West Virginia

West Virginia is a  in the  /  region of the. West Virginia broke away from during the  and was admitted to the  as a separate state on,  (an anniversary now celebrated as  in the state). It is the only state formed as a direct result of the American Civil War, and the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state.

West Virginia is one of the. The considers West Virginia part of the  because most of the state is below the, though its northern panhandle extends adjacent to  and  with  on a parallel with. The unique position of West Virginia means that it is included in a wide variety of geographical regions (though often only marginally), such as the, the , the , the , the , and even the  and. Notably, it is the only state which entirely lies within the area served by the, which is a common definition of "Appalachia". While West Virginians recognize that their state is part of Appalachia, many do not welcome the term for purposes of self-identification.WVU Social and Cultural Study The state's, and region feel an affinity for. Also, those in the feel a connection with the  s in  and, and ns often consider themselves. Finally, the towns and farms along the mid- have an appearance and culture somewhat resembling the, see: An Introduction to West Virginia's Ethnic Communities. The capital and largest city is.

The state is noted for its great natural beauty, its historically significant and  industries, and its. It is also well known as a tourist destination for those people interested in outdoor activities such as skiing, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, fishing, hiking, and hunting.

Geography


West Virginia is bordered by to the north; by  to the north and west; by  to the west; by  to the north and east; and by  to the east and south. The and  rivers form parts of the boundaries.

West Virginia is the only state in the nation located entirely within the, and in which all areas are mountainous; for this reason it is nicknamed The Mountain State. About 75% of the state is within the and  regions. Though the relief is not high, the plateau region is extremely rugged in most areas.

On the eastern state line with, high peaks in the region give rise to an island of colder  and s similar to those of northern  and eastern. The highest point in the state is atop, which at 4,863 feet (1,482 m) is covered in a of dense  trees at altitudes above 4,000 feet (1,220 m). Spruce Knob lies within the Monongahela National Forest and is a part of the. A total of six areas can also be found within the forest. Outside the forest to the south, the New River Gorge is a 1,000-foot (304 m) deep canyon carved by the. The manages a portion of the gorge and river that has been designated as the, one of only 15 rivers in the U.S. with this level of protection.

Other areas under protection and management include:

The native for most of the state was originally mixed   of, , , , and , with  and  along the state's waterways. Many of the areas are rich in and scenic beauty, a fact that is appreciated by native West Virginians, who refer to their home as Almost Heaven. Ecologically, most of West Virginia falls into the.

The underlying rock strata are s, s, beds, and s laid down in a near shore environment from sediments derived from mountains to the east, in a shallow inland sea on the west. Some beds illustrate a coastal swamp environment, some river delta, some shallow water. Sea level rose and fell many times during the and  eras, giving a variety of rock strata. The Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest on earth, having formed over 300 million years ago.

Climate
The climate of West Virginia borders on a ( Cfa) in the lower elevations of the extreme southwestern part of the state (including ) and parts of the Eastern Panhandle east of the Appalachians with hot, humid summers and milder winters. The rest of the state has a ( Dfa, except Dfb at the higher elevations) with warm to hot, humid summers and cold winters, increasing in severity with elevation. However, the weather is subject in all parts of the state to change. The hardiness zones range from zone 5b in the central mountains to zone 7a in the warmest parts of the lowest elevations. In the Eastern Panhandle and the Valley temperatures are warm enough to see and grow subtropical plants such as Southern magnolia (),, ,  and even the occasional  and. These plants don't thrive as well in other parts of the state.

Average January temperatures range from around 28°F (-2°C) near the Cheat River to 43°F (5°C) along sections of the border with Kentucky. July averages range from 67°F (19°C) along the to 76°F (24°C) in the western part of the state. It is cooler in the mountains than in the lower sections of the state.

Annual precipitation ranges from less than 32 inches (810 mm) in the lower eastern section to more than 56 inches (1,400 mm) in higher parts of the Allegheny Front. Slightly more than half the rainfall occurs from April to September. Dense fogs are common in many valleys of the section, especially the. Snow usually lasts only a few days in the lower sections but may persist for weeks in the higher mountain areas. An average of 34 inches (86 cm) of snow falls annually in Charleston, although during the winter of - more than three times that amount fell as several cities in the state established new records for snowfall.

