FLAG: The flag has a white field bordered by a strip of blue, with the coat of arms in the center, wreathed by rhododendron leaves; across the top of the coat of arms are the words “State of West Virginia.”

COAT OF ARMS: A farmer stands to the right and a miner to the left of a large ivy-draped rock bearing the date of the state’s admission to the Union. In front of the rock are two hunters’ rifles upon which rests a Cap of Liberty. The state motto is beneath and the words “State of West Virginia” above.

MOTTO: Montani semper liberi (Mountaineers are always free).

SONG: “The West Virginia Hills;” “West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home;” “This Is My West Virginia.”

COLORS: Old gold and blue.

FLOWER: Rhododendron.

TREE: Sugar maple.

ANIMAL: Black bear.

BIRD: Cardinal.

FISH: Brook trout.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Presidents’ Day, 3rd Monday in February; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; West Virginia Day, 20 June; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; Veterans’ Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November and the day following; Christmas Day, 25 December.

TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Located in the South Atlantic region of the eastern United States, West Virginia ranks 41st in size among the 50 states. The area of West Virginia totals 24,231 square miles (62,758 square kilometers), including 24,119 square miles (62,468 square kilometers) of land and 112 square miles (290 square kilometers) of inland water. The state extends 265 miles (426 kilometers) from east to west and 237 miles (381 kilometers) from north to south. Its total boundary length is 1,180 miles (1,899 kilometers).

2 Topography

Most of West Virginia’s eastern panhandle, crossed by the Allegheny Mountains, is in the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Highlands. The remainder is part of the Allegheny Plateau. The state’s highest point, Spruce Knob, towers 4,861 feet (1,483 meters) above sea level. Major lowlands lie along the rivers, especially the Potomac, Ohio, and Kanawha. A point on the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry has the lowest elevation, only 240 feet (73 meters) above sea level. West Virginia has no natural lakes. Subterranean streams have carved out numerous caverns—including Seneca Caverns, Smoke Hole Caverns, and Organ Cave—from limestone beds.

3 Climate

West Virginia has a humid continental climate with hot summers and cool to cold winters. The climate of the eastern panhandle is influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic slope and is similar to that of nearby coastal areas. Mean annual temperatures vary from 56°f (13°c) in the southwest to 48°f (9°c) in higher elevations. The highest recorded temperature is 112°f (44°c), set at Martinsburg on 10 July 1936. The lowest temperature, -37°f (-38°c), occurred at Lewisburg on 30 December 1917.

In Charleston, the annual average precipitation is 42.9 inches (108 centimeters). Average annual snowfall throughout the state ranges from 20 inches (51 centimeters) in the west to 50 inches (127 centimeters) in the higher mountains.

West Virginia Population Profile

Total population estimate in 2006:	1,818,470
Population change, 2000–06:	0.6%
Hispanic or Latino†:	0.6%
Population by race
One race:	98.9%
White:	95.0%
Black or African American:	3.1%
American Indian /Alaska Native:	0.1%
Asian:	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander:	0.1%
Some other race:	0.2%
Two or more races:	1.1%

Population by Age Group

Major Cities by Population
City	Population	% change 2000–05
Notes: †A person of Hispanic or Latino origin may be of any race. NA indicates that data are not available.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey and Population Estimates. www.census.gov/ (accessed March 2007).
Charleston	51,176	-4.2
Huntington	49,198	-4.4
Parkersburg	32,020	-3.3
Wheeling	29,639	-5.7
Morgantown	28,292	5.5
Weirton	19,544	-4.2
Fairmont	19,049	-0.3
Beckley	16,936	-1.8
Clarksburg	16,439	-1.8
Martinsburg	15,996	6.8

4 Plants and Animals

West Virginia provides a natural habitat for more than 3,200 species of plants. Oak, maple, poplar, and softwoods such as hemlock and pine are common forest trees in West Virginia. Rhododendron, dogwood, and pussy willow are among the more than 200 flowering trees and shrubs. The Cranberry Glades, an ancient lake bed similar to a glacial bog, contains the bog rosemary and other plant species common in more northern climates. In 2006, six plant species were listed as endangered, including shale barren rock-cress, harperella, northeastern bulrush, and running buffalo clover. The Virginia spirea and small whorled pogonia were the two species listed as threatened that year.

