West Virginia
Contents
|
|
|
|
|
State flag
|
WEST VIRGINIA,
one of the South Atlantic states of the U.S., bordered on
the N by Ohio and Pennsylvania, on the NE by Maryland, on the E and S by Virginia, and on the W by Kentucky and Ohio. The Potomac
R. forms part of the NE boundary; the Tug Fork and Big Sandy rivers
form almost all of the SW boundary; and the Ohio R. forms the W and NW boundaries.
West Virginia entered the Union on June 20, 1863, as
the 35th
state. It 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. The name West Virginia refers to the state’s formation
from part of the W area of Virginia. It is known as the Mountain
State.
| WEST VIRGINIA STATE FACTS |
| DATE OF STATEHOOD: |
June 20, 1863; 35th state |
| CAPITAL: |
Charleston |
| MOTTO: |
Montani semper liberi (Mountaineers are always free) |
| NICKNAME: |
Mountain State |
| STATE SONGS: |
“The West Virginia Hills” (words by Ellen King; music by H.
E. Engle); “This Is My West Virginia” (words and
music by Ires Bell); “West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home” (words and music by Julian G. Hearne, Jr.) |
| STATE TREE: |
Sugar maple |
| STATE FLOWER: |
Rhododendron |
| STATE BIRD: |
Cardinal |
| POPULATION (2000 census): |
1,804,344; 37th among the states |
| AREA: |
62,759 sq km (24,231 sq mi); 41st largest state; includes 375 sq km (145 sq mi) of inland water |
| HIGHEST POINT: |
Spruce Knob, 1482 m (4863 ft) |
| LOWEST POINT: |
73 m (240 ft), along the Potomac River |
| ELECTORAL VOTES: |
5 |
| U.S. CONGRESS: |
2 senators; 3 representatives |
| GOVERNOR: |
Bob Wise (Dem.) Took office January 2001 |
West Virginia, with an area of 62,759 sq km (24,231 sq mi),
is the 41st largest U.S. state; 9.1% of its land area is
owned by the federal government. The state is roughly oval in shape,
with panhandles in the N and NE; its extreme dimensions are about
425 km (about 265 mi) from E to W and about 380 km (about 235 mi)
from N to S. Elevations range from 73 m (240 ft), along the Potomac
R. in the NE, to 1482 m (4863 ft), atop Spruce Knob, in the E; the
approximate mean elevation is 457 m (1500 ft), the highest of any
state E of the Mississippi R.
All of West Virginia is underlaid by folded sedimentary rocks, and
the state has only two major physiographic regions. In the relatively
small Valley and Ridge Region in the E, the rock is more strongly
folded, and narrow, crested ridges have developed on sandstone,
with valleys on the limestone and shale. The Allegheny Front, the
E edge of the Appalachian Plateau, the state’s other major region,
rises abruptly to a crest more than 1219 m (more than 4000 ft) high.
The Appalachian Plateau then slopes gently NW, so that summit elevations
near the Ohio R. in the W are only about 305 m (about 1000 ft) above
sea level. The difference in elevation between hilltops and valley
floors is more than 305 m (more than 1000 ft) near the Allegheny
Front, but decreases to less than 152 m (less than 500 ft) near
the Ohio R. Soils are shallow, and generally infertile, except where
they have developed on limestone.
Most of West Virginia is drained by the Monongahela and Kanawha
river systems into the Ohio R., which flows along the W boundary.
The NE part of the state, however, is drained by the Shenandoah
R. and other tributaries of the Potomac R. West Virginia has no
large natural bodies of water, but several big lakes have been formed
by dams on rivers. These include Bluestone, East Lynn, Summersville, and Tygart lakes.
West Virginia has a humid continental climate, with
warm summers and cool to cold winters. The coolest temperatures and the
heaviest
precipitation occur along the high E edge of the Appalachian Plateau;
temperatures increase, and precipitation decreases, both to the
NW and to the SE. The climate of the state is notable for considerable
variation between nearby areas, due largely to differences in altitude.