History
West Virginia's unique geography allowed for exploration from two concurrent directions and a duality of a "Border State".

Prehistory
The area now known as West Virginia was a favorite hunting ground of numerous peoples before the arrival of an settlers. Many ancient man-made earthen mounds from various cultures survive, especially in the areas of, , and. Although little is known about these civilizations, the artifacts uncovered give evidence of a complex, stratified culture that practiced.

European exploration and settlement
In 1671, General, at the direction of Royal Governor of the , sent a party which discovered Kanawha Falls. In 1716, Governor with about thirty horsemen made an excursion into what is now. John Van Metre, an Indian trader, penetrated into the northern portion in 1725. The same year, settlers from  founded New Mecklenburg, the present, on the , and others followed.

King, in 1661, granted to a company of gentlemen the land between the Potomac and rivers, known as the. The grant finally came into the possession of, and in 1746, a was erected at the source of the  to mark the western limit of the grant. A considerable part of this land was surveyed by between 1748 and 1751. The diary kept by the surveyor indicates that there were already many squatters, largely of German origin, along the. , a surveyor in the employ of the first, which was composed chiefly of Virginians, explored the country along the north of the mouth of the  between 1751 and 1752. The company sought to have a fourteenth colony established with the name "". Many settlers crossed the mountains after 1750, though they were hindered by Native American resistance. Few Native Americans lived permanently within the present limits of the state, but the region was a common hunting ground, crossed by many trails. During the the scattered British settlements were almost destroyed.

In 1774, the Crown Governor of Virginia, led a force over the mountains, and a body of militia under dealt the , under  (or "Cornstalk"), a crushing blow during the  at the junction of the Kanawha and the Ohio rivers. Native American attacks continued until after the. During the war, the settlers in western Virginia were generally active Whigs and many served in the.

Trans-Allegheny Virginia, 1776-1861
Social conditions in western Virginia were entirely unlike those in the eastern portion of the state. The population was not homogeneous, as a considerable part of the immigration came by way of Pennsylvania and included Germans, Protestant, and settlers from the states farther north. During the, the movement to create a state beyond the Alleghanies was revived and a petition for the establishment of "Westsylvania" was presented to , on the grounds that the mountains made an almost impassable barrier on the east. The rugged nature of the country made slavery unprofitable, and time only increased the social, political, economic and cultural differences (see ) between the two sections of Virginia.

The convention that met in 1829 to form a new constitution for Virginia, against the protest of the counties beyond the mountains, required a property qualification for and gave the slave-holding counties the benefit of three-fifths of their slave population in apportioning the state's representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a result, every county beyond the Alleghenies except one voted to reject the constitution, which nevertheless passed because of eastern support. Though the Virginia Constitution of 1850 provided for white male suffrage, the distribution of representation among the counties continued to give control to the section east of the. Another grievance of the west was the large expenditure for internal improvements at state expense by the in the East compared with the scanty proportion allotted to the West.

Separation from Virginia
West Virginia is the only state in the Union to secede from a confederate state,, during the American Civil War. On, fifteen of the forty-six delegates from the area located in the present state of West Virginia voted to secede from the United States. Almost immediately after the vote to proceed with prevailed in the Virginia General Assembly, a mass meeting at  recommended that each county in northwestern Virginia send delegates to a convention to meet in  on. When this First met, 425 delegates from 25 counties were present, though more than one-third of the delegates were from the northern panhandle area, but soon there was a division of sentiment. Some delegates favored the immediate formation of a new state, while others argued that, as Virginia's secession had not yet been passed by the required referendum, such action would constitute revolution against the United States. It was decided that if the ordinance were adopted (of which there was little doubt), another convention including the members-elect of the legislature should meet at Wheeling in June. At the election on, secession was ratified by a large majority in the state as a whole, but in the western counties approximately 34,677 voted against and 19,121 voted for the Ordinance.

