West Virginia is the 35^th state in the USA; it became a state on June 20, 1863.

West Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I of England (she was known as the Virgin Queen).

The forested mountains of the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region hide many caves and underground streams.

Along the western edge of the mountains is the Allegheny Front, the place where the sharper, rugged mountains of the east

meet the more rolling terrain of the Appalachian Plateau.

Eighty percent of the state is forested with over 110,000 square miles of hardwood forest, wind-swept mountains and photo-perfect valley landscapes.