It is the capital city of the state of West Virginia situated in the United States of America. The city lies in between the junction of the rivers of Elk and Kanawha and belongs to the County of Kanawha.It is the county seat of the Kanawha County. The total area on which the city of Charleston spreads is approximately 32.7 sq miles or 84.7 km² of which the total land area is about 31.6 sq miles or 81.9 km² and water covers an area of 1.1 sq miles. The total population of the city of Charleston according to the estimation for the year 2006 is 50,846 and the metropolitan area is estimated to have 303,950 residents. The prime imdustries of the state of West Virginia in the city of Charleston were salt, coal and natural gas. Today the economy of the city revolves around several other small and large industries and education as well as trade are on the rise. The inhabitation of the land of Charleston dates back to the late 18^th century and the first settlement in the city was built in the year 1788. One of the current attractions of the city include a minor league baseball team called West Virginia Power and the basketball team called the West Virginia Wild. The state is also the residence of the the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130^th Airlift Wing.Famous public parks situated in the city of Charleston are Cato Park, Magic Island, Kanawha State Forest and Coonskin Park.The city is full of entertainment for the residents in the form of the parks and picnic area. Charleston also hosts the West Virginia Dance Festival each year in the month of April and attracts not only natives but also national and international tourists to be delighted by the event. Charleston is also home to the West Virginia University.