According to AAMC (the MCAT test maker), there are 3 MCAT test centers in West Virginia. Most testing centers are located inside a college or university. You can select a testing location that is nearest to you. Please note that you are able to choose a test center when registering for the MCAT.
- DigoPaul: Geographical meanings of state West Virginia. Covers dictionary definition and location map of West Virginia.
Charleston – Players Club Drive
2 Players Club Dr.
Suite 104
CHARLESTON, WV 25311
ETS – MARSHALL UNIVERSITY
1 John Marshall Drive
G45 Morrow Library
HUNTINGTON, WV 25755
Morgantown – Riddle Court
6 RIDDLE CT.
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
MORGANTOWN, WV 26505-2693
Economy of West Virginia
West Virginia ‘s main economic sectors are industry, mining, logging, tourism, and agriculture.
West Virginia ranks second in the United States (after Wyoming) in terms of coal reserves and production. A significant part of it is used for the production of electricity at thermal power plants, as well as for processing into liquid fuels. In addition to coal, large deposits of natural gas have been explored in the state and, on a smaller scale, oil is being produced.
In West Virginia, industry is very well developed, primarily chemical. Plants of BASF, Bayer, Dow Chemicals, DuPont produce dyes, acids, polymers, herbicides – hundreds of types of various chemicals, providing more than 40% of the state’s GDP. Also in West Virginia there are metallurgical plants (in the northern counties, in the Wheeling area), aerospace enterprises (including the production units of Pratt and Whitney in Bridgeport and Lockheed Martin in Clarksburg), factories for the production of automobile parts.
Because of the terrain, West Virginia is not well suited for agriculture. Most of the arable land is located in the eastern counties bordering Virginia. Farms in the state are mostly small, most of them are family farms, with more than half of the farmers forced to work elsewhere. The main areas of agricultural production are cattle breeding and poultry farming; corn, tobacco, apples, and peaches are grown in the fields and gardens of the “Mountain State”. Interestingly, wild ginseng is harvested in the forests of West Virginia, some of which is even exported.
Forests also provide traditional West Virginia industries – logging and lumber production, primarily from hardwoods.
In recent decades, West Virginia has seen a growing volume of research and development, including those funded by the US federal government. There are several major research centers in the state, including the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank (the world’s largest full-circle radio telescope operates here, the mirror size of which is about one hundred meters), the National Aquaculture Center in Leatown (engaged in research in the field of fish farming), the Mid-Atlantic Technological, a research and innovation center in South Charleston (research in the field of chemistry), and others.
Morgantown is a major scientific center in West Virginia (which, by the way, has repeatedly been included in the top ten “best small cities in the United States for business” according to Forbes magazine). It is home to West Virginia University, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Forestry Laboratory, the National Alternative Fuels Research Center, the Cancer Research Laboratory, etc. Interestingly, Morgantown University has the only “personal rapid transit system” in the United States.
As much as the nature of West Virginia is not conducive to farmers, it is just as attractive to tourists. In winter, the mountain resorts of the state attract skiing enthusiasts, and in the summer, numerous fans of hiking (one of the most popular routes in the USA, the Appalachian Trail, passes through the state), mountaineering, and rafting. The picturesque landscapes of West Virginia reserves are very beautiful, including Blackwater Falls, George Washington and Monongahela National Forests, Seneca Rocks and others.
Museums and historical monuments of West Virginia are also interesting, including the sights of Wheeling and Harpers Ferry. The Mountain State hosts various festivals, including music (string bands, early music, jazz and blues) and ethnic (particularly Scottish and Italian). Fans of horse racing and gambling are attracted by several racetracks and casinos operating in the state.