I just recently found out i am pregnant, I’ve been searching online and researching about nutrition and things i should be eating. I found a site that listed things i could definitely not eat.. these items included or course no brainers like raw egg and raw or undercooked meats, unpasteurized milk and milk products But it also said to avoid processed meats like hot dogs and deli-meats unless well cooked. What do they mean by deli meat? does this mean like lunch meat? If so what the heck do i put on my sandwich?!
thanks for telling me, I guess even if it is afe it can’t hurt, YUM! fried ham sandwiches
Yes. Lunch meat. It is because it can contain listeria. If you want to have a sandwich heat up the meat until it is steaming hot. This will kill the listeria in it. Pregnant women are 20 times more susceptible to getting listeria than non-pregnant women. Good luck to you!
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Nutritious Canine Meals Food Plan – Choosing Healthy Pet Food For Your Dog
In a time when more and more pet owners are concerned about what they’re feeding their pets, finding a nutritious pet food may be pretty complicated. Lots of products on the market declare to offer full and balanced vitamin on your pet, but in many cases, this is just a advertising term used to promote the product. Unfortunately, such labeling doesn’t mean that every meals is equally good to your canine, fairly that the odds of protein, fiber, fat, and moisture meet the minimal standards. While any food your feed your canine ought to have this sort of labeling, that is not all there may be with regards to nutritious dog food. Whenever you determine what the best food is, you have to start with the label.
First, rule out the least costly manufacturers in the store. It is not that you have to break the financial institution to purchase a great dog food, but that low-cost foods use cheap ingredients. The lowest price canine meals on the market will use a whole lot of fillers and low quality components, making them a lower worth, regardless that they do not value quite a bit per bag. A nutritious pet food might be more expensive than a grocery retailer model in most cases.
Secondly, pet house owners need to study to learn pet food labels. Keep away from meals which have quite a lot of corn, soy, or wheat, particularly if they’re high on the components list. These are very low cost sources of plant protein, that are hard to digest for dogs. They have been linked to quite a lot of health issues, like colitis and urinary tract infections. In fact, dry pet food all the time accommodates some amount of grain. Nevertheless, choose a nutritious pet food that features grain additional down the record and makes use of ingredients like brown rice, barley, oats, or other straightforward to digest choices. Some foods also embody potatoes.
The bulk of any nutritious pet food should come from animal sources, since dogs are naturally meat eaters. Avoid cheap filler elements like meals and by products, which might come from already stripped animal carcasses. Additionally, for those who see a generic time period akin to ‘poultry’, ‘fish’, or ‘meat’, avoid that meals in favor of one that names the kind of meat used. Whole, named meats are essentially the most desirable, and will come first on the listing of most nutritious canine foods.
Colorants and other components are also problematic. They’re in many alternative pet food brands, however they’re only there to make the product appeal extra to the human who’s shopping for the food. Search for a food that features as few preservatives, artificial flavoring brokers and coloring agents as possible. These chemical compounds may cause allergic reactions in some dogs, and are undesirable in a nutritious canine food. Whereas there are good foods on the market, you might have to do a little analysis to search out them. Nevertheless, if you happen to care about your dog’s health, it’ll be worth it within the end. A nutritious pet food will make your dog happier, really feel better, and stay longer.
My wife hates my dog!? It forces me to give away ….?
I've had a dog last 2 years, is a lovely little thing and very spaniel. I married a year back, and my wife was right abt my dog before marriage, he began complaing in the hair of the dog, and began to hate dogs and discomfort living in my house with the dog. Now we have a new baby, and she is adamant that the dog is given away. She is also the reasoning and the child will be sensitive to hair and cause health problems. I love the dog much, much pain if I have to give away. I have tried to defend my wife, but she insists that the dog gives me .. she says if you really love her, must be willing to give … If I can make the stay of the dog, I think my wife is going to move. I mean I do not love my wife and the dog is imp me ??…. I'm so confused what to do .. I do not want to lose my wife .. at the same time … I do not know if I can bear the loss of my dog: ((
My dog lives in the backyard! It has a good run and a large dog house! DOGS ARE NOT LIVING IN YOUR HOME! They are animals and are very well EXTERIOR
Secretos de alimentos para perros – son seguros comerciales de alimentos para perros?
En última instancia, se dará cuenta de que fabrican alimentos para perros en lata no son las mejores para los perros. Aunque hay muchos demandas sustanciales de que las fórmulas utilizadas para estos alimentos para perros están científicamente probados para cumplir con los subsidios previstos en la dieta de nuestros animales domésticos queridos, habría que tener en cuenta que los perros de la antigua veces en realidad nunca había científica para respaldar su dieta. Con la dieta cruda de lo que fueron dadas por sus amos antes, se las arreglaron para sobrevivir,
Muchas personas están creciendo preocupados por los alimentos de perro comerciales que siguen saliendo de las tiendas. Esto incluye croquetas, dulces, alimentos húmedos para perros y alimentos secos para perros. Alimentos para perros que muchos de los diferentes tipos han sido liberados y había también la retirada de productos. Pero realmente, ¿cuál es el mejor alimento para su perro?
En realidad, el mejor alimento para su perro es el alimento de perro natural. Los perros no son realmente los carroñeros, pero pueden sobrevivir en pedazos de pan y la carne o las verduras, si no tienen otra opción. En realidad, el mejor alimento para todos los perros se prepara comida para perros naturales, tales como pollo, arroz, pan y verduras. Esto es algo que cualquier persona en cualquier hogar se puede preparar. Lo más importante es que la comida es limpia y libre de productos químicos nocivos que los seres humanos comen.
Hay una gran cantidad de alimentos de consumo humano por ahí que puede ser letal para los perros y otros animales. Uno de ellos es chocolate. También es importante saber que usted no debe agregar condimentos como sal, pimienta y azúcar a su comida para perros.
Si quieres que tu perro para estar sano, usted tiene que preparar sus alimentos a ti mismo. Usted puede utilizar carne hervida o huesos para que el perro tiene algo que masticar. El arroz también es saludable para los perros por lo que tienen los carbohidratos a quemar.
Si quieres saber cuáles son los href = "http://www.squidoo.com/bestfoodforyourdog" mejor comida> para su perro, le recomiendo que lea mi perro secretos de la comida revisar y aprender qué alimento de perro comercial es peligroso para su perro.
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Interior Automobile Floor Mats Are A Must Have For Residing In The Northwest
Residing within the state of Washington requires driving in all forms of climate conditions. Whether or not I’m driving in rain, slush, snow or its dry and dusty, my automobile’s interior ground was susceptible to a quick deterioration if left unprotected. Repeated, everyday use and publicity to the weather a automobile’s flooring will rapidly devalue your car’s appearance. This is an inventory of the commonest offenders to damaging your vehicle’s inside ground:
– Foot friction wear from the driver and passengers coming into and exiting – Moisture- rain, slush, snow – Mud and highway grime – Quick food and sticky soda pop that spills – Shoe grime and crude stuck to your shoe
For optimum safety of my Chevy Suburban’s interior, I accessorized it with customized, kind becoming WeatherTech floor liners for the first, second and third rows and a WeatherTech cargo liner for the back. Now every inch of flooring house all through my spacious Suburban is protected.
Earlier than I bought the WeatherTech flooring liners and cargo liner products, I wished to buy to search out the most effective product for my vehicle and my lifestyle. What I discovered whereas procuring was an enormous choice of flooring mats, floor liners and cargo liners. There is such a difference between producers, value, materials used and the fit.
For me, living in Washington State with its temperamental climate conditions, l wanted all-weather floor liners that would totally defend and protect my automobile’s OEM carpet. Only after researching all the different types of ground mats accessible, did I realize carpet floor mats are better suited to drier climates typical of the southern a part of the United States. Therefore, all floor mats and liners are usually not all alike and have totally different options for various climates.
As soon as I narrowed my search right down to discovering all climate floor protection products, I may have a look at the difference between all rubber or excessive tech poly-based supplies – floor mats and ground liners. The distinction between a mat and liner is not as obvious as it might seem. A ground mat is easily removable and does not cowl the whole ground area. Right now’s floor liners are digitally, customized molded and shaped to the vehicle’s inside specifications for a top quality fit and most protection.
For me the selection was simple with kids, Labrador dogs and an active life, I chose to go along with ground liners by WeatherTech. The liners fit each exposed inch of my vehicle’s interior floor. The appearance is complementary to my upholstery and dash. Clean up of the ground mats is easy by simply vacuuming and evenly wiping any remaining dust off with a damp cloth. I am quite satisfied with my buy of the WeatherTech flooring mat and cargo liner and would recommend them to anyone on the lookout for a superior ground safety product.
cuánto tiempo toma para que una perra para atraer a los machos durante el celo?
por lo que acabo de dar cuenta ayer de que nuestra perra (que es menos de un año de edad) está empezando a entrar en calor. he estado leyendo sobre ella y de lo que he leído (corríjame si soy malo) por lo general toma de 7 días para entrar en calor, luego de 7 días en los que su perro es fértil, entonces 7 días para salir del calor. formar mi entender, es el de 7 días en el centro que es la única vez que los machos se sienten atraídos por ella. ¿no es así? que el derecho de sonido dosent! estamos poniendo ella en la noche y mantener un ojo muy muy atentos a ella durante el día como lo es en nuestro patio trasero. estamos pensando en conseguir su esterilizados después de que ella se detiene, pero estoy preocupado todavía de que un accidente va a pasar que podrían afectar a su salud ya que ella es tan joven (su embarazo) así que básicamente, lo que es un buen indicador de apariencia o comportamiento que se debe empezar a preocuparse por la posibilidad de que los perros machos tratando de llegar a ella?
No todos los perros leer el "manual de taller" de cuándo es el mejor momento para aparearse. Todas las hembras varían y se sabe que concebir después de los primeros 3 días, o hasta el día 25 de una temporada! Salir de su bltch fuera por su cuenta es buscar problemas y es casi seguro que tendrá montada por un perro que pasaba que recogerá su olor a kilómetros de distancia! Su perro necesita a entrar ahora, y permanecer en el interior a menos que ella está con usted en una correa cuando están, y tiene que ser esterilizados 3 semanas después de su calor ha terminado. Si no puede mantenerla bajo observación constante durante este tiempo, entonces sería mejor conseguir su esterilizados ahora, a pesar de la esterilización durante un calor no es la mejor opción, pero será el única forma de "USTED" puede prevenir un embarazo no deseado si no se le mantenga in # Aparte de cachorros no deseados en un bltch menores de edad, está sometiendo a su perro a ser acosados ??y se aparearon por todo el barrio de los perros sin roaming, no es una cosa agradable para ella!
Dog Health : How to Take Care of Dogs in the Estrous Cycle
Why is the olive branch used as a symbol of peace?
The origins of using olive branch as a symbol of peace lie in ancient Greek culture. In ancient Rome too, the defeated during a war used to hold an olive branch to indicate that they were pleading for peace. According to Christian mythology, during the great flood, the dove sent in search of land by Noah, returned with an olive leaf. This was seen as a sign that God had stopped his war on mankind, the flood was receding, and land was in sight. According to some, an olive branch signifies peace because olive trees, because of their slow growth, are not cultivated during war time and therefore considered as peace-time trees.
Who was the first un secretary general?
Trgvy Halvadan Lie of Norway was the first secretary general of the UN. He held the post from 1946 to 1952. He’s credited with acquiring the current UN headquarters from John D Rockerfeller Jr. However, he was criticised for his failure to swiftly bring about an end to the Korean War. He resigned shortly after taking up the second term of office in 1952, when the Soviet Union refused to accept him as the secretary general and the then US President, Joseph MacCarthy, accused him of working with disloyal Americans. Today, South Korean candidate Ban Ki Moon seems all set to take over from the current secretary general, Ghana’s Kofi Annan.
Who was the first un secretary general?
With reference to the answer to ‘Who was the first UN secretary general?’ (Oct. 8), Joseph McCarthy was never the US President. He became famous for his anti-Communist witch-hunt. Harry S Truman was the US President when McCarthyism was at its peak. Trygvy Lie was a Finn, not Norwegian. Lie served two terms but was criticised often by the Soviets for favouring the West in cases like the Korean War.
Why is world human rights day celebrated on december 10?
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has become a universal standard for defending and promoting human rights. Every year on December 10, Human Rights Day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration. It is celebrated around the globe that All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms’.
How did the dove become a symbol of peace?
The dove has been a symbol of peace and love for a long time. In Greek I mythology Aphrodite, the goddess of love, kept a dove as a pet. The dove became a symbol for love. Later, Christians believed that the dove symbolised the Holy Spirit coming to establish a loving relationship with us. At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus as a dove and hence God was communicating peace to people. According to Robert A. Schuller, the dove became the symbol of peace when Noah let a dove out of the Ark after the flood and it returned with a leafy twig and thus God made peace with humanity. More recently, artist Pablo Picasso used doves to symbolise peace. His painting of a single dove became famous all over the world when it was used on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.
What does the united nations organisation do to-maintain peace in the world?
THE primary objective of the United Nations is the mainte| nance of international peace and security. This is achieved through its organ, the United National Security Council. If there is a dispute between two^ countries that may threaten international peace and security, the Security Council may investigate the dispute and can make recommendations, for its peaceful settlement. The Council may require members of the United Nations to apply economic sanctions against any state found guilty of a threat to peace or breach of peace. If your sanctions do not achieve the desired objective, the Council may recommend action by air, sea and land forces.
What does the united nations organisation do to maintain peace in the world?