The white-tailed (Virginia) deer, black bear, and wildcat are still found in the deep timber of the Allegheny ridges. Common birds include the cardinal, scarlet tanager, and catbird. Major game birds are the wild turkey, bobwhite quail, and ruffed grouse. Notable among more than 100 species of fish are smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, and brook trout (the state fish). The copperhead and rattlesnake are both numerous and poisonous.

In 2006, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed 13 animal species as threatened or endangered in West Virginia, including the bald eagle, three species (gray, Indiana, and Virginia big-eared) of bat, fanshell, flat-spired three-toothed snail, and the Cheat Mountain salamander.

5 Environmental Protection

The Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) was established in October 1991 and became West Virginia’s leading environmental agency in July 1992, with the consolidation of the state’s major environmental regulatory programs. A new DEP program is the Office of Environmental Advocate. The office was created to improve public access and input into DEP functioning.

Environmental issues confronting the state of West Virginia include the restoration of about 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers) of streams impacted by acid mine damage. To combat the problem, the state has created a Stream Restoration program, which is using a variety of treatment methods to improve water quality. The first treatment station is under construction in the Blackwater River watershed, with plans to construct a second station in the Middlefork River watershed. The state is in the midst of an initiative to focus on better planning and management of West Virginia’s five major watersheds. In 1996, less than 1% of West Virginia’s land was designated wetlands.

West Virginia mandates that cities with populations of 10,000 or more must develop recycling programs. In 2003, West Virginia had 154 hazardous waste sites listed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s database, nine of which were on the National Priorities List as of 2006.

6 Population

In 2006, West Virginia ranked 37th among the 50 states in population with an estimated total of 1,818,470. The population is projected to decline to 1.76 million by 2025. The population density in 2004 was 75.4 persons per square mile (29.1 persons per square kilometer). The state has one of the oldest populations in the country. The median age in 2004 was 40.3 years, compared to the national average of 36.2. In 2005, about

West Virginia Population by Race

Census 2000 was the first national census in which the instructions to respondents said, “Mark one or more races.” This table shows the number of people who are of one, two, or three or more races. For those claiming two races, the number of people belonging to the various categories is listed. The U.S. government conducts a census of the population every ten years.

	Number	Percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000: Redistricting Data. Press release issued by the Redistricting Data Office. Washington, D.C., March, 2001. A dash (—) indicates that the percent is less than 0.1.
Total population	1,808,344	100.0
One race	1,792,556	99.1
Two races	14,846	0.8
White and Black or African American	4,159	0.2
White and American Indian/Alaska Native	5,966	0.3
White and Asian	1,704	0.1
White and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	214	—
White and some other race	1,690	0.1
Black or African American and American Indian/Alaska Native	367	—
Black or African American and Asian	142	—
Black or African American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	27	—
Black or African American and some other race	228	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian	35	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	9	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and some other race	52	—
Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	66	—
Asian and some other race	167	—
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and some other race	20	—
Three or more races	942	0.1

15% of all residents were 65 or older, while 21% were 18 or younger.

In 2005, Charleston had an estimated 51,176 residents. Other major cities include Huntington, Parkersburg, and Wheeling, all of which have populations less than 50,000 people.

7 Ethnic Groups

According to the 2000 census, about 3,606 Native Americans were living in West Virginia. About 57,232 residents were black Americans. There were 12,279 Hispanics and Latinos and 9,434 persons of Asian origin. Only 19,390 West Virginians, or 1.1% of the population, were foreign born. Of those European descendents who reported at least one specific ancestry group, 176,297 were English, 253,388 were German, 198,473 were Irish, and 37,837 were Dutch.

In 2006, estimates indicated that 3.1% of the population was black. Hispanics and Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans each accounted for less than 1% of the population.

8 Languages

West Virginia generally maintains Midland speech, but there are speech differences between the northern and southern halves of the state. For instance, in the northern part, the words sat and sight sound very much alike and specific terms include run for creek and teetertotter for seesaw. In the southern half, can’t and aunt rhyme with paint, a creek is called a branch, and tinter means teeter.

In 2000, 97.3% of the population five years of age or over spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home, and the number of persons who spoke them, included Spanish, 17,652; French, 5,693; and German, 5,040.

9 Religions

Throughout its history, West Virginia has been overwhelmingly Protestant. Most settlers before the American Revolution were Anglicans, Presbyterians, Quakers, or members of German sects, such as Lutherans, German Reformed, Dunkers, and Mennonites. The Great Awakening had a profound effect on these settlers and they avidly embraced its evangelism, emotionalism, and emphasis on personal religious experience.

