What are the main land regions of West Virginia?
What are the main land regions of West Virginia? All of West Virginia is a part of the Appalachian Mountain system. It is commonly subdivided into two major physiographic regions: the Appalachian Plateau Province and the.
What are the largest cities in West Virginia?
What are the top 10 largest cities in West Virginia?
- Charleston (45,264)
- Huntington (43,814)
- Morgantown (30,153)
- Parkersburg (28,612)
- Wheeling (25,990)
- Fairmont (18,302)
- Weirton (17,906)
- Martinsburg (17,406)
Is West Virginia located in mountainous regions?
West Virginia: Physiographic Regions. All of West Virginia is a part of the Appalachian Mountain system. It is commonly subdivided into two major physiographic regions: the Appalachian Plateau Province and the ; Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Valley Province. Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Valley
What are West Virginia's physical regions and landforms?
What Are West Virginia's Physical Regions and Landforms? Appalachian Mountains. Although not all of West Virginia is mountainous, it is the only state in America completely within the Appalachian chain. The Panhandles. West Virginia has two panhandles. ... New River -- Greenbrier Valley. ... Mid-Ohio Valley -- Allegheny Plateau. ...

How many regions are in West Virginia?
Generally, it is divided into four geographical regions: Ohio River Valley, Allegheny Plateau, Allegheny Highlands, and Potomac Section.
What region is Virginia and West Virginia in?
In the north, West Virginia shares a border Ohio in the northwest and Pennsylvania in the northeast. To the east, West Virginia is bordered by Virginia and Maryland....Points of Extremity.State NameWest VirginiaArea62,756 km²Area Ranking41CapitalCharlestonStatehood Year18633 more rows
Is West Virginia in the southern region?
As defined by the U.S. federal government, it includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Is West Virginia in the South or Midwest?
SouthAccording to the Census Bureau, the South consists of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. Washington, DC, is also included in the South.
What region is Virginia in?
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains.
Is West Virginia in the mid-Atlantic region?
Its exact definition differs upon source, but the region typically includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Is West Virginia East Coast?
The east coast states include the Mid-Atlantic Region, comprised of Delaware, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. One interesting historical fact about the East Coast states is that all of the original thirteen colonies are located along the East Coast.
Is Virginia a Southern state or northern state?
Florida, Texas, and Virginia are still in the South — for now. After Arkansas, there was a large drop of 4,842 votes to Florida.
What region is West Virginia and Kentucky?
This includes all of West Virginia – the only state completely within the Appalachian Region – and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
What are the 5 regions of the US?
A common way of referring to regions in the United States is grouping them into 5 regions according to their geographic position on the continent: the Northeast, Southwest, West, Southeast, and Midwest.
What's considered Midwest?
Many people label entire states as either Midwestern or not—following the U.S. Census Bureau, which defines the Midwest as consisting of an “East North Central” division of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin, and a “West North Central” division of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, ...
Is West Virginia Mid-Atlantic or Midwest?
Based in Philadelphia, GSA's Mid-Atlantic Region provides products and services throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, West Virginia, and much of Maryland and Virginia*.
Is West Virginia Northeast?
Quick Links. States included in the Northeast Region: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, pennsylvania, puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.
Are Virginia and West Virginia two different states?
It became one of two American states that formed during the American Civil War—the other being Nevada in 1864. It was the only state to form from another state during this time, splitting from Virginia. West Virginia was officially admitted as a U.S. state on June 20, 1863.
Is West Virginia East Coast or West Coast?
east coastThe east coast states include the Mid-Atlantic Region, comprised of Delaware, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. One interesting historical fact about the East Coast states is that all of the original thirteen colonies are located along the East Coast.
Is West Virginia in the north or south?
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.
Where is West Virginia?
The State of West Virginia is located in the South Atlantic Region of the United States . West Virginia is landlocked and shares its land borders with 5 states. It is bordered by Virginia in the southeast; by Kentucky in the southwest; by Ohio in the northwest; by Pennsylvania in the northeast and by Maryland in the east and northeast.
What is the capital of West Virginia?
Located in the south-central part of the state, at the confluence of Elk and Kanawha Rivers in the Allegheny Mountains is Charleston – the capital, the largest and the most populous city of West Virginia. It serves as an administrative, cultural, economic, and industrial center for the state.
What is the largest limestone cave in West Virginia?
The Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia are also laced with miles of limestone caves, among which Organ Cave is the largest. Organ Cave , situated in Greenbrier County also serves as a National Natural Landmark. The most significant river of West Virginia is the Ohio River.
What is the most significant mountain range in West Virginia?
The most significant range of West Virginia is the Allegheny Mountains, which extend from the southern part of the state into Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
What is the highest point in West Virginia?
