Kentucky

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This article is about the U.S. State. For other uses, see Kentucky (disambiguation).

Commonwealth of Kentucky

Flag of Kentucky Seal of Kentucky Nickname(s): Bluegrass State Motto(s): United we stand, divided we fall
Official language(s)	English[1]
Capital	Frankfort
Largest city	Louisville
Area	Ranked 37th
- Total	40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)
- Width	140 miles (225 km)
- Length	379 miles (610 km)
- % water	1.7
- Latitude	36°30'N to 39°9'N
- Longitude	81°58'W to 89°34'W
Population	Ranked 26th
- Total (2000)	4,173,405
- Density	101.7/sq mi  39.28/km² (23rd)
Elevation
- Highest point	Black Mountain[2] 4,145 ft  (1,263 m)
- Mean	755 ft  (230 m)
- Lowest point	Mississippi River[2] 257 ft  (78 m)
Admission to Union	June 1, 1792 (15th)
Governor	Ernie Fletcher (R)
U.S. Senators	Mitch McConnell (R) Jim Bunning (R)
Time zones
- eastern half	Eastern: UTC-5/DST-4
- western half	Central: UTC-6/DST-5
Abbreviations	KY US-KY
Web site	www.kentucky.gov

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States, although it is sometimes included, geographically, in the Midwest. Originally a part of the state of Virginia, in 1792 it became the 15^th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37^th largest state in terms of land area, and ranks 26^th in population.

Kentucky's largest cities and most of the fast growing counties are concentrated in what is referred to as the Golden Triangle, which is almost entirely in the Bluegrass region, with the exception of Hardin, Meade and LaRue counties which are in the Pennyroyal region.

Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State," a nickname based on the fact that bluegrass is present in many of the lawns and pastures throughout the state. Kentucky is well known for thoroughbred horses, horse racing, local bourbon whisky distilleries, bluegrass music, coal and college basketball.

Contents 1 Origin of name 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 2.2 Lakes and rivers 2.3 Significant natural attractions 3 History 4 Law and government 4.1 Government 4.1.1 Legislative 4.1.2 Executive 4.1.3 Judicial 4.1.4 Federal representation 4.1.5 Political leanings 4.2 Law 5 Demographics 5.1 Race and ancestry 5.2 Religion 5.2.1 Religious movements 6 Economy 6.1 State taxes 6.2 "Unbridled Spirit" 7 Transportation 7.1 Roads 7.2 Rails 7.3 Air 8 Cities and towns 9 Education 10 Culture 10.1 Music 11 Sports 12 Cuisine 13 State symbols 13.1 State places and events 14 Notable natives 15 Interesting facts about Kentucky 16 See also 17 References 18 Further reading 18.1 Politics 18.2 History 18.2.1 Surveys and reference 18.2.2 Specialized scholarly studies 19 External links

[edit] Origin of name

According to The Kentucky Encyclopedia, the origin of Kentucky's name has never been definitively identified. Some possibilities include:

• a Wyandot name meaning "land of tomorrow"
• an Iroquoian name meaning "place of meadows"
• an Algonquian term for a river bottom
• a Shawnee term for the head of a river

Some theories have been debunked. Kentucky's name does not come from the combination of "cane" and "turkey," nor does it come from a Native American phrase for "dark and bloody ground."

The name Kentucky referred originally to the Kentucky River and from that came the name of the region.

[edit] Geography

See also: List of Kentucky counties

Kentucky borders states of both the Midwest and the Southeast. West Virginia and Virginia lie to the east; Tennessee to the south; Missouri to the west; and Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north. The Commonwealth's northern border is formed by the Ohio River, and the western border is formed by the Mississippi River.

Kentucky is the only U.S. state to have non-contiguous parts exist as an enclave of other states. Far western Kentucky includes a small part of land, Kentucky Bend, on the Mississippi River bordered by Missouri and accessible via Tennessee, created by the New Madrid Earthquake.^[3] Also there is a section of Kentucky across the Ohio connected to Indiana near Evansville. ^{[citation needed]}

Kentucky can be divided into five primary regions: the Cumberland Plateau in the east, the north-central Bluegrass region, the south-central and western Pennyroyal Plateau, the Western Coal Fields and the far-west Jackson Purchase. The Bluegrass region is commonly divided into two regions, the Inner Bluegrass—the encircling 90 miles (145 km) around Lexington—and the Outer Bluegrass, the region that contains most of the Northern portion of the state, above the Knobs. Much of the outer Bluegrass is in the Eden Shale Hills area, made up of short, steep, and very narrow hills.

Kentucky has 120 counties, third in the U.S. behind Texas' 254 and Georgia's 159.^[4]

Kentucky is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources. These features are some of the most prized treasures of Kentucky residents. Kentucky is well known for its varied geology, including expansive cave and karst systems. It has valuable coalfields, critical wetlands and lush forests.