In 2000, the major Protestant denominations and the number of their adherents were the American Baptist Churches USA, 108,087; the Southern Baptist Convention, 43,606; and the Presbyterian Church USA, 28,467. In 2004, the United Methodist Church had about 105,879 members. In 2000, smaller fundamentalist denominations included the Churches of Christ, 24,143; the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), 21,657; and the Church of the Nazarene, 21,389. The Roman Catholic population was 100,648 in 2004. There were an estimated 2,400 Jews and 1,528 Muslims in 2000. Over 1.1 million people (about 64% of the population) were not counted as members of any religious organization.

10 Transportation

The first major pre-Civil War railroad line was the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O), completed to Wheeling in 1852. Today, the railroads still play an important part in coal transportation. In 2003, CSX, and Norfolk Southern were the state’s Class I operators. In the same year, total rail mileage was 2,489 miles (4,007 kilometers). As of 2006, Amtrak provided passenger service to 10 communities.

In 2004, there were 37,011 miles (59,587 kilometers) of public roads under the state system. The West Virginia Turnpike was completed from Charleston to Princeton in 1955. There were 1.3 million registered motor vehicles in the state in 2003 and 1,292,036 licensed drivers. The state ran 17 public transit systems in the mid-1990s.

Major navigable inland rivers are the Ohio, Kanawha, and Monongahela. Each has locks and dams. In the mid-1990s, West Virginia had 67 airports, 29 heliports, and 10 seaplane bases. Yeager Airport in Charleston is the state’s main air terminal.

11 History

When European settlers arrived in present-day West Virginia, only a few Shawnee, Tuscarora, and Delaware Native American villages remained, but the area was still actively used as hunting and warring grounds, and European possession was hotly contested.

The fur trade stimulated early exploration by both the English and French. England eventually prevailed as a result of the French and Indian War. It is thought that the first settlement was founded at Bunker Hill in 1731. By 1750, several

thousand settlers were living in the eastern panhandle, and there was movement into the Greenbriar, Monongahela, and the upper Ohio River valleys after 1769, although wars with the Native Americans occurred sporadically until the 1790s. The area that is now West Virginia was part of Virginia at the time of that state’s entry into the Union on 25 June 1788.

Serious differences between eastern and western Virginia developed after the War of 1812. Eastern Virginia was dominated by large farms that used slave labor, while small diversified farms and infant industries predominated in western Virginia. Westerners resented property qualifications for voting, inadequate representation in the Virginia legislature, and undemocratic county governments, and were dissatisfied with the quality of government operations. In 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a raid at Harpers Ferry, seizing the US Armory. Brown was convicted and hanged for treason, which made him a hero for the antislavery movement.

Statehood When Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, western counties remaining loyal to the Union set up the Reorganized Government and consented to the separation of present West Virginia from Virginia. After approval by Congress and President Lincoln, West Virginia entered the Union on 20 June 1863 as the 35th state.

Both Bourbon (conservative) Democratic and Republican governors after the Civil War sought to improve transportation, foster immigration,

West Virginia Governors: 1863–2007

1863–1869	Arthur Inghram Boreman	Republican
1869	Daniel Duane Farnsworth	Republican
1869–1871	William Erskine Stevenson	Republican
1871–1877	John Jeremiah Jacob	Dem/Indep
1877–1881	Henry Mason Matthews	Democrat
1881–1885	Jacob Beeson Jackson	Democrat
1885–1889	Emanuel Willis Wilson	Democrat
1889–1893	Aretas Brooks Fleming	Democrat
1893–1897	William Alexander MacCorkle	Democrat
1897–1901	George Wesley Atkinson	Republican
1901–1905	Albert Blakeslee White	Republican
1905–1909	William Mercer Owens Dawson	Rep.
1909–1913	William Ellsworth Glasscock	Republican
1913–1917	Henry Drury Hatfield	Republican
1917–1921	John Jacob Cornwell	Democrat
1921–1925	Ephraim Franklin Morgan	Republican
1925–1929	Howard Mason Gore	Republican
1929–1933	William Gustavus Conley	Republican
1933–1937	Herman Guy Kump	Democrat
1937–1941	Homer Adams Holt	Democrat
1941–1945	Matthew Mansfield Neely	Democrat
1945–1949	Clarence Watson Meadows	Democrat
1949–1953	Okey Leonidas Patteson	Democrat
1953–1957	William Casey Marland	Democrat
1957–1961	Cecil Harland Underwood	Republican
1961–1965	William Wallace Barron	Democrat
1965–1969	Hulett Carlson Smith	Democrat
1969–1977	Arch Alfred Moore, Jr.	Republican
1977–1985	John Davidson Rockefeller IV	Democrat
1985–1989	Arch Alfred Moore, Jr.	Republican
1989–1997	Gaston Caperton	Democrat
1997–2000	Cecil Underwood	Republican
2000–2004	Bob Wise	Democrat
2004–	Joe Manchin III	Democrat
Democrat/Independent–Dem/Indep

