West Virginia

West Virginia is a mountainous <a href="/facts/U.S._state/PFwcRIYQ">state</a> in the <a href="/facts/Southern_United_States/ppnGuAtB">Southern</a> and <a href="/facts/Mid-Atlantic_(United_States)/DTl6eo5b">Mid-Atlantic</a> regions of the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>. It is bordered by <a href="/facts/Pennsylvania/HGqC5bBm">Pennsylvania</a> and <a href="/facts/Maryland/tVy9fC1n">Maryland</a> to the northeast, <a href="/facts/Virginia/WSyGxzaH">Virginia</a> to the southeast, <a href="/facts/Kentucky/DaTW05Rt">Kentucky</a> to the southwest, and <a href="/facts/Ohio/YutCnTlh">Ohio</a> to the northwest. West Virginia is the <a href="/facts/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_area/q3nFXQlt">10th-smallest state by area</a> and ranks as the <a href="/facts/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population/ytDJqMaH">12th-least populous state</a>, with a population of 1,769,979 residents. The capital and <a href="/facts/List_of_municipalities_in_West_Virginia/j2Eue6Qn">most populous city</a> is <a href="/facts/Charleston%2c_West_Virginia/pmrySE8T">Charleston</a> with a population of 49,055.
West Virginia was admitted to the <a href="/facts/Union_(American_Civil_War)/KW6wJt7J">Union</a> on June 20, 1863, and was a key <a href="/facts/Border_states_(American_Civil_War)/5JSeCYb4">border state</a> during <a href="/facts/American_Civil_War/A9FT3ksD">the American Civil War</a>. It separated from <a href="/facts/Virginia/WSyGxzaH">Virginia</a> and was one of two states (along with <a href="/facts/Nevada/HNWhCrQv">Nevada</a>) admitted to the Union during the Civil War. Some of its residents held slaves, but most were <a href="/facts/Yeoman/cuPnKcMz">yeoman</a> farmers, and the delegates provided for the gradual abolition of slavery in the new state constitution. The state legislature abolished slavery in the state, and at the same time ratified the <a href="/facts/Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution/rMnQXTxc">13th Amendment</a> abolishing slavery nationally on February 3, 1865.
West Virginia's <a href="/facts/Northern_panhandle/Ixe36qAh">northern panhandle</a> extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio to form a <a href="/facts/Tri-state_area/mIEt6KGL">tristate area</a>, with <a href="/facts/Wheeling%2c_West_Virginia/rP4yAUVl">Wheeling</a>, <a href="/facts/Weirton%2c_West_Virginia/1PHzl0nm">Weirton</a>, and <a href="/facts/Morgantown%2c_West_Virginia/X2RW6yHp">Morgantown</a> just across the border from the <a href="/facts/Pittsburgh/42yPHyS0">Pittsburgh</a> metropolitan area. <a href="/facts/Huntington%2c_West_Virginia/nUtRfmXF">Huntington</a> in the southwest is close to Ohio and Kentucky, while <a href="/facts/Martinsburg%2c_West_Virginia/1g4lWhXM">Martinsburg</a> and <a href="/facts/Harpers_Ferry/on03jaXm">Harpers Ferry</a> in the <a href="/facts/Eastern_panhandle/c2FeDokQ">eastern panhandle</a> region are considered part of the <a href="/facts/Washington%2c_D.C./enXPK156">Washington</a> metropolitan area, between Maryland and Virginia. West Virginia is often included in several U.S. geographical regions, including the Mid-Atlantic, the <a href="/facts/Upland_South/p61y2UHV">Upland South</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Southeastern_United_States/jlyYnNvo">Southeastern United States</a>. It is the only state entirely within the area served by the <a href="/facts/Appalachian_Regional_Commission/XNTeS8kg">Appalachian Regional Commission</a>; the area is commonly defined as "<a href="/facts/Appalachia/GGjCgGyK">Appalachia</a>".
The state is noted for its <a href="/facts/Mountain/wboT5GJc">mountains</a> and rolling hills, its historically significant <a href="/facts/Coal_mining/hJPK7wBl">coal mining</a> and <a href="/facts/Logging/YnjEaap7">logging</a> industries, and its <a href="/facts/Political_history/g6Pqbv74">political</a> and <a href="/facts/Labor_history_(discipline)/NJTbpdb7">labor history</a>. It is also known for its tourism and a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including <a href="/facts/Skiing/wvzTW0j8">skiing</a>, <a href="/facts/Whitewater_rafting/19lbCvCR">whitewater rafting</a>, <a href="/facts/Fishing/EBVEPvhI">fishing</a>, <a href="/facts/Hiking/agJbxevo">hiking</a>, <a href="/facts/Backpacking_(wilderness)/9dMzJrRb">backpacking</a>, <a href="/facts/Mountain_biking/Jnx1KStP">mountain biking</a>, <a href="/facts/Rock_climbing/wd5WnGnG">rock climbing</a>, and <a href="/facts/Hunting/z1XhJdB2">hunting</a>. From the <a href="/facts/Great_Depression/5K13wcg0">Great Depression</a> to the 1990s, the state voted heavily for the <a href="/facts/Democratic_Party_(United_States)/MNe3nDrL">Democratic Party</a> due to its tradition of union-based politics. Since then, the state has become heavily <a href="/facts/Republican_Party_(United_States)/XXM1EVPr">Republican</a>, and is considered a <a href="/facts/Red_states_and_blue_states/Qmo0Nfa4">"deep red"</a> state at the federal level. West Virginia consistently ranks among the lowest U.S. states in terms of health outcomes, life expectancy, education, and economic factors.

West Virginia open-in-new

West Virginia