West Virginia is known to many from the song “Take me home, Country Roads”. The state in the eastern United States is one of the poorer regions.
- West Virginia is also known as The Mountain State because of its mountainous landscape.
- The mining region has a comparatively low gross domestic product per capita.
- The Republican Party candidates regularly win the elections.
Richmond – On April 17, 1861, the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 special meeting voted to separate the region from Virginia. More political tug-of-war was to follow, however, until the state of West Virginia emerged. Today it is best known for its many social problems: the proportion of poor citizens is well above the US average and the region is considered backward. Despite the rich deposits of coal and wood, West Virginia has so far failed to join the economic boom in the United States of America.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: Overview of state West Virginia, including major cities and most commonly used abbreviations of West Virginia.
West Virginia – incorporation
The founding of West Virginia was a little different from all other states: Actually, it once belonged to the parent state of Virginia, but then split during the Civil War (1861-1865) due to political differences from. The population of the mountain region has been characterized by small farmers since the first settlement. The plains of Virginia, on the other hand, were populated by plantation owners who held a large part of the political offices.
West Virginia and its history
In 1870 West Virginia was admitted to the Union as a separate, recognized state. The predominantly rural region was finally connected to the railway network at the end of the 19th century. However, the population used the traffic route only to a limited extent: In the end, the large companies in particular benefited from the subsequent clearing of the forests. Poverty among residents of West Virginia has repeatedly led to labor disputes.
West Virginia geography
West Virginia borders the following regions:
- to the southeast and south on Virginia
- in the northwest on Ohio
- to the northeast on Pennsylvania and Maryland
The US state consists mainly of mountainous landscapes: The Appalachians stretch across the entire area and rise up to 1, 482 meters on the Spruce Knob.
The biggest cities in West Virginia
According to COUNTRYAAH.COM, the capital of West Virginia is Charleston. The settlement was originally created due to the numerous natural resources and raw materials that were found in the area. With an estimated 46, 500 inhabitants, it is the most populous city. Other major cities are Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg and Wheeling.
The population of West Virginia
The last census in 2010 showed a population of 1, 852, 994. Since then, the population has decreased slightly – West Virginia is estimated to have around 1, 792, 147 residents today. The largest share of this is made up of whites, around 19 percent of whom are German immigrants. Most of them live in the northeastern counties. Black Americans only make up around three percent of the state’s population.
West Virginia – Economics and Industries
The economy of West Virginia is based next to the mining on tourism. When it comes to gross domestic product per capita, the state always ranks in the lower places. Although the unemployment rate is relatively low in a US-wide comparison, the residents have significantly less money available overall.
West Virginia elections
The Republican Party candidates won the last four elections in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Therefore, West Virginia is now one of the “red” states. It is not yet clear whether Donald Trump will emerge victorious in the upcoming election. With around 67 percent of the vote, however, the forecast suggests that Trump has some advantages over his political opponent Joe Biden.