THE primary objective of the United Nations is the maintenance of international peace and security. This is achieved through its organ, the United National Security Council. If there is a dispute ‘ between two countries that may ‘threaten international peace and security, the Security Council may investigate the dispute and can make recommendations, for its peaceful settlement. The Council may require members of the United Nations to apply economic sanctions against any state found guilty of a threat to peace or breach of peace. If your sanctions do not achieve the desired objective, the Council may recommend action by air, sea and land forces.
When was amnesty international founded?
Founded in 1961, Amnesty International seeks to promote human rights It camPaigns for the release of prisoners of conscience, fair trials for political prisoners and an end to torture, extrajudicial executions, disappearances” and the death penalty It also organises fact finding missioms and human rights educationft won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 and now has over 1 million members and supporters in more than 160 countries. It plays a vital role in bringing about the 1984 Convention against Torture and also campaigned for the 1997 treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. It also joined other NGO at the UN Conference in Rome in July 1998 that led to the treaty to establish a permanent international criminal court to try those who commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.
What is meant by united nations?
UNITED Nations is an international organisation, established by charter on October 24,1945, with the object of maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations on the basis of equal rights, self-determination and encouraging international co-operation in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.
What is the intellipedia?
Similar to the open source online encyclopaedia, Wikipedia, intellipedia is a product for the espionage community, which was unveiled by John Negroponte, widely known as the US intelligence czar. It will allow officials and intelligence analysts to add and edit content, much like users do with Wikipedia, on the US government’s Intelink Web. Since its launch on April 17, 2006, intellipedia has about 3,600 registered users.
What is credit card skimming?
Skimming is the unauthorized copying of information stored on the magnetic strip of a credit card. This information is used to create a cloned card, which is then used for fraudulent transactions in retail outlets or on the internet. The stolen details can also be used for identity theft. Credit card skimming occurs when someone uses a hand-held device called a skimmer, which resembles an ATM keyboard. The credit card is swiped through the device, and the device reads the magnetic strips on your credit cards. Now the thief has the information needed to make a counterfeit card.
What are greenfield projects?
A greenfield project is one which is not constrained by prior work. It is constructing on unused land where there is no need to remodel or demolish an existing structure. Such projects are often coveted by engineers. Some examples of greenfield projects are new factories, power plants or airports which are built from scratch. Those facilities which are modified/ upgraded are called brownfield projects.
Which is the most valuable diamond?
In 2000, De Beers and the Steinmetz iffloup unveiled The Millennium Star, a 203.4 carat, D-colour, internally and externally flawless pear-shaped diamond, arguably the most valuable diamond in the world. It is currently exhibited at the Millennium Dome in London. Nicky Oppenheimer, diairman, De Beers, did not put any value on the diamond but ‘The London Evening Star’ insured ‘The Millennium Star’ for 100 million pounds. Even this is believed to be just a fraction of its price.
Who is the first aircraft hijacker?
The first aircraft to be hijacked was a Pan-Am Fokker F7 aircraft carrying mail. On February 21,1931, the plane, while on the ground in Peru, was seized by armed Peruvian revolutionaries. They wanted to be taken to Lima so that they could drop their propaganda leaflets over it. The pilot refused and the deadlock in their negotiation lasted for ten days, after which the hijackers released the plane declaring that their revolution was a success.
What are the miraflores locks in the panama canal?
This is the first set of locks situated at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal. The locomotives manoeuvre the ships through the locks prior to being raised or lowered 27 feet per chamber. About 26 million gallons of water are transferred in only seven minutes and it’s all done by gravity. Apart from Miraflores, there are two other sets of locks in the Panama Canal. They are Pedro Miquel and Gatun Locks.
Who hosted the first miss universe pageant?
Long Beach, California was the first city to host the Miss Universe pageant, way back in 1952. That year, Armi Kuusela from Finland became the very first Miss Universe title holder. Since then it has been held in several cities across the globe. This year’s Miss Universe pageant will once again be held in California, in Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium.
Why is vanuatu the happiest place?
According to the Happy Planet Index, Vanuatu is the happiest place on earth. This index measures the quality of life against environmental impact. It views happiness in terms of what we put in (resources), and what comes out (human lives of different length and happiness). It has been designed jointly by the New Economics Foundation and green campaign group Friends of the Earth, both of the United Kingdom. Of Asian countries, Vietnam was ranked at 12; India came in at 62.
What is ‘blank verse’ in literature?
Blank verse in literature is unrhymed poetry. It is a dominant verse form of English dramatic and narrative poetry Since the mid 16th century, blank verse was adapted by Italian Renaissance writers. From Italy, blank verse was brought into literature by poet Henry Howard. Rabindranath Tagore was a great exponent of this form and his poem ‘Upagupta’ is a fine example.
What is the full form of bmw?
BMW is the acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG or in English, Bavarian Motor Works. It’s an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. It’s the world’s largest premium carmaker and is the parent company of the BMW Mini, and Rolls Royce car brands, and, formerly, Rover. It was founded in 1913 by Karl Friedrich Rapp in Munich (Germany).
Who designed the eiffel tower?
The Eiffel Tower in Paris was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the famous French engineer and designer. He started building this humongous tower in 1889. It is located on the banks of the river Siene, in the Champ de Mars. At 324 meters, it’s the tallest structure in Europe. It is considered the most famous landmark in France and receives 5.5 million visitors every year.
How is a mole different from a spy?
All moles are spies, but all spies are not moles. A mole is a spy who works for a particular agency, but divulges vital information to a rival agency. A spy, on the other hand, tries to extract information from a rival agency by pretending to be one of them. The fictional James Bond, for instance, is a spy. Moles have been in the news recently, thanks to Jaswant Singh’s new book which talks of a mole in the Prime Minister’s Office during P V Narasimha Rao’s tenure.
What are tail brands in liquor?
In the life cycle of a product, its brand equity goes up, hits a plateau and then goes into a decline depending on the nature of the product and its environment. In Japan, for instance a brand’s life cycle is typically thought to be 18 months. Before it starts going into a decline, companies often introduce a successor brand of the same product. This new brand is called the tail brand. Another school of thought believes that a tail brand is the laggard in a clutch of brands in the same product range.
Why do people say ‘cheers!’ before drinking?
When many persons join together to celebrate, they raise a toast or cheer to show their oneness of feelings and to express that they are in it together. Another point of view is that in order to enjoy an experience wholly one would use all senses. When enjoying a drink or two one can see it feels it, taste it and smell it but can’t hear it. By clinking the glasses and saying cheers, we complete the experience. Or so the legend goes!
Why do people say ‘cheers’ before drinking?
The custom of saying ‘cheers’ before drinking especially when many persons join together is one of the oldest customs in the West. In olden days, alcohol was considered to have some bad spirits in it. Glasses were clinked to rid the alcohol of bad spirits. Over the years it grew into-a popular custom and gradually spread to the other parts of the world.
Who was the first dalai lama?
The first Dalai Lama of Tibet was Gendun Dupa. He is perhaps one of the classic examples of the mobility of the Tibetan spiritual hierarchy, especially within the Kadam and new Kadam sects. Born in a cowshed in 1391 in a nomadic tribe, he was one of the most distinguished disciples of Tsong Khapa, the famous Lama who founded the Gelukpa order as a synthesis of all older sects. When he was seven, his father passed away. His mother, unable to support him, admitted him into the Nartang Monastery. After completing his studies at Nartang, he left for Central Tibet where he studied and meditated for twelve years. He died in 1474. The title of Dalai Lama was not assumed until 200 years later.
Which is the longest telephone call ever made?
On July 20, 1969, US President Richard Nixon placed the world’s longest phone call, in terms of distance, to Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong at Tranquility Base on the moon. This would have been a distance of about 385,000 km. The longest telephone call that can be made from the US would be from Bay Area, California, to Adelaide, Australia, routed through New York and London, a distance of about 18,000 miles. We could not find any record for the world’s longest telephone call as far as time goes, but are pretty certain that at least one housewife was involved!
Who is known as the father of the english language?
Geoffrey Chaucer. He was born in London sometime between 1340 and 1344. He was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat (courtier), and diplomat. He is also referred to as the father of English Literature. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished frame narrative ‘The Canterbury Tales’. He is sometimes credited with being the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language, rather than French or Latin.
Which is the hottest place in the us?
Death Valley is the hottest place in the US and one of the hottest in the world. It is situated near California’s eastern border with Nevada. Death Valley is 140 miles long and 282 feet below sea level. The highest temperature recorded here was on July 10,1913 with the mercury touching 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.67 degrees Celsius). It remained a world record temperature till 1922, when a weather station in the Sanara desert at Azizia (Libya) recorded 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.78 degrees Celsius), a record that still stands.
Where’s the secret formula of coca-cola?
One of the most popular soft drinks, Coca-Cola has been zealously guarding its original formula. It’s reportedly stored in an Atlanta bank vault. Recently, the secret formula was in the news in India. The Supreme Court asked cola companies to reveal their formulas to ascertain the chemical composition, in the aftermath of the study which found high levels of pesticide residue in the drinks.
What is the origin of the word ‘moolah’?
Moolah is a Fijian word meaning ‘money’. This word may be the origin of the English slang for ‘money’.
When was the first atm setup in the world? When did india get one?
The use of ATM magstripe cards is said to have been made in 1969 when Docutel installed its Docuteller machine at New Yorks Chemical Bank.This is the first recorded use of magnetically encoded plastic. Donald C Wetzel is given credit for developing the machine for Docutel. Docutel was the first to apply for a patent and is credited by the Smithsonian Museum as inventor of the ATM. In 1987, India get one when the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation introduces the ATM concept in India in 1987.
How did the see-saw get its name?
The dictionary meaning of see-saw is a backward & forward or up & down movement. The movement of a see-saw resembles that of a saw which is backward and forward. It also gets its name from a sawyer’s jingle called ‘See Saw sack a down’.
When was the big ben installed?
The four bell of Great Clock of Westminster- known worldwide as Big Ben – is the most famous bell ever cast at Whitechapel. It was cast on April 10, 1958; the clock Denison designed was built by Messrs E.J. Dent & Co., and completed in 1854. The tower was not ready until 1859, so the clock was kept on test at Dent’s works for almost five years and then installed there.
When was cirque du soleil set up?
Cirque du Soleil (French for ‘Circus of the Sun’) is an entertainment empire based in Montreal, Canada and founded in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Lalibert and Daniel Gauthier. It was an answer to a call by Commissariat General aux Celebrations (1534-1984) of the Quebec government for the 450th anniversary celebrations of the discovery of Canada by French explorer Jacques Cartier. Gauthier, who left the company in 2001, now owns the ski area Le Massif, on the St Lawrence River in Quebec. Cirque du Soleil is now guided by Guy Lalibert.
Who designed the indian flag?
The Indian national flag was designed in 1916 by Pingali Venkayya from Machilipatnam. The tricolour flag designed by him, with a charkha in the centre was adopted by the Congress committee in 1931 at Karachi. On July 22,1947, during an ad hoc meeting of the Constituent Assembly, it was approved as the National Flag of India with suitable modifications, wherein the Ashok Chakra was adopted in place of the charkha.
Who designed the indian parliament?
Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, who were responsible for the planning and construction of New Delhi too, designed the Indian Parliament building. The Duke of Connaught laid the foundation stone of the Parliament House on February 12, 1921. The construction of the building took six years and the opening ceremony was performed on January 18, 1927 by the then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin. The cost of construction was Rs 83 lakh.
Who created the first map of the world?
The Greeks are credited with putting map making on a sound mathematical footing. The earliest Greek known to have made a map of the world was Anaximander. In 6th century BC, he drew a map of the then known world, assuming that the earth was cylindrical. The first Greek to draw a world map using the assumption of a spherical earth was Eratosthenes. Ptolomey first drew maps of the world using latitudes and longitudes and conic projection. In 150 AD he produced a six-volume atlas called Geographia containing several maps of the world known during his time.
When was the first skilift built?
The history of the first known chairlift depends on definition. Miners were using a mining tram in Kennecott, Alaska, to ski in the 1920s. There were other non-ski chairlifts in British Columbia at the turn of the century; Grass Valley, California, in 1896; Aspen, Colorado in 1890; and British Columbia earlier yet in 1874. The first known chairlift was created for the ski resort in Sun Valley, Idaho in 1936.
How did the barbie doll get its name?
Barbie’s creator Ruth Handler named the doll after her daughter Barbara. It made its debut at the New York International American Toy Fair on March 9,1959, which is widely celebrated as Barbie’s birthday. Handler fashioned Barbie after she noticed that her daughter quite enjoyed playing with adult-looking dolls rather than then-prevalent models of dolls made to resemble infants. Her husband Elliot Handler was the co-founder of the Mattel toy company
Why is only the second saturday, not the others, a holiday?
According to the book of Genesis in the Bible, the world was created in six days and the seventh day (Saturday) was a day of rest and worship. The ancient Egyptians also considered this day a day of rest and play Saturday is the Sabbath among the Jews and the only day named after a Roman God, Saturn. In support of this historical belief, across cultures, most employers give their workers either a half day or a full holiday on this day. Saturn is the second-largest planet in the solar system and hence second Saturday is a holiday
What is obiter dictum?
Obiter dictum is a term used in legal parlance. It is the Latin term for ‘something said in passing’. Obiter dictum is an observation made by a judge which, though included in the judgement, does not form part of the decision of the court. It can be an opinion of the judge which is not in line with the reasoning leading to the judgment.
What is the difference between a cookie and a biscuit?
Both are essentially tea-time snacks. It depends whether you speak American or British English and you can’t use a biscuit to identify a web user.
Who made the first wind chime?
The wind chime is a product of many cultures and times. The ancient civilisations of Asia can claim the creation of wind chimes as their own. The Chinese were casting bells by 1100 BC and they created the wind bell that they call fengling. Wind chimes were considered religious objects which could attract kind spirits and drive away evil ones. The Buddhists especially revered wind bells and hung them by the hundreds from the eaves of shrines, pagodas, temples and in caves.