and provide tax structures attractive to business. Republican governors of the early 20th century, attuned to Progressive ideas, were instrumental in the adoption of the direct primary, safety legislation for the coal mines, revision of corporate tax laws, and improvements in highways and education.

The Great Depression of the 1930s, from which West Virginia suffered acutely, ushered in a Democratic era. West Virginians embraced the liberal philosophies of presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. World Wars I and II produced significant changes in the state, particularly through stimulation of the chemical, steel, and textile industries, which lessened its dependence on mining, historically the backbone of its economy.

After World War II After World War II, mechanization and strip mining displaced thousands of miners and resulted in a large exodus to other states. By 1960, West Virginia was considered one of the most economically depressed areas of the country, primarily because of conditions in the mining regions. Antipoverty programs of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations provided some relief, but much of it was temporary.

Over the next several decades, West Virginia’s manufacturing and mining sectors shrank dramatically. Automation, foreign competition, and the recession of the early 1980s caused employment in steel, glass, chemical manufacturing, and coal mining to drop by one-third between 1979 and 1985. On the other hand, tourism, centered on skiing and whitewater rafting, provided West Virginia with a growing source of income.

The same technological advances which forced a restructuring of the economy produced social change. Electronic communications largely eliminated the cultural isolation long felt by West Virginia residents. In the 1990s, the state won a number of federal projects, including the FBI’s fingerprint identification division, aided by the tenure of Senator Robert C. Byrd, who was chairman of the US Senate Appropriations Committee from 1988 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2005.

In 2002, West Virginia began programs to attract retirees to the state. In 2004, Democrat Joe Manchin III was elected as governor to replace Bob Wise, who chose not to run for reelection that year. Manchin’s election marked the first time that two persons of the same political party have followed one another in the governor’s office since 1964.

12 State Government

Since becoming a state, West Virginia has had two constitutions. The 1872 constitution had been amended 71 times as of January 2005. The legislature consists of a senate with 34 members and a house of delegates with 100 members. Senators serve four-year terms, and delegates serve two-year terms. Elected officials of the executive branch of government include the governor, secretary of state, auditor, and attorney general. There is no lieutenant governor. Bills passed by the legislature become law when signed by the governor. Those the governor vetoes may become law if repassed by majorities of both house memberships—except for revenue and appropriations bills, which require a two-thirds majority of both houses.

The legislative salary in 2004 was $15,000 and the governor’s salary was $90,000.

13 Political Parties

The Republican Party presided over the birth of West Virginia, but the Democrats have generally been in power for the past five decades. In 2004, there were 1,169,000 registered voters. In 1998, 63% of registered voters were Democratic, 29% Republican, and 8% unaffiliated or members of other parties. Since the 1930s, Republican presidential

West Virginia Presidential Vote by Major Political Parties, 1948–2004

YEAR	WEST VIRGINIA WINNER	DEMOCRAT	REPUBLICAN
* Won US presidential election.
** Independent candidate Ross Perot received 108,829 votes in 1992 and 71,639 votes in 1996.
1948	*Truman (D)	429,188	316,251
1952	Stevenson (D)	453,578	419,970
1956	*Eisenhower (R)	381,534	449,297
1960	*Kennedy (D)	441,786	395,995
1964	*Johnson (D)	538,087	253,953
1968	Humphrey (D)	374,091	307,555
1972	*Nixon (R)	277,435	484,964
1976	*Carter (D)	435,914	314,760
1980	Carter (D)	367,462	334,206
1984	*Reagan (R)	328,125	405,483
1988	Dukakis (D)	341,016	310,065
1992**	*Clinton (D)	331,001	241,974
1996**	*Clinton (D)	327,812	233,946
2000	*Bush, G. W. (R)	295,497	336,475
2004	*Bush, G. W. (R)	326,541	423,778

