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West Virginia

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   CAPTION: State of West Virginia


   Flag of West Virginia State seal of West Virginia
   Flag of West Virginia Seal of West Virginia
   Nickname(s): Mountain State
   Motto(s): Montani semper liberi
   Map of the United States with West Virginia highlighted
   Official language(s) English
   Capital Charleston
   Largest city Charleston
   Area^  Ranked 41^st
    - Total 24,244 sq mi
   (62,809 km²)
    - Width 130 miles (210 km)
    - Length 240 miles (385 km)
    - % water 0.6
    - Latitude 37°10'N to 40°40'N
    - Longitude 77°40'W to 82°40'W
   Population^  Ranked 37^th
    - Total ( 2000) 1,808,344
    - Density 75.1/sq mi
   29.0/km² (27^th)
    - Median income^  $32,589 (50^th)
   Elevation
    - Highest point Spruce Knob
   4,863 ft  (1,427 m)
    - Mean 1,500 ft  (460 m)
    - Lowest point Potomac River
   240 ft  (73 m)
   Admission to Union^  June 20, 1863 (35^th)
   Governor Joe Manchin (D)
   U.S. Senators Robert C. Byrd (D)
   Jay Rockefeller (D)
   Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/ -4
   Abbreviations WV US-WV
   Web site www.wv.gov

   West Virginia is a state of the United States in the region of
   Appalachia, also known as The Mountain State. West Virginia broke away
   from the Commonwealth of Virginia during the American Civil War and was
   admitted to the Union as a separate state on June 20, 1863 (an
   anniversary now celebrated as West Virginia Day in the state). It is
   the only state formed as a direct result of the American Civil War.

   The Census Bureau considers West Virginia part of the South because
   much of the state is below the Mason-Dixon Line, despite its northern
   panhandle extending as far north as Staten Island, New York. Many
   citizens of West Virginia claim they are part of Appalachia, rather
   than the Mid-Atlantic or the South, while the state's Northern
   Panhandle, and North-Central region, feel an affinity for Pittsburgh,
   Pennsylvania. Also, those in the Eastern Panhandle feel a connection
   with the Washington, D.C. suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, and
   southern West Virginians often consider themselves Southerners.
   Finally, the towns and farms along the mid- Ohio River have an
   appearance and culture somewhat resembling the Midwest.

   The state is noted for its great natural beauty, its timber and coal
   mining heritage and labor union organizing, mine wars in particular. It
   is also well known as a tourist destination for those people interested
   in outdoor activities such as skiing, whitewater rafting, rock
   climbing, fishing and hunting.

Geography

   Shaded relief map of the Cumberland Plateau and Ridge-and-valley
   Appalachians.
   Enlarge
   Shaded relief map of the Cumberland Plateau and Ridge-and-valley
   Appalachians.

   West Virginia is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north; by Ohio to the
   north and west; by Kentucky to the west; by Maryland to the north and
   east; and by Virginia to the east and south. The Ohio and Potomac
   rivers form parts of the boundaries.

   West Virginia is the only state in the nation located entirely within
   the Appalachian Mountain range, and in which all areas are mountainous;
   for this reason it is nicknamed The Mountain State. About 75% of the
   state is within the Cumberland Plateau and Allegheny Plateau regions.
   Though the relief is not high, the plateau region is extremely rugged
   in most areas.

   On the southeastern state line with Virginia, high peaks in the
   Monongahela National Forest region give rise to an island of colder
   climate and ecosystems similar to those of northern New England and
   eastern Canada. The highest point in the state is atop Spruce Knob,
   which at 4,863 feet (1,482 m) is covered in a boreal forest of dense
   spruce trees at altitudes above 4,000 feet (1,220 m). Spruce Knob lies
   within the Monongahela National Forest and is a part of the Spruce
   Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. A total of six wilderness
   areas can also be found within the forest. Outside the forest to the
   south, the New River Gorge is a 1,000 foot (304 m) deep canyon carved
   by the New River. The National Park Service manages a portion of the
   gorge and river which has been designated as the New River Gorge
   National River, one of only 15 rivers in the U.S. with this level of
   protection. Magic Island is an island (now connected to the mainland)
   in the Kanawha River near its confluence with the Elk River in
   Charleston.
   The summit of Spruce Knob is often covered in clouds.
   Enlarge
   The summit of Spruce Knob is often covered in clouds.