What is the real story behind saying ‘touch wood’?
Touch wood’ and ‘knock on wood’ are used as a charm to bring good luck or to avoid ‘tempting fate’ after making a boastful statement. Some believe it has to do with knocking on the wooden cross. Another explanation stems from the pagan belief that spirits lived in trees and that knocking on wood would prevent the spirit from hearing the boastful words. The superstition has not been traced beyond the 19th century children’s tag games.
Which is the largest burger in the world?
A Pennsylvania restaurant put a 15-pound burger on its menu, claiming it to be the largest burger available. Dennis Liegey, the owner of Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, 120 kms northeast of Pittsburgh, named it the ‘Beer Barrel Belly Buster’ which comprises 10 pounds of meat moulded into a 20-inch patty on a specially baked 17-inch bun. The remaining weight comes from 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes, two onions, plus copious quantities of mayo, ketchup, relish, mustard, and peppers.
What is a turnkey project?
One of the special modes of carrying out international business is a turnkey project. It is a contract under which a firm agrees to fully design, construct and equip a manufacturing/ business/ service facility and turn the project over to the purchaser when it is ready for operation for remuneration.
What is 3 pl, 4 pl and 5 pl business? Why are they called so?
A third-party logistics provider (abbreviated 3PL) is a firm that provides outsourced or ‘third party’ logistics services to companies for part or sometimes all of their supply chain management function. Fourth party logistics is an integrator that assembles the resources, capabilities, and technology of its own organisation and other organisations to design, build and run comprehensive supply chain solutions. Since the advent of the 4PL service, the international logistics industry has been researching on the development of the fifth-party logistics service i.e. the realisation of full-scale operation of e-procurement. A key function of the 5PL is to aggregate the demands of the 3PL into a bulky volume for negotiating more favourable rates with airlines and shipping companies regardless of which generation of logistics solution belongs to all.
What is the origin of the word quiz?
It is not known for sure where it comes from. It was first recorded in the late 1700s, in the sense of an odd or eccentric person. Later it became another word for a joke or a witticism and only during the mid-nineteenth century did it take on the modern meaning, which is to question or a formal set of questions. However, there is a famous tale about a Dublin theatre manager named James Daly, who accepted a bet that he could create a new word without any meaning and have everybody in the city guess its meaning and use it within 24 hours. He is said to have employed a large number of urchins to go around the city and write the word quiz on every surface they could find. This had everybody asking what this word meant, the next day. The story is best viewed through the bottom of a glass of something Irish.
What’s the origin of the phrase —a bull in a china shop’?
It refers to a situation where a person finds himself out of place and deals too roughly with a delicate problem. It is widely believed that the phrase came about from reallife situations, when cattle were brought to the market in London in the 17th century. The beasts would stray into nearby china shops and played havoc with the items. The earliest recorded use is in Frederick Marryat’s novel, ‘Jacob Faithful’ (1834).
What’s the origin of the expression ‘hip hip hooray’?
The old fanciful explanation of the origin of this cry is that ‘hip’ is a notarikon, composed of the initials Hierosolyma est perdita, and that when German knights headed a Jew-hunt in the Middle Ages, they ran shouting ‘Hip! Hip!’, as much as to say: ‘Jerusalem is destroyed’. ‘Hurrah’ was similarly fancifully derived from Slavonic hu-raj (‘to paradise’), so that ‘Hip! Hip! Hurrah!’ would mean ‘Jerusalem is lost to the infidel, and we are on the road to Paradise’. ‘Hip’ is actually of unknown origin, but ‘hurrah’ or ‘hooray’ are alterations of ‘huzzah’ itself said by the 17th century writers to be a sailor’s cheer.
How did clapping of hands originate as a gesture of appreciation?
In public performances like concerts and during sports events, the audience and spectators have always needed some way of communicating their appreciation to the performers. The communication should be loud enough to reach the performers, the sound should be easy to produce, and it should be language independent. Clapping satisfies these requirements. In fact, it is the easiest way of producing a non-verbal loud sound with the human body, and hence crowds must have resorted to it to convey their approval even in ancient times. Clapping at public performances must have also been inspired by the fact that in musical concerts, clapping was used sometimes as a substitute for percussion instruments. Further, the act of expressing joy through clapping is partly instinctive to human beings, as seen in excited children.
Which country issued the world’s largest stamp?
The world’s largest stamp is the Err Mail stamp measuring a whopping 10 ft by 16 ft. This stamp can be viewed at Matthews Memory Lane Motors at the intersection of S.E. 26th and Holgate in Portland, Oregon, USA. The stamp went on display on May 23,1995. It’s is the largest stamp ever issued — real or faux.
When was berlin established?
The first written mention of towns in the area of present-day Berlin dates from the late 12th and early 13th century Spandau is first mentioned in 1197, and Kopenick in 1209, though these areas did not become part of Berlin until 1920. The central part of Berlin can be traced back to two towns: Cvlln (on the Fisher Island) is first mentioned in a 1237 document, and Berlin (across the Spree in what is now called the Nikolaiviertel) in one from 1244. Over time, the twin cities came to be known simply as Berlin.
What’s the origin of the term ‘banana republic’?
The economy of some small and island caribbean and latin American countries depends by and large on only one factor i.e. the cultivation of banana and other fruits. Though these countries are republics established by their respective constitutions, ultimately the economy and hence politics and political policies revolve around the production of banana and they enjoy little political independence. This is why they are called ‘banana republics’.
What is the origin of rangoli?
Rangoli may have originated in India even before the origin of the Hindu epics, because rangoli is mentioned in the epics. Today, rangolis are made on floors and walls for decorating houses during festivals and other joyous occasions like marriages. The religious significance is that gods get attracted towards rangoli and hence while inviting a god into a house, the house should be decorated with rangoli. Chitra Lakshana, an early treatise on Indian painting, attributed the idea of rangoli to Lord Brahma.
How are whirlpools caused?
Whirlpools are a threat to small boats. The whirlpools between Sicily and mainland Italy, named Scylla and Charybdis, were once thought to be the lairs of sea monsters that swallowed ships. Whirlpools are often caused when strong currents are confined between rocks or when two currents meet.
Has a woman ever run for the presidency of the us?
No, but Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for President in 1872. Interestingly, she was running for President even before women got the right to vote in the United States. Unfortunately, what she had to contend with was personal slander about her morality. Currently, it looks like Hillary Rodham Clinton is all set to run for President in the 2008 elections.
How was the mirror invented?
Water was the first mirror. People saw their faces reflected in ponds and rivers. Another early mirror was shiny black stone called obsidian. But these didn’t give a clear reflection. When people learnt how to polish metal to a shiny surface, they used bronze mirrors. Mirrors today are made of glass coated with silver. In 1508, glass makers of Venice, Italy invented a mirror made of glass. They coated the back of a sheet of glass with tin and mercury, which made it shiny and reflected images perfectly.
What is bentham’s dog law?
Jeremy Bentham was a liberal reformer of the 19th century in the United Kingdom. He was a great critic of criminal laws prevalent in England. Bentham popularized the view that the primary aim of the criminal law was deterrence. He called the criminal laws as dog law because it condemned the offenders after the event has taken place in much the same way that owners punish their dogs after they have erred. Bentham believed that such laws do not have any deterrent value.
When did ballet dancing originate and where?
Ballet first appeared in the Roman Pantomime. The earliest precursors to ballets were lavish entertainment spectacles in the courts of Renaissance Italy These elaborate spectacles, which united painting, poetry, music and dancing, took place in large halls which were also used for banquets and balls. The Italian court ballets were further developed in France. Le Ballet Comique de la Reine (The Ballet Comedy), the first ballet for which a complete score survived was performed in Paris in 1581. It was staged by Balthazar de Beaujoyeux.
Who are the yeoman warders?
The Yeoman Warders patrol the Tower of London by the river Thames and form a major tourist attraction in the UK. They are also known as the Beefeaters for they were given meat rations during the mediaeval ages. The Tower recently broke with tradition to keep with the times and hired a female Yeoman Warder.
Why is hindi india’s national language?
Neither the Constitution nor the laws of India accord the status of national language to any language in India. Indian law states that no language will be made the national language unless and until all the constituent states of the Union of India accept it. Of the 28 states and seven Union Territories, only ten states and three Union Territories have Hindi as the principal official language. However, Article 343 of the Indian Constitution states that the official language of the Union (India) shall be Hindi in Devanagari script.
Who is the first virtual millionaire?
Ailin Graef, better known as Anshe Chung, is the world’s first virtual millionaire. This virtual real estate dealer has made her first million by buying and selling virtual property in the online game Second Life. Her initial investment was $9.95.
Why are only ‘x’ marks used for wrong answers and tick marks for correct ones?
A tick (or check mark or check) is used to indicate ‘yes’. Its opposite is the cross ‘x’ though it can also be positive as in elections. In the US, it’s more common to check a square box with a cross. In some countries (like Finland and Sweden), the tick indicates ‘no’ rather than ‘yes’. When the ancient Romans kept checklists, they marked items with a V; for the Latin word ‘veritas’ (truth). According to another theory, it comes from using fountain pens. The ink would not always start flowing without some initial action. The downstroke of the nib was enough to get the ink flowing and then it was available for the upstroke.
What’s the basis of international currency conversion rates?
Foreign exchange markets, where different currencies are exchanged at rates determined by demand and supply for the respective currencies, determine international currency conversion rates for most currencies. Since such conversion rates are determined by market forces, the exchange •rates keep fluctuating continuously Therefore, currencies traded in international foreign exchange markets are called free floating currencies. Sometimes, the central bank of a country intervenes to control the exchange rate of its currency if the rate is going out of’ bounds. The demand for a currency depends on several economic factors.
Why are the people of netherlands called the dutch?
English-speaking people call people from Holland Dutch only. This word is the English counterpart of the Dutch words ‘diets’ and ‘duits’. ‘Duits’ means German since the Germans call themselves ‘Deutsche’. Around 1290 in the northern and eastern part of the Netherlands, the word was ‘duutsc’ and as the Frisian people (living in the North) spoke a language much more like English. The English adapted Dutch from Frisian Duutsc. Later, ‘duutsc’ became the Dutch word for their eastern neighbours Duits (German).
Does dracula’s castle really exist?
Although Count Dracula was fictional, loosely based on the mediaeval tyrant Vlad Tepes of Wallachia, Dracula’s castle, surprisingly, does exist and is known as the Bran castle. That’s because Bram Stoker, who authored Dracula, based his fictional vampire’s castle on this one, located near Brasov in Romania- Though, there is no proof that Vlad Tepes ever lived there, historical accounts suggest that he was imprisoned in its dungeon for two days by the Turks who had captured the area.
Which country produces the most number of bicycles?
India is the country, which produces the most number of bicycles. The Hero Group sells more than 10 crore bicycles. It has even found a place in the Guiness Book of World Records. It produces 18,500 cycles per day.
What became of jack the ripper?
Truth be told, no one knows what became of the person who was dubbed Jack the Ripper by the British media in the late 19th century Speculation was rife about the real identity of the serial killer who murdered several prostitutes by cutting their throats and then mutilating their bodies. Some believe the Ripper was a surgeon, others theorised that the Whitechapel murders weren’t committed by one but by several people independently More than a century after the Whitechapel murders, Jack the Ripper is back in the news because of a similar series of murders in Ipswich, north-east of London.
What does ’till the rising of court’ refer to in the indian legal system?
It refers to a nominal sentence the lasts for only few seconds. The sentence is pronounced as follows: “You are sentenced till rising of court and for that purpose the court has now risen.” In India, there was a case involving former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh. Though the apex court found him to be guilty it sentenced him ’till the rising of the court’.
What is the meaning of basel 2?
Basel 2 is the new capital accord signed in June 2004 at Bank for International Settlement located at Basel, Switzerland. It is an improvement over Basel 1 which had certain deficiencies which have now been removed. Basel 2 is based on three pillars: capital adequacy, supervisory review and market discipline. It is basically concerned with financial health of the banks worldwide. The focus in Basel 2 is the risk determination and quantification of credit risk, market risk and operational risk faced by banks. Reserve Bank of India has accepted the accord and issued guidelines to ensure compliance with the norms by March 31,2008. Other scheduled commercial banks are required to implement Basel 2 by March 31,2009.
Who designed rashtrapati bhavan?
The Rashtrapafi Bhavan was designed by Edwin Lutyens and built in 1931 to be the central point of British power in Delhi. Originally called the Viceroy’s House, the Rashtrapati Bhavan covers an area of 4.5 acres of land. It has 340 rooms, 37 salons, 74 lobbies and loggias, 18 staircases and 37 fountains.
How many grammys have the doors won?
Although The Doors created hit singles like Light My Fire, Roadhouse Blues and Break on Through to the Other Side, and its front man Jim Morrison was a legend in his own right, the band hasn’t won a single Grammy award till date. However, in 2007, The Doors will be given the Lifetime Achievement Grammy, a gesture, which critics say, is coming too late.
What is spectra frame?
Specta frame is used when your customer is away from your product but through its video interactive system it can provide knowledgeable sales presence and consistent messages, right at the moment when the sale is about to happen.
What’s the origin of the word ballet?
Domenico da Piacenza (1390-1470) is credited with the first use of the term ballo (in De Arte Saltandi et Choreas Ducendi) instead of danza (dance) for his baletti or balli. Some scholars view this as the origin of ballet. The first ballet produced and shown was Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx’s Ballet Comique de la Reyne (1581), which was a ballet comique (ballet drama).
