Kentucky (original) (raw)

This article is about the U.S. state of Kentucky. “Kentucky” is also a common Caribbean nickname for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Commonwealth of Kentucky

(In Detail) (Full size)
State nickname: Bluegrass State
Other U.S. States
Capital	Frankfort
Largest City	Louisville
Area - Total - Land - Water - % water	Ranked 37th 104,749 km� 102,989 km� 1,760 km� 1.7%
Population - Total (2000) - Density	Ranked 25th 4,041,769 39/km�
Admittance into Union - Order - Date	15thJune 1, 1792
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4 Central: UTC-6/-5 eastern counties in Eastern Timezone, western counties in Western Timezone
LatitudeLongitude	36°30'N to 39°9'N 81°58'W to 89°34'W
WidthLengthElevation -Highest -Mean -Lowest	225 km610 km1,262 meters230 meters78 meters
ISO 3166-2:	US-KY

Kentucky is a southern state of The United States Of America and was the 15th state admitted to the Union.

Kentucky and its residents are probably most well known for thoroughbred horses and racing, local whiskey distilleries and unbridled fanaticism for basketball. The two principal rivals in the state are the University of Kentucky (blue, Wildcats) and the University of Louisville (red, Cardinals).

Several US Navy ships have been named USS Kentucky in honor of the state.

History

Kentucky is one of four states to call itself a commonwealth. At one point in time, Kentucky was a county of Virginia. Ten constitutional conventions took place at the courthouse of Constitution Square in Danville, Kentucky between 1784-1792. In 1790, Kentucky delegates accepted Virginia's terms for separation, and the state constitution was drafted at the final convention in April 1792. On June 1, 1792, Kentucky became the fifteenth state in the union and Isaac Shelby, a Revolutionary War hero, was named the first Governor of the Commonwealth Of Kentucky.

On May 20, 1861 during the American Civil War, Kentucky proclaimed its neutrality in the conflict but was forced to take the side of the Union on September 3 when Confederate forces under General Leonidas Polk invaded.

Law and Government

The capital of Kentucky is Frankfort and its governor is Ernie Fletcher (Republican). Kentucky's two U.S. senators are Jim Bunning (Republican) and Mitch McConnell (Republican). The Kentucky Constitution provides for three branches of government: the legislative, the judicial, and the executive. Kentucky's General Assembly has two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.See List of Kentucky Governors.

Geography

See: List of Kentucky counties

Kentucky, also known as The Bluegrass State, borders the Midwest and Deep South. It touches West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and is bordered on the north by the Ohio River. There are five main regions, the Cumberland Mountains and Cumberland Plateau in the southeast, the north-central Bluegrass Region, the south-central and western Pennyroyal Plateau, also sometimes termed "Pennyrile", the western coal-fields area, and the far-west Jackson Purchase.

The largest cities in Kentucky in terms of geographic area are the two metro city/counties of Lexington and Louisville, although Louisville has a much larger metropolitan population. Northern Kentucky, an assemblage of smaller cities across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio, also has a large metropolitan population.

Significant Natural Attractions

Cumberland Falls State Park
Mammoth Cave National Park
Red River Gorge Geological Area
Land Between the Lakes

Economy

The total gross state product for 1999 was 113billion,placingKentucky26thinthenation.ItsPerCapitaPersonalIncomeis113 billion, placing Kentucky 26th in the nation. Its Per Capita Personal Income is 113billion,placingKentucky26thinthenation.ItsPerCapitaPersonalIncomeis24,294, 40th in the nation. Kentucky's agricultural outputs are horses, cattle, tobacco,dairy products, hogs, soybeans, and corn. Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment, chemical products, electric equipment, machinery, food processing, tobacco products, coal, and tourism.