   Other areas under protection and management include:
     * Appalachian National Scenic Trail
     * Bluestone National Scenic River
     * Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
     * Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

     * Gauley River National Recreation Area
     * George Washington National Forest
     * Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
     * Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge

   The native vegetation for most of the state was originally mixed
   hardwood forest of oak, chestnut, maple, beech, and white pine, with
   willow and American sycamore along the state's waterways. Many of the
   areas are rich in biodiversity and scenic beauty, a fact that is
   appreciated by native West Virginians, who refer to their home as
   Almost Heaven. Ecologically, most of West Virginia falls into the
   Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests ecoregion.

   The underlying rock strata are sandstones, shales, bituminous coal
   beds, and limestones laid down in a near shore environment from
   sediments derived from mountains to the east, in a shallow inland sea
   on the west. Some beds illustrate a coastal swamp environment, some
   river delta, some shallow water. Sea level rose and fell many times
   during the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian eras, giving a variety of
   rock strata. The Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest on earth,
   having formed over 300 million years ago.

History

Prehistory

   The area now known as West Virginia was a favorite hunting ground of
   numerous Native American peoples before the arrival of European
   settlers. Many ancient man-made earthen mounds from various mound
   builder cultures survive, especially in the areas of Moundsville, South
   Charleston, and Romney. Although little is known about these
   civilizations, the artifacts uncovered give evidence of a complex,
   stratified culture that practiced metallurgy.

European exploration and settlement

   Thomas Lee, the first manager of the Ohio Company of Virginia
   Enlarge
   Thomas Lee, the first manager of the Ohio Company of Virginia

   In 1671, General Abram Wood, at the direction of Royal Governor William
   Berkeley of the Virginia Colony, sent a party which discovered Kanawha
   Falls. In 1716, Governor Alexander Spotswood with about thirty horsemen
   made an excursion into what is now Pendleton County. John Van Metre, an
   Indian trader, penetrated into the northern portion in 1725. The same
   year, German settlers from Pennsylvania founded New Mecklenburg, the
   present Shepherdstown, on the Potomac River, and others followed.

   King Charles II of England, in 1661, granted to a company of gentlemen
   the land between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, known as the
   Northern Neck. The grant finally came into the possession of Thomas
   Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, and in 1746, a stone was erected
   at the source of the North Branch Potomac River to mark the western
   limit of the grant. A considerable part of this land was surveyed by
   George Washington between 1748 and 1751. The diary kept by the surveyor
   indicates that there were already many squatters, largely of German
   origin, along the South Branch Potomac River. Christopher Gist, a
   surveyor in the employ of the first Ohio Company, which was composed
   chiefly of Virginians, explored the country along the Ohio River north
   of the mouth of the Kanawha River between 1751 and 1752. The company
   sought to have a fourteenth colony established with the name Vandalia.
   Many settlers crossed the mountains after 1750, though they were
   hindered by Native American depredations. Presumably, few Native
   Americans lived within the present limits of the state, but the region
   was a common hunting ground, crossed also by many war trails. During
   the French and Indian War the scattered settlements were almost
   destroyed.

   In 1774, the Crown Governor of Virginia John Murray, 4th Earl of
   Dunmore, led a force over the mountains, and a body of militia under
   General Andrew Lewis dealt the Shawnee Indians, under Cornstalk, a
   crushing blow during the Battle of Point Pleasant at the junction of
   the Kanawha and the Ohio rivers. Native American attacks continued
   until after the American Revolutionary War. During the war, the
   settlers in Western Virginia were generally active Whigs and many
   served in the Continental Army.

Trans-Allegheny Virginia, 1776-1861

   Social conditions in western Virginia were entirely unlike those in the
   eastern portion of the state. The population was not homogeneous, as a
   considerable part of the immigration came by way of Pennsylvania and
   included Germans, Protestant Ulster-Scots, and settlers from the states
   farther north. During the American Revolution, the movement to create a
   state beyond the Alleghanies was revived and a petition for the
   establishment of "Westsylvania" was presented to Congress, on the
   grounds that the mountains made an almost impassable barrier on the
   east. The rugged nature of the country made slavery unprofitable, and
   time only increased the social, political and economic differences
   between the two sections of Virginia.