What are small cap, mid cap and large cap shares?
Cap is short for capitalization which is a measure by which we can classify a company’s size. Big/large caps are companies, which have a market cap between 10-200 billion dollars. Mid caps range from 2 billion to 10 billion dollars. These might not be industry leaders but are well on their way to becoming one. Small caps are typically new or relatively young companies and have a market cap between 300 million to 2 billion dollars. Although their track record won’t be as lengthy as that of the mid to mega caps, small caps do present the possibility of greater capital appreciation, but at the cost of greater risk.
How did the phrase ‘ladies first’ come into existence?
According to Judaism and the Torah, the ‘ladies first’ rule is a very old tradition. The story goes that when Moses was instructed to inform the people of Israel about the Torah, he was told to “speak to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel.” Since the house of Jacob appears first in the instructions, and it refers to women, the theory follows that Moses had to speak first with the ladies. Probably this is the origin of the phrase ‘ladies first’.
Who is known as the napoleon of india?
Samudragupta (335-375 AD) of the Gupta dynasty is known as the Napoleon of India. Historian A V Smith called him so because of his great military conquests known from the ‘PrayagPrashati’ written by his courtier and poet Harisena, who also describes him as the hero of a hundred battles. But some leading Indian historians criticize Smith and feel that Samudragupta was a far greater warrior than Napoleon, as the former never lost any battle.
Who is the patron saint of dance?
Saint Vitus (pronounced Vits) is the patron saint of dancers and of people with nerve afflictions. The nerve disease Saint Vitus Dance, or chorea, is named after him. Legend has it that Vitus, the only son of a senator in Sicily, become a Christian at 12. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a collective cult of saints which originated in 14th-century Rhineland, believed to intercede effectively against various diseases. In Germany it was believed in the 16th century that good health for a year could be secured by anyone who danced before the statue of St. Vitus on his feast day. This dancing developed almost into a mania, and came to be confused with chorea, which was subsequently known as St. Vitus’ dance.
What’s the origin of the term ‘widow’s peak’?
A widow’s peak is a descending V-shaped point in the middle of the hairline, above the forehead. The trait is inherited genetically The term comes from English folklore, where it was believed that this formation was a sign of a woman who’d outlive her husband. The peak refers to the beak or bill of a headdress, particularly a widow’s hood, making people think a woman was being given a mourning hood for her husband’s imminent death. It’s also believed to be a sign of sexual prowess in folklore. Men with male pattern baldness develop what appears to be a large widow’s peak.
Why is a proper meal called a ‘square meal’?
A ‘square meal’ dates to 1868, although it did not become common until around 1880. Of American origin, it comes from the adjectival use of square to mean sturdy or substantial. There are older, related senses of the adjective square. In the 17th century, square was could eat and drink copious amounts: The style of eating, dubbed square meal, where eating utensils must be moved at right angles and is a derivative of the common usage, not the origin.
Where did cajun cuisine originate?
Cajun cooking styles originated in Louisiana from a group of people who had their roots in France but were immigrants to Canada. They were exiled from Canada and eventually settled in the swamps and bayous of southern Louisiana. They are known as Acadians and are a unique cultural group with their own language. Ingredients for Cajun cooking came from the swamps and bayous, and include wild game, seafood, wild vegetation and herbs. It is cooked in a single black iron pot. The Native American and German neighbours of the Acadians also influenced Cajun food.
Why is a shoestring budget called so?
On a shoestring suggests that one’s resources are limited to the laces of one’s shoe. The expression may have come from faro (a gambling game), but it isn’t recorded until 1904, although shoestring gambler for a ‘petty, tinhorn gambler,’ is recorded 10 years or so earlier.
What’s the origin of the term —cockpit’?
A cockpit was a pit used for cock fighting, where owners would pit fighting birds against each other for gambling. In the 16th century, it was used to mean a place of entertainment or frenzied activity. William Shakespeare used the term in ‘Henry V to specifically mean the area around the stage of a theatre. Cockpit also came to be used for any small enclosed area. Cockpit as a term for the pilot’s compartment in an aircraft first appeared in 1914 and from about 1935 cockpit also came to be used informally to refer to the driver’s seat of a car, especially a high performance one, and this is the official terminology in Formula One.
Who vtas marquis de lafayette?
Marie –Joseph- Paul- Yves- RochGilbert Du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette was a French soldier and later became a diplomat. He participated in the American and French Revolutions and that’s why he is considered a hero in both the US and France. The . Americans have honoured him by naming places like Lafayette, Fayette and Fayetteville after him. Three US naval vessels have also been named in his honour. Despite considerable anti-French sentiment in the US at the time, Congress granted him honorary citizenship on August 6, 2002. During World War II, the US flag was draped on his grave, even though it was in Nazi-occupied territory. Portraits of Washington and Lafayette hang in the chamber of the US House of Representatives.
When was ‘jana-gana mana’ first sung as our national anthem?
After Independence, ‘God Save the King’ was abandoned. But Indian delegates to the United Nations were asked for India’s own national anthem to be played on occasions. In a quick decision, a record of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was handed over and played by the UN orchestra. As the tune was highly appreciated by all, the Constituent Assembly of India as the National Anthem adopted it on January 24, 1950. However, the first stanza of the five stanza poem, ‘Bharat Vidhata’ (published in Tattvabodhini Patrika in 1911) was first sung on the second day of the Calcutta session of the Indian National Con- gress on December 27,1911.
Why is the plus sign used for addition and the minus sign for subtraction?
In early 15th century Europe, the letters P and M were generally used for addition and subtraction. The earliest print appearance of the modern signs seems to come from a book on ‘Behende und hupscheenung auff alien Kauffman- schafft’ or Mercantile Arithmetic by Johannes Widmann in 1489, used to indicate surpluses and deficits. The ‘+’ sign is a simplification of the Latin ‘et’ (comparable to the ampersand &). The’-’ sign may have been derived from a tilde written over m when used to indicate subtraction; or it may have come from a shorthand version of the letter ‘m’ itself. According to the website on Earliest Uses of Various Mathematical Symbols, a book published by Henricus Grammateus in 1518 is the earliest found to use ‘+• for addition and ‘-’ for subtraction.
When did beijing become the capital of china?
Beijing, earlier known as Peking and Peiping, was founded by Zhou around 700 B.C. Kublai Khan made it the capital of his Khanbalik Empire, from 1264 to 1267. The Ming emperors made it their capital in 1421 and it remained China’s capital till 1912 when the Manchu Empire fell and SunYat Sen turned China into a republic. In 1949, the Communists captured the city and made it their capital, which it has remained to this day.
When was james bond created?
The fictional spy was created by lan Fleming in 1952. He first made his appearance in pop culture in the novel Casino Royale. But when the character made his jump to big screen, first portrayed by Sean Connery and later by many others, this suave and sophisticated spy managed to acquire a charming and enduring appeal. The book that first unleashed this character was recently made into a movie with Daniel Craig playing bond.
What is a group of clowns knownas?
A group of clowns working for a circus company, or any professional organisation of clowns, is known as clown alley. Originally, the term was used informally in a circus to the area behind the stage, used by the clowns as their makeup area. Over the years, the term got formalised and has come to mean not only the above area but also the group of clowns using it.
Did sidney sheldon ever win an oscar?
Actually, he did. The best-selling novelist who recently passed away was a screenplay writer before he began writing his popular pageturners. He won an Oscar in 1948 for the screenplay of ‘The Bachelor & the Bobby-Soxer’ which starred Shirley Temple and Cary Grant.
What are the basic tenets of shintoism?
Developed in prehistoric times, Shinto is the true expression of what it means to be Japanese. Though Shinto has no absolute commandments for its adherents aside from living “a simple and harmonious life with nature and people”, there are four affirmations of the Shinto spirit. The family is seen as the main mechanism through which tradition is preserved. Their main celebrations relate to birth and marriage. Nature is sacred. Natural objects are worshipped as containing sacred spirits. Physical cleanliness is emphasised. Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse their mouth often. ‘Matsuri’ refers to festivals dedicated to the Kami or God.
What is the string theory?
String Theory provides a unified description of the fundamental particles and forces in nature including gravity. This quantum gravity theory is at present the best hope for concrete computable answers to fundamental questions such as the underlying symmetries of nature, the quantum behaviour of black holes, the existence and breaking of supersymmetry, and the quantum treatment of singularities. It might also shed light on larger issues such as the nature of quantum mechanics and space and time. In String Theory, all forces and particles emerge in an ele- gant geometrical way, realising Einstein’s dream of building everything from the geometry of space-time.
Where does the light go after it is reflected from the earth?
IT is radiated back into space.
What is the meaning of ip and usp written on drugs in the market?
THEY are abbreviations of the words Indian Pharmocopeia and United States Pharmacopeia. Pharmacopeia is the standard bookfor the manufacture of drugs and medicines. If IP is written, it means the drug meets the requirements as laid down in Indian Pharcopeia.
How did man measure time in ancient times?
ONE of me oldest ways of measuring time was the sundial. A simple sundial consisted of a vertical stick or a pillar which cast a shadow. The length of the shadow would keep on changing depending on the position of the sun in the sky. A day (from sunrise to sunset was divided into twelve hours by the Babylonians. They would mark these hours at the various positions of the shadows. India, too, had sundials. But in India, a day was divided into 8
prahars. Each prahar was equal to three hours. Another very common way of measuring time was to make a small hole in a vessel and let it float in water. The hole was made of such a size that when the vessel sank, it would be one ghatika or a unit of time. Ghatika is derived from the word, ghat or a vessel. Yet another common way of measuring time was sand glasses. In the sand glass, sand would run from the upper part of the sand glass to the lower part. The passage between the upper and lower parts used to be narrow. During the 16th century, sand glasses were used for measuring short intervals of time like 15 minutes and 20 minutes.
What is a differential gear?
Whenever an automobile turns left, the left wheel travels less distance compared to the right. This implies that the left wheel moves at a much higher speed. This is facilitated by an arrangement of gears, a ‘differential gear’, which allows two or more shafts to move at appropriate speed. In modern cars, the differential gears are attached to the rear wheels.
What is a ‘dirty snowball’?
An American astronomer, Fred Whipple, developed the model of comet composition. Acceding to this model the nucleus of a comet consists of frozen mass and dust resembling a dirty snowball.
Who invented the transistor?
The transistor is a small solid-state device that controls electrical current. Walter Brattain, John Bardeen and William Shockley in Bell Laboratory invented it. The transistor replaced vacuum tubes in several devices. Today, the chips or integrated circuits consist of millions of transistors an area of a few square mm.
What is the big bang?
The Big Bang is the explosion that triggered the creation of the universe. Most cosmologists believe that after the explosion, the universe cooled down by expansion. Latest astrophysical observations conform that the universe is still expanding. There is a competing theory of the origin of the universe: the steady state theory. According to this, the universe does not undergo any cataclysmic transitions. The scientists belonging to this school are a miniscule minority.
What is ascii?
ASCII stands of American Standard Code for Information Interchange. ASCII is the universal language understood by all computers in which a unique number represents every alphanumeric character.
Who holds the world record for having the most number of children?
The world record for having the most number of children officially recorded is 69 by the first of two wives of Feodor Vassilyev (1707-1782), a peasant from Shuya, 150 miles east of Moscow. In 27 confinements, she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets. The children were born between 1725-1765.
Why is an aaa battery called so ?
AAA is the standard designation for R03 battery with Carbon Zinc System. The AAA standard has been given by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and R03 also represents the I same battery as designated by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The R denotes roundness. The diameter of the cell is 10.5 mm and height 44.5 mm. The AA/R6, D/R20 is commonly called as penlight batteries and -radio/torch batteries respectively.
Why is TV known as the idiot box?
This term has been used to refer to a TV set in a derogatory way since the late 1950s. The name stuck for two reasons. TV has been a non-interactive device, and the term ‘idiot box’ highlights the fact that it is non-responsive. According to some studies, a child addicted to TV might suffer from slow metabolism, obesity, myopia, and might develop into a moron or an idiot. Thus, the adjective idiot in the above term applies both to the device in question and to its users.
If i have positive thinking, i am told, i can do better and achieve more and even conquer illness. Is there any relationship between the state of mind and the well being of the body?
OF COURSE, there is. If you are in a happy mood, the body will secrete chemicals called endorphins feyhich help you to relax. When people meet and laugh loudly as in laughter clubs, it raises the level of endorphins in the body. When the endorphin levels are high, you feel relaxed and you can sleep well, so say the physiologists. This explains the popularity of laughter clubs. On the other hand, when you have feelings like anger, fear or worry, the Hypothalamus gland sends messages to the various glands and organs in the body and activates them. It is as if the. Hypothalamus says, “On your guard! Get ready to protect this organism. The Hypothalamus activates the adrenal glands and more adrenaline and nor adrenaline (hormones) are secreted. More glycogen is converted into glucose, particniariv in the muscles. This provides you energy to fight With the person or run away from the person or situation which gave you feelings of anger, fear, etc. But in modern society you are unlikely to hit the person in front or run away from him, exhibiting your fear. As a result the extra glucose, and the hormones circulate in the body, making you restless. You will not be in a state of harmony. This affects health. It is therefore, important to learn to relax. And you can learn this without joining laughter clubs.
Why do the colours of clothes fade when exposed to sunlight?
YOU must have noticed that you feel, warm if you bask in the sun and objects kept in bright sunshine get heated. Heating is a chemical reaction. All chemical reactions have their own effects. Some colours fade faster than others.
Is there any truth in the statement that the state of the mind influences the body?