Charleston, in the W, has an average January temperature of 1.4° C
(34.5° F) and an average July temperature of 23.9° C
(75° F); Elkins, in the E, has a mean January temperature
of –1.1° C (30° F) and a mean July temperature
of 24.1° C (75.3° F). The recorded temperature
in the state has ranged from –38.3° C (–37° F),
in 1917 at Lewisburg, to 44.4° C (112° F), in
1930 at Moorefield and in 1936 at Martinsburg.
Mean annual precipitation in West Virginia increases from
about 1015 mm (about 40 in) along the Ohio R. in the W to about
1525 mm (about 60 in) near the Allegheny Front, then drops abruptly
to less than some 915 mm (some 36 in) in the Valley and Ridge Region
in the E. Mean annual snowfall varies from less than 405 mm (16
in) in the SW to more than 1625 mm (64 in) along the Allegheny Front.
The state is rarely struck by damaging tornadoes or hurricanes,
but thunderstorms in summer sometimes cause flash flooding.
| WEST VIRGINIA AVERAGE CLIMATE |
| |
Huntington |
Elkins |
| Average January temperature range |
–3.3° to 6.1° C |
26° to 43° F |
–7.2° to 5° C |
19° to 41° F |
| Average July temperature range |
18.3° to 30° C |
65° to 86° F |
13.9° to 26.7° C |
57° to 80° F |
| Average annual temperature |
12.8° C |
55° F |
10° C |
50° F |
| Average annual precipitation |
991 mm |
39 in |
1092 mm |
43 in |
| Average annual snowfall |
584 mm |
23 in |
1702 mm |
67 in |
| Mean number of days per year with appreciable precipitation |
139 |
166 |
| Average daily relative humidity |
72% |
73% |
| Mean number of clear days per year |
62 |
50 |
About three-quarters of West Virginia is forested. The dominant tree
species are beech, tulip tree, basswood, sugar maple, buckeye, red
oak, white oak, hemlock, and, in the Ohio Valley, oak, hickory,
Virginia pine, and pitch pine. Among the state’s many flowering
plants are aster, azalea, dogwood, goldenrod, hepatica, laurel,
redbud, and rhododendron.
Large mammals of West Virginia are white-tailed deer and black
bear. Common smaller mammals include red and gray fox, raccoon,
skunk, opossum, cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, and groundhog.
Bass, trout, perch, and pike abound in the state’s rivers and lakes. Among the many birds are the cardinal, scarlet tanager,
sparrow, and woodpecker. Game birds include ruffed grouse and wild
turkey.
Valuable mineral resources of West Virginia include bituminous coal,
natural gas, and petroleum. Coal occurs throughout the Appalachian
Plateau, with the most important beds located in the SW part of
the state. Natural gas and petroleum occur in the SW and W central
areas. Other important minerals are stone, sand and gravel, clay, and salt.
According to the 2000 census, West Virginia had 1,808,344
inhabitants, an increase of 0.8 over 1990. The average population
density in 2000 was 75.1 people per sq mi of land area. Whites made
up 95.0% of the population and blacks 3.2%. Additional
population groups included 3606 American Indians, 9434 Asians, and
400 Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders. (These figures
do not include the 0.9% of the population who reported
more than one race.) A total of 12,279 persons, or 0.7%,
reported being of Hispanic background. The state’s largest
cities were Charleston, the capital; Huntington; Wheeling; Parkersburg; and Morgantown.
According to the 1990 census, Baptists (29.3%), Methodists
(14.9%), Roman Catholics (5.9%), and Presbyterians
(4.3%) were among the state’s largest religious
groups. West Virginia is one of the least urbanized states in the
U.S.; in 1990 about 36% of all West Virginians lived in
areas defined as urban, and the rest lived in rural areas.