   The convention which met in 1829 to form a new constitution for
   Virginia, against the protest of the counties beyond the mountains,
   required a property qualification for suffrage and gave the
   slave-holding counties the benefit of three-fifths of their slave
   population in apportioning the state's representation in the U.S. House
   of Representatives. As a result, every county beyond the Alleghenies
   except one voted to reject the constitution, which nevertheless passed
   because of eastern support. Though the Virginia constitution of 1850
   provided for white male suffrage, the distribution of representation
   among the counties continued to give control to the section east of the
   Blue Ridge Mountains. Another grievance of the west was the large
   expenditure for internal improvements at state expense by the Virginia
   Board of Public Works in the East compared with the scanty proportion
   allotted to the West.

Separation from Virginia

   John S. Carlile, a leader during the First Wheeling Convention
   Enlarge
   John S. Carlile, a leader during the First Wheeling Convention

   In 1861, only nine of the forty-six delegates from the area located in
   present state of West Virginia voted to secede. Almost immediately
   after the vote to proceed with secession prevailed in the Virginia
   General Assembly, a mass meeting at Clarksburg recommended that each
   county in northwestern Virginia send delegates to a convention to meet
   in Wheeling on May 13, 1861. When this First Wheeling Convention met,
   425 delegates from 25 counties were present, but soon there was a
   division of sentiment. Some delegates favored the immediate formation
   of a new state, while others argued that, as Virginia's secession had
   not yet been passed by the required referendum, such action would
   constitute revolution against the United States. It was decided that if
   the ordinance was adopted (of which there was little doubt), another
   convention including the members-elect of the legislature should meet
   at Wheeling in June. At the election on May 23, 1861, secession was
   ratified by a large majority in the state as a whole, but in the
   western counties 40,000 votes out of 44,000 were cast against it. Thus,
   the Restored Government of Virginia was formed with its capital in
   Wheeling.

   The Second Wheeling Convention met as agreed on June 11 and declared
   that, since the Secession Convention had been called without the
   consent of the people, all its acts were void, and that all who adhered
   to it had vacated their offices. An act for the reorganization of the
   government was passed on June 19. The next day Francis H. Pierpont was
   chosen governor of Virginia, other officers were elected and the
   convention adjourned. The legislature, composed of the members from the
   western counties who had been elected on May 23 and some of the
   holdover senators who had been elected in 1859, met at Wheeling on July
   1, filled the remainder of the state offices, organized a state
   government and elected two United States senators who were recognized
   at Washington, D.C. At that point, therefore, there were two state
   governments in Virginia, one pledging allegiance to the United States
   and one to the Confederacy.

   The Wheeling Convention, which had taken a recess until August 6, then
   reassembled on August 20, and called for a popular vote on the
   formation of a new state and for a convention to frame a constitution
   if the vote should be favorable. At the election on October 24, 1861,
   18,489 votes were cast for the new state and only 781 against. The
   convention began on November 26, 1861, and finished its work on
   February 18, 1862, and the instrument was ratified (18,162 for and 514
   against) on April 11, 1862.
   Harpers Ferry (as it appears today) changed hands a dozen times during
   the American Civil War.
   Enlarge
   Harpers Ferry (as it appears today) changed hands a dozen times during
   the American Civil War.

   On May 13, the state legislature of the reorganized government approved
   the formation of the new state. An application for admission to the
   Union was made to Congress, and on December 31 1862, an enabling act
   was approved by President Abraham Lincoln admitting West Virginia, on
   the condition that a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery be
   inserted in the Constitution. The Convention was reconvened on February
   12, 1863, and the demand was met. The revised constitution was adopted
   on March 26 1863, and on April 20, 1863, President Lincoln issued a
   proclamation admitting the state at the end of sixty days ( June 20,
   1863). Meanwhile officers for the new state were chosen and Governor
   Pierpont moved his capital to Alexandria where he asserted jurisdiction
   over the counties of Virginia within the Federal lines.

   The question of the constitutionality of the formation of the new state
   was brought before the Supreme Court of the United States in the
   following manner: Berkeley and Jefferson counties lying on the Potomac
   east of the mountains, in 1863, with the consent of the reorganized
   government of Virginia voted in favour of annexation to West Virginia.
   Many voters absent in the Confederate Army when the vote was taken
   refused to acknowledge the transfer upon their return. The Virginia
   General Assembly repealed the act of secession and in 1866 brought suit
   against West Virginia asking the court to declare the counties a part
   of Virginia. Meanwhile, Congress, on March 10, 1866, passed a joint
   resolution recognizing the transfer. The Supreme Court, in 1871,
   decided in favour of West Virginia.

   During the American Civil War, West Virginia suffered comparatively
   little. George B. McClellan's forces gained possession of the greater
   part of the territory in the summer of 1861, and Union control was
   never seriously threatened, in spite of the attempt by Robert E. Lee in
   the same year. In 1863, General John D. Imboden, with 5,000
   Confederates, overran a considerable portion of the state. Bands of
   guerrillas burned and plundered in some sections, and were not entirely
   suppressed until after the war ended.
   First Confederate Memorial, Romney.
   Enlarge
   First Confederate Memorial, Romney.

   The area which became West Virginia furnished about 36,000 soldiers to
   the Federal armies and somewhat less than 10,000 to the Confederate.
   The absence in the army of the Confederate sympathizers helps to
   explain the small vote against the formation of the new state. During
   the war and for years afterwards partisan feelings ran high. The
   property of Confederates might be confiscated, and in 1866 a
   constitutional amendment disfranchising all who had given aid and
   comfort to the Confederacy was adopted. The addition of the Fourteenth
   and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution caused a
   reaction, the Democratic party secured control in 1870, and in 1871,
   the constitutional amendment of 1866 was abrogated. The first steps
   toward this change had been taken, however, by the Republicans in 1870.
   On August 22, 1872, an entirely new constitution was adopted.

   Beginning in Reconstruction, and for several decades thereafter, the
   two states disputed the new state's share of the pre-war Virginia
   government's debt, which had mostly been incurred to finance public
   infrastructure improvements, such as canals, roads, and railroads under
   the Virginia Board of Public Works. Virginians, led by former
   Confederate General William Mahone, formed a political coalition which
   was based upon this theory, the Readjuster Party. Although West
   Virginia's first constitution provided for the assumption of a part of
   the Virginia debt, negotiations opened by Virginia in 1870 were
   fruitless, and in 1871, that state funded two-thirds of the debt and
   arbitrarily assigned the remainder to West Virginia. The issue was
   finally settled in 1915, when the United States Supreme Court ruled
   that West Virginia owed Virginia $12,393,929.50. The final installment
   of this sum was paid off in 1939.

Demographics

   CAPTION: Historical populations
   of West Virginia


   Year Population
   1790     55,873
   1800     78,592
   1810    105,469
   1820    136,808
   1830    176,924
   1840    224,537
   1850    302,313
   1860    376,688
   1870    442,014
   1880    618,457
   1890    762,794

                  Year Population
                  1900    958,800
                  1910  1,221,119
                  1920  1,463,701
                  1930  1,729,205
                  1940  1,901,974
                  1950  2,005,552
                  1960  1,860,421
                  1970  1,744,237
                  1980  1,949,644
                  1990  1,793,477
                  2000  1,808,344
   West Virginia Population Density Map
   Enlarge
   West Virginia Population Density Map

   The centre of population of West Virginia is located in Braxton County,
   in the town of Gassaway .

   As of 2005, West Virginia has an estimated population of 1,816,856,
   which is an increase of 4,308, or 0.2%, from the prior year and an
   increase of 8,506, or 0.5%, since the year 2000. This includes a
   natural decrease since the last census of 3,296 people (that is 108,292
   births minus 111,588 deaths) and an increase from net migration of
   14,209 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United
   States resulted in a net increase of 3,691 people, and migration within
   the country produced a net increase of 10,518 people.
   Demographics of West Virginia (csv)
   By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
   [AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native
   Hawaiian or Pacific Islander]
   2000 (total population) 96.01% 3.49% 0.59% 0.66% 0.05%
   2000 (Hispanic only) 0.63% 0.04% 0.02% 0.01% 0.01%
   2005 (total population) 95.99% 3.56% 0.56% 0.69% 0.05%
   2005 (Hispanic only) 0.80% 0.04% 0.02% 0.01% 0.01%
   Growth 2000-2005 (total population) 0.46% 2.49% -3.96% 5.57% -2.80%
   Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only) 0.28% 2.30% -4.24% 5.96% -0.52%
   Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only) 27.74% 21.51% 5.56% -20.22% -16.67%

   Only 1.1% of the state's residents were foreign-born, placing West
   Virginia last among the 50 states in that statistic. It has the lowest
   percentage of residents that speak a language other than English in the
   home (2.7%).

