SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA

'Southern West Virginia' is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Generally considered the heart of Appalachia, Southern West Virginia is known for its coal mining heritage and Southern affinity. The region is also closely identified with southwestern Virginia and southeastern Kentucky, with close proximity to northwestern North Carolina and East Tennessee. Today, Southern West Virginia continues to grapple with poverty and an accelerating population loss.
Southern West Virginia, in a cultural and historical context, includes the following counties:

★ Boone County

★ Fayette County

★ Greenbrier County

★ Lincoln County

★ Logan County

★ McDowell County

★ Mercer County

★ Mingo County

★ Monroe County

★ Nicholas County

★ Raleigh County

★ Summers County

★ Wyoming County
The City of Beckley, in Raleigh County, is the largest city in this region, followed by Bluefield, in Mercer County. Beckley has recently undergone a period of modest economic growth, and serves as the primary economic and cultural hub of much of Southern West Virginia.
Geographically, Southern West Virginia is occasionally expanded to include the counties of the Charleston-Huntington Metro Valley region:

★ Cabell County

★ Kanawha County

★ Putnam County

★ Wayne County

Contents

Population

External links

Population

County	2004 (estimate)	2000	1990	1980	1970	1960	1950
'Boone'	'25,721'	25,535	25,870	30,447	25,118	28,764	33,173
'Fayette'	'47,049'	47,579	47,952	57,863	49,332	61,731	82,443
'Greenbrier'	'34,886'	34,453	34,693	37,665	32,090	34,446	39,295
'Lincoln'	'22,564'	22,108	21,382	23,675	18,912	20,267	22,466
'Logan'	'36,502'	37,710	43,032	50,679	46,269	61,570	77,391
'McDowell'	'24,726'	27,329	35,233	49,899	50,666	71,359	98,887
'Mercer'	'62,070'	62,980	64,980	73,942	63,206	68,206	75,013
'Mingo'	'27,389'	28,253	33,739	37,336	32,780	39,742	47,409
'Monroe'	'13,568'	14,583	12,406	12,873	11,272	11,584	13,123
'Nicholas'	'26,276'	26,562	26,775	28,126	22,552	25,414	27,696
'Raleigh'	'79,175'	79,220	76,819	86,821	70,080	77,826	96,273
'Summers'	'13,809'	12,999	14,204	15,875	13,213	15,640	19,183
'Wyoming'	'24,698'	25,708	28,990	35,993	30,095	34,836	37,540

External links

★ Southern West Virginia Convention & Visitors Bureau