A region of the eastern United States including the Appalachian Mountains.
Appalachia
Dictionary:
Ap·pa·la·chi·a (ăp'ə-lā'chē-ə, -chə, -lăch'ē-ə, -lăch'ə)  |
A region of the eastern United States including the Appalachian Mountains.
| 5min Related Video: Appalachia |
| US History Encyclopedia: Appalachia |
Appalachia is a region in the eastern United States that can be defined by its physical geography (centered on the Appalachian Mountains) as well as by its unique culture (folk traditions, dialect, foods, art, and music). There are no precise boundaries marking Appalachia. However, the Appalachian Regional Commission, established by the U.S. government in 1965, identifies Appalachia as a 200,000-square-mile region that encompasses all of West Virginia as well as parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. In 2000, the population of this region was nearly 23 million.
Long before European settlement in the early 1790s by people of English, Scotch-Irish, and German descent, Appalachia was home to many Native American tribes, particularly the Cherokee and the Iroquois. Early European settlers were influenced by the rugged topography and relative isolation from the rest of the nation, which prompted a sense of self-sufficiency among the people of Appalachia.
Growing American industrialization at the beginning of the twentieth century brought attention to the region rich for its natural resources. The exploitation of the gas, oil, and, in particular, coal resources of Appalachia was initially beneficial to the region. However, unsafe working conditions and strip mining, which scarred the landscape, were costly to both the Appalachian people and their environment. Coal remains an important resource of the region, but it no longer represents a major source of employment.
The last half of the twentieth century brought greater national attention, often unwanted, to Appalachia. Part of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty focused on the poor of Appalachia. Since the early 1970s, greater emphasis has been given to urban growth, education, health care, and protection of the environment there. There has also been an expanding movement among the people of Appalachia to protect and preserve their unique cultural traditions.
Bibliography
Drake, Richard B. A History of Appalachia. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2001.
—Janet S. Smith
| Weather: Appalachia |
AccuWeather® Current Conditions
AccuWeather® 5-Day Forecast
Last updated
November 24, 2009 19:49
(EST)
 CLOUDY |
Temperature: 52°F /
11°C
RealFeel Temperature™: 50°F / 10°C Humidity: 76% Winds: SSE 6 mph / 10 kmh Pressure: 30.03" Visibility: 10 mi. / 16 km |
| Tuesday |
|
HI:
54°F /
12°C LO: 42°F / 5°C |
| Wednesday |
|
HI:
55°F /
12°C LO: 37°F / 2°C |
| Thursday |
|
HI:
48°F /
8°C LO: 30°F / -1°C |
| Friday |
|
HI:
36°F /
2°C LO: 28°F / -2°C |
| Saturday |
|
HI:
48°F /
8°C LO: 32°F / 0°C |
| Blogs: Related blogs on: Appalachia |
- Appalachian History Appalachian history, emphasizing the Depression era.
| Wikipedia: Appalachia, Virginia |
| Town of Appalachia, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
 |
|
 |
|
| Coordinates: 36°54′23″N 82°47′8″W / 36.90639°N 82.78556°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Wise |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | John Tull |
| - Vice Mayor | Jessie "Jay" Swiney III |
| Area | |
| - Total | 2.3 sq mi (6.0 km2) |
| - Land | 2.3 sq mi (6.0 km2) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,647 ft (502 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 1,839 |
| - Density | 797.2/sq mi (307.8/km2) |
| U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Population Estimates | |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 24216 |
| Area code(s) | 276 |
| FIPS code | 51-02040[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1481331[2] |
| Website | http://www.townofappalachiava.us/ |
Appalachia is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,839 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
Geography
Appalachia is located at 36°54′23″N 82°47′8″W / 36.90639°N 82.78556°W (36.906505, -82.785560)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,839 people, 790 households, and 515 families residing in the town. The population density was 797.3 people per square mile (307.4/km²). There were 891 housing units at an average density of 386.3/sq mi (148.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.18% White, 4.57% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.
There were 790 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95. h In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $20,405, and the median income for a family was $25,221. Males had a median income of $26,842 versus $18,864 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,782. About 28.0% of families and 29.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.0% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.
Surrounding Area
Appalachia is surrounded by numerous coal camp communities. They include Andover, Arno, Derby, Roda, Imboden, Exeter, Dunbar, Pardee, Osaka, and Stonega. Many of these communities formed at the beginning of the century with the arrival of the mining and railroad industry.