candidates have carried West Virginia only in 1956, 1972, 1984, 2000, and 2004. The state is even more firmly Democratic in elections for other offices. Robert Byrd, who has served in the US Senate since 1959 and was majority leader from 1977 to 1980, is a Democrat and was reelected to his ninth term in the Senate in 2006. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, reelected to his fourth term in 2002, is also a Democrat. Following the 2006 midterm elections, West Virginia’s US Representatives consisted of two Democrats and one Republican. Following the 2006 elections, there were 23 Democrats and 11 Republicans in the state senate, and 72 Democrats and 28 Republicans in the state house. Twenty-one women were elected to the state legislature in the 2006 elections, or 15.7%. In 2004, Democrat Joe Manchin III was elected governor to replace fellow Democrat Bob Wise.

In 2000, Republican George W. Bush received 52% of the popular vote to Democrat Al Gore’s 46%. In 2004, Bush won 56% of the vote while Democratic challenger John Kerry won 43%.

14 Local Government

West Virginia has 55 counties. The chief county officials are the three commissioners, who serve on the county court; the sheriff, assessor, county clerk, and prosecuting attorney; and the five-member board of education. There were 234 cities, towns, and villages as of 2005. There were 55 public school districts and 342 special districts in 2005.

15 Judicial System

The highest court in West Virginia, the supreme court of appeals, has five justices, including the chief justice. The court has broad appeals jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases, and original jurisdiction in certain other cases. West Virginia’s general trial court is the circuit court. Circuit courts had jurisdiction over juvenile, domestic relations, and administrative proceedings. Local courts include the county magistrate and municipal courts.

The state’s violent crime rate in 2004 was 271.2 reported incidents per 100,000 persons. Crimes against property were reported at a rate of about 2,506.2 per 100,000 people.

As of December 2004, prisoners in state or federal correctional facilities totaled 5,067. The state abolished the death penalty in 1965.

16 Migration

West Virginia has considerable national and ethnic diversity. Settlers before the Civil War consisted principally of English, German, Scotch-Irish, and Welsh immigrants, many of whom came by way of Pennsylvania. A second wave of immigration from the 1880s to the 1920s brought thousands of Italians, Poles, Austrians, and Hungarians to the coal mines and industrial towns, which also attracted many blacks from the South.

Between 1990 and 1998, West Virginia had net gains of 8,000 in domestic migration and 3,000 in international migration. In the period 1995–2000, some 138,487 people moved into the state and 149,241 moved out, for a net loss of 10,754, many of whom moved to Ohio. For the period 2000–05, net international migration was 3,691 and net internal migration was 10,518 for a net gain of 14,209 people.

17 Economy

Agriculture was the backbone of West Virginia’s economy until the 1890s, when coal, oil, natural gas, and timber began to play a major role. World War I stimulated important industries such as chemicals, steel, glass, and textiles. The beauty of West Virginia’s mountains and forests has attracted an increasing number of tourists, but the state’s rugged terrain and relative isolation from major markets continue to hamper its economic development.

West Virginia did not participate substantially in the high technology boom of the 1990s, even as the long-term decline of its coal mining industry continued. The 2001 national recession had a negative impact on every area of the economy except services and government.

In 2004, about 3,937 new businesses were established while 5,136 businesses were closed.

18 Income

In 2005, West Virginia had a gross state product (GSP) of $54 billion, ranking 41st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2004, West Virginia ranked 50th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with a per capita (per person) income of $25,792. The three-year average median household income for 2002–04 was $32,589 compared to the national average of $44,473. For the same period, 16.1% of the population lived below the federal poverty level, compared to the national average of 12.4%.

19 Industry

Known for its rich natural resources and strong industrial presence, the value of shipments by manufacturers in 2004 totaled $20 billion. Major industries included organic chemicals, primary metals, fabricated metal products, and lumber and wood products.

Major industrial areas are the Kanawha, Ohio, and Monongahela valleys and the eastern panhandle. The largest industrial corporations with headquarters in West Virginia are Weirton Steel and Wheeling-Pittsburgh. Other major industrial companies with operations in West Virginia include E.I. du Pont de Nemours, Union Carbide, Ravenswood Aluminum, and Rhone Poulenc.

