Short answers, pulled from the story.
West Virginia has an average elevation that is higher than any other U.S. state east of the Mississippi River. This high elevation contributes to its rugged terrain and defines life within its borders.
A 2010 analysis of a local stalagmite revealed that Native Americans were burning forests to clear land as early as 100 BCE. This practice was used by various prehistoric mound builder cultures and Eastern Woodland tribes to manage their environment.
Bituminous coal became the great treasure developed in the second half of the 19th century to fuel the Industrial Revolution. Geologists like Dr. David T. Ansted surveyed potential coal fields, and the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in 1872 opened access to these resources.
As of the 2020 United States census, West Virginia's population was 1,793,716. This figure represents a 3.2% decrease from the 2010 United States census count.