Education
Main article: Wise County Public Schools (Virginia)
Appalachia is home to two public schools, Appalachia Elementary School and Appalachia High School. [2]
Special Events
Each year, usually in the first week of August, the residents of Appalachia and the surrounding area celebrate their heritage in a week long celebration known as Coal/Railroad Days. The festival includes a 5K road race, music concerts at the town's amphitheater, amusement rides, street vendors, a parade, and numerous other festival type events. Twice, Coal/Railroad days has coincided with other celebrations in Appalachia. In 2000 the town took part in a mass high school reunion, known as Appy 2000. In 2006, the festival was part of the Appalachia 100 celebration that marked the 100th birthday of the Town of Appalachia.
World Records
The town of Appalachia holds two world records.
- Bee Rock Tunnel, the world's second-shortest railroad tunnel.
- The Peake Building, an apartment house with street-level access on all four floors.
Notable residents
- Film actress Peggie Castle was born and raised in Appalachia.
- Actor, dialogue coach, television writer, and radio personality Bob Thomas was born in Appalachia.
- Willie Horton, a former star major league baseball player with the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers, was born in the nearby mining camp of Arno.
- Olympic Gold Medalist Ollan Cassell. Winner of a gold medal in the 4x400 m relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
- NFL football players Thomas Jones and Julius Jones were raised in Appalachia for a significant amount of time.[4]
- Sam Church, former president of United Mine Workers of America.
Electoral fraud
On March 6, 2006, a grand jury in Wise County, Virginia indicted fourteen Appalachia residents with charges relating to an alleged electoral fraud conspiracy. The town's mayor and the head of the town's police department were among the individuals charged. [5] On November 30, 2006, a former English teacher, Laci Cooper, pleaded guity to 243 felonies, including vote-rigging and corruption.[6] She was sentenced to 2 years in jail.[7]
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Lester, Jeff (2006-03-21). "Thirteen of 14 defendants pleaded not guilty Tuesday in the massive investigation of alleged election fraud and corruption in the town of Appalachia". Coalfield Progress (Coalfield.com). http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16344773&BRD=1283&PAG=461&dept_id=158544&rfi=8. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
- ^ Associated Press (2006-12-01). "Ex-mayor pleads guilty to 243 felonies". breitbart.com. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/01/D8LNTFJ00.html. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
- ^ The Roanoke Times (2007-02-01). "Ex-mayor sentenced in election fraud case". roanoke.com. http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/102600. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
External links
- Appalachia, Virginia is at coordinates 36°54′23″N 82°47′08″W / 36.906505°N 82.78556°WCoordinates: 36°54′23″N 82°47′08″W / 36.906505°N 82.78556°W
|
||||||||||||||
|
|||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Learn More
 | Coal Mining and Organized Labor |
| Conservation |
| Mining Towns |
 | Where are the appalachia highlands in canada? Read answer... |
| Who are ten famous people who hail from Appalachia Ohio? Read answer... |
| What is the stringed instrument music combining Appalachia with blues? Read answer... |
Help us answer these
 | What comic is in Appalachia? |
| What tipes of music was in the appalachia region? |
| Why is the summit of the Appalachia's is round? |
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
 |
 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| US History Encyclopedia. © 2006 through a partnership of Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Weather. © 2008 AccuWeather, Inc. Read more |
 |
| Blogs. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Appalachia, Virginia". Read more |
Related answers
- What states are in Appalachia?
- How do you spell Appalachia mountain?
- Appalachia highlands on a map?
- When did moonshining in appalachia start?
ADVERTISEMENT
Answer these
- What is Appalachia?
- What is the appalachia?
- Why is appalachia underdeveloped?
- Anything about appalachia?
- How big is Appalachia?
Mentioned in
- Green Rocky Road (1977 Album by Guy Carawan)
- History of Appalachia: Beyond Measure - Appalachian Culture and Economy (1994 Culture & Society Film)
- Hand Carved (1981 History Film)
- Waverly Consort Christmas (1994 Album by Waverly Consort / Jaffee)
- History of Appalachia: Long Journey Home (1987 Culture & Society Film)
- Penn Virginia Corp
- Dormouse Choir (Rock Band, 2000s)
- Back Roads (1993 Album by David Surette)
- History of Appalachia: Strangers and Kin - A History of the Hillbilly Image (1984 Culture & Society Film)
- Appalachian Journey: Live in Concert (2000 Music Film)
- Appalachia (American Rhapsody), for orchestra, RT vi/12 (Classical Work)
- Razing Appalachia (2002 Culture & Society Film)
- Berea College (university, Kentucky)
- Ron English (Folk Artist, '60s)