20 Labor

In April 2006, the civilian labor force in West Virginia numbered 813,700, with approximately 33,600 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 4.1%, compared to the national average of 4.7%. In 2006, 5.1% of the labor force was employed in construction; 8.1% in manufacturing; 18.6% in trade, transportation, and public utilities; 4% in financial activities; 7.8% in professional and business services; 15.3% in education and health services; 9.3% in leisure and hospitality services, and 19% in government.

Important milestones in the growth of unionism were the organization of the state as District 17 of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in 1890 and the formation of the State Federation of Labor in 1903. The coal miners fought to gain union recognition by coal companies and instances of violence were not uncommon in the early 1900s. Wages, working conditions, and benefits for miners improved rapidly after World War II.

In 2005, 99,000 of West Virginia’s 688,000 employed wage and salary workers were members of unions, representing 14.4% of those so employed. The national average was 12%.

21 Agriculture

With estimated farm marketings of $429 million ($348 million from livestock and poultry), West Virginia ranked 46th among the 50 states in 2005. Poultry, meat animals, and dairy dominate the farm economy in the Mountain State.

In 2004, the state had 3.6 million acres (1.4 million hectares), or 23% of its land, devoted to farming. Its 20,800 farms averaged 173 acres (70 hectares) in size. Major farm sections are the eastern panhandle, a tier of counties along the Virginia border, the upper Monongahela Valley, and the Ohio Valley. Leading crops produced in 2004 were hay (1 million tons), corn for grain (3.7 million bushels), corn for silage (306,000 tons), commercial apples, and tobacco.

22 Domesticated Animals

In 2005, there were an estimated 405,000 cattle and calves, valued at $315.9 million. During 2004, the state had 10,000 hogs and pigs, valued at around $1.1 million. During 2003, poultry farmers produced 357 million pounds (162 million kilograms) of broilers valued at $121.5 million, and 92 million pounds of turkey (41.7 million kilograms), valued at $33.1 million. The dairy industry yielded 222 million pounds (101 million kilograms) of milk and 270 million eggs.

23 Fishing

West Virginia fishing has little commercial importance. In 2004, there were 34 trout farms selling 378,000 pounds (172,000 kilograms) of fish. In 2004, the state issued 269,727 sport fishing licenses. The White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery is located within the state, as are two state hatcheries.

24 Forestry

In 2004, West Virginia had four-fifths or 12.1 million acres (4.9 million hectares) of its land area in forestland and of this, 11.9 million acres (4.8 million hectares) were classified as timber-land. Sawtimber volume averaged 6,500 board feet per acre. About 92% of West Virginia forest species are hardwoods, with approximately 77% of the timberland being of the oak-hickory forest type. In all, West Virginia’s forests contain more than 100 species of trees.

Timber production increased from 600 million board feet in 1988 to 701 million board feet in 2004. Employment in the forest industry is second only to the chemical and primary metal manufacturing industries.

The state is encouraging the professional management of its forests so they will continue to produce a sustained array of benefits, such as wood products, jobs, clean water, oxygen, scenery, and diverse recreational opportunities like hunting, hiking, and tourism.

25 Mining

The value of nonfuel mineral production in 2003 was about $168 million. Crushed stone accounted for about 39% of the state’s total value of nonfuel minerals. Construction sand and gravel production was 1.6 million short tons, worth $8 million.

26 Energy and Power

West Virginia has long been an important supplier of energy in the form of electric power and fossil fuels. In 2003, production of electric energy was 94.7 billion kilowatt hours, of which nearly 97.6% was produced by coal-fired steam units.

Major coal mining regions lie within a north–south belt some 60 miles (97 kilometers) wide through the central part of the state and include the Fairmount, New River-Kanawha, Pocahontas, and Logan-Mingo fields. In 2004, coal production totaled 147.9 million tons. Recoverable coal reserves in 2004 were estimated at 1.51 billion tons. Also in 2004, West Virginia produced 4,000 barrels per day of oil and 187.7 billion cubic feet (5.33 billion cubic meters) of marketed gas. Proved crude oil reserves in 2004 totaled 11 million barrels. Natural gas reserves totaled 3.3 trillion cubic feet (93.6 billion cubic meters).

27 Commerce

Wholesale sales totaled $10.9 billion in 2002; retail sales were also $16.7 billion in the same year. In 2005, West Virginia exported $3.1 billion in products originating within the state.