[edit] Climate

Most of Kentucky is in the transition area between a humid subtropical climate and a humid continental climate, although the higher elevations clearly fall in the latter. Monthly average temperatures in Kentucky range from a high of 87.6 °Fahrenheit (30.9 °C) to a low of 23.1 °Fahrenheit (-4.9 °C) and averages 46 inches (116.84 cm) of precipitation a year.^[5] Kentucky experiences all four seasons, usually with striking variations in the severity of summer and winter from year to year. In fact, it is not unusual to see marked changes in temperature and weather conditions within the same day, leading many locals to observe, "If you don't like the weather in Kentucky, stick around. It'll change."^[6]

Major weather events that have affected Kentucky include:

• The Ohio River flood of 1937
• The Super Outbreak of tornadoes in 1974
• The North American blizzard of 2003 (mostly ice in Kentucky)

[edit] Lakes and rivers

Kentucky’s 90,000 miles of stream system provides one of the most expansive and complex stream systems in the nation. Its major rivers include the Kentucky River, Tennessee River, the Cumberland River, the Green River, and the Licking River. It is also home to Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Lake Cumberland, all man-made lakes which rank in the top 20 in size area of U.S. lakes. In fact, Kentucky has more navigable miles of water than any other state in the union, other than Alaska.^[7]

[edit] Significant natural attractions

• Cumberland Gap, chief passageway through the Appalachian Mountains in early American history.
• Cumberland Falls State Park, one of the only places in the Western Hemisphere where a "moon-bow" may be seen.^[8]
• Mammoth Cave National Park, featuring the world's longest cave system.^[9]
• Red River Gorge Geological Area, part of the Daniel Boone National Forest.
• Land Between the Lakes, a National Recreation Area managed by the United States Forest Service.
• Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest a 14,000 acre (57 km²) arboretum, forest and nature preserve located in Clermont.
• Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville.
• Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area near Whitley City.
• Trail of Tears National Historic Trail also passes through Kentucky.
• Black Mountain, state's highest point.^[2] Runs along the border of Harlan and Letcher counties.
• Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve, 2,639-acre state nature preserve on southern slope of Pine Mountain in Letcher County. Includes one of the largest concentrations of rare and endangered species in the state^[10], as well as a 60-foot waterfall and a Kentucky Wild River.
• Jefferson Memorial Forest, located south of Louisville in the Knobs region, the largest municipally run forest in the United States.^[11]
• Green River State Park, located in Taylor County.
• Lake Cumberland, 1255 miles of shoreline located in South Central Kentucky.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Kentucky

See also: Kentucky in the Civil War, Kentucky Historical Society, and Hatfield-McCoy feud

Although inhabited by Native Americans in prehistoric times, when explorers and settlers began entering Kentucky in the mid-1700s, there were no major Native American settlements in the region.^[12] Instead, the country was used as hunting grounds by Shawnees from the north and Cherokees from the south. Much of what is now Kentucky was purchased from Native Americans in the treaties of Fort Stanwix (1768) and Sycamore Shoals (1775).^[13] Thereafter, Kentucky grew rapidly as the first settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains were founded, with settlers (primarily from Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania) entering the region via the Cumberland Gap and the Ohio River. The most famous of these early explorers and settlers was Daniel Boone, traditionally considered one of the founders of the state.^[14] Shawnees north of the Ohio River, however, were unhappy about the settlement of Kentucky, and allied themselves with the British in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783).^[15] Kentucky was a battleground during the war; the Battle of Blue Licks, one of the last major battles of the Revolution, was fought in Kentucky.^[16]

After the American Revolution, the counties of Virginia beyond the Appalachian Mountains became known as Kentucky County.^[17] Eventually, the residents of Kentucky County petitioned for a separation from Virginia. Ten constitutional conventions were held in the Constitution Square Courthouse in Danville between 1784 and 1792. In 1790, Kentucky's delegates accepted Virginia's terms of separation, and a state constitution was drafted at the final convention in April 1792. On June 1, 1792, Kentucky became the fifteenth state to be admitted to the union and Isaac Shelby, a military veteran from Virginia, was elected the first Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.^[18]