THERE is no doubt whatsoever that the mind does influence the functioning of the various human organs, particularly glands that secrete hormones. For example, the moment you perceive a threat and as a result of this perceived threat you get angry or frightened, the adrenal glands secrete adrenaline and noradrenaline. Glycogen in the muscles is converted to glucose to help you meet the threat. But if you do not run away from the threat and if you do not fight with the object or person that poses the threat, the extra glucose and hormones will circulate in the blood. That is said to harm you. When you are tense, even the salivary glands will not function properly and will not secrete enough ptyalin to help di,g0St the carbohydrates in the food that you chew. The gastric Juice secreted tin the stomach will have a higher percentage of hydrochloric acid. This will give rise to acidity. Even the peristalsis movement of the stomach and intestines will be affected and therefore, what you eat is unlikely to be digested well. Experiments, conducted at Stanford Institute, California and by Herbert Benson suggest that most people suffering from high blood pressure show remarkable improvement by doing meditation; even by repeating mantra riiythmically and continuously for 10-20 minutes, twice a day.
Who invented the first folding umbrella?
Even though the use of the umbrella for protection from rain or sun or as a parasol dates back to days back in history, the first folding umbrella was invented in 1851. The inventor was (perhaps that was to be expected) an Englishman by the name of Holland; .who was a resident of Birmingham.
What is fifo?
FIFO stands for First In – First Out. This is a method of storing contents in a computer memory. FIFO retrieves the item stored for the longest time. This is in contrast to FILO (First In – Last Out). Computer engineers share a private joke: GIGO (Garbage In – Garbage Out).
What is cartesian geometry?
Rene DesCartes, the French philosopher, mercenary and mathematician, used algebraic equations to describe geometry. The branch of Mathematics is called coordinate or simply Cartesian Geometry, after its inventor.
Who designed the lego bricks?
Ole Kirk Christiansen of Denmark designed the Lego bricks in 1949. Lego is a Latin word meaning ‘I put together’. LEGO is the name of a line of toys featuring colourful plastic bricks, gears, minifigures, and other pieces that can be assembled to create models of cars, planes, trains, buildings, castles, sculptures, ships etc. Like traditional wooden blocks, they can be stacked on one another and also locked together. They have several round studs on top, and a hollow rectangular bottom. They stick together, but can also be pulled apart easily.
Where was the first metro rail constructed?
The first metro rail became operational in London on January 10, 1863. The Metropolitan Railway, as it was known then, was run between Paddington and Farringdon. Over the years, this underground and overground railway system has carried millions of passengers. It’s fondly called ‘the Underground’ or ‘theTube’.
How is a bullet train able to move at high speed?
Bullet trains run largely on conventional steel rails mounted on concrete sleepers, but the fastest services use dedicated tracks. Every part is aerodynamically shaped to reduce drag. The motors are very powerful. The key to reach high speeds is the power of the fraction device. Each carriage has four motor sets to power the axles. If there are 16 carriages, then there are 64 motors. Each motor is rated at 185kW totalling to ll, 840kW. Extensive soundproofing reduces the noise level. Bullet trains also use magnetic levitation in which the rails and the train don’t touch each other.
What is special about the donana national park?
Donana National Park is situated on the right bank of the Guadalquivir river in Andalusia, Spain. It is notable for the great diversity of its biotopes, especially lagoons, marsh lands, fixed and mobile dunes and scrub woodlands. It is home to five threatened bird species. For many migratory birds, Donana is the meeting ground between Europe and Africa.
Who found the wreck of the titanic?
The remains of the Titanic were found in 1985 by Robert Ballard, an oceanographer and marine biologist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. When he located the Titanic, he saw that, as some survivors reported, the ship had broken apart. He believed the weight of the water-filled bow raised the stern out of the water and snapped the ship in two just before it sank. Debris falling out of the ship was strewn over a large distance across the sea floor. The bow and the stern were found nearly 2,000 ft apart.
What is a chinese whisper?
It’s a game in which information is passed from one party to another (usually verbally) and the facts and theme often get distorted. Common examples are rumours and neighbourhood gossip. Likewise, information forwarded by e-mail is often altered, as is overheard information. Safety warnings can turn into scares, jokes into facts and dramas into crises.
Why is the pieremachocheltochtunique?
The Pieremachocheltocht is a parade of all kinds of boats through the canals of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It’s a canal cruise with everything that stays on the water. Participation is open and one can see the funniest and weirdest constructions. Prizes are handed out for the most beautiful, the most original. The word ‘pieremachocheP is an old term for either a very fat woman or a rowboat.
How do we calculate purchasing power parity?
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) is a theory which states that the exchange rates between two currencies are in equilibrium when their purchasing power is the same in both countries. This means that the exchange rate between two countries should equal the ratio of the two countries’ price level of a fixed quantity of identical type of goods and services. When a country’s domestic price level is increasing, that country’s exchange rate must be depreciated in order to return to Purchasing Power Parity The PPP exchange rates are used to compare standards of living.
What does “sdnbhd” stand for?
Sdn Bhd is the short form for Sendirian Berhad. The most common company structure in Malaysia is a company limited by shares. They may be either private (Sendirian Berhad or Sdn.
About the Author
Dr. Ashok Kumar Sharma, M.A.(History); Certificate in Taxidermy(Madras); Certifate in Library Science (TOPPER-ML Sukhadia Uni. Udaipur,(Rajasthan) INDIA. Hobby: Cricket; Postal Stamp Collection and Collection of Quotations since 1981.
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West Virginia ( /wst vrdnj/ (helpinfo)) is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast. The capital and largest city is Charleston.
West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions, breaking away from Virginia during the American Civil War. The new state was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key Civil War border state. West Virginia was the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state, and was one of only two states formed during the American Civil War (the other one being Nevada, which separated from Utah Territory).
The Census Bureau considers West Virginia part of the South, as most of the state is south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio with the West Virginia cities of Wheeling and Weirton being just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, while Bluefield is less than 70 miles from North Carolina and Harper’s Ferry is considered to be a part of the Washington metropolitan area. The unique position of West Virginia means that it is often included in a wide variety of geographical regions, including the Upland South, the Southeastern United States and even the Northeastern United States. Notably, it is the only state which entirely lies within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, which is a common definition of “Appalachia”.
The state is noted for its mountains and diverse topography, its historically-significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor history. It is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world, making it a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research. The karst lands contribute to much of the state’s cool trout waters. It is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and hunting.
Contents
1 Geography and environment
1.1 Climate
2 History
2.1 Prehistory
2.2 European exploration and settlement
2.3 Trans-Allegheny Virginia
2.4 Separation from Virginia
2.5 Hidden resources
3 Demographics
3.1 Religion
4 Economy
5 Transportation
6 Law and government
6.1 Legislative branch
6.2 Executive branch
6.3 Judicial branch
6.4 Politics
7 State capitals
8 Important cities and towns
8.1 Large cities
8.2 Towns and small cities
8.3 Metropolitan Statistical Areas
8.4 Micropolitan Statistical Areas
9 Education
9.1 Colleges and universities
10 Distinctions
11 Culture
11.1 Music
11.1.1 Appalachian music
11.1.2 Classical music
11.1.3 Musical innovation
11.2 Sports
11.3 In popular culture
12 See also
13 References
14 Further reading
15 External links
//
Geography and environment
Shaded relief map of the Cumberland Plateau and Ridge-and-valley Appalachians.
The summit of Spruce Knob is often covered in clouds.
Main article: Geography of West Virginia
See also: List of counties in West Virginia and List of West Virginia county seats
West Virginia is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north; by Ohio to the north and west; by Kentucky to the west; by Maryland to the north and east; and by Virginia to the east and south. The Ohio and Potomac rivers form parts of the boundaries.
West Virginia is located entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range and all areas are mountainous; for this reason it is nicknamed The Mountain State and also is partially the reason why its motto is “mountaineers are always free.” About 75% of the state is within the Cumberland Plateau and Allegheny Plateau regions. Though the relief is not high, the plateau region is extremely rugged in most areas. The average elevation of West Virginia is approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) above sea level, which is the highest of any US state east of the Mississippi River.
On the eastern state line with Virginia, high peaks in the Monongahela National Forest region give rise to an island of colder climate and ecosystems similar to those of northern New England and eastern Canada. The highest point in the state is atop Spruce Knob, at 4,863 ft (1,482 m), is covered in a boreal forest of dense spruce trees at altitudes above 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Spruce Knob lies within the Monongahela National Forest and is a part of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. A total of six wilderness areas can also be found within the forest. Outside the forest to the south, the New River Gorge is a 1,000 feet (300 m) deep canyon carved by the New River. The National Park Service manages a portion of the gorge and river that has been designated as the New River Gorge National River, one of only 15 rivers in the U.S. with this level of protection.
Other areas under protection and management include:
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Bluestone National Scenic River
Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Gauley River National Recreation Area
George Washington National Forest
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Map of West Virginia counties
The native vegetation for most of the state was originally mixed hardwood forest of oak, chestnut, maple, beech, and white pine, with willow and American sycamore along the state’s waterways. Many of the areas are rich in biodiversity and scenic beauty, a fact that is appreciated by native West Virginians, who refer to their home as Almost Heaven (from the song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”) even though John Denver’s geography barely resembles West Virginia. Before the song, it was known as “The Cog State” (Coal, Oil, and Gas) or “The Mountain State.” Ecologically, most of West Virginia falls into the Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests ecoregion.
The underlying rock strata are sandstone, shale, bituminous coal beds, and limestone laid down in a near shore environment from sediments derived from mountains to the east, in a shallow inland sea on the west. Some beds illustrate a coastal swamp environment, some river delta, some shallow water. Sea level rose and fell many times during the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian eras, giving a variety of rock strata. The Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest on earth, having formed over 300 million years ago.
Climate
Further information: Climate change in West Virginia
The climate of West Virginia is a humid subtropical climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa) in some of the lower elevations, primarily in the southwestern portion of the state (including Huntington and Charleston), along with parts of the Eastern Panhandle east of the Appalachians with hot, humid summers and milder winters. The rest of the state generally has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa, except Dfb at the higher elevations) with warm to hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters, increasing in severity with elevation. Some southern highland areas also have a mountain temperate climate (Koppen Cfb) where winter temperatures are more moderate and summer temperatures are somewhat cooler. However, the weather is subject in all parts of the state to change. The hardiness zones range from zone 5b in the central Appalachian mountains to zone 7a in the warmest parts of the lowest elevations. In the Eastern Panhandle and the Ohio River Valley temperatures are warm enough to see and grow subtropical plants such as Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Crepe Myrtle, Albizia julibrissin, American Sweetgum and even the occasional needle palm and sabal minor. These plants do not thrive as well in other parts of the state. The Eastern prickly pear grows well in many portions of the state.
Average January temperatures range from around 26F (-4C) near the Cheat River to 41F (5C) along sections of the border with Kentucky. July averages range from 67F (19C) along the North Branch Potomac River to 76F (24C) in the western part of the state. It is cooler in the mountains than in the lower sections of the state.
Annual precipitation ranges from less than 32 inches (81 cm) in the lower eastern section to more than 56 inches (140 cm) in higher parts of the Allegheny Front. Slightly more than half the rainfall occurs from April to September. Dense fogs are common in many valleys of the Kanawha section, especially the Tygart Valley. West Virginia is also one of the cloudiest states in the nation, with the cities of Elkins and Beckley ranking 9th. and 10th. in the U.S. respectively for the number of cloudy days per year (over 210). In addition to persistent cloudy skies caused by the damming of moisture by the Alleghenies, West Virginia also experiences some of the most frequent precipitation in the nation, with Snowshoe averaging nearly 200 days a year with either rain or snow. Snow usually lasts only a few days in the lower sections but may persist for weeks in the higher mountain areas. An average of 34 inches (86 cm) of snow falls annually in Charleston, although during the winter of 19951996 more than three times that amount fell as several cities in the state established new records for snowfall. Average snowfall in the Allegheny Highlands can range up to 180 inches (460 cm) per year. Severe weather is somewhat less prevalent in West Virginia than in most other eastern states, and it ranks among the least tornado-prone states east of the Rockies.
Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various West Virginia cities
City
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Beckley
39/22
43/25
52/32
62/41
71/49
77/57
80/61
79/60
73/54
63/42
52/34
43/26
Charleston
43/24
47/27
57/34
67/42
75/50
82/58
85/63
84/62
77/55
67/43
56/35
47/28
Elkins
39/18
44/20
53/27
63/35
72/44
78/53
82/58
80/57
74/50
64/37
53/29
44/22
Huntington
41/24
46/28
56/36
67/44
75/53
82/61
85/65
84/64
77/57
66/45
55/37
45/29
History
Main article: History of West Virginia
The area was a favorite hunting ground of numerous Native American peoples before the arrival of European settlers. Many ancient man-made earthen mounds from various mound builder cultures survive, especially in the areas of Moundsville, South Charleston, and Romney. Although little is known about these peoples, the artifacts uncovered in these give evidence of a complex, stratified culture that practiced metallurgy.
In more recent history the area now occupied by West Virginia was contested territory, mainly by Pennsylvania and Virginia. Some speculative land companies, such as the Vandalia Company, and later the Ohio Company and Indiana Company, tried to legitimize their claims to land in parts of West Virginia and Kentucky, but failed. With the settlement of the Pennsylvania and Virginia border dispute which resulted in the creation of Kentucky, Kentuckians “were satisfied [...], and the inhabitants of a large part of West Virginia were grateful.”
The state was originally part of the British Virginia Colony (from 1607 to 1776) and the western part of the state of Virginia (from 1776 to 1863), whose population became sharply divided over the issue of secession from the Union and in the separation from Virginia, formalized by admittance to the Union as a new state in 1863.
West Virginia’s history has been profoundly affected by its mountainous terrain, numerous and vast river valleys, and rich natural resources. These were all factors driving its economy and the lifestyles of residents, and remain so today.