| POPULATION OF WEST VIRGINIA SINCE 1790 |
| Year of Census |
Population |
Classified As Urban |
| 1790 |
56,000 |
0% |
| 1820 |
137,000 |
0% |
| 1850 |
302,000 |
4% |
| 1880 |
618,000 |
9% |
| 1900 |
959,000 |
13% |
| 1920 |
1,464,000 |
25% |
| 1940 |
1,902,000 |
28% |
| 1960 |
1,806,000 |
38% |
| 1980 |
1,950,000 |
36% |
| 1990 |
1,793,477 |
36% |
| 2000 |
1,808,344 |
36% |
| POPULATION OF TEN LARGEST CITIES IN WEST VIRGINIA |
| |
2000 Census |
1990 Census |
| Charleston |
53,421 |
57,287 |
| Huntington |
51,475 |
54,844 |
| Parkersburg |
33,099 |
33,862 |
| Wheeling |
31,419 |
34,882 |
| Morgantown |
26,809 |
25,879 |
| Weirton |
20,411 |
22,124 |
| Fairmont |
19,097 |
20,210 |
| Beckley |
17,254 |
18,296 |
| Clarksburg |
16,743 |
18,059 |
| Martinsburg |
14,972 |
14,073 |
West Virginia has a comprehensive educational system and several
noteworthy cultural institutions and historical sites. The state
is also noted for its traditional crafts and music.
Education in West Virginia before statehood in 1863 was largely provided
under private, especially religious, auspices. The state established
a public school system soon after joining the Union. In the late
1980s, West Virginia had 1035 public schools. Annual enrollment
included about 227,250 elementary pupils and 100,300 secondary students.
In addition, about 13,000 students attended private schools.
In the same period, West Virginia had 28 institutions of higher
education, with a total yearly enrollment of about 82,450 students.
Notable universities and colleges included West Virginia University
(1867), in Morgantown; Marshall University (1837), in Huntington;
West Virginia State College (1891), in Institute; Fairmont State
College (1865), in Fairmont; Concord College (1872), in Athens;
Shepherd College (1871), in Shepherdstown; the University of Charleston
(1888), in Charleston; and West Virginia Institute of Technology (1895),
in Montgomery.
Cultural institutions in West Virginia are centered in Charleston,
Wheeling, and Huntington, and in college and university communities.
Exhibitions on the history of the state can be found in the State
Museum, in Charleston, and in the Oglebay Institute Mansion Museum, in
Wheeling. The Sunrise Foundation, in Charleston, is a cultural complex
that includes an art gallery, a museum, a planetarium, and a garden
center. The Huntington Galleries, in Huntington, contain displays
of American and European paintings, Georgian silver, pre-Columbian
art, and local handicrafts.
West Virginia has about 180 public libraries, the
largest
of which is in Charleston. The West Virginia Division of Culture and
History Library at Charleston has an extensive collection of
documents and records relating to the state’s history.
The largest of the academic libraries is at West Virginia University,
in Morgantown. Theater groups perform in Charleston and several
other cities. West Virginia also has symphony orchestras based in
Charleston and Wheeling.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (parts of which are
in Maryland and Virginia) includes the site of the raid in 1859
by the abolitionist John Brown. Several other landmarks commemorate
the American Civil War era, notably Droop Mountain Battlefield,
site of a battle in 1863. Grave Creek Mound, in Moundsville, is
one of the nation’s tallest Indian burial mounds. Also
of historical interest are the Jackson’s Mill Museum, near
Weston, on the farm where Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson
spent his youth, and the restored childhood home, in the Hillsboro
area, of the writer Pearl S. Buck.
West Virginia’s rugged and lovely landscape lures vacationers
from many other states. Fishing, hunting, and skiing are offered
in the state’s numerous parks and forests, and in public
hunting areas. Horseback riding, camping, and golfing are popular
outdoor activities. Horse races are held at tracks at Charles Town and Chester, and a dog-racing facility is at Wheeling.
In the early 1990s, West Virginia had 68 AM and 88 FM radio stations and 17 television stations. The state’s first radio station
was WSAZ, in Huntington, which began operations in 1923; the first
television station, WSAZ-TV, in Huntington, started broadcasting
in 1949. West Virginia’s first newspaper, the Potomak
Guardian and Berkeley Advertiser, initially appeared in Shepherdstown
in 1790. In the early 1990s West Virginia had 23 daily newspapers
with a combined daily circulation of about 436,000. Influential
dailies included the Charleston Daily Mail; the Charleston
Gazette; the Herald-Dispatch, published
in Huntington; and the Wheeling News-Register.
West Virginia is governed under its second constitution, adopted
in 1872. The first constitution had been adopted in 1863. An amendment
to the constitution may be proposed by the legislature; to become
effective it must be approved by a majority of persons voting on
the issue in a general election. An amendment may also be proposed
by a constitutional convention.