The Second Wheeling Convention met as agreed on and declared that, since the Secession Convention had been called without the consent of the people, all its acts were void, and that all who adhered to it had vacated their offices. The Wheeling Conventions, and the delegates themselves, were never actually elected by public ballot to act on behalf of western Virginia. An act for the reorganization of the government was passed on. The next day was chosen by other delegates at the convention to be governor of Virginia, other officers were elected and the convention adjourned. The legislature was composed of 103 members, 33 of whom had been elected to the Virginia General Assembly on. This number included some hold-over Senators from 1859, and as such had vacated their offices to convene in Wheeling. The other members "were chosen even more irregularly-some in mass meetings, others by county committee, and still others were seemingly self-appointed" They met on and filled the remainder of the state offices, organized a state government and elected two United States senators who were recognized at  At that point, therefore, there were two state governments in Virginia, one pledging allegiance to the United States and one to the.

The Wheeling Convention, which had taken a recess until, then reassembled on , and called for a popular vote on the formation of a new state and for a convention to frame a constitution if the vote should be favorable. At the election on, 18,489 votes were cast for the new state and only 781 against. Most of the affirmative votes came from ten counties in the Wheeling area. Over 50,000 votes had been cast on the Ordinance of Secession, yet the vote on statehood gathered only a little over 19,000. In Ohio County, home to Wheeling, a little over one-quarter of the voters cast a vote. At the Constitutional Convention in November 1861, Mr. Lamb of Ohio County and Mr. Carskadon said that in Hampshire County, out of 195 votes only 39 were cast by citizens of the state, the rest by Union soldiers. In most of what would become West Virginia, there was no vote at all as two-thirds of the territory of West Virginia had voted for secession and county officers were still loyal to Richmond. Votes recorded from Secession counties were mostly cast in the northwest by Unionist refugees from those counties. The convention began on, and finished its work on  , and the instrument was ratified (18,162 for and 514 against) on.

On, the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state. An application for admission to the Union was made to Congress, and on, an enabling act was approved by President  admitting West Virginia, on the condition that a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery be inserted in the Constitution. The Convention was reconvened on, and the demand was met. The revised constitution was adopted on, and on  , President Lincoln issued a proclamation admitting the state at the end of sixty days. Meanwhile officers for the new state were chosen and Governor Pierpont moved his capital to where he asserted jurisdiction over the counties of Virginia within the Federal lines.

The question of the constitutionality of the formation of the new state was brought before the in the following manner:  and  counties lying on the Potomac east of the mountains, in 1863, with the consent of the reorganized government of Virginia voted in favor of annexation to West Virginia. Many voters absent in the Confederate Army when the vote was taken refused to acknowledge the transfer upon their return. The repealed the act of secession and in 1866 brought suit against West Virginia asking the court to declare the counties a part of Virginia. Meanwhile, Congress, on, passed a joint resolution recognizing the transfer. The Supreme Court, in 1870, decided in favor of West Virginia.

During the, West Virginia suffered comparatively little. 's forces gained possession of the greater part of the territory in the summer of 1861, and Union control was never seriously threatened, in spite of the attempt by in the same year. In 1863, General, with 5,000 Confederates, overran a considerable portion of the state. Bands of guerrillas burned and plundered in some sections, and were not entirely suppressed until after the war ended.

The area which became West Virginia furnished about an equal amount of soldiers to the Federal and Confederate governments, approximately 22-25,000 each. The Wheeling government found it necessary in 1865 to strip voting rights from returning Confederates. James Ferguson, who proposed the law, said that if it was not enacted he would lose election by 500 votes. The property of Confederates might be confiscated, and in 1866 a constitutional amendment disfranchising all who had given aid and comfort to the Confederacy was adopted. The addition of the and  to the United States Constitution caused a reaction, the  secured control in 1870, and in 1871, the constitutional amendment of 1866 was abrogated. The first steps toward this change had been taken, however, by the in 1870. On, an entirely new constitution was adopted.