28 Public Finance

The governor is responsible for submitting a budget to the legislature each year. The fiscal year is from 1 July to June 30. In 2004, revenues totaled $11.6 billion and expenditures amounted to $9.8 billion. The highest general expenditures were for education ($2.9 billion), public welfare ($2.2 billion), and highways ($948,901). The state’s outstanding debt totaled $4.7 billion, or $2,617.42 per capita (per person).

29 Taxation

Personal income taxes range from 3.0% to 6.5% in five tax brackets. The corporate income tax is 9% and consumer sales taxes are 6% on goods and services. Counties and localities mainly tax real estate and personal property. There are selective (excise) taxes on items such as gasoline and cigarettes.

The state collected $4.3 billion in taxes in 2005, of which 27.2% came from individual income taxes, 25.5% from the general sales tax, 24.6% from selective sales taxes, and 10.8% from corporate income taxes. In 2005, West Virginia ranked 16th among the states in terms of per capita tax burden, which amounted to about $2,367 per person, compared to the national average of $2,192 per person.

30 Health

In 2005, West Virginia’s infant mortality rate was 8.2 per 1,000 live births. The overall death rate was 11.8 per 1,000 population in 2003, the highest in the nation. In 2002, West Virginia had the highest mortality rates in the nation for heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and diabetes. Death rates that year for major causes of death (per 100,000 resident population) included heart disease, 343.5; cancer, 258.2; cerebrovascular diseases, 69.9; chronic lower respiratory diseases, 68.2; and diabetes, 47. The death rate for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was reported at 1.1 per 100,000, the second-lowest rate in the nation after Iowa. In 2004, the reported acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases rate was at about 5.1 per 100,000. Pneumoconiosis (black lung) is an occupational hazard among coal miners. In 2004, 26.9% of West Virginia residents were smokers.

West Virginia’s 57 community hospitals had 7,800 beds in 2003. The average expense for hospital care was $993 per inpatient day in 2003. There were 254 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2004 and 861 nurses per 100,000 in 2005. In 2004, there were a total of about 844 dentists in the state. In 2004, at least 17% of West Virginia’s residents were uninsured.

Medical education is provided by medical schools at West Virginia University and Marshall University and at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.

31 Housing

In 2004, West Virginia had an estimated 866,944 housing units, 736,954 of which were occupied; 74% were owner-occupied. About 70.1% of all units were single-family, detached homes; 16% were mobile homes. Utility gas and electricity were the most common energy sources for heating. It was estimated that 44,343 units lacked telephone service, 3,995 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 4,267 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.4 people.

In 2004, 5,700 new privately owned housing units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $81,826, one of the lowest in the country. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $769, while renters paid a median of $461 per month.

32 Education

West Virginia has generally ranked below national standards in education. In 2004, 80.9% of adult West Virginians were high school graduates and only 15.3% had completed four or more years of college.

Total public school enrollment was estimated at 282,000 in fall 2002. Expenditures for public education in 2003/04 were estimated at $2.6 billion. Enrollment in private schools in fall 2003 was 14,397.

As of fall 2002, there were 92,723 students enrolled in college or graduate school. In 2005, West Virginia had 40 degree-granting institutions. The state supports West Virginia University, Marshall University, and the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies (all offering graduate work), as well as 3 medical schools. There are 10 private colleges.

33 Arts

West Virginia is known for the quilts, pottery, and woodwork of its mountain artisans. Huntington Galleries, the Sunrise Foundation at Charleston, and Oglebay Park in Wheeling are major art centers. The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences at Charleston includes a performing arts center that hosts the annual Stretched Strings Festival. Other musical attractions include the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra in Charleston, the Charleston Ballet, Charleston Light Opera Guild, the Wheeling Symphony, and a country music program at Wheeling. The Charleston Stage Company and the Children’s Theater of Charleston are also popular. The Mountain State Art and Craft Fair is held each summer at Ripley.

The West Virginia Department of Education’s Division of Culture and History sponsors many programs with the help of state and federal funds. The West Virginia Humanities Council sponsors an active speaker’s bureau and the History Alive! program. The state has about 150 arts associations and 30 local arts groups.

In 2005, West Virginia arts organizations received eight grants totaling $637,900 from the National Endowment for the Arts. The same year, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded six grants totaling $578,176 for state programs.

