West Virginia separated from Virginia due to differences in views on slavery and the decision to secede from the Union. The western counties, which later formed West Virginia, were largely opposed to secession.
The Ohio River forms the entire western border of West Virginia, separating it from the states of Ohio and Kentucky.
West Virginia officially became the 35th state of the United States on June 20, 1863, during the Civil War.
Arthur I. Boreman was the first governor of West Virginia, serving from 1863 to 1869.
The Shawnee were among the most prominent Native American tribes in the region that is now West Virginia before European settlers arrived.