While remaining loyal to the Union, Kentucky was a border state during the American Civil War.^[19] The state did not secede, and was officially neutral until a new legislature took office on August 5, 1861 with strong Union sympathies. The majority of the Commonwealth's citizens also had strong Union sympathies. On September 4, 1861, Confederate General Leonidas Polk broke Kentucky's neutrality by invading Columbus, Kentucky.^[20] As a result of the Confederate invasion, Union General Ulysses S. Grant entered Paducah, Kentucky.^[21] On September 7, 1861, the Kentucky State Legislature, angered by the Confederate invasion, ordered the Union flag to be raised over the state capitol in Frankfort, declaring its allegiance with the Union.^[22] In November of 1861, during the Russellville Convention, Southern sympathizers attempted to establish an alternative state government with the goal of secession but failed to displace the legitimate government in Frankfort.^[23] The "Confederate capitol" was located in Bowling Green^[24] and was represented by the central star on the "Stars and Bars"^[25]; Kentucky's ongoing neutrality prompted some Confederate officers to remove the central star from their battle flags (see the battle flag of General Braxton Bragg).^{[citation needed]} On August 13, 1862, Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith's Army of East Tennessee invaded Kentucky and on August 28, 1862, Confederate General Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi entered Kentucky beginning the Kentucky Campaign.^[26] Bragg's retreat following the Battle of Perryville left the state under the control of the Union Army for the remainder of the war.^[27] The Confederate Memorial Day is observed by some in Kentucky on Jefferson Davis' birthday, June 3.^[28]

On January 30, 1900, Governor William Goebel was mortally wounded by an assailant while in the process of contesting the election of 1899, initially assumed to be won by William S. Taylor. For several months, J. C. W. Beckham, Goebel's running mate, and Taylor fought over who was the real governor until the U.S. Supreme Court decided in May that Beckham was the rightful governor. Taylor fled to Indiana and was later indicted as a co-conspirator in Goebel's assassination. Goebel remains the only governor of a U.S. state to have been assassinated while in office.^[29]

[edit] Law and government

[edit] Government

The Kentucky Constitution provides for three branches of government: legislative, judicial, and executive.

[edit] Legislative

Kentucky's legislative branch consists of a bicameral body known as the Kentucky General Assembly. The Senate is considered the upper house. It has 38 members, and is led by the President of the Senate, currently Republican David L. Williams. The House of Representatives has 100 members, and is led by the Speaker of the House, currently Democrat Jody Richards.

[edit] Executive

See also: List of Governors of Kentucky

The executive branch is headed by the governor and lieutenant governor. Under the current Kentucky Constitution, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of the governor only if the governor is incapacitated. (Prior to 1992, the lieutenant governor assumed power any time the governor was out of the state.) The governor and lieutenant governor usually run on a single ticket (also per a 1992 constitutional amendment), and are elected to four-year terms. Currently, the governor and lieutenant governor are Republicans Ernie Fletcher and Steve Pence, respectively.

[edit] Judicial

The judicial branch of Kentucky is made up of trial courts, called District and Circuit Courts; an intermediate appellate court, called the Kentucky Court of Appeals; and a court of last resort, the Kentucky Supreme Court. Unlike federal judges, who are usually appointed, justices serving on Kentucky state courts are chosen by the state's populace in non-partisan elections.

The state's chief prosecutor, law enforcement officer, and law officer is the attorney general. The attorney general is elected to a four-year term and may serve two consecutive terms under the current Kentucky Constitution. Currently, the Kentucky attorney general is Democrat Greg Stumbo.

[edit] Federal representation

Kentucky's two Senators are Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning both Republicans. The state is divided into six Congressional Districts, represented by Republicans Ed Whitfield (1^st), Ron Lewis (2^nd), Geoff Davis (4^th), and Hal Rogers (5^th), and Democrats John Yarmuth (3^rd) and Ben Chandler (6^th).

Judicially, Kentucky is split into two Federal court districts: the Kentucky Eastern District and the Kentucky Western District. Appeals are heard in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

[edit] Political leanings

Where politics are concerned, Kentucky historically has been very hard fought and leaned slightly toward the Democratic Party, although it was never included among the "Solid South." In 2006, 57.05% of the state's voters were officially registered as Democrats, 36.55% registered Republican, and 6.39% registered with some other political party.^[30]

Kentucky has voted Republican in five of the last seven presidential elections but has supported the Democratic candidates of the South. The Commonwealth supported Democrats Jimmy Carter in 1976, and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, but Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. Bush won the state's 8 electoral votes overwhelmingly in 2004 by a margin of 20 percentage points and 59.6% of the vote.^{[citation needed]}

The most solidly Democratic counties are in the mountainous eastern unionized coal mining region, especially Pike, Floyd, Knott, Menifee, Letcher, Perry and Breathitt, and the cities of Lexington and Louisville. The Jackson Purchase area in the far west was historically a Democratic stronghold but has moved Republican recently. Paducah author Irvin S. Cobb once wrote of the purchase area: "There was no doubt about our district. Whatever might betide, she was safe and sound - a Democratic Rock of Ages."^{[citation needed]} The area was once referred to as the Gibraltar of Democracy.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Law

