Portal:West Virginia
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West Virginia 
i/ˌwɛst vərˈdʒɪnjə/ is a state in the Appalachian, Southern, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast. The capital and largest city is Charleston.
West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions, breaking away from Virginia during the American Civil War. The new state was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key Civil War border state. West Virginia was the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state, and was one of only two states formed during the American Civil War (the other one being Nevada, which separated from Utah Territory).
The Census Bureau considers West Virginia part of the South, as most of the state is south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio with the West Virginia cities of Wheeling and Weirton being just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, while Bluefield is less than 70 miles (110 km) from North Carolina and Harper's Ferry is considered to be a part of the Washington metropolitan area. The unique position of West Virginia means that it is often included in a wide variety of geographical regions, including the Upland South, the Southeastern United States and often the Northeastern United States. Notably, it is the only state which entirely lies within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, which is a common definition of "Appalachia".[1] For these reasons, West Virginia is often considered simultaneously the northernmost Southeastern state, the southernmost Northeastern state, the westernmost Mid-Atlantic state and the easternmost Midwestern state. The state is noted for its mountains and diverse topography, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor history. It is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world, making it a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research. The karst lands contribute to much of the state's cool trout waters. It is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and hunting.
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In the U.S. state of West Virginia, Interstate 81 (I-81) crosses the Eastern Panhandle region, linking Virginia to Maryland. The Interstate Highway, completed in 1966, spans 26.00 miles (41.84 km) through Berkeley County, paralleling U.S. Route 11 (US 11) for its entire length. I-81 enters the state near Ridgeway and travels northeast, bypassing the city of Martinsburg, and leaves the state at the Potomac River, which serves as the state line. The first solicitations for the construction of I-81 were published in 1959, with the first 6 miles (9.7 km) of freeway being opened in 1963, and the full length was completed by 1966. On average between 45 and 60 thousand vehicles use the freeway though the panhandle per day.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
The Elakala Falls are a series of four waterfalls of Shays Run as it descends into the Blackwater Canyon in West Virginia. They are within Blackwater Falls State Park and are quite popular among photographers, with the ease of access for the first waterfall, and the relatively low traffic of the other waterfalls in the series. The first of the series of waterfalls is 35 feet (11 m) in height and is easily accessible from park trails. It is the second most popular waterfall in the park.
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- ... that Elizabeth J. Feinler (pictured), better known as "Jake", ran the Network Information Center of the Internet until 1989?
- ... that Lowell, West Virginia, was first settled in 1770, making it the oldest community in Summers County?
- ... that when St. Louis city officials blocked the expansion of the company that would become known as Burroughs Corporation, Alvan Macauley packed the entire factory into boxcars and sent it overnight to Detroit?
- ... that Thomas John McDonnell consecrated Marist College's altar with the relics of two martyrs?
- ... that natural gas in the Marcellus Formation could increase United States energy reserves by one trillion U.S. dollars?
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Kenneth R. Shadrick (August 4, 1931 – July 5, 1950) was a private in the United States Army at the onset of the Korean War. He was widely but incorrectly reported as the first American soldier killed in action in the war. Shadrick was born in Harlan County, Kentucky, one of 10 children. After dropping out of high school in 1948, he joined the US Army, and spent a year of service in Japan before being dispatched to South Korea at the onset of the Korean War in 1950 along with his unit, the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. During a patrol, Shadrick was killed by the machine gun of a North Korean T-34 tank, and his body was taken to an outpost where journalist Marguerite Higgins was covering the war. Higgins later reported that he was the first soldier killed in the war, a claim that was repeated in media across the United States. His life was widely profiled, and his funeral drew hundreds of people. His death is now believed to have occurred after the first American combat fatalities in the Battle of Osan. However, since the identities of other soldiers killed before Shadrick remain unknown, he is still often (incorrectly) cited as the first US soldier killed in the war.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
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List of Governors of West Virginia • Interstate 68 • List of counties in West Virginia • File:New River Gorge Bridge.jpg
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John Beilein • Frank Buckles • Byzantine (band) • William W. Chapman • Fort Henry Bridge • Interstate 70 in West Virginia • Interstate 81 in West Virginia • Interstate 470 (Ohio – West Virginia) • Marcellus Formation • Dick Padden • Pullman Square • Kenneth R. Shadrick • Harry Randall Truman • Jerry West • Wheeling Tunnel Template:/box-footer
- Article requests: West Virginia Constitutional Convention, Coolfont Resort
- Expand: Thomas Maley Harris, The Hillbilly 100, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WESTEST, Secretary of State of West Virginia, Greenbrier Springs, West Virginia more
- Images needed: Charleston City Hall, Appalachian Power Park, Alderson Bridge, Arthurdale, West Virginia, Putnam County Courthouse (West Virginia) more
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