West Virginia - School-Age
West Virginia
35th State (June 20, 1863), the upper south U.S.
State Abbreviation: WV
Capital: Charleston
Origin of name: Named in honor of Elizabeth I of England.
Motto: Montani semper liberi--Mountaineers are always free.
Nickname: Mountain State and Switzerland of America (for its mountains), Panhandle State (for its shape).
West Virginia State Symbols
West Virginia: State Seal
Bird: Cardinal
Fish: Brook Trout
Flower: Rhododendron Maximum, or "Big Laurel"
Fossil: West Virginia fossil (Megalonyx jeffersonii)Fruit: Golden Delicious Apple
Gemstone: Chalcedony
Insect: Monarch Butterfly
Mammal: Black Bear
Reptile: Timber Rattlesnake
Insect: Green Darner Dragonfly
Song:: WV has 5 State Songs.
Tree: Sugar Maple
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Things to Know
United States Senators from West Virginia.
West Virginia was a part of Virginia until that state seceded from the United States in 1861; delegates from 50 counties formed their own government, and statehood was granted them two years later in 1863.
Harper's Ferry National Historical Park
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, John Brown, "Stonewall" Jackson, and Frederick Douglas are just a few of the prominent individuals who left their mark on this place.
West Virginia has long been famous for its manufacture of fine glass.
West Virginia is the second-largest coal producing state in the country. Wyoming is the largest coal producing state in the country.
New River Gorge National River
The New River is among the oldest rivers on the continent.
Appalachian Range
The Appalachian Mountains are a large group of North American mountains. The Appalachian Mountains run almost 2,00 miles (3,200 km) from Newfoundland Canada to central Alabama in the United States. The name Appalachia comes from French settlers who took the name from Indian tribes that lived in this region.
The Appalachian Mountains cover the entire state of West Virginia. There are two mountain ranges, the Allegheny Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, that are part of the Appalacian Mountains. The Allegheny Mountains are the tallest mountains in West Virginia. Spruce Knob is the highest point in the state, its peak is nearly 5,000 feet (1,524 m) above sea level.
Rivers and streams on the east side of the Allegheny mountains flow to the Atlantic Oceans and those on the west side flow to the Gulf of Mexico.
The summit of Spruce Knob is often covered in clouds.
Recommended Book
When I Was Young in the Mountains
by Cynthia Rylant
For twenty years, Cynthia Rylant's story of childhood in the Appalachian Mountains has been an enduring favorite. Growing up in the mountains is depicted with a spare, lyrical text and beautiful, tender illustrations by Diane Goode. The book was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal.
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Famous West Virginian's
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Confederate General, born in Clarksburg
Brigadier General Charles Yeager , U.S.A.F Retired
First person to fly faster than the speed of sound, was born in Myra.
Mary Lou Retton
1984 Olympic Gold Medal winner in gymnastics is from Fairmont.
Things to Do
Sites to See
West Virginia: The Mountain State
Read about West Virginia the only state that lies completely within the Appalachian Mountain region.