Kentucky's body of laws, known as the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS), were enacted in 1942 to better organize and clarify the whole of Kentucky law.^[31] The statutes are enforced by local police, sheriffs, and sheriff's deputies. Unless they have completed a police academy elsewhere, these officers are required to complete training at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training Center on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University.^[32] Additionally, in 1948, the Kentucky General Assembly established the Kentucky State Police force, making it the 38^th state to create a force whose jurisdiction extends throughout the given state.^[33]

Kentucky is one of 38 states in the United States that sanctions the death penalty for certain crimes. Criminals convicted after March 31, 1998 are always executed by lethal injection; those convicted before this date may opt for the electric chair.^[34] Only two people have been executed in Kentucky since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstituted the practice in 1976. The most notable execution in Kentucky, however, was that of Rainey Bethea on August 14, 1936. Bethea was publicly hanged in Owensboro for the of rape and murder of Lischia Edwards.^[35] Irregularities with the execution led to this becoming the last public execution in the United States.^[36]

Kentucky has recently been on the front lines of the debate over displaying the Ten Commandments on public property. In the 2005 case of McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that a display of the Ten Commandments in the Whitley City courthouse of McCreary County was unconstitutional.^[37] Later that year, Judge Richard Fred Suhrheinrich, writing for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of ACLU of Kentucky v. Mercer County, wrote that a display including the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Ten Commandments, the Magna Carta, The Star-Spangled Banner, and the national motto could be erected in the Mercer County courthouse.^[38]

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census year	Population
2000	4,041,769
1990	3,685,296
1980	3,660,777
1970	3,218,706
1960	3,038,156
1950	2,944,806
1940	2,845,627
1930	2,614,589
1920	2,416,630
1910	2,289,905
1900	2,147,174
1890	1,858,635
1880	1,648,690
1870	1,321,011
1860	1,155,684
1850	982,405
1840	779,828
1830	687,917
1820	564,317
1810	406,511
1800	220,955
1790	73,677

As of 2005, Kentucky has an estimated population of 4,173,405, which is an increase of 31,570, or 0.8%, from the prior year and an increase of 131,120, or 3.2%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 77,156 people (that is 287,222 births minus 210,066 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 59,604 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 27,435 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 32,169 people. As of 2004, Kentucky's population included about 95,000 foreign-born (2.3%).

[edit] Race and ancestry

The five largest ancestries in the commonwealth are: American (20.9%), German (12.7%), Irish (10.5%), English (9.7%), African American (7.3%).

Blacks, who made up one-fourth of Kentucky's population prior to the American Civil War, declined in number as many moved to the industrial North in the Great Migration. Today they are mostly concentrated in the southwest (notably Christian County and the city of Paducah), the Bluegrass, and the cities of Louisville and Lexington. "American ancestry" is the largest reported ancestry group throughout most of the commonwealth in the Census and most of these people are of British or Scotch-Irish descent.

Demographics of Kentucky (csv)
By race	White	Black	AIAN	Asian	NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population)	91.53%	7.76%	0.61%	0.92%	0.08%
2000 (hispanic only)	1.35%	0.10%	0.04%	0.02%	0.01%
2005 (total population)	91.27%	7.98%	0.58%	1.10%	0.08%
2005 (hispanic only)	1.80%	0.12%	0.04%	0.03%	0.01%
Growth 2000-2005 (total population)	2.97%	6.16%	-2.21%	23.46%	9.78%
Growth 2000-2005 (non-hispanic only)	2.44%	5.94%	-3.28%	23.07%	7.98%
Growth 2000-2005 (hispanic only)	37.97%	22.34%	13.51%	38.48%	19.80%

[edit] Religion

In 2000,The Association of Religion Data Archives reported^[39] that of Kentucky's 4,041,769 residents:

• 33.68% were members of evangelical protestant churches
  • Southern Baptist Convention (979,994 members, 24.25%)
  • Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ (106,638 members, 2.64%)
  • Church of Christ (58,602 members, 1.45%)
• 10.05% were Roman Catholics 406,021 members, 10.05%)
• 8.77% belonged to mainline protestant churches
  • United Methodist Church (208,720 members, 5.16%)
  • Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (67,611 members, 1.67%)
• 0.05% were members of orthodox churches
• 0.88% were affiliated with other theologies
• 46.57% were not affiliated with any church.

Today Kentucky is home to several seminaries. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville is the principal seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention. Louisville is also the home of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Lexington also has a seminary, Lexington Theological Seminary. In addition to seminaries, there are several colleges affiliated with denominations. Transylvania in Lexington is affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. In Louisville, Bellarmine and Spalding are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Louisville is also home to the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and their printing press. Louisville is also home to a sizable Jewish population.

