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KENTUCKY - USA
Kentucky (the Commonwealth of 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.
The USS Paducah also served as a naval vessel.
History
Kentucky is one of four states to call itself a commonwealth. At one time,
Kentucky was a county of Virginia. Ten constitutional conventions took place
at the courthouse of Constitution Square in Danville, Kentucky between 1784
and 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.
Kentucky’s name is possibly derived from the Cherokee word for "meadowland"
after the bluegrass pastures that lured early pioneers to the state.
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.
Geography
Kentucky, also known as The Bluegrass State, borders the Midwest and Deep
South. It touches West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois,
Indiana, and Ohio.
Its northern border is the low-water mark on the north side of the Ohio
River. Its western border is the Mississippi River. Other major rivers in
Kentucky include the Tennessee River, the Cumberland River, the Green River
and the Licking 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
merged city/county governments of Lexington-Fayette and Louisville Metro,
although Louisville and its metropolitan area both have a much larger
population than Lexington and its metro area. 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 $113 billion, placing Kentucky
26th in the nation. Its Per Capita Personal Income is $24,294, 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.
Demographics
According to the national census, there were 4,041,769 people living in
Kentucky in 2000. The population was 89.3% white, 7.3% African American,
1.5% Hispanic, 0.7% Asian, and 0.2% Native American.
Important cities and towns
Population > 100,000 (urbanized areas)
Louisville
Lexington
Population > 10,000 (urbanized areas)
Owensboro
Bowling Green
Covington
Hopkinsville
Elizabethtown
Radcliff
Paducah
Frankfort
Richmond
Ashland
Somerset
Madisonville
Newport
Winchester
Georgetown
Danville
Murray
Middlesborough (also spelled Middlesboro)
Bardstown
Shelbyville
Glasgow
Campbellsville
Mayfield
Important suburbs and small towns
Berea
Central City
Corbin
Erlanger
Florence
Fort Thomas
Henderson
Horse Cave
Independence
Leitchfield
London
Maysville
Morehead
Nicholasville
Newport
Paris
Pikeville
Versailles
Education
Colleges and universities
Private
Alice Lloyd College
Asbury College
Asbury Theological Seminary
Bellarmine University
Berea College
Brescia College
Campbellsville University
Centre College
Clear Creek Baptist Bible College
Cumberland College
Georgetown College
Kentucky Christian College
Kentucky Mountain Bible College
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Lexington Theological Seminary
Lindsey Wilson College
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Louisville Technical Institute
Mid-Continent University
Midway College
Pikeville College
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Spalding University
Spencerian College
Sullivan University
Louisville
Frankfort
Lexington
Thomas More College
Transylvania University
Union College
Public
Eastern Kentucky University
Kentucky State University
Morehead State University
Murray State University
Northern Kentucky University
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
Western Kentucky University
Community colleges
Ashland Community College
Ashland Technical College
Bowling Green Technical College
Central Kentucky Technical College
Elizabethtown Community College
Elizabethtown Technical College
Gateway Community and Technical Colleges
Hazard Community College
Henderson Community College
Hopkinsville Community College
Jefferson Community College
Jefferson Technical College
Lexington Community College
Madisonville Community and Technical Colleges
Mayo Technical College
Maysville Community College
Owensboro Community College
Owensboro Technical College
Prestonsburg Community College
Rowan Technical College
Somerset Community College
West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Professional sports teams
The Minor League baseball teams are:
Florence Freedom
Louisville Bats
Lexington Legends
The Minor League hockey teams are:
Lexington Men O'War
The National Indoor Football League teams are:
Lexington Horsemen
Miscellaneous information
State Bird: Cardinal.
State Flower: Goldenrod.
State Tree: Tulip tree (formerly the Kentucky coffeetree).
State Horse: Thoroughbred.
State Fish: Kentucky Bass.
State Wild Animal: Grey Squirrel.
State Butterfly: Viceroy Butterfly.
State Gemstone: Fresh Water Pearl.
State Fossil: Brachiopod.
State Song: "My Old Kentucky Home" by Stephen Collins Foster-1853
State Bluegrass Song: "Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Bill Monroe-1947
State Motto: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall"
See also: Flag of Kentucky
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