Beginning in, and for several decades thereafter, the two states disputed the new state's share of the pre-war Virginia government's debt, which had mostly been incurred to finance public infrastructure improvements, such as canals, roads, and railroads under the. Virginians, led by former Confederate General, formed a political coalition which was based upon this theory, the. Although West Virginia's first constitution provided for the assumption of a part of the Virginia debt, negotiations opened by Virginia in 1870 were fruitless, and in 1871, that state funded two-thirds of the debt and arbitrarily assigned the remainder to West Virginia. The issue was finally settled in 1915, when the ruled that West Virginia owed Virginia $12,393,929.50. The final installment of this sum was paid off in 1939.

Hidden resources
After, the new 35th state benefited from development of its mineral resources more than any other single economic activity.

mining had been underway since the 18th century, though it had largely played out by the time of the American Civil War, when the red salt of was a valued commodity of first Confederate, and later Union forces. Later, more sophisticated mining methods would restore West Virginia's role as a major producer of salt.

However, in the second half of the 19th century, there was an even greater treasure not yet developed. It was one that would fuel much of the in the U.S. and the steamships of many of the world's navies:.

The residents (both Native Americans and early European settlers) had long-known of the underlying coal, and that it could be used for heating and fuel. However, for a long time, very small "personal" mines were the only practical development. After the War, with the new s came a practical method to transport large quantities of coal to expanding U.S. and export markets. As the mines of northwestern New Jersey and Pennsylvania began to play out during this same time period, investors and industrialists focused new interest in West Virginia. s such as Dr. surveyed potential coal fields and invested in land and early mining projects.

The completion of the (C&O) across the state to the new city of  on the  in 1872 opened access to the  Coal Field. Soon, the C&O was building its huge at  on the large harbor of. In 1881, the new Philadelphia-based owners of the former (AM&O) which stretched across Virginia's southern tier from, had sights clearly set on the Mountain State, where the owners had large land holdings. Their railroad was renamed (N&W), and a new railroad city was developed at  to handle planned expansion. After its new president and a small party journeyed by horseback and saw firsthand the rich bituminous coal seam which his wife named "Pocahontas", the N&W redirected its planned westward expansion to reach it. Soon, the N&W was also shipping from new coal piers at Hampton Roads.

In 1889, in the southern part of the state, along the Norfolk and Western rail lines, the important coal center of was founded. The "capital" of the, this city would remain the largest city in the southern portion of the state for several decades. It shares a sister city with the same name, Bluefield, in Virginia.

In the northern portion of the state and elsewhere, the older (B&O) and other lines also expanded to take advantage of coal opportunities as well. The B&O developed coal piers in and at several points on the. Other significant rail carriers of coal were the (WM),  (SOU), and the  (L&N).

Particularly notable was a latecomer, the (VGN). By 1900, only a large area of the most rugged terrain of southern West Virginia was any distance from the existing railroads and mining activity. Within this area west of the New River Coalfield in Raleigh and Wyoming counties lay the, later promoted as the "Billion Dollar Coalfield."

A protégé of Dr. Ansted was (1854-1932), a  and mining manager in. Former West Virginia Governor described him as a man who knew the land "as a farmer knows a field." Beginning in 1898, Page teamed with northern and European-based investors to take advantage of the undeveloped area. They acquired large tracts of land in the area, and Page began the, a which was chartered to stretch between the C&O at its line along the  and the N&W at , a distance of about 80 miles.

Although the Deepwater plan should have provided a competitive shipping market via either railroad, leaders of the two large railroads did not appreciate the scheme. In secret collusion, each declined to negotiate favorable rates with Page, nor did they offer to purchase his railroad, as they had many other short-lines. However, if the C&O and N&W presidents thought they could thus kill the Page project, they were to be proved mistaken. One of the investors Page had enlisted was millionaire industrialist, a principal in 's  and an old hand at developing natural resources, transportation. A master at competitive "warfare", Henry Rogers did not like to lose in his endeavors, and also had.

