West Virginia

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Population

1.81M

0.552% decline

Median Age

42.8


Median Household Income

$44,097

1.44% growth

Poverty Rate

17.8%


Number of Employees

716,540

3.03% growth

Median Property Value

$121,300

1.25% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, West Virginia had a population of 1.81M people with a median age of 42.8 and a median household income of $44,097. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of West Virginia declined from 1.82M to 1.81M, a -0.552% decrease and its median household income grew from $43,469 to $44,097, a 1.44% increase.

The population of West Virginia is 92% White Alone, 3.77% Black or African American Alone, and 1.76% Two or More Races. N/A% of the people in West Virginia speak a non-English language, and 99.3% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in West Virginia are American Public University System (11,339 degrees awarded in 2017), West Virginia University (6,640 degrees), and Marshall University (2,887 degrees).

The median property value in West Virginia is $121,300, and the homeownership rate is 72.5%. Most people in West Virginia commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 25.6 minutes. The average car ownership in West Virginia is 2 cars per household.

West Virginia borders Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky, and Virginia.

About the photo: Autumn sunrise scenery from the Bear Rocks area of the Dolly Sods Wilderness near Davis, West Virginia (USA). HDR composite from multiple exposures.

Photo by Nicolas Raymond

United States

Economy

The economy of West Virginia employs 717k people. The largest industries in West Virginia are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (49,485 people), Restaurants & Food Services (49,332 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (48,193 people), and the highest paying industries are Industrial & miscellaneous chemicals ($95,572), Computer Systems Design ($90,765), and Pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing ($87,958).

Median household income in West Virginia is $44,097. Males in West Virginia have an average income that is 1.45 times higher than the average income of females, which is $40,275. The income inequality in West Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.451, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$44,097

2018 value

± $1,016

1.44%

1 Year Growth

± 3.89%

Households in West Virginia have a median annual income of $44,097, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $43,469 in 2017, which represents a 1.44% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in West Virginia compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$58,198

Average Male Salary

± $2,347

$40,275

Average Female Salary

± $1,744

In 2018, full-time male employees in West Virginia made 1.45 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in West Virginia by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $77,899 ± $31,695

  2. Two or More Races

    $44,711 ± $15,184

  3. White

    $43,659 ± $1,368

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of West Virginia workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.74 times more than Two or More Races workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in West Virginia by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.451

2018 Wage GINI

0.448

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.609% growth from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2018 the GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in West Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in West Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Berkeley County, WV

  2. Monongalia County, WV

  3. Harrison County, WV

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in West Virginia was Berkeley County, WV with a value of $59,328, followed by Monongalia County, WV and Harrison County, WV, with respective values of $50,834 and $46,569.

The following map shows all of the counties in West Virginia colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

17.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Virginia (317k out of 1.78M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    286,230 ± 3,504

  2. Black

    17,067 ± 894

  3. Two Or More

    8,721 ± 635

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in West Virginia is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

717k

2018 Value

3.03%

1 Year growth

± 3.03%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in West Virginia grew at a rate of 3.03%, from 695k employees to 717k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Virginia, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (25,703 people), Cashiers (23,134 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (21,070 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West Virginia.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of West Virginia, by number of employees, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (25,703 people), Cashiers (23,134 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (21,070 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, West Virginia has an unusually high number of residents working as Mining machine operators (20.2 times higher than expected), Logging workers (8.84 times), and Derrick, rotary drill, & service unit operators, & roustabouts, oil, gas, & mining (6.13 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of West Virginia, by average salary, are Physicians ($247,569), Nurse anesthetists ($226,241), and Petroleum, mining & geological engineers, including mining safety engineers ($196,829).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

717k

2018 Value

3.03%

1 Year growth

± 3.03%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in West Virginia grew at a rate of 3.03%, from 695k employees to 717k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Virginia, are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (49,485 people), Restaurants & Food Services (49,332 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (48,193 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Virginia, though some of these residents may live in West Virginia and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in West Virginia, by number of employees, are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (49,485 people), Restaurants & Food Services (49,332 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (48,193 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, West Virginia has an unusually high number of Coal mining (41.3 times higher than expected), Pipeline transportation (11.8 times), and Logging (6.1 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in West Virginia, by average salary, are Industrial & miscellaneous chemicals ($95,572), Computer Systems Design ($90,765), and Pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing ($87,958).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from West Virginia to other states, or from other states to West Virginia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Coal-n.e.c.

    $19.6B

  2. Pharmaceuticals

    $7.19B

  3. Coal

    $6.22B

In 2015, the top outbound West Virginia product (by dollars) was Coal-n.e.c. with $19.6B, followed by Pharmaceuticals ($7.19B) and Coal ($6.22B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound West Virginia products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

$72.2B

2020 Value

$86.9B

Projected 2045 Value

20.4% growth

In 2020, total outbound West Virginia trade was $72.2B. This is expected to increase 20.4% to $86.9B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound West Virginia trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from West Virginia to other states, or from other states to West Virginia.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Pennsylvania

    $11B

  2. Ohio

    $7.36B

  3. Virginia

    $7.22B

In 2015, the top outbound West Virginia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Pennsylvania with $11B, followed by Ohio with $7.36B and Virginia and $7.22B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that West Virginia shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

93.9% of the population of West Virginia has health coverage, with 41.9% on employee plans, 24.1% on Medicaid, 15.6% on Medicare, 10.2% on non-group plans, and 2.15% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of West Virginia was $9,462 in 2014. This is a 5.5% increase from the previous year ($8,969).

