US State
The state flag of the U.S. state of West Virginia was officially adopted by the West Virginia Legislature on March 7, 1929. Its design consists of a pure white field bordered by a blue stripe with the coat of arms of West Virginia in the center, wreathed by Rhododendron maximum and topped by an unfurled red ribbon reading, "State of West Virginia." It is the only state flag to bear crossing rifles, meant to illustrate the importance of the state's fight for liberty during the American Civil War as the southern unionist 35th state.
The Great Seal of the State of West Virginia, designed by Joseph H. Diss Debar, was adopted in September 1863. The obverse center of the seal contains a boulder that has been inscribed June 20, 1863, the date West Virginia became a state. In front of the boulder lie two crossed rifles and a liberty cap as a symbol of the state's fight for liberty. The two men on either side of the boulder represent agriculture and industry. On the left stands a farmer with an ax and plow before a cornstalk. On the other side stands a miner with a pickaxe, and behind him an anvil and sledge hammer. The outer ring contains the text "State of West Virginia" and the state's motto "Montani Semper Liberi",. The reverse of the seal, also called the lesser seal, is the official seal of the governor. Its motto reads "Libertas E Fidelitate".
West Virginia is one of the 50 states of the United States of America. Each US state has its own official seal, flag, motto, and a range of state symbols including a state bird, flower, and tree.
View all North American subdivisions →