Which US States Start With W?
The United States of America is made up of 50 states with each state having a different government and its own constitutions. In this context, a state refers to a political entity that constitutes the United States of America. Of the 50 states, only four of them have names beginning with the letter “W.” These states are Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the state of Wyoming.
Washington
Officially called the State of Washington, Washington is a state located on the Pacific Northwest portion of the United States. Washington State is not the same as the capital of the US, Washington, D.C. For distinction purposes, the city called Washington or simply D.C while the state is referred to as Washington State. Washington is bordered by Idaho and Oregon to the east and to the south respectively. Named after the first president of the US, George Washington, its admittance to the union came back in 1889. The capital city of the state is Olympia while Seattle is its largest city. In terms of size, the state ranks 18th with an area of 71,362 square miles while the population of at least 7.4 million people places it in the 13th position in terms of population size. The main industry is lumber production with its rugged surface full of trees such as cedar and white pine. Another sector is the manufacturing sector, which produces things like aircrafts, chemicals, and other products. Compared to other states, Washington is relatively well off and progressive, as evidenced by being among the first states to legalize marijuana.
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state located in the mountain region of the US. Among the four states, it is the largest in terms of size with an area of about 97,914 square miles, which makes it 10th overall. The state was admitted to the union on July 10, 1890, which makes it the 44th oldest state. Montana borders the state to the north while South Dakota and Nebraska are on the east. Utah is to the southwest while Idaho and Montana are on the west. As of 2017, the population of the state stood at around 579,315 people, which made it the least populous state of the US. Some of the major sectors driving the economy are tourism and mineral extraction, which deals with things like coal, oil, and natural gas. Another major sector is agriculture, which includes plants and animals such as livestock, sugar beets, grains, wool, and other commodities.
West Virginia
Located in the Appalachian region of the United States, West Virginia is the smallest state among these four states with an area of only 24,230 square miles. The state, which is also regarded as being a part of the Middle Atlantic States, is bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland to the north and the east respectively. To the southeast and southwest are the states of Virginia and Kentucky respectively while Ohio forms the border to the northwest . One of the major economic sectors is tourism with a contribution of about $4.27 billion in 2010 and employing about 44,400 people in the same year. Another sector is the mining of coal.
