West Virginia is a mountainous state in the United States of America. It borders Ohio and Kentucky to the west, Virginia and Maryland to the east, and Pennsylvania to the northeast. As of 2026, West Virginia has a population of 1,778,373 residents. The capital of West Virginia is Charleston, which is also its most populated city.
Originally part of Virginia, West Virginia separated in 1863 after Virginia seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy. The state’s leading industry is coal mining. However, due to the decline of coal being used as a fuel source, West Virginia has experienced economic difficulties. Some counties in West Virginia rank among the poorest counties in the United States.
Up until the 1996 presidential election, West Virginia heavily voted for the Democratic presidential candidates due to the prominence of labor unions. However, since the 2000 presidential election, West Virginia has exclusively voted for the Republican candidate in both presidential and gubernatorial elections. Today, all of West Virginia’s current statewide officials are members of the Republican Party.