State Nickname - The Mountain State
State Motto - "Montani Semper Liberi" (Mountaineers are Always Free)
State Song - West Virginia My Home, The West Virginia Hills, This Is My West Virginia (although many have recently suggested that it be changed to "Country Roads" by John Denver)
State colors - Blue and Old Gold
State Abbreviation - WV
State Capital - Charleston
Largest City - Charleston
Population - 1,808,344 (2000 census)
Area - 24,231 square miles
Major Industries - coal mining, livestock, chemical manufacturing, glass products, tourism
Major Rivers - Ohio, Monongahela, Guyandotte, Greenbrier, Cheat, Potomac, Kanawha, New
Major Lakes - Tygart, Bluestone, Cheat, Harrisville
Highest Point - Spruce Knob - 4,863 feet (1,482 m)
Lowest Point - Potomac River - 240 feet (73 m)Bordered By - Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia
State Bird - Cardinal
State Flower - Rhododendron ("Big Laurel")
State Tree - Sugar Maple
State Fruit - Golden Delicious Apple
State Animal - Black Bear
State Fish - Brook Trout
State Butterfly - Monarch Butterfly
State Gem / Fossil - Silicified Mississippian Fossil Coral State Soil - Monongahela Silt Loam
The area now known as West Virginia was once populated by tribes of the Delaware, Seneca, and Shawnee. Formerly the Western part of the state of Virginia, West Virginia separated during the Civil War, and became the 35th state on June 20, 1863. In population, WV ranks 37th in the U. S. and in size, ranks 41st. Some historians say that the name for Virginia, and later, West Virginia, was suggested by Sir Walter Raleigh sometime around 1584. The name was derived from Queen Elizabeth I of England (who was known as the Virgin Queen). Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson's birthplace is in Clarksburg, and most historians agree that the Civil War began on West Virginia soil in Harpers Ferry. The first land battle of the Civil War occurred at Philippi, West Virginia, near the site of the covered bridge across the Tygart River.
WV State Seal
Front
WV State Seal
Back