Instead of giving up, Page (and Rogers) quietly planned and then built their tracks all the way east across Virginia, using Rogers' private fortune to finance the $40 million cost. When the renamed (VGN) was completed in 1909, no less than three railroads were shipping ever-increasing volumes of coal to export from Hampton Roads. West Virginia coal was also under high demand at ports as well. The VGN and the N&W) ultimately became parts of the modern system, and the VGN's well-engineered 20th century tracks continue to offer a favorable gradient to Hampton Roads. As coal mining and related work became a major employment activities in the state, there was considerable labor strife as working conditions, safety issues, and economic concerns arose. Even in the 21st century, mining safety and ecological concerns were challenging to the state whose coal continued to power electrical generating plants in many other states.

Coal is not the only valuable mineral found in West Virginia, as the state was the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 g) ..

Demographics


The of West Virginia is located in, in the town of.

As of 2005, West Virginia has an estimated population of 1,816,856, which is an increase of 4,308, or 0.2%, from the prior year and an increase of 8,506, or 0.5%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural decrease since the last census of 3,296 people (that is 108,292 births minus 111,588 deaths) and an increase from net of 14,209 people into the state. from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 3,691 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 10,518 people.

Only 1.1% of the state's residents were foreign-born, placing West Virginia last among the 50 states in that statistic. It has the lowest percentage of residents that speak a language other than English in the home (2.7%).

The five largest ancestry groups in West Virginia are: (23.2%),  (17.2%),  (13.5%) (Most actually ),  (12%),  (4.8%).

Large numbers of people of ancestry are present in the northeastern counties of the state.

5.6% of West Virginia's population were reported as under 5, 22.3% under 18, and 15.3% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.

Economy
The economy of West Virginia is one of the most fragile of any. According to data, West Virginia is the third lowest in per capita income, ahead of only  and. It also ranks last in median household income. The proportion of West Virginia's adult population with a bachelor's degree is the lowest in the U.S. at 15.3%. 

One of the major resources in West Virginia's economy is. West Virginia also engaged in oil drilling, but currently only has a few small to medium sized oil and natural gas fields. Farming is also practiced in West Virginia, but on a limited basis because of the mountainous terrain over much of the state.

West Virginia personal is based on federal adjusted gross income (not taxable income), as modified by specific items in West Virginia law. Citizens are taxed within 5 income brackets, which range from 3.0% to 6.5%. The state's consumer is levied at 6%. Effective, calculation of WV consumer sales tax has been converted to a calculated figure from the bracket system, and remains at six percent for most goods (food goods are now taxable at five percent). The computation of tax is carried out to the third decimal place and rounded up when the third decimal place is five (.005) or higher; and similarly rounded down if the third place is four (.004) or lower. By virtue of this method, sales totaling $0.08 and below would not have a sales tax associated with them. 

West Virginia counties administer and collect es, although property tax rates reflect levies for state government, county governments, county boards of education, and municipalities. Counties may also impose a on lodging places not located within the city limits of any municipality that levies such a tax. Municipalities may levy license and es on businesses located within the city limits and a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places in the city. Although the Department of Tax and Revenue plays a major role in the administration of this tax, less than one-half of one percent of the property tax collected goes to state government. The primary beneficiaries of the property tax are county boards of education. Property taxes are paid to the of each of the state's 55 counties. Each county and municipality can impose its own rates of property taxation within the limits set by the West Virginia Constitution. The West Virginia legislature sets the rate of tax of county boards of education. This rate is used by all county boards of education statewide. However, the total tax rate for county boards of education may differ from county to county because of excess levies. The Department of Tax and Revenue supervises and otherwise assists counties and municipalities in their work of assessment and tax rate determination. The total tax rate is a combination of the tax levies from four state taxing authorities: state, county, schools, and municipal. This total tax rate varies for each of the four classes of property, which consists of personal, real, and intangible properties. Property is assessed according to its use, location, and value as of. All property is reappraised every three years; annual adjustments are made to assessments for property with a change of value. West Virginia does not impose an. Because of the phase-out of the federal credit, West Virginia's estate tax is not imposed on estates of persons who died in 2005.