As marked by an upright yellow triangle, the state’s highest point is Spruce Knob – located in the eastern part of the state, which rises to an elevation of 4,863ft (1,482m).
What is the most important river in West Virginia?
The most significant river of West Virginia is the Ohio River. Along with its tributaries (Big Sandy River and Tug Fork), it forms the state's south-western border. Other rivers of note include the Potomac and its North and South branches, Guyandotte, Kanawha, Little Kanawha, Cacapon, Cheat, Greenbrier, and the New River.
How high is the Allegheny Plateau?
Elevations across the plateau vary greatly, but about 300ft above sea level is a good average.
How high is West Virginia?
West Virginia justifies in every way its nickname, the Mountain State. With an average elevation of about 1,500 feet (460 metres) above sea level, it is the highest of any U.S. state east of the Mississippi River.
How high is the elevation of West Virginia?
The maximum elevation in West Virginia is 4,863 feet (1,482 metres) at Spruce Knob, in the east. The lowest point is 247 feet (75 metres) at Harpers Ferry, located on a steep tongue of land rising above the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. The land is rugged, ranging from hilly to mountainous, and there are no extensive expanses of level land. The state has two panhandles, one knifing northward between Pennsylvania and Ohio, the other eastward between Maryland and Virginia.
What are the two major physiographic regions of the Appalachian Plateau?
It is commonly subdivided into two major physiographic regions: the Appalachian Plateau Province and the Ridge and Valley Province . In general, these are separated by the Allegheny Front, dividing the waters that flow to the Atlantic Ocean from those flowing to the Gulf of Mexico.
What is the Appalachian Plateau?
It is a region severely dissected by streams into a maze of hills and valleys, and , in places, the original plateau surface shows as the uniform top levels of the remaining ranges.
How tall are the Allegheny Mountains?
The Allegheny Mountains include more than 40 peaks over 4,000 feet (1,200 metres) in elevation, inducing heavy precipitation in the area and making it the wettest in the state and the source of many of its rivers. The eastern edge of the state and the eastern panhandle comprise the Ridge and Valley Province.
What type of soil is found in West Virginia?
The weathered limestone soils of the east are suited for pasture and orchards. Some of the clay soils along the Ohio River are bases for the ceramics industry. In general, however, the high relief and deciduous forest of the Appalachian Plateau Province produce a thin, rocky , acidic soil not conducive to large-scale commercial farming.
What is the eastern edge of Alabama?
This geologic province takes in most of the Potomac River basin and is famous for its northeast-southwest folded mountain alignment, part of the chain reaching from Canada to north-central Alabama.
What is West Virginia?
All of West Virginia is a part of the Appalachian Mountain system. It is commonly subdivided into two major physiographic regions: the Appalachian Plateau Province and the. Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Valley Province.
What is the name of the state that borders West Virginia?
West Virginia is bordered by Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland on the north and by Virginia on the south. On the east, the state borders Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, and on the west it is bordered by Ohio and Kentucky. West Virginia's nickname, the Mountain State, is well deserved.
What are the hills in Ohio?
Landforms within the Ohio Hills consist primarily of dissected, unglaciated plateaus ranging in elevation from 150 m to 450 m , with some valleys as low as 100 m and some mountainous areas reaching 1,100 m. A majority of the planning unit was dominated historically by oak-hickory forests; today these cover roughly 4.3 million ha (10.7 million ac), or 54% of the physiographic area. Numerous patches of northern hardwood forest occur on north-facing hillsides, particularly near the edges of the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia and Allegheny Plateau in Ohio. Historically, oak-hickory and oak-pine regeneration was dependent on fire, and recent policies of fires suppression in the southern Appalachians has had major (primarily negative) effects on native forest composition and structure. Human populations are relatively sparse through most the physiographic area and are largely confined to the larger valleys; Pittsburgh, PA and Morgantown, WV are the largest cities. Roughly 40% of the physiographic area is in agricultural production or urban development, mostly in the northern half. Timber extraction has been a major activity throughout the history of this region, and it continues to be important on both public (10% of area) and privately owned forest lands. Extraction of minerals, oil and gas, and coal are also important land uses throughout this region, with a new wave of mining underway in the form of highly destructive mountaintop removal.
What is the name of the mountain range in the eastern portion of the plateau?
The eastern portion of the plateau, with the highest mountains of the state, is referred to as the Allegheny Mountain section .
What is the highest point in West Virginia?
The highest point in West Virginia is Spruce Knob at 4,861 feet above sea level and the lowest point is the Potomac River at 240 feet above sea level. The state's nickname is the Mountain State, and West Virginia features some of the most rugged land in the United States.
How high is Spruce Knob in West Virginia?
Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia, rises 4,861 feet above sea level in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region.
Where is the Mid Atlantic Ridge?
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Valley extends from western Maryland, through the mountains of Virginia and eastern West Virginia. Most of this physiographic area consists of long mountainous ridges and intervening valleys, but it also includes the higher Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. Predominant vegetation consists of oak ...
What are the two major physical regions of West Virginia?
Two major physical regions dominate the state: the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region in the east and the Allegheny Plateau in the center and west. West Virginia's borders are defined almost entirely by natural features—rivers and ridges—giving it one of the most irregular shapes of any state in the United States.
How many counties are there in West Virginia?
There are 55 counties in West Virginia. The population is relatively mixed, with predominantly African-American counties concentrated in the far south, while the Appalachian Highlands were first settled by Scots-Irish, reminded of the rolling blue-green mountains of the Scottish Highlands.
What is the name of the river that flows westward to the Ohio River?
The Allegheny (or Appalachian) Plateau, which covers five-sixths of the state, was once relatively level but has been cut down through erosion over millions of years, creating flat-topped highlands and several deep and windy river gorges, most notably the New River (ironically one of the oldest rivers in the nation). Rivers in this region flow westward to the Ohio River: the New joins with the Kanawha to form the state's most important waterway.
How tall is West Virginia?
Many of the mountains in West Virginia rise above 4,000 ft (1,200 m), with the average elevation of the entire state at 1,500 ft (450 m). The peaks of the Ridge and Valley Region are heavily forested and lie within some of the nation's largest protected forests, the Monongahela and the George Washington national forests.
Why was West Virginia created?
Formerly known as the Trans-Allegheny region of VIRGINIA, the new state of West Virginia was created in 1863 out of the northwestern counties of Virginia, both for reasons of both politics (prounion, antislavery), and of economics. Much of the population of western Virginia was oriented toward the development of the Ohio River valley and the wild west beyond, not toward the tobacco plantations of Virginia's Piedmont and Tidewater areas. The new state needed access to eastern commercial and port cities, however, so the counties now known as the Eastern Panhandle were added, providing an economic supply line via the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Through the succeeding century, West Virginia supplied the nation with much of its raw coal. This has been less in demand since the 1960s, seriously weakening the local economy, which had become almost entirely dependent on coal mining.
What is the highest point in the state of West Virginia?
It's highest point is Spruce Knob at 4,863 ft (1,483 m) and its primary natural resources are coal, natural gas, stone, salt, oil, and mineral springs. West Virginia (population 1,808,344) is known as the Mountain State for obvious reasons: unless you are traveling along a river valley, you are always traveling either up or down.
What was West Virginia's dependence on coal?
Through the succeeding century, West Virginia supplied the nation with much of its raw coal. This has been less in demand since the 1960s, seriously weakening the local economy, which had become almost entirely dependent on coal mining.
Explore Almost Heaven Road Trips
From historic towns rich with culture & heritage, to one-of-a-kind West Virginia sights like Seneca Rocks and Blackwater Falls, the state’s country roads lead to unforgettable experiences. Check out a featured road trip below and get inspired to take one of your own this summer.
Explore Mountain Towns
West Virginia has many towns that will make you want to head to the hills for good. Here you will experience world class outdoor adventure, family-owned shops and restaurants, and above all, tightly knit communities, steeped in history, culture and heritage.
What is the growing zone of West Virginia?
West Virginia growing zones range from 5a to 7a, but most of the state is in the 6b to 7a range. Only a small section of the state in the mid eastern range is the cooler zones. If unsure what West Virginia planting zone you are in, or if you aren’t sure which plants to choose, a local nursery can help. Always be sure to select plants in your zone ...
What is the climate of West Virginia?
A humid subtropical climate describes most of the state of West Virginia and its planting zones. Cold but fairly mild winters and humid, hot summers are the norm for the majority of the state.
How many days of rain in West Virginia?
The state has a high number of days with precipitation, averaging almost 200 days of rain or snow each year. Dense fog and cloudy skies are typical of West Virginia. Know what planting zone you are in before you plan a garden is important. Make it easy to find your zone with Gilmour’s Interactive Planting Zone Map.
Where is the Eastern Panhandle?
Eastern Panhandle. Just a short distance from the Washington, D.C. metro area, West Virginia ’s Eastern Panhandle revives visitors with a relaxed atmosphere full of history, scenery and small-town charm. Escape from the big city to soak in healing waters, shop at eclectic storefronts and walk through national historic parks.
Is Berkeley Springs in the Panhandle?
Your last day in the Eastern Panhandle is bound to be the most relaxing one yet. Berkeley Springs is a spa town with a bustling arts community, so be sure to check out the antique stores, art galleries, and specialty shops downtown.