[edit] Religious movements

Religious movements were important in the early history of Kentucky. Perhaps the most famous event was the interdenominational revival in August 1801 at the Cane Ridge Meeting house in Bourbon County. As part of what is now known as the "Western Revival", thousands began meeting around a Presbyterian communion service on August 6, 1801, and ended six days later on August 12, 1801 when both humans and horses ran out of food.^[40] Some claim that the Cane Ridge revival was propagated from an earlier camp meeting at Red River Meeting House in Logan County.^[41]

[edit] Economy

The total gross state product for 2005 was US$140.4 billion, 27^th in the nation. Its per-capita personal income was US$28,513, 43^rd in the nation.^[42] 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. The Eastern Kentucky Coal Fields are recognized as being among the most productive in the nation.

Kentucky ranks 4^th among U.S. states in the number of automobiles and trucks assembled.^[43] The Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Expedition, Ford Explorer, all Ford F-series trucks, and the Toyota Camry are all assembled in Kentucky.

Historically, a major problem with Kentucky's economy has been the fact that outside the Ohio River towns and Lexington, most rural counties never developed a widespread and localized industrial economy; meaning that up until World War II most families still depended on subsistence farming for survival. Despite being the 14^th smallest state in terms of land area, Kentucky still ranks 5^th in the total number of farms, with more farms per square mile than any other U.S. state.^[44] This is also the reason that most rural counties have only one sizable town and still have median household incomes that are often half the U.S. national average.

[edit] State taxes

There are 5 income tax brackets, ranging from 2% to 6% of personal income.^[45] The sales tax rate in Kentucky is 6%.^[46] Kentucky has a broadly based classified property tax system. All classes of property, unless exempted by the Constitution, are taxed by the state, although at widely varying rates.^[47] Many of these classes are exempted from taxation by local government. Of the classes that are subject to local taxation, three have special rates set by the General Assembly, one by the Kentucky Supreme Court and the remaining classes are subject to the full local rate, which includes the tax rate set by the local taxing bodies plus all voted levies. Real property is assessed on 100% of the fair market value and property taxes are due by December 31. Once the primary source of state and local government revenue, property taxes now account for only about 6% of the Kentucky's annual General Fund revenues.^[48]

Until January 1, 2006, Kentucky imposed a tax on intangible personal property held by a taxpayer on January 1 of each year. The Kentucky intangible tax was repealed under House Bill 272.^[49] Intangible property consisted of any property or investment which represents evidence of value or the right to value. Some types of intangible property included: bonds, notes, retail repurchase agreements, accounts receivable, trusts, enforceable contracts sale of real estate (land contracts), money in hand, money in safe deposit boxes, annuities, interests in estates, loans to stockholders, and commercial paper.

[edit] "Unbridled Spirit"

To "boost Kentucky’s image, make it consistent through all the ways we reach people, and help Kentucky stand out from the crowd" the Fletcher administration launched a comprehensive branding campaign with the hope of making its $12 - $14 million advertising budget more effective. The "Unbridled Spirit" brand was the result of a $500,000 contract with New West, a Kentucky-based public relations, advertising and marketing firm to develop a viable brand and tagline. The administration has been aggressively marketing the brand in both the public and private sectors. The "Welcome to Kentucky" signs at border areas have Unbridled Spirit's symbol on them. ^[50]

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Roads

See also: List of Kentucky State Highways

Five major interstate highways service Kentucky.

• Interstate 24 crosses from Illinois at Paducah and exits at Oak Grove for Tennessee.
• Interstate 64 enters the state from Indiana at Louisville and exits the state at Catlettsburg for West Virginia.
• Interstate 65 enters from Tennessee near Franklin and exits for Indiana at Louisville.
• Interstate 71 begins at the junction of Interstate 64 at the Kennedy Interchange in Louisville and exits the state for Ohio with Interstate 75 at Covington.
• Interstate 75 enters from Tennessee near Williamsburg and exits for Ohio at Covington. It is Kentucky's longest interstate highway.

Three bypasses and spurs also serve the state.

• Interstate 264, also known as the Shawnee Expressway and the Henry Watterson Expressway, is an inner-loop of Louisville.
• Interstate 265 is an outer-loop of Louisville.
• Interstate 471 is a spur from Interstate 275 at Highland Heights and leaves the state for Cincinnati, Ohio where it ends at Interstate 71.

There are nine parkways that serve Kentucky.

