ENCYCLOPÆDIA Britannica DISCOVER AMERICA West Virginia The Mountain State CHICAGO LONDON NEW DELHI PARIS SEOUL SYDNEY TAIPEI TOKYO
4 WEST VIRGINIA INTRODUCTION West Virginia justifies in every way its nickname the Mountain State With an average altitude of 1,500 feet above sea level it is the highest of any U S state east of the Mississippi River It boasts spectacular scenery beautiful farms and misty rolling hills West Virginia also has a rich history and culture that makes visiting the state a rewarding and memorable experience West Virginia is known for its unique rural mountain culture Since their mountain location was quite isolated early West Virginians developed a local culture that was uninfluenced by neighboring populations Many of these mountain traditions such as folksong and storytelling still exist today The Glade Creek Grist Mill continues to grind flour using traditional methods The mill is one of West Virginia’s most recognized landmarks September and October are beautiful months in West Virginia as forest covered hillsides come alive with splendid fall colors The state motto is Montani semper liberi which means Mountaineers are always free West Virginia has the highest mean altitude of any state east of the Mississippi 1,500 feet West Virginia was admitted to the Union in 1863 as the 35th state The state flower is the rhododendron also known as the big laurel
INTRODUCTION 5 West Virginia is nestled between Pennsylvania and Maryland on the north Virginia on the east and the south and Kentucky and Ohio on the west The Ohio River forms the border between Ohio and West Virginia The Potomac River forms West Virginia’s northern border with Maryland and flows to Washington D C then into Chesapeake Bay Drivers in West Virginia take advantage of the more than 37,370 miles of road that cross the state About 550 miles of these roads are interstate highways For those who prefer to fly Yeager Airport near Charleston is West Virginia’s main airport A railroad takes passengers through Charleston and the southern part of the state Yeager Airport is named after Air Force test pilot Charles Yeager the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound West Virginia Location Map West Virginia is nicknamed the Mountain State The state tree is the sugar maple West Virginia is a small state covering less than 25,000 square miles It is about one-fourth the size of Colorado West Virginia is divided into 55 counties Capital Charleston Interstate highways 0 0 16 25 32 50 Mi Km Scale Population 1,808,344 Size 24,232 square miles Highest peak Spruce Knob 4,861 feet
