West+Virginia

=West Virginia=

[[image:pagegen_wv.gif]] About West Virginia
In 1861, Virginians in the northwestern part of the state defied Virginia's secession from the United States. The region chose to remain in the Union and form a new state. West Virginia was admitted as the 35th state into the Union in 1863, after conditions requiring the gradual emancipation of slaves had been met. The state motto is "Mountaineers are always free", and West Virginia lives up to its nickname of the "Mountain State". With an average altitude of 1,500 feet above sea level, it's the highest of any state east of the Mississippi River. For a long time, West Virginia was a leading producer of coal in North America, but many people left to pursue better employment opportunities. That trend has turned around, and now the state's economy is in a more stable condition. West Virginia, in the Appalachian Highlands, has some of the most rugged land in the United States. The state has very few large areas of level ground, except for strips of valley land that lie along the larger rivers. Forests of valuable hardwood trees grow on the mountain slopes and vast mineral deposits lie under the ground. Beautiful scenery, mineral springs and a variety of wildlife attracts tourists, campers, hunters and fishing enthusiasts.

State Flag
====A white field is bordered in dark blue. West Virginia's flag displays a rock containing the date June 20, 1863, the day West Virginia became a state. The two men represent farming and mining. Below them are two rifles with a "Liberty Cap" on top the rifles. A banner ribbon includes the state motto " Mountainiers Are Always Free". Around the picture are a wreath of rhododendren and the name of the state on a red ribbon.====



State Facts
Capital: Charleston Nickname: Mountain State Motto: Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers Are Always Free) Statehood: June 20, 1863 (35th) Land area: 24,087 sq. mi., 41st largest Bird: Cardinal Flower: Big Rhododendron (rhododendron maximum) Tree: Sugar Maple (acer saccharum) Song: West Virginia, My Home, Sweet Home The West Virginia Hills This Is My West Virginia

Population: 1,814,468 Largest City: Charleston Second Largest City: Charleston Persons Per Square Mile: 75

created by FH