• Audubon Parkway (Henderson to Owensboro)
• Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway (Clark County to Magoffin County)
• Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway (Henderson to Hopkinsville)
• Hal Rogers Parkway (London to Hazard)
• Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway (Fulton to Calvert City)
• Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway (Barren County to Somerset)
• Martha Layne Collins Bluegrass Parkway (Elizabethtown to Versailles)
• Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway (Elizabethtown to Eddyville)
• William H. Natcher Parkway (Bowling Green to Owensboro)

Kentucky and Missouri are the only two states to share a boundary with no road directly connecting the two states.^{[citation needed]} This is a result of the multiplexing of US Highways 51, 60, and 62 crossing the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky, and the multiplexing of US Highways 60 and 62 crossing the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri, rather than US Highways 60 and 62 crossing the Mississippi River directly from Kentucky to Missouri.

[edit] Rails

See also: List of Kentucky railroads

As of 2004, there were approximately 2,640 miles (4,250.4 km) of railways in Kentucky, with about 65% of those being operated by CSX Transportation. Coal was by far the most common cargo, accounting for 76% of cargo loaded and 61% of cargo delivered.^[51]

Bardstown, Kentucky features a tourist attraction known as My Old Kentucky Dinner Train. Run along a 20-mile stretch of rail purchased from CSX in 1987, guests enjoy a four-course meal as they make a scenic two-and-a-half hour round trip between Bardstown and Limestone Springs.^[52] The Kentucky Railway Museum is located in nearby New Haven.^[53]

Other areas in Kentucky are reclaiming old railways in rail trail projects. One such project is Louisville's Big Four Bridge. When completed in 2007, the Big Four Bridge rail trail will contain the second longest pedestrian-only bridge in the world. ^{[citation needed]} The longest pedestrian-only bridge is also found in Kentucky –- the Purple People Bridge connecting Newport to Cincinnati, Ohio.^[54] These two Kentucky bridges will also be the only two in the United States connecting two states^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Air

See also: List of airports in Kentucky and Comair Flight 5191

• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
• Louisville International Airport
• Blue Grass Airport (Lexington)
• Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport
• Barkley Regional Airport (Paducah)

[edit] Cities and towns

See also: List of cities in Kentucky and Category:Kentucky counties

The largest city in Kentucky is Louisville Metro, with a 2005 census estimated population of 556,429. The Louisville Combined Statistical Area (CSA) has a population of 1,342,918 (with 1,120,039 within Kentucky). The second largest city is Lexington with a 2005 census estimated population of 268,080 and its CSA having a population of 635,547. The Northern Kentucky area (the seven Kentucky counties in the Cincinnati CSA) had an estimated population of 403,727 in 2005. The metropolitan areas of Louisville, Lexington, and Northern Kentucky have a combined population of 2,159,313 as of 2005, which is 51.7% of the state's total population.

The two other fast growing urban areas in Kentucky are the Bowling Green area and the "Tri Cities Region" of southeastern Kentucky, comprised of Somerset, London, and Corbin.

Although only one town in the "Tri Cities", namely Somerset, currently has more than 10,000 people, the area has been experiencing heightened population and job growth since the 1990s. Growth has been especially rapid in Laurel County, which outgrew areas such as Scott and Jessamine counties around Lexington or Shelby and Nelson Counties around Louisville. London is currently on pace to double its population in the 2000s from 5,692 in 2000 to 10,879 in 2010. London also landed a Wal-Mart distribution center in 1997, bringing thousands of jobs to the community.

In northeast Kentucky, the greater Ashland area is an important transportation and manufacturing center. Iron and petroleum production, as well as the transport of coal by rail and barge, have been historical pillars of the region's economy. Due to a decline in the area's industrial base, Ashland has seen a sizable reduction in its population since 1990. The population of the area has since stabilized, however, with the medical service industry taking a greater role in the local economy. The Ashland area, including the Kentucky counties of Boyd and Greenup, is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,649. About 20,000 of those people reside within the city limits of Ashland.

[edit] Education

Main article: Education in Kentucky

[edit] Culture

See also: Theater in Kentucky

Defining the culture of Kentucky is difficult because the contrast between the metropolitan areas of Louisville and Lexington and rest of the state, which is largely rural, is so stark. The biggest day in horse racing, the Kentucky Derby, is preceded by the two-week Kentucky Derby Festival^[56] in Louisville. Louisville also plays host to the Kentucky State Fair^[57], the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival^[58], and Southern gospel's annual highlight, the National Quartet Convention^[59]. Owensboro, Kentucky's third largest city, gives credence to its nickname of "Barbecue Capital of the World" by hosting the annual International Barbecue Festival^[60], and Bowling Green, Kentucky's fifth largest city and home to the only assembly plant in the world that manufactures the Chevrolet Corvette^[61], opened the National Corvette Museum in 1994^[62].