The chief executive of West Virginia is a governor, who is
popularly elected to a 4-year term and may not serve more than two
consecutive terms. In case of death, incapacity to serve, or removal
from office, the governor is succeeded by the president of the state
senate. Other major state officials, all elected to 4-year terms,
include the secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, treasurer, and commissioner of agriculture.
West Virginia’s legislature consists of a 34-member
senate and a 100-member house of delegates. The senators are popularly
elected for 4-year terms and the delegates for 2 years.
The highest tribunal in West Virginia, the supreme court of
appeals, has five judges popularly elected to 12-year terms. The
judges choose their longest-serving member to be chief justice.
The major trial courts are the circuit courts, with a total of 60
judges who are popularly elected to 8-year terms. Lesser tribunals
include intermediate, criminal, juvenile, and justice-of-the-peace
courts.
West Virginia is divided into 55 counties. Each has a popularly elected
three-member county court. Other elected county officials include
the county clerk, sheriff, and prosecuting attorney. The state also
has 161 cities and towns. Cities with more than 2000 inhabitants
may adopt their own charters.
West Virginia sends two senators and three representatives to
the U.S. Congress. The state has five electoral votes in presidential
elections.
The economic depression of the 1930s transformed West
Virginia from a predominantly Republican state to one in which
Democrats held a clear advantage. Few Republican presidential
candidates have carried West Virginia since 1932; an important
exception was George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election. As the
1990s ended, registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a ratio of
more than two to one. The leading political figure has been Robert C.
Byrd (1917- ), first elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia in
1958 and later Democratic majority leader (1977-81; 1987-88); the
longest-serving Democrat in the Senate, he won his eighth consecutive
term in 2000. The state's junior senator, also a Democrat, is John D.
(Jay) Rockefeller IV, who was state governor (1977-85) before winning
election in 1984 to the U.S. Senate; he was reelected in 1990, 1996,
and 2002.
West Virginia is predominantly rural, yet since the late 19th
century its economy has been based largely on nonagricultural activities.
In the early 1990s mining, manufacturing, and construction together
accounted for about one-third of the annual gross state product,
with agriculture of only minor importance. West Virginia has long
been a major producer of coal, which, together with its natural
gas and petroleum resources, has given the state renewed importance
as an energy producer.
| WEST VIRGINIA STATE ECONOMY (early 1990s) |
| STATE BUDGET |
|
| General revenue |
$3.8 billion |
| General expenditure |
$3.5 billion |
| Accumulated debt |
$2.5 billion |
 |
| STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, PER CAPITA |
$1562 |
| PERSONAL INCOME, PER CAPITA |
$10,520 |
| POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL |
19.7% |
| ASSETS, INSURED COMMERCIAL BANKS (188) |
$16.7 billion |
|
| LABOR FORCE (CIVILIAN NONFARM) |
613,000 |
| Employed in wholesale and retail trade |
24% |
| Employed in services |
23% |
| Employed in government |
20% |
| Employed in manufacturing |
14% |
|
| MAJOR INDUSTRIES |
% CONTRIBUTED TO GSP* |
| Commercial, financial, and professional services |
43% |
| Manufacturing and construction |
20% |
| Transportation, communications, and public utilities |
13% |
| Mining |
12% |
| Government |
11% |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries |
1% |
Gross State Product = total value of goods and services produced in a year.
