Maxwell Elementary School

Eastern Mountains and Coalfields

by Catarina

• There is a popular saying in Kentuky "Coal is King."   What do you think this means?  Kentucky is one of the best coal producing states in the U.S. and the Eastern Mountains and Coalfields produces over half of Kentucky's coal.

• If you live in or travel through one of the coalfield areas you will see piles of coal waiting to be used or to be shipped to another region.

• Pike county in Eastern Kentucky produced 34 million tons of coal in 1994.  This county produces the most coal in eastern Kentuky.

II.  GEOGRAPHY AND PEOPLE       

• The Eastern Mountains and Coalfields have a lot of mountains as well as coal.
• This region is located in the eastern part of Kentucky and the region borders the states of Virginia and West Virginia.
• The land in the Eastern Mountains and Coalfields covers 10,500 square miles. 
• The mountains in this region are part of the Appalachian Mountains, and some of the mountains you will find in this region are the Cumberland Mountains and Pine Mountain. 
• Many of the mountain people have kept their old customs.   They sing songs that are over one hundred years old.

*Picture-This house perches on a mountainside.