Flag of West Virginia

What the flag looks like

A white field with a blue border, bearing the state coat of arms: a farmer and a miner flanking a rock inscribed "June 20, 1863", with two crossed rifles and a cap of liberty, a wreath of rhododendron below and a ribbon reading "State of West Virginia" above.

What it means

The farmer and miner stand for the state's agriculture and industry, the rifles and liberty cap for the fight for freedom, and the motto "Montani Semper Liberi" means "Mountaineers are always free".

How to remember it

West Virginia flips the usual scheme: its arms sit on white inside a blue border, with a farmer and a miner beside a dated rock.

Fun facts

• The date on the rock, 20 June 1863, is the day West Virginia split from Virginia and joined the Union.
• The rhododendron in the wreath is the state flower.

West Virginia at a glance

Nickname

The Mountain State

Statehood

1863

Capital

Charleston

Region

South Atlantic

Population

1.8 million

Area

62,756 km²

Flag adopted

1929