CHARLESTON, the capital of West Virginia, U.S.A., on the Kanawha river at the mouth of the Elk, south-west of the centre of the State; the county seat of Kanawha county. It is on Federal highways 21 and 6o; and is served by the Baltimore and Ohio, the Chesapeake and Ohio and the New York Central rail ways, and by river steamers. The population in 1920 was 39,608, of whom 1,354 were foreign-born white and 4,502 were negroes; and was 60,408 in 1930 Federal census. The city has a fine location on high level land above the river. It is an important industrial centre, and a shipping point for the natural resources of the Kanawha valley, including large quantities of coal, oil, hard wood and salt. Natural gas in abundance is found in the vicinity. The factory output within the city limits in 1925 (including fur niture, steel, glass and heavy chemicals) was valued at $8,883,461. The U.S. Government has armour-plate, gun-forging and pro jectile plants here, which represent an investment of $10o,000,000. The city's assessed valuation of property in 1927 was 008. A magnificent new capitol was under construction in 1928 to replace the one built in 1880. Charleston was settled soon after the Revolution, and was incorporated in 1794. It was on the route of migration to the Ohio valley, and became a transfer and shipping centre, but its industrial importance is comparatively recent, following the development of West Virginia coal-fields and other natural resources. In 1870, when it was chartered as a city, the population was only 3,162 ; in 15,099. It has been the capital of the State since 1870, except for the decade 5875-85.