   The five largest ancestry groups in West Virginia are: American
   (23.2%), German (17.2%), Irish (13.5%), English (12%), Italian (4.8%).

   Many West Virginians identify their ancestry as "American." It is the
   largest reported ancestry in most counties in the state, and the state
   has the highest percentage of residents of "American ancestry" in the
   nation. This choice often corresponds to Scots-Irish American heritage.

   Large numbers of people of German ancestry are present in the
   northeastern counties of the state.

   5.6% of West Virginia's population were reported as under 5, 22.3%
   under 18, and 15.3% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately
   51.4% of the population.

Economy

   The economy of West Virginia is one of the most fragile of any U.S.
   state. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, West Virginia is the third
   lowest in per capita income , ahead of only Arkansas and Mississippi.
   It also ranks last in median household income. The proportion of West
   Virginia's adult population with a bachelor's degree is the lowest in
   the U.S. at 15.3%.

   One of the major resources in West Virginia's economy is coal. West
   Virginia also engaged in oil drilling, but currently only has a few
   small to medium sized oil and natural gas fields. Farming is also
   practiced in West Virginia, but on a limited basis because of the
   mountainous terrain over much of the state.
   Bituminous coal seam in southwestern West Virginia
   Enlarge
   Bituminous coal seam in southwestern West Virginia

   West Virginia personal income tax is based on federal adjusted gross
   income (not taxable income), as modified by specific items in West
   Virginia law. Citizens are taxed within 5 income brackets, which range
   from 3.0% to 6.5%. Although the state's consumers' sales tax is levied
   at 6 cents for $1, 12 cents for $2, 18 cents for $3, and so on, this
   tax is not a flat 6% applied against the purchase price. Rather, the
   consumer sales tax is computed on a bracket system.

   West Virginia counties administer and collect property taxes, although
   property tax rates reflect levies for state government, county
   governments, county boards of education and municipalities. Counties
   may also impose a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places not located
   within the city limits of any municipality that levies such a tax.
   Municipalities may levy license and gross receipts taxes on businesses
   located within the city limits and a hotel occupancy tax on lodging
   places in the city. Although the Department of Tax and Revenue plays a
   major role in the administration of this tax, less than one-half of one
   percent of the property tax collected goes to state government. The
   primary beneficiaries of the property tax are county boards of
   education. Property taxes are paid to the sheriff of each of the
   state's 55 counties. Each county and municipality can impose its own
   rates of property taxation within the limits set by the West Virginia
   Constitution. The West Virginia legislature sets the rate of tax of
   county boards of education. This rate is used by all county boards of
   education statewide. However, the total tax rate for county boards of
   education may differ from county to county because of excess levies.
   The Department of Tax and Revenue supervises and otherwise assists
   counties and municipalities in their work of assessment and tax rate
   determination. The total tax rate is a combination of the tax levies
   from four state taxing authorities: state, county, schools, and
   municipal. This total tax rate varies for each of the four classes of
   property, which consists of personal, real, and intangible properties.
   Property is assessed according to its use, location, and value as of
   July 1. All property is reappraised every three years; annual
   adjustments are made to assessments for property with a change of
   value. West Virginia does not impose an inheritance tax. Because of the
   phase-out of the federal estate tax credit, West Virginia's estate tax
   is not imposed on estates of persons who died in 2005.

