page_title: West Virginia
section_title: Important cities and towns
hierarchical_section_title: West Virginia / Important cities and towns
caption_attribution_description: w:Clarksburg, West Virginia as viewed from the east on Main Street
context_page_description: West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian region of the Southern United States, though it is also considered part of the Mid-Atlantic Southeast Region. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the northeast, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. West Virginia is the 41st-largest state by area and ranks 38th in population, with around 1.791 million residents. The capital and largest city is Charleston.
  West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions of 1861, at the start of the American Civil War. Delegates from the Unionist counties of northwestern Virginia decided to break away from Virginia, which also included secessionist counties in the new state. West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key border state during the war. It was the only state to form by separating from a Confederate state, the first to separate from any state since Maine separated from Massachusetts, and was one of two states admitted to the Union during the American Civil War.
caption: Clarksburg
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