West Virginia Information

Here is some general information about West Virginia:

Recommended Reading

State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide

This guide contains information about the symbols, mottoes, flowers, trees, birds, songs, and even license plates for each of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories.

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Name
Offical Name	State of West Virginia
Nicknames	Mountain State
Abbreviations	WV, US-WV
Origin of Name	After Queen Elizabeth I of England, the "Virgin Queen"

Government
Official Language	English
Admission to Union	20 June 1863
Time Zone	Eastern
Official Web Site	www.wv.gov

Population
Capital	Charleston
Largest City	Charleston
Population	1,808,344 (as of 2000 census)
Economy	Agriculture: livestock Industry: coal mining, chemical manufacturing, glass products

Geography
Area	24,244 square miles (62,809 km²)
Major Rivers	Greenbrier River, Guyandotte River, Ohio River
Major Lakes	Bluestone Lake, Tygart Lake
Highest Point	Spruce Knob - 4,861 feet (1,483 meters)
Bordering States	Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky
Bordering Country	None
Bordering Body of Water	None

Symbols
Flag
Motto	"Montani semper liberi" - Mountaineers are always free
Day	West Virginia Day, June 20th
Songs	The West Virginia Hills, This Is My West Virginia, West Virginia My Home Sweet Home
Slogan	Wild and Wonderful
Animal	Black Bear
Bird	Cardinal
Insect	Honeybee
Butterfly	Monarch Butterfly
Fish	Brook Trout
Fossil	Silicified Mississippian Fossil Coral
Flower	Big Laurel
Fruit	Golden Delicious Apple
Tree	Sugar Maple
Gem	Chalcedony
Soil	Monongahela Silt Loam
Colors	Blue, Old Gold