The Environment of West Virginia encompasses terrain and ecosystems ranging from arid plateaus to mountains. Most of West Virginia lies within the Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests ecoregion, while the higher elevations along the eastern border and in the panhandle lie within the Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests.
West Virginia is situated in the Appalachian Mountains of the Upper South region of the 48 contiguous states. Usually considered part of the South Eastern United States, West Virginia is bounded on the northeast by Pennsylvania and Maryland, on the southeast by Virginia, on the northwest by Ohio, and on the southwest by Kentucky.
A portion of the Appalachian Mountains stretches into eastern West Virginia, and in the state's northeastern corner, Spruce Knob is officially regarded as the tallest mountain in the Allegheny Mountains, a vast section of the Appalachians. West Virginia covers an area of 24,229.76 square miles (62,754.8 km2), with 24,077.73 square miles (62,361.0 km2) of land and 152.03 square miles (393.8 km2) of water, making it the 41st-largest state in the United States. Generally, it is divided into four geographical regions: Ohio River Valley, Allegheny Plateau, Allegheny Highlands, and Potomac Section.
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