e-ReferenceDesk's College and 50 State Learning Resource Guide

Find Online Colleges

Find Campus Colleges

West Virginia State...

West Virginia

Choose a County

Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, Wyoming

State Economy

States Without Income Tax

The United States is one of the largest and most technologically developed countries in the world. The Gross Domestic Product of the country in terms of purchasing power parity of the country has reached at $12.36 trillion (2005 est.).

West Virginia Economy

Agriculture and Industry in West Virginia

West Virginia economy is a set of human and social activities and institutions related to the production, distribution, exchange and consumption of agriculture and industry goods and services. The balance between West Virginia various economic sectors differs largely between various regions and other states in the US.

Coal, a mineral that significantly affected West Virginia's history, was discovered there in 1742. Other important natural resources are oil, natural gas, and hardwood forests, which cover about 75% of the state's area.

The state's rapid industrial expansion began in the 1870s, with the increase of railroad access to this rugged state. Industry drew thousands of European immigrants and African Americans into the region. Miners' strikes between 1912 and 1921 required the intervention of state and federal troops to quell the violence. Today, the state ranks second in the US in total coal production, with about 15% of the US total. It is also a leader in steel, glass, aluminum, and chemical manufactures. Major agricultural commodities are poultry and eggs, dairy products, and apples. Tourism is increasingly popular in mountainous West Virginia. More than a million acres have been set aside in 37 state parks and recreation areas and in 9 state forests and 2 national forests.

Agriculture and Industry

The economy of West Virginia is one of the weakest of any US state. According to US Census Bureau data, West Virginia is Third from the bottom in per capita income, ahead of only Arkansas and Mississippi. It is also the Last state in median household income. One major contributor to the state's low economic rankings is the low educational level of its population. The proportion of West Virginia's adult population with a bachelor's degree is the lowest in the country, at 15.3%.

One of the major resources in West Virginia's economy is coal. West Virginia also engaged in drilling oil, but currently only has small/medium sized scatter natural gas fields. Farming is also practiced in West Virginia.

West Virginia is an Alcoholic beverage control state.

West Virginia Agriculture:

Cattle, dairy products, poultry, apples.

West Virginia Industry:

Chemical products, mining, primary metals, stone, clay, and glass products, tourism.

State Economies

A central feature of the US economy is a reliance on private decision-making ("economic freedom") in economic decision-making. This is enhanced by relatively low levels of regulation, taxation, and government involvement, as well as a court system that generally protects property rights and enforces contracts.

The US is rich in mineral resources and fertile farm soil. It also has extensive coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as on the Gulf of Mexico. Rivers flow from far within the continent, and the Great Lakes along the US border with Canada - provide shipping access. These waterways have helped shape the country's economic growth over the years and helped bind America's 50 individual states together in a single economic unit.