Prehistory
For more details on this topic, see Prehistory of West Virginia.
In a summary to quote Dr. Robert F. Maslowski, “The Adena Indians used pipes for ceremonies. They were carved of stone and they were exceptional works of art. Pipes and the smoking of tobacco became more common during the Late Prehistoric period. They were often made of clay and rather plain.” “Nothing is known about Paleo-Indian and Archaic houses in the Kanawha Valley, but archeologists have found evidence of Woodland and Fort Ancient houses.” “Woodland Indians lived in wigwams … The Woodland Indians grew sunflowers, gourds, squash and several seeds such as lambsquarter, may grass, sumpweed, smartweed and little barley.” “Fort Ancient Indians lived in much larger square or rectangular houses … The Fort Ancient Indians can be considered true farmers. They cultivated large agricultural fields around their villages. They no longer grew such a variety of seeds but concentrated on growing corn, beans, sunflowers, gourds, and many types of squash including the pumpkin. They also grew domestic turkeys and kept dogs as pets.”
European exploration and settlement
Further information: Vandalia (colony) and Westsylvania
Thomas Lee, the first manager of the Ohio Company of Virginia.
In 1671, General Abram Wood, at the direction of Royal Governor William Berkeley of the Virginia Colony, sent a party which discovered Kanawha Falls. In 1716, Governor Alexander Spotswood with about thirty horsemen made an excursion into what is now Pendleton County. John Van Metre, an Indian trader, penetrated into the northern portion in 1725. The same year, German settlers from Pennsylvania founded New Mecklenburg, the present Shepherdstown, on the Potomac River, and others followed.
King Charles II of England, in 1661, granted to a company of gentlemen the land between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, known as the Northern Neck. The grant finally came into the possession of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, and in 1746, a stone was erected at the source of the North Branch Potomac River to mark the western limit of the grant. A considerable part of this land was surveyed by George Washington between 1748 and 1751. The diary kept by the surveyor indicates that there were already many squatters, largely of German origin, along the South Branch Potomac River. Christopher Gist, a surveyor in the employ of the first Ohio Company, which was composed chiefly of Virginians, explored the country along the Ohio River north of the mouth of the Kanawha River between 1751 and 1752. The company sought to have a fourteenth colony established with the name “Vandalia”. Many settlers crossed the mountains after 1750, though they were hindered by Native American resistance. Few Native Americans lived permanently within the present limits of the state, but the region was a common hunting ground, crossed by many trails. During the French and Indian War the scattered British settlements were almost destroyed.
In 1774, the Crown Governor of Virginia John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, led a force over the mountains, and a body of militia under then-Colonel Andrew Lewis dealt the Shawnee Indians, under Hokoleskwa (or “Cornstalk”), a crushing blow during the Battle of Point Pleasant at the junction of the Kanawha and the Ohio rivers. Native American attacks continued until after the American Revolutionary War. During the war, the settlers in western Virginia were generally active Whigs and many served in the Continental Army, however Claypool’s Rebellion of 17801781 where a group of men refused to pay Colonial taxes showed war-weariness in West Virginia.
Trans-Allegheny Virginia
For more details on this topic, see Virginia.
Social conditions in western Virginia were entirely unlike those in the eastern portion of the state. The population was not homogeneous, as a considerable part of the immigration came by way of Pennsylvania and included Germans, Protestant Ulster-Scots, and settlers from the states farther north. Counties in the east and south were settled mostly by east Virginians. During the American Revolution, the movement to create a state beyond the Alleghanies was revived and a petition for the establishment of “Westsylvania” was presented to Congress, on the grounds that the mountains made an almost impassable barrier on the east. The rugged nature of the country made slavery unprofitable, and time only increased the social, political, economic and cultural differences (see Tuckahoe-Cohee) between the two sections of Virginia.
The convention that met in 1829 to form a new constitution for Virginia, against the protest of the counties beyond the mountains, required a property qualification for suffrage and gave the slave-holding counties the benefit of three-fifths of their slave population in apportioning the state’s representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a result, every county beyond the Alleghenies except one voted to reject the constitution, which nevertheless passed because of eastern support.
The Virginia Constitutional Convention of 185051, the Reform Convention, addressed a number of issues important to western Virginians. The vote was extended to all white males of 21 years of age plus. The governor, lieutenant-governor, the judiciary, sheriffs and other county officers were to be elected by public vote. The composition of the General Assembly was changed, representation in the house of delegates was apportioned on the white basis of the census of 1850, but the Senate was fixed arbitrarily, the west receiving twenty, and the east thirty, senators. This was made acceptable to the west by a provision that required the General Assembly to reapportion representation on the white basis in 1865, or else put the matter to a public referendum. But the east also gave itself a tax advantage in requiring a property tax at true and actual value, except for slaves. Slaves under the age of 12 years were not taxed, and slaves over that age were taxed at only $300, a fraction of their true value. Small farmers, however, had all their assets, animals and land, taxed at full value. Despite this tax and the lack of internal improvements in the west, the vote was 75,748 for and 11,063 against the new Constitution, most of the latter being from eastern counties, which did not like the compromises made for the west.
Separation from Virginia
See also: West Virginia in the American Civil War
Francis H. Pierpont, a leader during the Second Wheeling Convention
On October 24, 1861, voters from 41 counties voted overwhelmingly to form a new state, voter turnout was 34%. The name was subsequently changed from Kanawha to West Virginia.
West Virginia is the only state in the Union to secede from a Confederate state, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In Richmond on April 17, 1861, the 49 delegates from the future state of West Virginia voted 17 in favor of the Ordinance of Secession, 30 against, and 2 abstentions. Almost immediately after the vote to proceed with secession from the Union prevailed in the Virginia General Assembly, a mass meeting at Clarksburg recommended that each county in northwestern Virginia send delegates to a convention to meet in Wheeling on May 13, 1861. When this First Wheeling Convention met, 425 delegates from 25 counties were present, though more than one-third of the delegates were from the northern panhandle area, but soon there was a division of sentiment. Some delegates favored the immediate formation of a new state, while others argued that, as Virginia’s secession had not yet been passed by the required referendum, such action would constitute revolution against the United States. It was decided that if the ordinance were adopted (of which there was little doubt), another convention including the members-elect of the legislature should meet at Wheeling in June. At the election on May 23, 1861, secession was ratified by a large majority in the state as a whole, but in the western counties 34,677 voted against and 19,121 voted for the Ordinance.
The Second Wheeling Convention met as agreed on June 11 and declared that, since the Secession Convention had been called without the consent of the people, all its acts were void, and that all who adhered to it had vacated their offices. The Wheeling Conventions, and the delegates themselves, were never actually elected by public ballot to act on behalf of western Virginia. An act for the reorganization of the government was passed on June 19. The next day Francis H. Pierpont was chosen by other delegates at the convention to be governor of Virginia, other officers were elected and the convention adjourned. The legislature was composed of 103 members, 33 of whom had been elected to the Virginia General Assembly on May 23. This number included some hold-over Senators from 1859, and as such had vacated their offices to convene in Wheeling. The other members “were chosen even more irregularly ome in mass meetings, others by county committee, and still others were seemingly self-appointed” This irregular assembly met on June 20 and appointed Unionists to hold the remainder of the state offices, organized a rival state government and elected two United States senators who were promptly recognized by the Federal government in Washington, D.C. Thus, there were two state governments in Virginia, one pledging allegiance to the United States and one to the Confederacy.
The Wheeling Convention, which had taken a recess until August 6, reassembled on August 20, and called for a popular vote on the formation of a new state and for a convention to frame a constitution if the vote should be favorable. At the October 24, 1861 election, 18,408 votes were cast for the new state and only 781 against. The honesty of these election results have been questioned, since the Union army then occupied the area and Union troops were stationed at many of the polls to prevent Confederate sympathizers from voting. Most of the affirmative votes came from 16 counties around the Northern panhandle. Over 50,000 votes had been cast on the Ordinance of Secession, yet the vote on statehood gathered little more than 19,000.
Statehood vote of Oct. 24, 1861
In Ohio County, home to Wheeling, only about one-quarter of the registered voters cast votes. At the Constitutional Convention in November 1861, Mr. Lamb of Ohio County and Mr. Carskadon said that in Hampshire County, out of 195 votes only 39 were cast by citizens of the state; the rest were cast illegally by Union soldiers. In most of what would become West Virginia, there was no vote at all as two-thirds of the territory of West Virginia had voted for secession and county officers were still loyal to Richmond. Votes recorded from pro-secession counties were mostly cast elsewhere by Unionist refugees from these counties. The convention began on November 26, 1861, and finished its work on February 18, 1862; the instrument was ratified (18,162 for and 514 against) on April 11, 1862.
Harpers Ferry (as it appears today) changed hands a dozen times during the American Civil War and was annexed by West Virginia.
On May 13 the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state. An application for admission to the Union was made to Congress, and on December 31, 1862, an enabling act was approved by Pres. Abraham Lincoln admitting West Virginia, on the condition that a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery be inserted in its constitution. While many felt that West Virginia’s admission as a state was both illegal and unconstitutional, Lincoln issued his Opinion on the Admission of West Virginia finding that “the body which consents to the admission of West Virginia, is the Legislature of Virginia,” and that its admission was therefore both constitutional and expedient. The convention was reconvened on February 12, 1863, and the demand was met. The revised constitution was adopted on March 26, 1863, and on April 20, 1863, Pres. Lincoln issued a proclamation admitting the state at the end of 60 days (June 20, 1863). Meanwhile, officers for the new state were chosen and Gov. Pierpont moved his capital to Union-occupied Alexandria, where he asserted jurisdiction over all of the Virginia counties within the Federal lines.
The question of the constitutionality of the formation of the new state was brought before the Supreme Court of the United States in the following manner: Berkeley and Jefferson counties lying on the Potomac east of the mountains, in 1863, with the consent of the reorganized government of Virginia voted in favor of annexation to West Virginia. Many voters of the strongly pro-secessionist counties were absent in the Confederate Army when the vote was taken and refused to acknowledge the transfer upon their return. The Virginia General Assembly repealed the act of secession and in 1866 brought suit against West Virginia, asking the court to declare the counties a part of Virginia which would have declared West Virginia’s admission as a state unconstitutional. Meanwhile, on March 10, 1866, Congress passed a joint resolution recognizing the transfer. The Supreme Court, in 1870, decided in favor of West Virginia.
During the American Civil War, West Virginia suffered comparatively little. George B. McClellan’s forces gained possession of the greater part of the territory in the summer of 1861, culminating at the Battle of Rich Mountain, and Union control was never again seriously threatened, despite of the attempt by Robert E. Lee in the same year. In 1863, General John D. Imboden, with 5,000 Confederates, overran a considerable portion of the state. Bands of guerrillas burned and plundered in some sections, and were not entirely suppressed until after the war ended. The Eastern Panhandle counties were more affected by the war, with military control of the area repeatedly changing hands.
The area which became West Virginia actually furnished about an equal number of soldiers to the Federal and Confederate armies, approximately 22,00025,000 each. The Wheeling government found it necessary in 1865 to strip voting rights from returning Confederates in order to retain control. James Ferguson, who proposed the law, said that if it was not enacted he would lose election by 500 votes. The property of Confederates might also be confiscated, and in 1866 a constitutional amendment disfranchising all who had given aid and comfort to the Confederacy was adopted. The addition of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution caused a reaction. The Democratic party secured control in 1870, and in 1871, the constitutional amendment of 1866 was abrogated. The first steps toward this change had been taken, however, by the Republicans in 1870. On August 22, 1872, an entirely new constitution was adopted.
Beginning in Reconstruction, and for several decades thereafter, the two states disputed the new state’s share of the pre-war Virginia government’s debts, which had mostly been incurred to finance public infrastructure improvements, such as canals, roads, and railroads under the Virginia Board of Public Works. Virginians, led by former Confederate General William Mahone, formed a political coalition which was based upon this, the Readjuster Party. Although West Virginia’s first constitution provided for the assumption of a part of the Virginia debt, negotiations opened by Virginia in 1870 were fruitless, and in 1871, Virginia funded two-thirds of the debt and arbitrarily assigned the remainder to West Virginia. The issue was finally settled in 1915, when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that West Virginia owed Virginia $12,393,929.50. The final installment of this sum was paid in 1939.
Hidden resources
After Reconstruction, the new 35th state benefited from development of its mineral resources more than any other single economic activity.
Saltpeter caves had been employed throughout Appalachia for munitions; the border between West Virginia and Virginia includes the “Saltpetre Trail,” a string of limestone caverns containing rich deposits of calcium nitrate that were rendered and sold to the government. The trail stretched from Pendleton County to the western terminus of the route in the town of Union, Monroe County. Nearly half of these caves are on the West Virginia side, including Organ Cave and Haynes Cave. In the late 18th-century, saltpetre miners in Haynes Cave found large animal bones in the deposits. These were sent by a local historian and frontier soldier Colonel John Stuart to Thomas Jefferson. The bones were named Megalonyx jeffersonii or great-claw and became known as Jefferson’s Three-toed Sloth. It was declared the official State fossil of West Virginia in 2008. The West Virginia official State rock is bituminous coal, and the official State gemstone is silicified Mississippian fossil Lithostrotionella coral.
The limestone also produced a useful quarry industry, usually small, and softer, high-calcium seams were burned to produce industrial lime. This lime was used for agricultural and construction purposes; for many years a specific portion of the C & O Railroad carried limestone rock to Clifton Forge, Virginia as an industrial flux.
