West Virginia Almanac: Facts and Figures

Quick Facts and Figures on the State

West Virginia Almanac furnishes quick facts and figures on the state, its geography, climate and weather, elevation, land area, bordering states, electoral votes, number of senators and representatives to the US Congress, and other statistical data. Use this almanac of West Virginia for information on local issues, politics, events, celebrations, people and business pertaining to the state of West Virginia that can be found online.

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West Virginia is one of the South Atlantic states of the US. West Virginia was part of Virginia until the American Civil War, when its inhabitants, loyal to the Union, formed a separate state after Virginia became part of the Confederacy. The economy of West Virginia was principally agricultural until the late 19th century, when mining and manufacturing began to grow in importance. In the early 1990s the state was a major producer of bituminous coal, primary metals, and chemicals.

West Virginia Almanac
Official Name	West Virginia
Capital	Charleston
Nick Name	Mountain State
Motto	Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers always free)
Location & Region	38.35055 N, 081.63043 W			Appalachia
Constitution Ratified	1872
Statehood	June 20, 1863			35th state
Population	1,808,344	78.08 sq mi.		37th
Largest City (by population)	Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Wheeling, Morgantown
Bordering States	North: Ohio and Pennsylvania North East: Maryland (Potomac River forms part of the Northeastern boundary) East and South: Virginia (Tug Fork and Big Sandy rivers form almost all of the Southwestern boundary) West: Kentucky and Ohio (Ohio River forms the West and Northwestern boundaries)
Number of Counties	55 Counties in West Virginia
Largest County (by population)	Kanawha County	200,073		903 sq mi.
Electoral Votes	5
US Congress	2 Senators; 3 Representatives
Time Zone	Eastern Standard Time
West Virginia Climate and Weather
West Virginia has four distinct seasons. Its mountainous terrain means that there can be marked differences in the weather at any one time -- the mountains tend to be cooler than the rest of the state (and downright cold in winter). Summer is hot and rainy in most of the state, with highs in the upper 80s F/30 C (80 F/26 C in the mountains). Opportunities for hiking, camping and white-water rafting begin in the spring and last until autumn. Spring temperatures range 43-76 F/5-24 C, with lots of runoff from the 60+ in/152+ cm of snow in the mountains. Summer thundershowers help keep river levels up. The ski season usually runs November-February. Winter temperatures range 19 to 40 F/-7 to -4 C in the mountains, with occasional drops to 0 F/-18 C. Most attractions are open year-round. Except for those travelers interested in winter sports, we recommend visiting West Virginia in the spring for white-water rafting and in summer and fall for touring.
Highest Temperature	112 degrees July 10, 1936 -Martinsburg
Lowest Temperature	-37 degrees December 17, 1917 - Lewisburg
Avg Temp: High - Low	85.6 degrees		23.9 degrees
West Virginia Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations (Feet)
Mean Elevation	1,500
Highest Point	Spruce Knob			4,861
Lowest Point	Potomac River			240
West Virginia Land Area (Square Miles)
Geographic Center
Total Area	24,229.76			41st
Land Area	24,077.73			99.38%
Water Area	152.03			0.62%
Forested Land Area			78.5%
Dimensions (Length - Width)	240 miles		130 miles
Source:(US Census, April 1, 2000)

Almanac Online

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Almanac: Facts and Figures

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