Sources: U.S. government publications |
| PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS OF WEST VIRGINIA (early 1990s) |
| |
Quantity Produced |
Value |
| FARM PRODUCTS |
|
$382 million |
|
| CROPS |
|
$113 million |
| Hay |
1.0 million metric tons |
$81 million |
| Apples |
68,000 metric tons |
$14 million |
| Corn |
133,000 metric tons |
$12 million |
|
| LIVESTOCK AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS |
|
$269 million |
| Cattle |
78,000 metric tons |
$128 million |
| Chickens (broilers) |
71,000 metric tons |
$52 million |
| Milk |
120,000 metric tons |
$40 million |
| Turkeys |
32,000 metric tons |
$28 million |
| Eggs |
136 million |
$12 million |
| Hogs |
6700 metric tons |
$8 million |
|
| MINERALS |
|
$5.2 billion |
| Coal |
138.9 million metric tons |
$4.4 billion |
| Natural gas |
5.6 billion cu m |
$616 million |
| Stone |
9.9 million metric tons |
$43 million |
| Petroleum |
2.2 million barrels |
$39 million |
|
| |
|
Annual Payroll |
| MANUFACTURING |
|
$2.2 billion |
| Primary metals |
|
$547 million |
| Chemicals and allied products |
|
$532 million |
| Stone, clay, and glass products |
|
$188 million |
| Fabricated metal products |
|
$127 million |
| Industrial machinery and equipment |
|
$119 million |
| Printing and publishing |
|
$88 million |
| Lumber and wood products |
|
$81 million |
| Food and kindred products |
|
$77 million |
| Electronic equipment |
|
$76 million |
| Apparel and textile mill products |
|
$48 million |
|
| OTHER |
|
$9.2 billion |
| Government |
|
$2.4 billion |
| Services |
|
$2.1 billion |
| Retail trade |
|
$1.1 billion |
| Transportation, communications, and public utilities |
|
$760 million |
| Wholesale trade |
|
$598 million |
| Construction |
|
$518 million |
| Finance,insurance, and real estate |
|
$451 million |
| Sources: U.S. government publications |
Because of its rugged topography, West Virginia is not well
suited to agricultural production; in the late 1980s annual cash
receipts from farm marketings totaled only about $382 million.
About 70% of the value of farm output came from sales of
livestock and livestock products, and the rest derived from crops.
West Virginia has approximately 20,000 farms, with an average size
of about 75 ha (185 acres). The state’s leading farm commodities
include beef cattle, hay, broiler chickens, dairy products, apples,
corn, and turkeys; eggs, hogs, sheep, oats, wheat, tobacco, peaches,
cherries, and blackberries are also important. Greenbrier Co., in
the SE, is the most important beef cattle producer; in the Eastern Panhandle,
Jefferson Co. leads the state in dairy production, and Hardy Co.
in poultry production.
About three-fourths of West Virginia is covered with forest. Second-growth
timber of oak, yellow poplar, beech, and other hardwoods is harvested
in considerable quantity annually in the central, E, and S parts
of the state. The counties of Randolph, Pocahontas, and Pendleton
lead the state in timber sales. Major products from the industry
are dimension hardwood, lumber, veneer logs, rustic fencing, and
pulpwood. The commercial fishing industry is of negligible importance
to the West Virginia economy.
The best known industry in West Virginia is the mining of
bituminous coal. The state has consistently ranked among the top
two or three states in annual coal production since the early 20th
century. The annual coal output in the late 1980s was about 138.9
million metric tons, over 15% of the U.S. total. Nearly
75% of the coal of West Virginia is produced from underground
mines. Monongalia, Boone, Logan, McDowell, and Wyoming counties
are the leading producers.
Natural gas and petroleum are also produced in West
Virginia.
Wells of relatively low but stable productivity consistently yield
a yearly total of about 5.6 billion cu m (about 198 billion cu ft)
of natural gas and about 2.2 million barrels of crude oil. Other
major mineral products include limestone, sand and gravel, salt, and
clay. West Virginia usually ranks among the top ten states in
the annual value of its mineral output.
West Virginia’s annual value added by manufacture
exceeds $5 billion. A leading type of manufacture is primary metals,
notably iron and steel, produced along the Ohio R. in the
Northern Panhandle, and aluminum, produced in Jackson Co. Another
leading class of manufactures is chemicals, produced mainly in the
Kanawha and Ohio river valleys. The glass industry is important
in the Monongahela R. valley, with numerous plants producing tableware
and industrial products. Pottery production is an established industry
along the Ohio R. in Hancock and other N counties. Other major
manufactures
of West Virginia include industrial machinery, printed materials,
wood products, processed food, electronic equipment, and apparel and
textiles.
The tourist industry produces over $2.5 billion
annually and provides nearly 50,000 jobs. The rural landscape, with
forested
mountain scenery and numerous rivers and streams, contrasts sharply
with the densely populated urban areas in states to the E. The E
counties of the state are very popular as recreation areas for visitors
from urban areas in Maryland and Virginia. Within West Virginia
are the Monongahela National Forest, with many recreation areas, and a
section of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. In addition,
West Virginia maintains 35 state parks, of which Blackwater Falls,
Hawk’s Nest, and Pipestem Resort are especially popular.