Salt mining had been underway since the 18th century, though it had largely played out by the time of the American Civil War, when the red salt of Kanawha County was a valued commodity of first Confederate, and later Union forces. Later, more sophisticated mining methods would restore West Virginia’s role as a major producer of salt.
However, in the second half of the 19th century, there was an even greater treasure not yet developed, bituminous coal. It would fuel much of the Industrial Revolution in the U.S. and the steamships of many of the world’s navies.
The residents (both Native Americans and early European settlers) had long known of the underlying coal, and that it could be used for heating and fuel. However, for a long time, very small “personal” mines were the only practical development. After the War, with the new railroads came a practical method to transport large quantities of coal to expanding U.S. and export markets. As the anthracite mines of northwestern New Jersey and Pennsylvania began to play out during this same time period, investors and industrialists focused new interest in West Virginia. Geologists such as Dr. David T. Ansted surveyed potential coal fields and invested in land and early mining projects.
The completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) across the state to the new city of Huntington on the Ohio River in 1872 opened access to the New River Coal Field. Soon, the C&O was building its huge coal pier at Newport News, Virginia on the large harbor of Hampton Roads. In 1881, the new Philadelphia-based owners of the former Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad (AM&O), which stretched across Virginia’s southern tier from Norfolk, had sights clearly set on the Mountain State, where the owners had large land holdings. Their railroad was renamed Norfolk and Western (N&W), and a new railroad city was developed at Roanoke to handle planned expansion. After its new president Frederick J. Kimball and a small party journeyed by horseback and saw firsthand the rich bituminous coal seam which his wife named “Pocahontas”, the N&W redirected its planned westward expansion to reach it. Soon, the N&W was also shipping from new coal piers at Hampton Roads.
In 1889, in the southern part of the state, along the Norfolk and Western rail lines, the important coal center of Bluefield, West Virginia was founded. The “capital” of the Pocahontas coalfield, this city would remain the largest city in the southern portion of the state for several decades. It shares a sister city with the same name, Bluefield, in Virginia.
In the northern portion of the state and elsewhere, the older Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) and other lines also expanded to take advantage of coal opportunities. The B&O developed coal piers in Baltimore and at several points on the Great Lakes. Other significant rail carriers of coal were the Western Maryland Railway (WM), Southern Railway (SOU), and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N).
Particularly notable was a latecomer, the Virginian Railway (VGN). By 1900, only a large area of the most rugged terrain of southern West Virginia was any distance from the existing railroads and mining activity. Within this area west of the New River Coalfield in Raleigh and Wyoming counties lay the Winding Gulf Coalfield, later promoted as the “Billion Dollar Coalfield.”
A protg of Dr. Ansted was William Nelson Page (18541932), a civil engineer and mining manager in Fayette County. Former West Virginia Governor William A. MacCorkle described him as a man who knew the land “as a farmer knows a field.” Beginning in 1898, Page teamed with northern and European-based investors to take advantage of the undeveloped area. They acquired large tracts of land in the area, and Page began the Deepwater Railway, a short-line railroad which was chartered to stretch between the C&O at its line along the Kanawha River and the N&W at Matoaka, a distance of about 80 miles (130 km).
Although the Deepwater plan should have provided a competitive shipping market via either railroad, leaders of the two large railroads did not appreciate the scheme. In secret collusion, each declined to negotiate favorable rates with Page, nor did they offer to purchase his railroad, as they had many other short-lines. However, if the C&O and N&W presidents thought they could thus kill the Page project, they were to be proved mistaken. One of the silent partner investors Page had enlisted was millionaire industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers, a principal in John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust and an old hand at developing natural resources, transportation. A master at competitive “warfare”, Henry Rogers did not like to lose in his endeavors and also had “deep pockets”.
Instead of giving up, Page (and Rogers) quietly planned and then built their tracks all the way east across Virginia, using Rogers’ private fortune to finance the $40-million cost. When the renamed Virginian Railway (VGN) was completed in 1909, no fewer than three railroads were shipping ever-increasing volumes of coal to export from Hampton Roads. West Virginia coal was also under high demand at Great Lakes ports. The VGN and the N&W ultimately became parts of the modern Norfolk Southern system, and the VGN’s well-engineered 21st-century tracks continue to offer a favorable gradient to Hampton Roads.
As coal mining and related work became major employment activities in the state, there was considerable labor strife as working conditions, safety issues and economic concerns arose. Even in the 21st century, mining safety and ecological concerns is still challenging to the state whose coal continues to power electrical generating plants in many other states.
Coal is not the only valuable mineral found in West Virginia, as the state was the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 g) Jones Diamond.
Demographics
West Virginia population density map.
Historical populations
Census
Pop.
%
1790
55,873
1800
78,592
40.7%
1810
105,469
34.2%
1820
136,808
29.7%
1830
176,924
29.3%
1840
224,537
26.9%
1850
302,313
34.6%
1860
376,688
24.6%
1870
442,014
17.3%
1880
618,457
39.9%
1890
762,794
23.3%
1900
958,800
25.7%
1910
1,221,119
27.4%
1920
1,463,701
19.9%
1930
1,729,205
18.1%
1940
1,901,974
10.0%
1950
2,005,552
5.4%
1960
1,860,421
7.2%
1970
1,744,237
6.2%
1980
1,949,644
11.8%
1990
1,793,477
8.0%
2000
1,808,344
0.8%
Est. 2009
1,819,777
0.6%
The center of population of West Virginia is located in Braxton County, in the town of Gassaway.
As of 2005, West Virginia has an estimated population of 1,816,856, which is an increase of 4,308, or 0.2%, from the prior year and an increase of 8,506, or 0.5%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural decrease since the last census of 3,296 people (that is 108,292 births minus 111,588 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 14,209 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 3,691 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 10,518 people.
Only 1.1% of the state’s residents were foreign-born, placing West Virginia last among the 50 states in that statistic. It also has the lowest percentage of residents that speak a language other than English in the home (2.7%).
The five largest ancestry groups in West Virginia are: American (23.2%), German (17.2%), Irish (13.5%), English (12%), Italian (4.8%).
Large numbers of people of German ancestry are present in the northeastern counties of the state.
5.6% of West Virginia’s population were reported as under 5, 22.3% under 18, and 15.3% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.
There were 20,928 births in 2006. Of these, 19,757 (94.40% of the births, 95.19% of the population) were to Non-Hispanic Whites. There were 22 births to American Indians (0.11% of the births and 0.54% of the population), 177 births to Asians (0.85% of the births and 0.68% of the population), 219 births to Hispanics (1.05% of the births and 0.88% of the population) and 753 births to Blacks and others (3.60% of the births and 3.56% of the population).
The state’s Northern Panhandle, and North-Central region feel an affinity for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Also, those in the Eastern Panhandle feel a connection with the Washington, D.C. suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, and southern West Virginians often consider themselves Southerners. Finally, the towns and farms along the mid-Ohio River have an appearance and culture somewhat resembling the Midwest.
Demographics of West Virginia (csv)
By race
White
Black
AIAN*
Asian
NHPI*
2000 (total population)
96.01%
3.49%
0.59%
0.66%
0.05%
2000 (Hispanic only)
0.63%
0.04%
0.02%
0.01%
0.01%
2005 (total population)
95.99%
3.56%
0.56%
0.69%
0.05%
2005 (Hispanic only)
0.80%
0.04%
0.02%
0.01%
0.01%
Growth 200005 (total population)
0.46%
2.49%
-3.96%
5.57%
-2.80%
Growth 200005 (non-Hispanic only)
0.28%
2.30%
-4.24%
5.96%
-0.52%
Growth 200005 (Hispanic only)
27.74%
21.51%
5.56%
-20.22%
-16.67%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Religion
Responses to a 2001 religious survey were:
Christian (75%)
Protestant (60%)
Baptist (30%)
Methodist (15%)
Other Protestant/General Protestant (15%)
Non-denominational Christian (7%)
Roman Catholic (8%)
Not religious (13%)
A non-Christian religion (4%)
6% refused to answer.
Economy
Main article: Economy of West Virginia
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, West Virginia is the third lowest in per capita income, ahead of only Arkansas and Mississippi. It also ranks last in median household income. The proportion of West Virginia’s adult population with a bachelor’s degree is the lowest in the U.S. at 17.3%.
West Virginia’s GDP was $55.6B in 2006, which was a 0.6% increase from 2005. This makes growth rate for the state the 2nd lowest in the nation, ahead of only Michigan. However, by 2008, West Virginia was one of only four U.S. states to have a surplus state budget, indicating renewed economic growth.
One of the major resources in West Virginia’s economy is coal. According to the Energy Information Administration, West Virginia is a top coal-producer in the United States, second only to Wyoming. West Virginia produces minimal oil and natural gas. Nearly all of the electricity generated in West Virginia is from coal-fired power plants. West Virginia produces a surplus of electricity and leads the Nation in net interstate electricity exports. Farming is also practiced in West Virginia, but on a limited basis because of the mountainous terrain over much of the state.
Bituminous coal seam in southwestern West Virginia
West Virginia personal income tax is based on federal adjusted gross income (not taxable income), as modified by specific items in West Virginia law. Citizens are taxed within five income brackets, which range from 3.0 percent to 6.5 percent. The state’s consumer sales tax is levied at 6 percent. Effective January 1, 2004, calculation of WV consumer sales tax has been converted to a calculated figure from the bracket system, and remains at 6 percent for most goods (food goods are now taxable at 3 percent). The computation of tax is carried out to the third decimal place and rounded up when the third decimal place is five (.005) or higher; and similarly rounded down if the third place is four (.004) or lower. By virtue of this method, sales totaling $0.08 and below would not have a sales tax associated with them.
West Virginia counties administer and collect property taxes, although property tax rates reflect levies for state government, county governments, county boards of education and municipalities. Counties may also impose a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places not located within the city limits of any municipality that levies such a tax. Municipalities may levy license and gross receipts taxes on businesses located within the city limits and a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places in the city. Although the Department of Tax and Revenue plays a major role in the administration of this tax, less than one-half of 1 percent of the property tax collected goes to state government. The primary beneficiaries of the property tax are county boards of education. Property taxes are paid to the sheriff of each of the state’s 55 counties. Each county and municipality can impose its own rates of property taxation within the limits set by the West Virginia Constitution. The West Virginia legislature sets the rate of tax of county boards of education. This rate is used by all county boards of education statewide. However, the total tax rate for county boards of education may differ from county to county because of excess levies. The Department of Tax and Revenue supervises and otherwise assists counties and municipalities in their work of assessment and tax rate determination. The total tax rate is a combination of the tax levies from four state taxing authorities: state, county, schools and municipal. This total tax rate varies for each of the four classes of property, which consists of personal, real and intangible properties. Property is assessed according to its use, location and value as of July 1. All property is reappraised every three years; annual adjustments are made to assessments for property with a change of value. West Virginia does not impose an inheritance tax. Because of the phase-out of the federal estate tax credit, West Virginia’s estate tax is not imposed on estates of persons who died on or after January 1, 2005.
Transportation
A toll plaza West Virginia Turnpike.
The New River Gorge Bridge.
The Veterans Memorial Bridge, the new (Weirton-Steubenville Bridge) carries US 22 and is similar design of the new connecting bridge of Proctorville, Ohio (Ohio Rt 7) with Huntington, West Virginia thoroughfare US 60.
Main article: Transportation in West Virginia
Highways form the backbone of transportation systems in West Virginia, with over 37,300 miles of public roads in the state. Airports, railroads, and rivers complete the commercial transportation modes for West Virginia. Commercial air travel is facilitated by airports in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Beckley, Bluefield, Lewisburg, Bridgeport, Martinsburg, Wheeling, and Parkersburg. Cities like Charleston, Huntington, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Bluefield, and Logan have bus-based public transit systems. Charleston also has a limited number of trolley cars that run primarily through the downtown area. West Virginia University in Morgantown boasts the PRT (personal rapid transit) system, the state’s only single rail public transit system. Developed by Boeing, the WVU School of Engineering and the Department of Transportation, it was a model for low-capacity light transport designed for smaller cities. It was also the model for Disney World’s tram system. Recreational transportation opportunities abound in West Virginia, including hiking trails, rail trails, ATV off road trails, white water rafting rivers, and two tourist railroads (Cass Scenic Railroad, and the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad).
West Virginia is crossed by several interstate highways. I-64 enters the state near White Sulphur Springs in the mountainous east, and exits for Kentucky in the west, near Huntington. I-77 enters from Virginia in the south, near Bluefield. It runs north past Parkersburg before it crosses into Ohio. I-64 and I-77 are merged in a stretch of toll road known as the West Virginia Turnpike, on which construction began in 1952. It runs from just east of Charleston south to the exit for Princeton. I-68′s western terminus is in Morgantown. From there it runs east into Maryland. At the I-68 terminus in Morgantown, it meets I-79, which enters from Pennsylvania and runs through the state to its southern terminus in Charleston. I-70 briefly runs through West Virginia, crossing the northern panhandle through Wheeling. I-81 also briefly runs in West Virginia through the Eastern Panhandle where it goes through Martinsburg.
An interstate quality road is currently being built that will eventually stretch from I-79 near Weston, WV to at least Wardensville, WV. The western stretch is complete to Kerens, West Virginia but is incomplete from there to Moorefield, WV. It is not certain whether the highway will eventually continue east past Wardensville to the Virginia state line and ultimately connect to I-81 just south of Winchester, VA.
Rail lines in the state used to be more prevalent, but many lines have been discontinued because of increased automobile traffic. Many old tracks have been converted to rail trails for recreational use, and the state is still served by a few commercial lines for hauling coal and by Amtrak. In 2006 Norfolk Southern along with the West Virginia and U.S. Government approved a plan to modify many of the rail tunnels in West Virginia, especially in the southern half of the state, to allow for double stacked cars (see inter-modal freight). This is expected to also help bring economic growth to the southern half of the state.
