West Virginia Facts -- National Geographic

Fast Facts

Population:: 1,810,354
Capital:: Charleston; 51,702
Area:: 24,230 square miles (62,755 square kilometers)
Per Capita Income:: U.S. $23,628
Date Statehood Achieved:: June 20, 1863

Bituminous coal, oil, natural gas, and silica underlie this rugged Appalachian state. Only Wyoming produces more coal. Declines in steel and chemical manufacturing prompted corporate tax incentives to diversify the economy; as a result the service sector is burgeoning. Hardwoods cover three-fourths of the state and feed lumber mills, but forests also shelter wildlife—including an endangered species of flying squirrel.

ECONOMY

Industry: Coal mining, chemicals, metal manufacturing, forest products, stone, clay, oil, glass products
Agriculture: Poultry and eggs, cattle, dairy products, apples

—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Related Features

On the War Path: Civil War Photos

Photographer Robert J. Szabo created contemporary photographs using an almost-forgotten 19th-century technique called wet-plate collodion process.
Hike the Appalachian Trail

Get inspired with our Ultimate Adventure Bucket List, a collection of 40 trips that range from totally extreme to actually doable.
Top 10 North American Train Trips

Journey past mountain peaks, coastal views, desert vistas, and some of the most magnificent scenery the continent has to offer.