Transportation


Highways form the backbone of transportation systems in West Virginia, with over 37,300 miles of public roads in the state. Airports, railroads, and rivers complete the commercial transportation modes for West Virginia. Commercial air travel is facilitated by airports in Charleston, Huntington, Beckley, Bluefield, Lewisburg, Clarksburg, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, and Parkersburg. Cities like Charleston, Huntington, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Bluefield, and Logan have bus-based public transit systems. Charleston also has a limited number of cars that run primarily through the downtown area. in Morgantown boasts a, the state's only public transit system. Developed by, the WVU School of Engineering and the , it was a model for low-capacity light transport designed for smaller cities. It was also the model for DisneyWorld's tram system. Recreational transportation opportunities abound in West Virginia, including hiking trails,, ATV off road trails, white water rafting rivers, and two tourist railroads (, and the . )

West Virginia is crossed by several. enters the state near in the mountainous east, and exits for  in the west, near. enters from in the south, near. It runs north past before it crosses into. and are merged in a stretch of toll road known as the, on which construction began in 1952. It runs from just east of south to the exit for. 's western terminus is in. From there it runs east into. At the terminus, it meets, which enters from Pennsylvania and runs through the state to its southern terminus in. briefly runs through West Virginia, crossing the northern panhandle through. also briefly runs in West Virginia through the where it goes through.

Rail lines in the state used to be more prevalent, but many lines have been discontinued because of increased automobile traffic. Many old tracks have been converted to for recreational use, and the state is still served by a few commercial lines for hauling coal and by. In 2006 along with the West Virginia and U.S. Government approved a plan to modify many of the rail tunnels in West Virginia, espeically in the southern half of the state, to allow for double stacked cars (see ). This is expected to also help bring economic growth to the southern half of the state.

Because of the mountainous nature of the entire state, West Virginia has several notable tunnels and bridges. The most famous of these is the, which was at a time the longest steel single-arch bridge in the world with a 3,031-foot (924 m) span. The bridge is also pictured on the West Virginia. The Veterans Memorial Bridge (Weirton-Steubenville Bridge) was at its time of construction one of only three cable-stayed steel girder trusses in the United States. It connects with  along US Route 22.

Law and government
West Virginia's capital and seat of government is the city of, located in the southwest area of the state.

Legislative Branch
The West Virginia Legislature is, consisting of the and the. It is a citizen's legislature, meaning that legislative office is not a full-time occupation, but rather a part-time position. Consequently, the legislators often hold a full-time job in their community of residence.

Typically, the legislature is in session for 60 days between January and early April. The final day of the regular session ends in a bewildering fury of last-minute legislation in order to meet a constitutionally imposed deadline of midnight. During the remainder of the year, monthly interim sessions are held in preparation for the regular session. Legislators also gather periodically for 'special' sessions when called by the governor.

Executive Branch
The governor, elected every four years on the same day as the U.S. Presidential election, is sworn in during the following January.

Governors of West Virginia can serve two consecutive terms but must sit out a term before serving a third term in office.

Judicial Branch
West Virginia is one of twelve states that does not have a.

For the purpose of courts of general jurisdiction, the state is divided into 31 judicial circuits. Each circuit is made up of one or more counties. Circuit judges are elected in partisan elections to serve eight-year terms.

West Virginia’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the busiest appellate court of its type in the United States. West Virginia is one of 11 states with a single appellate court. The state constitution allows for the creation of an intermediate court of appeals, but the Legislature has never created one. The Supreme Court is made up of five justices, elected in partisan elections to 12-year terms.

West Virginia is an. However, unlike most such states, it does not operate retail outlets, having exited that business in 1990. It retains a monopoly on wholesaling of distilled spirits only.

Politics


West Virginia's politics are largely dominated by the as Democrats dominate most local and state offices. West Virginia also has a very strong tradition of union membership. While the state continued its Democratic tradition by supporting by large margins in 1992 and 1996, a majority of West Virginia voters supported  in 2000 and 2004. Bush won the state's five electoral votes in 2004 by a margin of 13 percentage points with 56.1% of the vote.