Because of the mountainous nature of the entire state, West Virginia has several notable tunnels and bridges. The most famous of these is the New River Gorge Bridge, which was at a time the longest steel single-arch bridge in the world with a 3,031-foot (924 m) span. The bridge is also pictured on the West Virginia state quarter. The Fort Steuben Bridge (Weirton-Steubenville Bridge) was at its time of construction one of only three cable-stayed steel girder trusses in the United States. “The Veterans Memorial Bridge was designed to handle traffic from the Fort Steuben Bridge as well as its own traffic load,” to quote the Wierton Daily Times news paper. The 80-year-old Fort Steuben Bridge (Weirton-Steubenville Bridge) was permanently closed on January 8, 2009.
In March 2008, The American State Litter Scorecard, presented at the American Society for Public Administration national conference, rated West Virginia as a nationally Worst state for removing litter/debris from highways and public properties. The state has an above average fatality rate from litter/debris-caused vehicle accidents In fact, deer insurance claims frequency is highest in West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia according to an Erie Insurance report concerning single car accidents.
Law and government
Main article: Law and government of West Virginia
West Virginia’s capital and seat of government is the city of Charleston, located in the southwest area of the state.
Legislative branch
Further information: West Virginia Legislature
The West Virginia Legislature is bicameral, consisting of the House of Delegates and the Senate. It is a citizen’s legislature, meaning that legislative office is not a full-time occupation, but rather a part-time position. Consequently, the legislators often hold a full-time job in their community of residence.
Typically, the legislature is in session for 60 days between January and early April. The final day of the regular session ends in a bewildering fury of last-minute legislation in order to meet a constitutionally imposed deadline of midnight. During the remainder of the year, monthly interim sessions are held in preparation for the regular session. Legislators also gather periodically for ‘special’ sessions when called by the governor.
Executive branch
Further information: List of Governors of West Virginia
The governor, elected every four years on the same day as the U.S. Presidential election, is sworn in during the following January.
Governors of West Virginia can serve two consecutive terms but must sit out a term before serving a third term in office.
Judicial branch
Further information: Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
West Virginia is one of thirteen states that does not have a death penalty.
For the purpose of courts of general jurisdiction, the state is divided into 31 judicial circuits. Each circuit is made up of one or more counties. Circuit judges are elected in partisan elections to serve eight-year terms.
West Virginia highest court is the Supreme Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the busiest appellate court of its type in the United States. West Virginia is one of 11 states with a single appellate court. The state constitution allows for the creation of an intermediate court of appeals, but the Legislature has never created one. The Supreme Court is made up of five justices, elected in partisan elections to 12-year terms.
West Virginia is an alcoholic beverage control state. However, unlike most such states, it does not operate retail outlets, having exited that business in 1990. It retains a monopoly on wholesaling of distilled spirits only.
Politics
The West Virginia State Capitol.
Main article: Politics of West Virginia
At the state level, West Virginia’s politics are largely dominated by the Democratic Party, with Democrats currently holding the governorship, both senate seats, two of three house seats and both houses of the state legislature. West Virginia also has a very strong tradition of union membership.
Evangelical Christians comprised 52 percent of the state’s voters in 2008. A poll in 2005 showed that 53 percent of West Virginia voters are pro-life, the seventh highest in the country. In 2006, 16 percent favored gay marriage. In 2008 58 percent favored troop withdrawal from Iraq while just 32 percent wanted troops to remain. On fiscal policy in 2008, 52 percent said raising taxes on the wealthier individuals would benefit the economy, while 45 percent disagreed.
Democratic politicians are typically more conservative than the national party. Senator Robert Byrd opposes affirmative action and same-sex marriage. Governor Joe Manchin and Congressmen Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall are pro-life on the issue of abortion. Although, Junior Senator and former Governor Jay Rockefeller continues to enjoy popularity in the state, having been reelected in 2008 with 63.7% of the vote despite the fact that his political views are well to the left of many of his statewide colleagues.
In the Republican landslide of 1988, it was one of only ten states, and the only southern state (as defined by the US Census), to give its electoral votes to Michael Dukakis; it was one of only six states to support Jimmy Carter over Ronald Reagan in 1980; and it supported Bill Clinton by large margins in both 1992 and 1996. Furthermore, the state has trended increasingly Republican in Presidential elections; despite the earlier Democratic wins in Presidential matchups mentioned, it narrowly elected George W. Bush over Al Gore in 2000, then re-elected Bush by a much larger margin in 2004 and voted for John McCain in 2008 by a similar margin to 2004.
The most consistent support for Democrats is found in the coal fields of southern West Virginia (especially McDowell, Mingo, Logan, Wyoming, and Boone Counties), while Republicans are most numerous to the east of the Allegheny Mountains, especially in the state’s Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands. The Northern Panhandle and North-Central West Virginia regions usually split right down the middle in terms of being Republican or Democratic. Since 1996, coal interests have contributed more than $4 million to candidates for governor, the state Supreme Court and the West Virginia Legislature. The 2004 election was a record-setter for the coal industry. Gov. Joe Manchin received $571,214 from coal interests for his campaign and $174,500 for his inaugural. West Virginians for Coal, the West Virginia Coal Association’s political action committee, contributed more money than any other coal industry donor.
Further information: Political party strength in West Virginia
State capitals
Originally, the state capital was in Wheeling (1863 to 1870). It was then moved to Charleston, a more central city (1870 to 1875). However it was returned to Wheeling in 1875, until the capitol burned down in 1885. It was moved back to Charleston in 1885, and it has been there since.
Important cities and towns
See also: List of cities in West Virginia, List of towns in West Virginia, List of villages in West Virginia, List of census-designated places in West Virginia
Charleston is West Virginia’s most populous city
Huntington
Parkersburg
Morgantown
Wheeling
Large cities
Charleston, 53,421 (2008 estimate: 50,302)
Huntington, 51,475 (2008 estimate: 49,185)
Parkersburg, 33,099 (2008 estimate: 31,611)
Morgantown, 26,809 (2008 estimate: 29,642)
Wheeling, 31,419 (2008 estimate: 28,913)
Fairmont, 19,097 (2008 estimate: 19,024)
Weirton, 20,411 (2008 estimate: 18,748)
Martinsburg, 14,972 (2008 estimate: 17,020)
Beckley, 17,254 (2008 estimate: 16,832)
Clarksburg, 16,743 (2008 estimate: 16,441)
South Charleston, 13,390 (2008 estimate: 12,427)
Teays Valley, 12,704 (2008 estimate: N/A)
Bluefield, 11,451 (2008 estimate: 11,093)
St. Albans, 11,567 (2008 estimate: 10,996)
Vienna, 10,861 (2008 estimate: 10,536)
Cross Lanes, 10,353 (2008 estimate: N/A)
Towns and small cities
Barboursville
Berkeley Springs
Bridgeport
Bruceton Mills
Buckhannon
Charles Town
Darkesville
Dunbar
Elkins
Falling Waters
Fayetteville
Farmington
Follansbee
Fort Gay
Grafton
Hamlin
Harpers Ferry
Hedgesville
Hinton
Inwood
Kenova
Keyser
Kingwood
Lewisburg
Logan
Madison
Mannington
Marlinton
Milton
Moorefield
Moundsville
Mount Hope
Mullens
New Martinsville
Nitro
Oak Hill
Paden City
Paw Paw
Petersburg
Philippi
Pleasant Valley
Point Pleasant
Princeton
Ranson
Ravenswood
Richwood
Ripley
Romney
Salem
Shepherdstown
Shinnston
Summersville
Wayne
Webster Springs
Welch
Wellsburg
Weirton
Weston
Westover
White Sulphur Springs
Williamson
Williamstown
Metropolitan Statistical Areas
Charleston, WV MSA
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA
Morgantown, WV MSA
Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH MSA
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA
Wheeling, WV-OH MSA
Cumberland, MD-WV MSA
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA
Winchester, VA-WV MSA
Micropolitan Statistical Areas
Beckley, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
Bluefield, WV-VA MSA
Clarksburg, WV MSA
Fairmont, WV MSA
Oak Hill, WV MSA
Point Pleasant, WV-OH MSA
Education
Main article: Education in West Virginia
Fairmont
Martinsburg
West Virginia has received low marks for reading and math skills at the eighth-grade level and ranked 51st in college education rates.
Colleges and universities
Further information: List of colleges and universities in West Virginia
Alderson-Broaddus College
Appalachian Bible College
Bethany College
Bluefield State College
Concord University
Davis and Elkins College
Fairmont State University
Glenville State College
Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College
Marshall University
Mountain State University
Ohio Valley University
Salem International University
Shepherd University
University of Charleston
West Liberty University
West Virginia Northern Community College
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
West Virginia State University
West Virginia University
Potomac State College of West Virginia University
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Wheeling Jesuit University
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
Distinctions
West Virginia state insignia
Motto
Montani semper liberi (Latin, “Mountaineers are Always Free”)
Slogan
“Wild and Wonderful”
“Open for Business” (former)
“Almost Heaven” (former)
Bird
Northern Cardinal
(Cardinalis cardinalis)
Animal
Black Bear
(Ursus americanus)
Fish
Brook Trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
Insect
European Honey Bee
(Apis mellifera)
Flower
Rhododendron
(Rhododendron maximum)
Tree
Sugar Maple
(Acer saccharum)
Song
“The West Virginia Hills”
“This Is My West Virginia”
“West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home”
Quarter
Released in 2005
Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly
(Danaus plexippus)
Reptile
Timber Rattler
(Crotalus horridus)
Wildflower
Fringed Gentian
(Gentiana crinita)
Colors
Old Gold and Blue
Gemstone
Silicified Mississippian Fossil Coral
(Lithostrotionella)
Rock
Coal
Soil
Monongahela Silt Loam
Fruit
Golden Delicious Apple
(Malus domestica)
The state has a rich, lush beauty reflecting its temperate topography. Tourist sites include the New River Gorge Bridge, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and many state parks. The Greenbrier hotel and resort, originally built in 1778, has long been considered a premier hotel frequented by numerous world leaders and U.S. Presidents over the years. West Virginia is also home to the Green Bank Telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
A common story told about West Virginia is the folktale about how it got the nickname “West, By God, Virginia”. According to the legend, a West Virginia native who was being inducted into the US Army during the First World War (some versions make it as early as the Spanish-American War), was repeatedly asked by his induction officer, “What part of Virginia?” And the soldier, finally getting fed up with the confusion, said “Not Virginia! West Virginia! West, by God, Virginia!”. This story, whether true or not, has entered American folklore, and it is not unusual to hear not only West Virginians themselves, but other Americans, refer to the state as “West, By God, Virginia”;, or often as “West By-God”, or sometimes simply as “By-God”. Many West Virginians, when travelling outside the state, or when abroad, enjoy paying homage to the legend by referring to their home state in this manner.
Culture
See also: Category:West Virginia culture
Music
Main article: Music of West Virginia
Appalachian music
West Virginia’s folk heritage is a part of the Appalachian folk music tradition, and includes styles of fiddling, ballad singing, and other styles that draw on Scots-Irish music. Camp Washington-Carver, a Mountain Cultural Arts Center located at Clifftop in Fayette County, hosts an annual Appalachian String Band Festival. The Capitol Complex in Charleston hosts The Vandalia Gathering, where traditional Appalachian musicians compete in contests and play in impromptu jam sessions and evening concerts over the course of the weekend. The Augusta Heritage Center sponsored by Davis & Elkins College in Elkins in Randolph County produces the annual Augusta Heritage Festival which includes intensive week-long workshops that are in the summer that help preserve Appalachian heritage and traditions.
Classical music
The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1939, as the Charleston Civic Orchestra, before becoming the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in 1943. The first conductor was William R. Wiant, followed by the prominent conductor Antonio Modarelli, who was written about in the November 7, 1949 Time Magazine for his composition of the River Saga, a six-section program piece about the Kanawha River according to the Charleston Gazette’s November 6, 1999 photo essay, “Snapshots of the 20th Century”. Prior to coming to Charleston, Modarelli had conducted the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra, according to the orchestra’s website.
The Pulitzer Prize winning 20th century composer George Crumb was born in Charleston and earned his Bachelor’s Degree there before moving outside the state. There had also been a series of operatic style concerts performed in Wheeling during mid-century as well.
Musical innovation
The West Virginia Cultural Center in Charleston is home to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History which helps underwrite and coordinate a large number of musical activities. The Center is also home to Mountain Stage, the internationally broadcast live-performance music radio program established in 1983. The program also travels to other venues in the state such as the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center in Morgantown.
The Center hosts concerts sponsored by the Friends of Old Time Music and Dance, which brings an assortment of acoustic roots music to West Virginians. The Center also hosts the West Virginia Dance Festival, which features classical and modern dance.
Huntington’s historic Keith-Albee Theatre, built by brothers A.B. and S.J. Hyman, was originally opened to the public on May 7, 1928, and hosts a variety of performing arts and music attractions. The theatre was eventually gifted to Marshall University and is currently going through renovation to restore it to its original splendor.
Every summer Elkins hosts the Augusta Heritage Festival, which brings folk musicians from around the world. The town of Glenville has long been home to the annual West Virginia State Folk Festival.
The Mountaineer Opera House in Milton hosts a variety of musical acts.
John Denver’s song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” describes the experience of driving through West Virginia. The Boston, Massachusetts band Big Wreck wrote a song titled “West Virginia”.
The Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival is West Virginia’s longest running music festival. It is for the eight public high schools in Kanawha County. The festival began in 1947. It is held at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field in downtown Charleston.
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