West Virginia was admitted into the Union, after it broke away from Virginia during the American Civil War, in 1863. Although the northern region of West Virginia extends so far north that it is adjacent with Pennsylvania and Ohio, the Census Bureau considers the state in the south, because most of the state is positioned below the Mason Dixon line.
Economy
Noted for its scenic qualities, West Virginia is primarily a logging and coal mining community. In 2006 the state had a GDP of $55.6 billion and had a growth rate that was among the lowest in the nation, at 0.6%. The industry that dominates the economy is that of coal and coal related products. The agriculture and recent oil drilling have been stinted due to restricted resources available to the industries.
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West Virginia News
- WVNewsline.com: West Virginia News Portal
- Daily Paper: The Charleston Gazette
- WVMetroNews.com: West Virginia News
- WCHSTV.com: Eyewitness Newsroom
- Google News Search: West Virginia
References
Fast Facts
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Capital
Charleston
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Governor
Joe Manchin III
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Senators
Robert C. Byrd and John Rockefeller
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Population
1,818,470 (2006)
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Admitted
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Time zone
Eastern
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Major cities
Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg
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Official State items
Black Bear (animal), Northern Cardinal (bird), Brook Trout (fish),Sugar Maple (Tree)
