West Virginia is a state in the Appalachia / Upland South region of the United States of America. West Virginia broke away from Virginia during the American Civil War and was admitted to the Union as a separate state on June 20, 1863 (an anniversary now celebrated as West Virginia Day in the state). It is the only state formed as a direct result of the American Civil War. It is the only state to form by seceding from a pre-existing state.
West Virginia is one of the Border States. The Census Bureau considers West Virginia part of the South because most of the state is below the Mason-Dixon Line, despite its northern panhandle extending adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio with the area north of Weirton on a parallel with Staten Island, New York.
The state is noted for its great natural beauty, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its labor history. 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.
Private and Public Liberal Arts Colleges:
Alderson-Broaddus College, Philippi
Davis and Elkins College, Elkins
West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon
Private and Public colleges and Universities:
Appalachian Bible College, Bradley
Bethany College, Bethany
Mountain State University, Beckley
Ohio Valley University, Vienna
Salem International University, Salem
University of Charleston, Charleston
Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling
Public Colleges and Universities
Four-year Institutions:
Bluefield State College, Bluefield
Concord University, Athens
Fairmont State University, Fairmont
Glenville State College, Glenville
Marshall University, Huntington
Shepherd University, Shepherdstown
West Liberty State College, West Liberty
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg
West Virginia State University, Institute
West Virginia University, Morgantown
West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Montgomery
Two-year Institutions:
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, Martinsburg
The Community and Technical College at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Montgomery
Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Moorefield
Pierpont Community and Technical College, Fairmont *Formerly Fairmont Comm. & Tech. College
James Rumsey Technical Institute, Martinsburg
Marshall Community and Technical College, Huntington
New River Community and Technical College
Beckley (main campus)
Bluefield
Lewisburg
Summersville
Potomac State College of West Virginia University, Keyser
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
Danville
Mount Gay
Pineville
Williamson
West Virginia Northern Community College
New Martinsville
Weirton
Wheeling (main campus)
West Virginia State Community and Technical College, Institute
West Virginia University at Parkersburg, Parkersburg
Sports Teams:
Bluefield Orioles - Baseball Appalachian League
Princeton Devil Rays - Baseball Appalachian League
West Virginia Power - Baseball South Atlantic League
Wheeling Nailers - Ice hockey ECHL
West Virginia Wild - International Basketball League
Huntington Heroes - American Indoor Football Association
Ohio Valley Greyhounds - United Indoor Football
West Virginia Chaos - Soccer USL Premier Development League
The state has a rich, lush beauty reflecting its temperate topography. Tourist sites include the New River Gorge Bridge, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and many state parks. The Greenbrier hotel and resort, originally built in 1778, has long been considered a premier hotel frequented by numerous world leaders and U.S. Presidents over the years. West Virginia is also home to the Green Bank Telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
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 First World War (some versions make it as early as the Spanish-American War), 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 traveling outside the state, or when abroad, enjoy paying homage to the legend by referring to their home state in this manner.
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 Mountain Stage, the internationally broadcast live-performance music radio program established in 1983. The program also travels to other venues in the state such as the West Virginia University 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 Keith-Albee Theatre, built by brothers A.B. and S.J. Hyman, was originally opened to the public on May 7, 1928, and hosts a variety of performing arts and music attractions. The theatre was eventually gifted to Marshall University and is currently going through renovation to restore it to its original splendor.
The town of Glenville has long been home to the annual West Virginia State Folk Festival.
The Mountaineer Opera House in Milton hosts a variety of musical acts.
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