Old Louisville, the largest historic preservation district in the United States featuring Victorian architecture and the third largest overall^[63], hosts the St. James Court Art Show, the largest outdoor art show in the United States.^[64] The neighborhood was also home to the Southern Exposition (1883-1887), which featured the first public display of Thomas Edison's light bulb^[65], and was the setting of Alice Hegan Rice's novel, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.^[66]

The more rural communities are not without traditions of their own, however. Bardstown, Kentucky celebrates its heritage as a major bourbon-producing region with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.^[67] (Legend holds that Baptist minister Elijah Craig invented bourbon in Georgetown, Kentucky, but some dispute this claim.)^[68] Glasgow, Kentucky mimics Glasgow, Scotland by hosting its own version of the Highland Games^[69], and Sturgis, Kentucky hosts "Little Sturgis", a mini version of Sturgis, South Dakota's annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.^[70] The residents of tiny Benton, Kentucky even pay tribute to their favorite tuber by hosting Tater Day.^[71]

[edit] Music

Main article: Music of Kentucky

See also: Category:Kentucky musicians

From Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Everly Brothers to Flatwoods native Billy Ray Cyrus to Mildred and Patty Hill (the Louisville sisters credited with composing the tune to the ditty Happy Birthday to You,) the breadth of music in Kentucky is indeed wide, but its depth lies in its signature sound – Bluegrass music. Bill Monroe, "The Father of Bluegrass", was born in the small Ohio County town of Rosine, while Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, David "Stringbean" Akeman, Sonny and Bobby Osborne, and Sam Bush (who has been compared to Monroe) all hail from Kentucky. The International Bluegrass Music Museum is located in Owensboro, Kentucky^[72], while the annual Festival of the Bluegrass is held in Lexington^[73].

[edit] Sports

Main article: Sports in Kentucky

Kentucky is home to no major league sports team but several minor league teams. However, the northern part of the state lies across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio, which is home to a National Football League team, the Bengals, and a Major League Baseball team, the Reds. It is not uncommon for fans to park in the city of Newport, Kentucky, and use the Newport Southbank Pedestrian Bridge, locally known as the "Purple People Bridge" , to walk to these games in Cincinnati. Many restaurants and stores in Newport rely on business from these fans. Also, Georgetown College in Georgetown is the location for the Bengals' summer training camp.^[74]

As in many states, especially those without major league professional sport teams, college athletics are very important. This is especially true of the state's two Division I-A programs, the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals.

[edit] Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Kentucky

While Kentucky's pastimes are distinctly those of the South, the state's cuisine is considered to be a synergistic blend of Midwestern cuisine and Southern US cuisine. One original Kentucky dish is called the Hot Brown. It is a layered dish normally in this order: bread, tomatoes, ham, bacon, and topped with melted cheese. It was developed at the Brown Hotel in Louisville.^[75]

[edit] State symbols

See also: Flag of Kentucky and Seal of Kentucky

State bird: Kentucky Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) State flower: Goldenrod (Soldiago gigantea) State tree: Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)(formerly the Kentucky coffeetree) State horse: Thoroughbred (Equus caballus) State dog: Beagle (Canis familiaris) State fish: Kentucky Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) State fruit: Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) State wild animal: Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) State butterfly: Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus) State gemstone: Freshwater 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" State slogan: "Unbridled Spirit" State drink: Milk State dance: Clogging [76] State rock: Kentucky Agate State soil: Crider soil series State mineral: Coal State musical instrument: Appalachian dulcimer State theatre pipe organ: Kentucky Theatre's Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ State Latin motto: Deo gratiam habeamus ("Let us be grateful to God")[77] State silverware pattern: "Old Kentucky Blue Grass, The Georgetown Pattern"

[edit] State places and events

State arboretum: Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest State botanical garden: University of Kentucky-Fayette County Arboretum State Science Center: Louisville Science Center State outdoor musical: "Stephen Foster -- The Musical" State center for celebration of African American heritage: Kentucky Center for African American Heritage State honey festival: Clarkson Honeyfest[78] State amphitheater: Iroquois Amphitheater (Louisville)

State tug-o-war championship: The Fordsville Tug-of-War Championship Covered Bridge Capital of Kentucky: Fleming County Official Covered Bridge of Kentucky: Switzer Covered Bridge (Franklin County) Official steam locomotive of Kentucky: "Old 152" (located in the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven) Official pipe band: Louisville Pipe Band State bourbon festival: Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Incorporated, of Bardstown, Kentucky

Unless otherwise specified, all state symbol information is taken from Kentucky State Symbols.

[edit] Notable natives

See also: List of famous Kentuckians

• Zachary Taylor, 12^th president of the United States
• Abraham Lincoln, 16^th president of the United States
• Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America
• Muhammed Ali, boxing legend, activist
• Henry Clay, politician
• Duncan Hines, food critic
• Diane Sawyer, television journalist
• George Clooney, actor
• Johnny Depp, actor
• Tom Cruise, actor

[edit] Interesting facts about Kentucky

• The first public library open to African Americans in the United States was the Western Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library.
• The World Peace Bell, located in Newport, is the largest free-swinging bell in existence.