Transportation

   New River Gorge Bridge
   Enlarge
   New River Gorge Bridge

   Highways form the backbone of transportation systems in West Virginia,
   with over 37,300 miles of public roads in the state. Airports,
   railroads, and rivers complete the commercial transportation modes for
   West Virginia. Commercial air travel is facilitated by airports in
   Charleston, Huntington, Beckley, Lewisburg, Clarksburg, Martinsburg,
   Morgantown, Wheeling, and Parkersburg. Cities like Charleston,
   Huntington, Clarksburg, Fairmont, and Logan have bus-based public
   transit systems. Charleston also has a limited number of trolley cars
   that run primarily through the downtown area. West Virginia University
   in Morgantown boasts a PRT (personal rapid transit) system, the state's
   only single rail public transit system. Developed by Boeing, the WVU
   School of Engineering and the Department of Transportation, it was a
   model for low-capacity light transport designed for smaller cities.
   Recreational transportation opportunities abound in West Virginia,
   including hiking trails, rail trails, ATV off road trails, white water
   rafting rivers, and two tourist railroads ( Cass Scenic Railroad, and
   the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad.
   Tolls on the West Virginia Turnpike
   Enlarge
   Tolls on the West Virginia Turnpike

   West Virginia is crossed by several interstate highways. I-64 enters
   the state near White Sulphur Springs in the mountainous east, and exits
   for Kentucky in the west, near Huntington. I-77 enters from Virginia in
   the south, near Bluefield. It runs north past Parkersburg before it
   crosses into Ohio. I-64 and I-77 are merged in a stretch of toll road
   known as the West Virginia Turnpike, on which construction began in
   1952. It runs from just east of Charleston south to the exit for
   Princeton. I-68's western terminus is in Morgantown. From there it runs
   east into Maryland. I-79 enters from Pennsylvania and runs through the
   state to its southern terminus in Charleston. I-70 briefly runs through
   West Virginia, crossing the northern panhandle through Wheeling. I-81
   also briefly runs through the eastern panhandle where it goes through
   Martinsburg.

   Rail lines in the state used to be more prevalent, but many lines have
   been discontinued because of increased automobile traffic. Many old
   tracks have been converted to rail trails for recreational use, and the
   state is still served by a few commercial lines for hauling coal and by
   Amtrak.

   Because of the mountainous nature of the entire state, West Virginia
   has several notable tunnels and bridges. The most famous of these is
   the New River Gorge Bridge, which was at a time the longest steel-arch
   bridge in the world with a 3,031 foot (924 m) span. The bridge is also
   pictured on the West Virginia state quarter.

Law and government

   West Virginia's capital and seat of government is the city of
   Charleston, located in the southwest area of the state.

Legislative Branch

   The West Virginia Legislature is bicameral, consisting of the House of
   Delegates and the Senate. It is a citizen's legislature, meaning that
   legislative office is not a full-time occupation, but rather a
   part-time position. Consequently, the legislators often hold a
   full-time job in their community of residence.

   Typically, the legislature is in session for 60 days between January
   and early April. The final day of the regular session ends in a
   bewildering fury of last-minute legislation in order to meet a
   constitutionally imposed deadline of midnight. During the remainder of
   the year, legislators gather periodically for 'special' sessions when
   called by the governor.

Executive Branch

   The governor, elected every four years on the same day as the U.S.
   Presidential election, is sworn in during the following January.

   Governors of West Virginia can serve two consecutive terms but must sit
   out a term before serving a third term in office.

Judicial Branch

   West Virginia is one of twelve states that does not have a death
   penalty.

   For the purpose of courts of general jurisdiction, the state is divided
   into 31 judicial circuits. Each circuit is made up of one or more
   counties. Circuit judges are elected in partisan elections to serve
   eight-year terms.

   West Virginia’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Appeals. The
   Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the busiest appellate
   court of its type in the United States. West Virginia is one of 11
   states with a single appellate court. The state constitution allows for
   the creation of an intermediate court of appeals, but the Legislature
   has never created one. The Supreme Court is made up of five justices,
   elected in partisan elections to 12-year terms.

   West Virginia is an alcoholic beverage control state. However, unlike
   most such states, it does not operate retail outlets, having exited
   that business in 1990. It retains a monopoly on wholesaling of
   distilled spirits only.

Politics

   The West Virginia State Capitol
   Enlarge
   The West Virginia State Capitol

   West Virginia's politics are largely dominated by the Democratic Party,
   Democrats dominate most local and state offices. West Virginia also has
   a very strong tradition of union membership. While the state continued
   its Democratic tradition by supporting Bill Clinton by large margins in
   1992 and 1996, a majority of West Virginia voters supported George W.
   Bush in 2000 and 2004. Bush easily won the state's five electoral votes
   in 2004 by a margin of 13 percentage points with 56.1% of the vote.

