Portal:West Virginia
The West Virginia Portal
 |
West Virginia 
i/ˌwɛst vərˈdʒɪnjə/ is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast. The capital and largest city is Charleston.
West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions, breaking away from Virginia during the American Civil War. The new state was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key Civil War border state. West Virginia was the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state, and was one of only two states formed during the American Civil War (the other one being Nevada, which separated from Utah Territory).
The Census Bureau considers West Virginia part of the South, as most of the state is south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio with the West Virginia cities of Wheeling and Weirton being just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, while Bluefield is less than 70 miles (110 km) from North Carolina and Harper's Ferry is considered to be a part of the Washington metropolitan area. The unique position of West Virginia means that it is often included in a wide variety of geographical regions, including the Upland South, the Southeastern United States and often the Northeastern United States. Notably, it is the only state which entirely lies within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, which is a common definition of "Appalachia".[1] For these reasons, West Virginia is often considered simultaneously the northernmost Southeastern state, the southernmost Northeastern state, the westernmost Mid-Atlantic state and the easternmost Midwestern state. The state is noted for its mountains and diverse topography, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor history. It is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world, making it a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research. The karst lands contribute to much of the state's cool trout waters. It is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and hunting.
Selected article
Selected picture
The Glade Creek Grist Mill is a replica of the original Cooper's Mill that was located nearby. The current grist mill, completed in 1976, was assembled from parts of three other West Virginia mills. The park's web site describes the Glade Creek Grist Mill as a living, working monument to the more than 500 mills that used to set throughout the state.
Did You Know?
- ... that Grafton (pictured) and West Virginia National Cemeteries are the only two national cemeteries in West Virginia, and both are located in the small city of Grafton?
- ... that the U.S. Supreme Court reheard James v. Dravo Contracting Co. in 1937 after Associate Justice Willis Van Devanter's retirement altered the judicial balance of the court?
- ... that Katie Sierra was accused of treason and suspended from high school in October 2001 for attempting to start an anarchist club?
- ... that the Kay Moor coal mine near Fayetteville, West Virginia, was first worked with mule-drawn railcars?
- ... that the Michigan football coach complained his "defense was in the law library" after law student Oscar Lambert was declared ineligible?
WikiProjects
- Parent Project
- Main Project
- Similar Projects
Virginia • Ohio • Kentucky • Maryland • Pennsylvania • Tennessee • North Carolina • South Carolina • New York • Delaware
Selected biography
West Virginia news
Categories
Selected quote
Quality content
- Featured content
List of Governors of West Virginia • Interstate 68 • File:New River Gorge Bridge.jpg
- Good articles
John Beilein • Frank Buckles • Byzantine (band) • William W. Chapman • Fort Henry Bridge • Interstate 70 in West Virginia • Interstate 81 in West Virginia • Interstate 470 (Ohio – West Virginia) • Marcellus Formation • Dick Padden • Pullman Square • Kenneth R. Shadrick • Harry Randall Truman • Jerry West • Wheeling Tunnel
Things you can do
- Article requests: West Virginia Constitutional Convention, Coolfont Resort
- Expand: Thomas Maley Harris, The Hillbilly 100, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WESTEST, Secretary of State of West Virginia, Greenbrier Springs, West Virginia more
- Images needed: Charleston City Hall, Appalachian Power Park, Alderson Bridge, Arthurdale, West Virginia, Putnam County Courthouse (West Virginia) more
- For more work, see the Auxiliary list
West Virginia topics
Related portals
Associated Wikimedia
Cite error: There are
<ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{Reflist}} template or a <references /> tag; see the help page.
