West Virginia: Facts and Figures

Area, 24,181 sq mi (62,629 sq km). Pop. (2020) 1,793,716, a 3.3% decrease since the 2010 census. As of the 2020 census, the state's population was: White alone, 93.5%; Black alone, 3.6%; Hispanic or Latino, 1.7%; American Indian and Alaska native alone, 0.3%; Asian alone, 0.8%; Two or More Races, 1.8%. Capital and largest city, Charleston. Statehood, June 20, 1863 (35th state). Highest pt., Spruce Knob, 4,863 ft (1,483 m); lowest pt., Potomac River, 240 ft (73 m). Nickname, Mountain State. Motto, Montani Semper Liberi [Mountaineers Are Always Free]. State bird, cardinal. State flower, Rhododendron maximum, or “Big Laurel.” State tree, sugar maple. Abbr., W.Va.; WV

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Late-Twentieth-Century Developments
• Industrial Expansion and the Labor Movement
• Postwar Political Changes and the Hatfield-McCoy Feud
• Civil War and the Creation of West Virginia
• Growth and Estrangement from Eastern Virginia
• The American Revolution
• Early Inhabitants and European Settlement
• History
• Government, Politics, and Higher Education
• Economy
• Geography
• Facts and Figures

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography