Southern West Virginia is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Generally considered the heart of Appalachia, Southern West Virginia is known for its coal mining heritage and Southern affinity. The region is also closely identified with southwestern Virginia and southeastern Kentucky, with close proximity to northwestern North Carolina and East Tennessee. Today, Southern West Virginia continues to grapple with poverty and continuing population loss.
Southern West Virginia, in a cultural and historical context, includes the following counties:
- Boone County
- Fayette County
- Greenbrier County
- Lincoln County
- Logan County
- McDowell County
- Mercer County
- Mingo County
- Monroe County
- Nicholas County
- Raleigh County
- Summers County
- Wyoming County
The City of Beckley, in Raleigh County, is the largest city in this region, followed by Bluefield, in Mercer County. Beckley has recently undergone a period of modest economic growth, and serves as the primary economic and cultural hub of much of Southern West Virginia.
Read more about Southern West Virginia: Attractions, Educational Institutions, Famous Historical Events and Landmarks, Media, Population
Famous quotes containing the words southern and/or west:
“I think those Southern writers [William Faulkner, Carson McCullers] have analyzed very carefully the buildup in the South of a special consciousness brought about by the self- condemnation resulting from slavery, the humiliation following the War Between the States and the hope, sometimes expressed timidly, for redemption.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“Because hypocrisy stinks in the nostrils one is likely to rate it as a more powerful agent for destruction than it is.”
—Rebecca West (1892–1983)