West Virginia

WEST VIRGINIA, a State in the Appalachian Mountain re gion of the eastern United States, lying between lat. 37° 10' and 4o' N., and long. 77° 4o' and 82° 4o' W. The boundaries give the State an oval shape except for two extensions, the one to the north between Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the other to the east between Maryland and Virginia, which are usually called "panhandles" and give the State its nickname, "the Panhandle State." The area is 24,170 sq.m., of which 148 sq.m. is water.

Physical Features.

The State is divided into two distinct physiographic areas (r) the Allegheny plateau on the west, corn prising perhaps two-thirds of the area of the State, and forming a part of the great Appalachian plateau province which extends from New York to Alabama ; and (2) the Newer Appalachian or Great valley region on the east, being a part of the large province of the same name which extends from Canada to Central Alabama. The Allegheny plateau consists of nearly horizontal beds of lime stone, sandstone and shales, including important seams of coal; inclines slightly toward the north-west, and is intricately dissected by streams into a maze of narrow canyons and steep-sided hills. Along the Ohio river, these hills rise to an elevation of Boo to r,000 ft. above sea-level, while toward the south-east the elevation in creases until 3,50o and 4,000 ft. are reached along the south-east margin of the plateau, which is known as the Allegheny Front. The entire plateau area is drained by the Ohio river and its tribu taries. Starting at the north the first of these tributaries is the Monongahela, which crosses into Pennsylvania before it joins the Ohio. Its headwater valleys in the north-central part of the State are among the most beautiful and fertile in West Virginia. A sys tem of dams renders the Monongahela navigable as high as Fair mont. Farther south, entering the Ohio river at Parkersburg, is the Little Kanawha river which drains seven or eight central north-western counties. About 4o m. below, at Point Pleasant, the Great Kanawha river, the principal tributary in West Virginia, enters the Ohio. This river drains over one-third of the State and its headwaters reach far back into the long mountain valleys. On its banks the capital of the State, Charleston, is situated, and along its main valley and branch valleys several of the principal rail way lines are built. The river itself is navigable as far as Mont gomery, about 3o m. above Charleston, and is used regularly by barge lines. In the south-west the Gayandotte, Twelve Pole, Big

Sandy and Tug rivers complete the plateau drainage system. All of West Virginia enjoys complete drainage; and not a square mile of marsh land is to be found.

In the Newer Appalachian region, the same beds which lie hori zontal in the plateau provinces were long ago thrown into folds and subsequently planed off by erosion, leaving alternate belts of hard and soft rock exposed. Uplift permitted renewed erosion to wear away the soft belts, leaving mountain ridges of hard rock separated by parallel valleys. The mountain ridges vary in height to over 4,000 ft., the highest point in the State being Spruce Knob (4,860 f t.). The parallel valleys are drained by streams flowing north-east and south-west those in the north-east being tributary to the Potomac, which flows to the Atlantic ocean, and those farther south tributary to the Great Kanawha, which enters the Ohio and then flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The valleys between the ridges, although not always easy of access, provide broad areas of nearly level agricultural land. The rivers flowing north-east and south-west, after running between parallel ridges for long dis tances, often turn suddenly through transverse passes formed by erosive cutting of "gaps" through ridges. One of the best known is Harper's Ferry where the Potomac has cut through the Blue Ridge.

Flora.—The plateau portion of the State is still largely covered by hardwood forests, but along the Ohio river and its principal tributaries the valuable timber has been long removed and con siderable areas have been wholly cleared for farming and pasture lands. Among the most important trees of this area are the white and chestnut oaks, the black walnut, the yellow poplar and the cherry, the southern portion of the State containing the largest reserve supply. The eastern Panhandle region has a forest region similar to that of the plateau district ; but 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 Valley region, the syca more. Hickory, chestnut, locust, maple, beech, dogwood and paw paw are widely distributed. Among the shrubs and vines are the blackberry, black and red raspberry, gooseberry, huckleberry, hazel and grape. Ginseng is an important medicinal plant. Wild ginger, elder and sumach are common, and in the mountain areas, rhododendrons, mountain laurel and azaleas.