Widely known private developments include The Greenbrier, at White
Sulphur Springs, and Snowshoe Ski Area, at Slatyfork.
The construction of transportation facilities in West
Virginia
has been hampered by the rugged terrain. The state has about 55,670
km (about 34,590 mi) of roads, including 829 km (515 mi) of interstate
highways. Interstate routes 77 and 79 are major N-S arteries. A
total of about 4515 km (about 2805 mi) of Class I railroad track
crisscrosses the state. The railroads carry mainly coal and other
primary products. Coal and similarly bulky products are also shipped
on navigable waterways in West Virginia. The W border of the state
is a continuous waterway including the Ohio and Big Sandy rivers, and
navigation also is important on the Monongahela, Kanawha, and
Little Kanawha rivers. West Virginia has 61 airports and 23 heliports.
Yeager Airport, serving Charleston, is the state’s busiest
air terminal.
Electricity-generating plants in West Virginia have an installed
capacity of 14.4 million kw and produce some 77.4 billion kwh of
power annually; the latter figure represents nearly 3% of
the U.S. total. Conventional coal-fired plants generated 99% of
the state’s total electricity, with hydroelectric facilities and plants burning refined petroleum accounting for almost all of
the remainder.
The first Europeans to visit the territory that is now West
Virginia found a rugged, beautiful, and empty land. Explorers such
as Thomas Batts (d. 1698) and Robert Fallam, who in 1671 reached
the New River where it enters West Virginia, found deserted sites
of villages and cornfields, but no Indians. Later, impressively
large and ancient burial mounds and earthworks were found along
the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. Archaeological evidence confirms that
the Adena culture (c. 1000–100 bc) flourished
along these rivers and that West Virginia was occupied by aboriginal
peoples as late as the mid-17th century. Who the last Indian inhabitants were,
or what happened to them, remains a mystery.
Nevertheless, western Virginia became an arena of Indian warfare
as the Shawnee of nearby Ohio tried to stem the advance of white
settlers. This struggle disrupted, but did not halt, the process
of settlement between 1750 and 1790. As western Virginia matured
during the next 50 years, it differed in important respects from eastern
Virginia. It was a poorer but freer society, characterized more
by subsistence farms than by large plantations. Iron and glass manufacturing
developed early in the Wheeling district, while in the Kanawha and Monongahela
valleys salt and iron making presaged the later importance of extractive
industries. These economic differences added to the political restiveness
westerners felt under Virginia’s oligarchical and conservative
political system.
Eastern and western Virginia might have worked out their differences
amicably, as they appeared to be doing in the 1850s, had it not
been for the American Civil War. Instead, Unionist outrage at Virginia’s
secession and swift Union military conquests in June–July
1861 encouraged separatist leaders to organize, first, a so-called
restored Virginia government based in Wheeling, followed by a separate
state government that entered the Union as West Virginia on June
20, 1863. For strategic and economic reasons, the creators of the
state took in the Greenbrier and Potomac regions along the present
Virginia border. This gave West Virginia a large Confederate minority,
to which a number of disenchanted Unionists were added after 1865.
These dissidents gained political control of the state in the elections
of 1870 and remodeled its institutions according to Virginia precedents.
More than any other single element, the bituminous coal industry
has shaped West Virginia’s history since the issues of
statehood and the Civil War faded during the 1870s. Coal underlies
nearly two-thirds of the state. The exploitation of these reserves,
which followed the creation of a rail network between 1880 and 1910,
led to massive population shifts and social dislocations. A second “civil
war,” caused by labor-organizing drives among mine workers and the mine owners’ resistance, raged sporadically between
1912 and 1954. Labor problems still trouble the industry, as do
environmental controversies involving surface, or strip, mining;
flood hazards have resulted from denuding the land in the narrow
valleys where much of the coal is mined. Despite an increasingly
diverse economy, including urban-industrial centers in the major
river valleys, West Virginia remained one of the poorest states
in the U.S. as the 1990s began. In March 1997, many West Virginia
towns were damaged by flooding in the Ohio River valley.