34 Libraries and Museums

In 2001, West Virginia’s public libraries had 4,929,000 volumes in 97 public library systems with a combined circulation of 7.8 million. The largest library system is the Kanawha County Public Library system at Charleston, with 628,308 volumes. Of college and university libraries, the largest collection was at West Virginia University.

There were 51 museums in the state in 2000, including the State Museum and the Sunrise Museum in Charleston, and Oglebay Institute-Mansion Museum in Wheeling. Point Pleasant marks the site of a battle between colonists and Native Americans, and Harpers Ferry is the site of John Brown’s raid. Wheeling is the location of the Oglebay’s Good Children’s Zoo.

35 Communications

In 2004, some 93.2% of West Virginia’s occupied households had telephones. The same year, there were about 713,657 mobile phone subscribers. In 2003, about 55% of all households had a personal computer and 47.6% had access o the Internet. Approximately 13,062 Internet domain names were registered in the state by the year 2000.

In 2005, broadcasting facilities included 9 major AM and 46 major FM radio stations, as well as 13 major television stations.

36 Press

In 2005, West Virginia had 20 daily newspapers and 12 Sunday newspapers. Leading West Virginia newspapers with their approximate 2004 daily circulations were the Charleston Gazette (68,975 daily), the Charleston Daily Mail (68,975 daily) and the Huntington Herald-Dispatch (29,323 daily, 35,492 Sunday). The Charleston Gazette and Daily Mail are combined on Sundays with a circulation of 84,676.

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

In 2002, almost 23.9 million travelers visited West Virginia. Direct travel spending in 2004 was about $3.4 billion.

About 250,000 whitewater rafting enthusiasts visit West Virginia waters each year and more than 750,000 skiers venture down the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. Major attractions are Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Canaan Valley State Park in Tucker County, and White Sulphur Springs, a popular mountain resort.

There are 37 state parks and forests, including Cass Scenic Railroad, which includes a restoration of an old logging line, and Prickett’s Fort, with recreations of pioneer life.

38 Sports

No major league professional teams are based in West Virginia, but there are minor league baseball teams in Charleston, Bluefield, and Princeton, and there is minor league hockey in Wheeling. In college football, West Virginia produced a string of national contenders in the late 1980s and early 1990s. West Virginia University won the Peach Bowl in 1981 and played for the national championship in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl, which they lost to Notre Dame. Marshall University has also risen to the elite among college football teams, having won five straight bowl game appearances from 1998 to 2002.

Horse racing tracks operate in Chester and Charles Town. Greyhound races are run in Wheeling and Charleston. Other popular sports are skiing and whitewater rafting.

39 Famous West Virginians

Newton D. Baker (1871–1937) was secretary of war during World War I. Lewis L. Strauss (1896–1974) was commerce secretary and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, and Cyrus R. Vance (1917–2002) served as secretary of state. John W. Davis (1873–1955), an ambassador to Great Britain, ran as the Democratic presidential nominee in 1924. Prominent members of the US Senate have included Robert C. Byrd (b.1917) and John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV (b.New York, 1937).

Major state political leaders, all governors (though some have held federal offices), have been E. Willis Wilson (1844–1905), Henry D. Hatfield (1875–1962), and Arch A. Moore Jr. (b.1923).

Brigadier General Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager (b.1923), a World War II ace, became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.

The state’s only Nobel Prize winner was Pearl S. Buck (Pearl Sydenstricker, 1893–1973), who won the Nobel Prize for literature for her novels about China. Alexander Campbell (b.Ireland, 1788–1866), with his father, founded the Disciples of Christ Church. Major labor leaders have included Walter Reuther (1907–1970), president of the United Automobile Workers; and Arnold Miller (1923–1985), president of the United Mine Workers.

Entertainers include musician George Crumb (b.1929), a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer; opera singers Eleanor Steber (1916–1990) and Phyllis Curtin (b.1922); and comedy actor Don Knotts (b.1924). Important writers of the modern period include Mary Lee Settle (1918–2005) and John Knowles (1926–2001).

Baseball great George Brett (b.1953) was born in the state; Jerry West (b.1938) was a collegiate and professional basketball star, and a pro coach after his playing days ended; Rod Hundley (b.1934) and Hal Greer (b.1936) also starred in the National Basketball Association. Mary Lou Retton (b.1968) won a gold medal in gymnastics at the 1984 Olympics. Another West Virginian of note is Anna Jarvis (1864–1948), founder of Mother’s Day.