strongly anti-slavery and contained the only three counties in the south to vote for Abraham Lincoln. During the debate on secession, the western counties of Virginia voted overwhelmingly to stay in the Union. Upon the secession of Virginia from the union on April 27, 1861, the western counties of Virginia formed a pro-Union reformed government for Virginia based in Wheeling. This reformed government authorized the creation of the state of Kanawha, consisting of all of the counties that had remained loyal to the Union. Eventually, the state of Kanawha was renamed West Virginia. This new state was admitted to the union in 1863, following Abraham Lincoln's signing of an act on December 31, 1862 that authorized this.
Following the war, Virginia had hoped for reunification with West Virginia, however West Virginia decided to remain as an independant state. For many years, the two states had a series of legal disputes regarding money to be paid to the Virginian government.
Law and Government
See: List of Governors of West Virginia
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. The current governor is Bob Wise.
Geography
See: List of West Virginia counties
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.
As of 2000, West Virginia was probably the US state least affected by immigration. Only 1.1% of the state's residents were foreign-born, placing West Virginia last among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in that statistic. It was also last in the country in percentage of residents that speak a language other than English in the home (2.7%).
Important cities and towns
Education
Colleges and universities
\n{| style="width:100%"\n| valign="top" |\n*Alderson-Broaddus College\n*
Bethany College\n*Bluefield State College\n*Concord College\n*Davis and Elkins College\n*Fairmont State College\n*Glenville State College\n*
Marshall University\n*Mountain State University\n*
Ohio Valley College\n| valign="top" |\n*Salem International University\n*Shepherd University\n*University of Charleston\n*West Virginia State University
(formerly West Virginia State College)\n*
West Virginia University\n*West Virginia University Institute of Technology\n*West Virginia University at Parkersburg\n*West Virginia Wesleyan College\n*
Wheeling Jesuit University\n|}
Professional sports teams
\nThe Minor League Baseball Teams are:
The minor league hockey team is:
Miscellaneous information
\n*State animal: Black Bear\n*State bird:
Cardinal\n*State butterfly:
Monarch Butterfly\n*State colors: Blue and Gold\n*State flower:
Rhododendron\n*State fruit: Golden Delicious Apple\n*State gem: Fossil coral\n*State insect:
Honeybee\n*State soil: Monongahela silt loam\n*State tree:
Sugar Maple\n*
De facto state anthem: "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by
John Denver
External links
\n*http://www.wv.gov\n* HREF="http://www.cahaltech.com/~roads" class="external">Ohio Valley Roads\n*
West Virginia Visitor's Guide\n*
WestVA.Net\n*
http://www.wheelingnailers.com/\n* HREF="http://www.wlsc.edu/" class="external">West Liberty State College\n\n
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