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West Virginia
Welcome to West Virginia and a brief overview of The Mountain State.
Considered one of the Southern States, West Virginia is located in the middle eastern part of the 48 "conterminous" states. It's bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland on the north and Virginia on the south. West Virginia is bordered by Maryland and Virginia on the east and Ohio and Kentucky on the west.
West Virginia has two pieces of land that extend outward from the major mass of the state. These geographical extensions are called panhandles. The part of West Virginia that extends to the north between Ohio and Pennsylvania is called the northern panhandle. The part of West Virginia that extends to the east between Maryland and Virginia is called the eastern panhandle.
- Statehood: June 20, 1863 (35th state)
- Abbreviation: W. Va. (traditional), WV (postal)
- Capital: Charleston.
- Size: 24,231 square miles, includes inland water (41st)
- Coastline: None.
- Latin Motto: Montani semper liberi (Mountaineers always free)
- State bird: Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) adopted 1949.
- State flower: Big laurel ( Rhododendron maximum) adopted 1903.
- State song:
- "The West Virginia Hills", words by Ellen King, music by H.E. Engle, adopted 1961.
- "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home", by Julian G. Hearne, adopted 1963.
- "This is My West Virginia", by Iris Bell, adopted 1963.
- State tree: Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) adopted 1949.
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