   The most consistent support for Democrats is found in the coal fields
   of southern West Virginia (especially McDowell, Mingo, Logan, Wyoming,
   and Boone Counties), while Republicans are most numerous to the east of
   the Allegheny Mountains, especially in the state's Eastern Panhandle
   and Potomac Highlands.

Important cities and towns

   Charleston is West Virginia's most populous city
   Enlarge
   Charleston is West Virginia's most populous city

Large cities (+ 10,000 population)

     * Charleston, 53,421 (2005 estimate: 51,176)
     * Huntington, 51,475 (2005 estimate: 49,198)
     * Parkersburg, 33,099 (2005 estimate: 32,020)
     * Wheeling, 31,419 (2005 estimate: 29,639)
     * Morgantown, 26,809 (2005 estimate: 28,292)
     * Weirton, 20,411 (2005 estimate: 19,544)
     * Fairmont, 19,097 (2005 estimate: 19,049)
     * Beckley, 17,254 (2005 estimate: 16,936)

     * Clarksburg, 16,743 (2005 estimate: 16,439)
     * Martinsburg, 14,972 (2005 estimate: 15,996)
     * South Charleston, 13,390 (2005 estimate: 12,700)
     * Teays Valley, 12,704 (2005 estimate: N/A)
     * St. Albans, 11,567 (2005 estimate: 11,105)
     * Bluefield, 11,451 (2005 estimate: 11,119)
     * Vienna, 10,861 (2005 estimate: 10,770)
     * Cross Lanes, 10,353 (2005 estimate: N/A)

Towns and small cities

     * Barboursville
     * Berkeley Springs
     * Bridgeport
     * Buckhannon
     * Charles Town
     * Dunbar
     * Elkins
     * Fayetteville
     * Follansbee

     * Grafton
     * Harpers Ferry
     * Hinton
     * Hurricane
     * Kenova
     * Keyser
     * Kingwood
     * Lewisburg
     * Madison

     * Mannington
     * Marlinton
     * Moorefield
     * Moundsville
     * New Martinsville
     * Nitro
     * Oak Hill
     * Paden City
     * Petersburg

     * Philippi
     * Pleasant Valley
     * Point Pleasant
     * Princeton
     * Ranson
     * Ravenswood
     * Richwood
     * Ripley
     * Romney

     * Salem
     * Shepherdstown
     * Summersville
     * Welch
     * Wellsburg
     * Weston
     * Westover
     * White Sulphur Springs
     * Williamson

Metropolitan Statistical Areas

     * Charleston, WV MSA
     * Cumberland, MD-WV MSA
     * Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA
     * Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA
     * Morgantown, WV MSA
     * Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH MSA

     * Pittsburgh, PA-WV MSA
     * Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA
     * Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA
     * Wheeling, WV-OH MSA
     * Winchester, VA-WV MSA

Micropolitan Statistical Areas

  * Beckley, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
  * Bluefield, WV-VA MSA
  * Clarksburg, WV MSA

                                                     * Fairmont, WV MSA
                                                     * Oak Hill, WV MSA
                                                     * Point Pleasant, WV-OH MSA

Education

Colleges and universities

     * Alderson-Broaddus College
     * Appalachian Bible College
     * Bethany College
     * Bluefield State College
     * Concord University
     * Davis and Elkins College
     * Fairmont State University
     * Glenville State College
     * Marshall University
     * Mountain State University
     * Ohio Valley University
     * Salem International University

     * Shepherd University
     * University of Charleston
     * West Liberty State College
     * West Virginia Northern Community College
     * West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
     * West Virginia State University
     * West Virginia University
          + Potomac State College of West Virginia University
          + West Virginia University Institute of Technology
          + West Virginia University at Parkersburg
     * West Virginia Wesleyan College
     * Wheeling Jesuit University

Professional sports teams

            Club               Sport                  League
   Bluefield Orioles      Baseball        Appalachian League
   Princeton Devil Rays   Baseball        Appalachian League
   West Virginia Power    Baseball        South Atlantic League
   Wheeling Nailers       Ice hockey      ECHL
   West Virginia Wild     Basketball      International Basketball League
   Huntington Heroes      Indoor football World Indoor Football League
   Ohio Valley Greyhounds Indoor football United Indoor Football
   West Virginia Chaos    Soccer          USL Premier Development League
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
