With a total area of 197,116 square miles, the Appalachian Region has an uneven distribution of population, income, wealth, and natural resources. The Region's 19 million people live in 397 counties and 5 independent cities in Virginia, which range in population size from 2.6 thousand to 1.5 million. Under 50% of the population live in metropolitan counties while only 25% live in rural counties. Economic productivity varies from one-sixth above the national average in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to less than one-fourth of the U.S. level in the poorest county in eastern Kentucky. Huge reserves of good coal are found in some counties, while others are without economically significant mineral resources. Appalachia also varies in the population's age structure, racial and ethnic composition, educational attainment, labor force participation, poverty levels, health conditions and services, and other facets of economic life and socioeconomic well-being. This reference book presents information on the Region's topography; population change; population concentration and dispersal; population growth trends by county groups; population ethnicity; population 65 years of age and older; labor force, employment, and unemployment trends; employment by industry; personal income; poverty status of families; educational attainment and school enrollment; nonfederal physicians; infant mortality trends; housing; coal production; mineral industry establishments; agriculture and farm land; and local governments. (Author/NQ)