Primary care physicians in West Virginia see 1273 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.47% decrease from the previous year (1292 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1917 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 890 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, McDowell County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (19.7%). Additionally, McDowell County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (44.6%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,273 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in West Virginia see an average of 1,273 patients per year. This represents a 1.47% decrease from the previous year (1,292 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in West Virginia in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$9,462

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$3,917

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$6,557

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$10,268

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in West Virginia (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 5.5%, from $8,969 to $9,462.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

6.09%

Uninsured

41.9%

Employer Coverage

24.1%

Medicaid

15.6%

Medicare

10.2%

Non-Group

2.15%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in West Virginia grew by 14.5% from 5.32% to 6.09%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in West Virginia changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. McDowell County

    19.7% prevalence

  2. Logan County

    19.1% prevalence

  3. Brooke County

    18.2% prevalence

McDowell County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in West Virginia, at 19.7%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in West Virginia by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

West Virginia is home to a population of 1.81M people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2017, 1.63% of West Virginia residents were born outside of the country (29.6k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of West Virginia is composed of 1.66M White Alone residents (92%), 68k Black or African American Alone residents (3.77%), 31.9k Two or More Races residents (1.76%), 25.6k Hispanic or Latino residents (1.42%), 13.3k Asian Alone residents (0.737%), 2.54k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.14%), 2.29k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.127%), and 451 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.025%).

Age

Age by Nativity

43

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

44

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 7.1

In 2018, the median age of all people in West Virginia was 42.8. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 43, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 44. But people in West Virginia are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all West Virginia residents was 42.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

1.63%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

29.6k people

1.58%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

28.9k people

As of 2017, 1.63% of West Virginia residents (29.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in West Virginia was 1.58%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in West Virginia compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    2,845 ± 1,308 people

  2. China

    2,364 ± 1,193 people

  3. India

    1,766 ± 1,031 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,845 West Virginia residents, followed by China with 2,364 and India with 1,766.

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Citizenship

99.3%

2018 Citizenship

99.2%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 99.3% of West Virginia residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in West Virginia was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in West Virginia compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    1.66M ± 1.58k

  2. Black or African American Alone

    68k ± 2.78k

  3. Two or More Races

    31.9k ± 2.73k

In 2018, there were 24.4 times more White Alone residents (1.66M people) in West Virginia than any other race or ethnicity. There were 68k Black or African American Alone and 31.9k Two or More Races residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in West Virginia as a share of the total population.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    48,055 ± 2,890

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    19,690 ± 2,561

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    18,573 ± 2,567

West Virginia has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.44 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in West Virginia awarded 36,569 degrees. The student population of West Virginia is skewed towards women, with 72,350 male students and 72,627 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in West Virginia are White (27,621 and 77.8%), followed by Black or African American (3,147 and 8.86%), Hispanic or Latino (1,773 and 4.99%), and Unknown (1,146 and 3.23%).

The largest universities in West Virginia by number of degrees awarded are American Public University System (11,339 and 31%), West Virginia University (6,640 and 18.2%), and Marshall University (2,887 and 7.89%).

The most popular majors in West Virginia are General Business Administration & Management (3,087 and 8.44%), General Studies (2,649 and 7.24%), and Registered Nursing (1,235 and 3.38%).

The median tuition costs in West Virginia are $26,400 for private four year colleges, and $6,702 and $14,988 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    1,780 degrees awarded

  2. General Studies

    1,022 degrees awarded

  3. General Psychology

    779 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in West Virginia was General Business Administration & Management with 1,780 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in West Virginia according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. American Public University System

    11,339 degrees awarded

  2. West Virginia University

    6,640 degrees awarded

  3. Marshall University

    2,887 degrees awarded

$6,702

Median In-State Public

$26,400

Median Private

In 2017, the West Virginia institution with the largest number of graduating students was American Public University System with 11,339 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

17,644

Degrees Awarded to Men

18,925

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 17,644 men were awarded degrees from institutions in West Virginia, which is 0.932 times less than the 18,925 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in West Virginia by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    27,621 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    3,147 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    1,773 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in West Virginia were to White students. These 27,621 degrees mean that there were 8.78 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 3,147 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in West Virginia was $121,300 in 2018, which is 0.528 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $119,800 to $121,300, a 1.25% increase. The homeownership rate in West Virginia is 72.5%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in West Virginia have an average commute time of 25.6 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in West Virginia is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$121,300

2018 Median

± $2,213

$119,800

2017 Median

± $2,297

In 2018, the median property value in West Virginia grew to to $121,300 from the previous year's value of $119,800.

The following charts display, first, the property values in West Virginia compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In West Virginia the largest share of households have a property value in the $100k - $125k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$44,097

Median Household Income

± $1,016

735k

Number of Households

± 13,610

In 2018, the median household income of the 735k households in West Virginia grew to $44,097 from the previous year's value of $43,469.

The following chart displays the households in West Virginia distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in West Virginia distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In West Virginia the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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Rent vs Own

72.5%

2018 Homeownership

72.5%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 72.5% of the housing units in West Virginia were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.5%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in West Virginia compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

25.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Virginia have a shorter commute time (25.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 4.03% of the workforce in West Virginia have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in West Virginia compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    83.3%

  2. Carpooled

    8.57%

  3. Worked At Home

    3.42%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in West Virginia was Drove Alone (83.3%), followed by those who Carpooled (8.57%) and those who Worked At Home (3.42%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in West Virginia distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in West Virginia have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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