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'Geography of West Virginia'

Contents

Geology

Fauna

Flora

Geographical facts

See also

External links

Geology

Main articles: Geology of West Virginia

Fauna

Main articles: Fauna of West Virginia

Flora

Main articles: Flora of West Virginia

The Allegheny and Cumberland Plateaus of West Virginia are predominantly covered by hardwood forests, but along the Ohio River and its principal tributaries, the valuable timber has been removed and considerable areas have been wholly cleared over the centuries for farming and pasture lands. Among the most prevalent trees of this region are the chestnut oaks, the walnut, the yellow poplar, and the cherry. Southern West Virginia contains the largest reserve supply of timber. In the Ridge-and-Valley region of the Appalachian Mountains, the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands have a forest covering similar to that of the plateau region, however between these two areas of hardwood there is a long belt where spruce and white pine cover the mountain ridges. Other trees common in the state are the persimmon, sassafras, and, in the Ohio and Potomac Valley regions, the American sycamore. Hickory, chestnut, locust, maple, beech, dogwood, and pawpaw are widely distributed throughout the state as well. Among the state's common shrubs and vines are the blackberry, black and red raspberry, gooseberry, huckleberry, hazel, and wild grape. Ginseng is an important medicinal plant that is harvested primarily in West Virginia's southern regions. Wild ginger, elder, and sumach are common, and deep in the mountainous areas, rhododendrons, mountain laurel, and azaleas grow in abundance.

Geographical facts

★ 'Highest Point': Spruce Knob on Spruce Mountain in Pendleton County, 4,863 feet (1,482 m) above sea level

★ 'Lowest Point': Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, 240 feet (73 m) above sea level

★ 'Smallest County': Hancock County, 229 km² (88.2 mi²)

★ 'Largest County': Randolph County, 2,693 km² (1,040 mi²)

★ 'Oldest County': Hampshire County, formed December 13, 1753

★ 'Youngest County': Mingo County, formed 1895

★ 'Most Populous County': Kanawha County, 200,073 (2000)

★ 'Least Populous County': Wirt County, 5,873 (2000)

★ 'Fastest Growing County': Berkeley County, +28.0% growth between 1990 (59,253) and 2000 (75,905) censuses

★ 'Most Populous Municipality': Charleston, 53,421 (2000)

★ 'Least Populous Municipality': Thurmond, 7 (2000)

★ 'Oldest Municipality': Romney in Hampshire County chartered December 23, 1762

★ 'Youngest Municipality': Jefferson in Kanawha County chartered March 22, 1997

★ 'Geographical Center of State': near Sutton in Braxton County

★ 'Center of Population': near Gassaway in Braxton County

See also

★ Islands in West Virginia

★ Lakes in West Virginia

★ Rivers in West Virginia

★ State forests in West Virginia

★ State parks in West Virginia

★ Wildlife management areas in West Virginia

External links

★ West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey