Get to Know West Virginia
West Virginia became the 35th state when it was admitted to statehood June 20, 1863. The capital is Charleston. The state bird is the Cardinal and the state flower is the Big Laurel. The state motto is “Mountaineers Are Always Free.”
The state was named after England’s Queen Elizabeth I who was referred to as the ‘Virgin Queen.’
West Virginia’s economy is driven by (agriculture) poultry, apples, cattle and dairy products plus (industry) mining, chemical products, tourism, primary metals, stone, clay and glass products.
The gross state product was $55.04-billion (2010) and the state’s unemployment rate sat at 8.2% (October 2011). A state consumer tax is at 6%.
