History & heritage of West Virginia
A state of contrasts and comparisons, in West Virginia the Appalchian culture often shows clear links to the European heritage of the people who came to live here. The Welsh, German and Italian immigrants who came to work in the natural resources of coal, oil and natural gas found a mountainous countryside that today offers superb outdoor recreation for all seasons including some spectacular white-water rafting and river expeditions. The Swiss who came to farm found challenging landscapes, and today the farming tradition carries on with the area still selling specialty foods and products.