The most consistent support for Democrats is found in the s of (especially, , , , and  Counties), while  are most numerous to the east of the , especially in the state's  and. The and  regions usually split right down the middle in terms of being Republican or Democrat.

Important cities and towns

 * See also:, , , 



Miscellaneous topics
The state has a rich, lush beauty reflecting its temperate. sites include the, and many s.   and , originally built in 1778, has long been considered a premier hotel frequented by numerous world leaders and s over the years. West Virginia is also home to the at the.

A common story told about West Virginia is the folktale about how it got the nickname "West, By God, Virginia". According to the legend, a West Virginia native who was being inducted into the US Army during the (some versions make it as early as the ), was repeatedly asked by his induction officer, "What part of Virginia?" And the soldier, finally getting fed up with the confusion, said "Not Virginia! West Virginia!  West, by God, Virginia!". This story, whether true or not, has entered American folklore, and it is not unusual to hear not only West Virginians themselves, but other Americans, refer to the state as "West, By God, Virginia", or often as "West By-God", or sometimes simply as "By-God". Many West Virginians, when travelling outside the state, or when abroad, enjoy paying homage to the legend by referring to their home state in this manner.

Film
 (1955): filmed in and.

 (2004): set in Fraziers Bottom, West Virginia.

 (2007): One scene is set in Middleton, West Virginia.

 (2005): Actors Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon played Johnny Cash and June Cater in a scene featuring Wheeling, West Virginia in which they talk to locals and perform a concert.

 (2006): adapted from the video game series of the same name, this film is set in the fictional Toluca County, West Virginia.

 (1990): set and filmed in.

 (2006): set at in. Filmed in Huntington and,.

 (2003): set in West Virginia, although the movie was filmed in,.

 (2005): set and filmed in and.

 (2002): set in, but filmed in.

 (1999): set in in, but filmed in.

 (1987): set in, filmed in.

 (1984): partially filmed in.

 (1978): partially filmed in, but is set in Western Pennsylvania.

 (1971): set in 1930s West Virginia, filmed in.

 (1967): documentary on a congregation in Scrabble Creek, West Virginia.

 (1991): Partly filmed in Weirton, West Virginia.

 (2007)

Appalachian Music
West Virginia's folk heritage is a part of the tradition, and includes styles of, ballad singing, and other styles that draw on  music. , a Mountain Cultural Arts Center located at in, hosts an annual Appalachian String Band Festival. The Capitol Complex in Charleston hosts The Vandalia Gathering, where traditional Appalachian musicians compete in contests and play in impromptu jam sessions and evening concerts over the course of the weekend.

Classical Music
The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1939, as the Charleston Civic Orchestra, before becoming the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in 1943. The first conductor was William R. Wiant, followed by the prominent conductor Antonio Modarelli, who was written about in the, Time Magazine for his composition of the River Saga, a six-section program piece about the Kanawha River according to the Charleston Gazette's ,  photo essay, "Snapshots of the 20th Century".. Prior to coming to Charleston, Modarelli had conducted the and the, according to the orchestra's website. 

Musical Innovation
The West Virginia Cultural Center in Charleston is home to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History which helps underwrite and coordinate a large number of musical activities. The Center is also home to, the internationally broadcast live-performance music radio program established in 1983. The program also travels to other venues in the state such as the Creative Arts Center in Morgantown.

The Center hosts concerts sponsored by the Friends of Old Time Music and Dance, which brings an assortment of acoustic roots music to West Virginians. The Center also hosts the West Virginia Dance Festival, which features classical and modern dance.

Huntington's historic, built by brothers A.B. and S.J. Hyman, was originally opened to the public on , , and hosts a variety of performing arts and music attractions. The theatre was eventually gifted to and is currently going through renovation to restore it to its original splendor.

The town of has long been home to the annual West Virginia State Folk Festival. 

The Mountaineer Opera House in hosts a variety of musical acts.