[edit] See also

• BluegrassReport.org — Democratic Party-oriented political blog covering Kentucky politics
• Scouting in Kentucky
• List of naval ships named for Kentucky
• Appalachia

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Politics

• Miller, Penny M. Kentucky Politics & Government: Do We Stand United? (1994)
• Jewell, Malcolm E. and Everett W. Cunningham, Kentucky Politics (1968)

[edit] History

[edit] Surveys and reference

• Bodley, Temple and Samuel M. Wilson. History of Kentucky 4 vols. (1928).
• Caudill, Harry M., Night Comes to the Cumberlands (1963). ISBN 0316132128
• Channing, Steven. Kentucky: A Bicentennial History (1977).
• Clark, Thomas Dionysius. A History of Kentucky (many editions, 1937-1992).
• Collins, Lewis. History of Kentucky (1880).
• Harrison, Lowell H. and James C. Klotter. A New History of Kentucky (1997).
• Kleber, John E. et al The Kentucky Encyclopedia (1992), standard reference history.
• Klotter, James C. Our Kentucky: A Study of the Bluegrass State (2000), high school text
• Lucas, Marion Brunson and Wright, George C. A History of Blacks in Kentucky 2 vols. (1992).
• Share, Allen J. Cities in the Commonwealth: Two Centuries of Urban Life in Kentucky (1982).
• Wallis, Frederick A. and Hambleton Tapp. A Sesqui-Centennial History of Kentucky 4 vols. (1945).
• Ward, William S., A Literary History of Kentucky (1988) (ISBN 0-87049-578-X).
• WPA, Kentucky: A Guide to the Bluegrass State (1939), classic guide.
• Yater, George H. (1987). Two Hundred Years at the Fall of the Ohio: A History of Louisville and Jefferson County, 2nd edition, Filson Club, Incorporated. ISBN 0-9601072-3-1.

[edit] Specialized scholarly studies

• Bakeless, John. Daniel Boone, Master of the Wilderness (1989)
• Blakey, George T. Hard Times and New Deal in Kentucky, 1929-1939 (1986)
• Coulter, E. Merton. The Civil War and Readjustment in Kentucky (1926)
• Davis, Alice. "Heroes: Kentucky's Artists from Statehood to the New Millennium" (2004)
• Ellis, William E. The Kentucky River (2000).
• Faragher, John Mack. Daniel Boone (1993)
• Fenton, John H. Politics in the Border States: A Study of the Patterns of Political Organization, and Political Change, Common to the Border States: Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri (1957)
• Ireland, Robert M. The County in Kentucky History (1976)
• Klotter, James C., Lowell Harrison, James Ramage, Charles Roland, Richard Taylor, Bryan S. Bush, Tom Fugate, Dixie Hibbs, Lisa Matthews, Robert C. Moody, Marshall Myers, Stuart Sanders and Stephen McBride (2005). Jerlene Rose Kentucky's Civil War 1861-1865. Back Home In Kentucky Inc. ISBN 0-9769231-1-4.
• Klotter, James C. Kentucky: Portrait in Paradox, 1900-1950 (1992)
• Pearce, John Ed. Divide and Dissent: Kentucky Politics, 1930-1963 (1987)
• Remini, Robert V. Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union (1991).
• Sonne, Niels Henry. Liberal Kentucky, 1780-1828 (1939)
• Tapp, Hambleton and James C Klotter. Kentucky Decades of Discord, 1865-1900 (1977)
• Townsend, William H. Lincoln and the Bluegrass: Slavery and Civil War in Kentucky (1955)
• Waldrep, Christopher Night Riders: Defending Community in the Black Patch, 1890-1915 (1993) tobacco wars

[edit] External links

• Kentucky Department of Tourism
• Kentucky.gov: My New Kentucky Home
• The Kentucky Highlands Project
• Kentucky State Facts
• Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit
• Kentucky Virtual Library
• "Science In Your Backyard: Kentucky" U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey, July 3, 2006, retrieved November 4, 2006
• Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History
• U.S. Census Bureau Kentucky QuickFacts

	Commonwealth of Kentucky
Capital	Frankfort
Regions	The Bluegrass | Central Kentucky | Cincinnati metropolitan area | Cumberland Plateau | Eastern Mountain Coal Fields | The Knobs | Louisville metropolitan area | Northern Kentucky | Pennyroyal Plateau | The Purchase | Western Coal Fields
Major cities	Ashland | Bowling Green | Covington | Danville | Elizabethtown | Erlanger | Florence | Fort Thomas | Frankfort | Georgetown | Glasgow | Henderson | Hopkinsville | Independence | Jeffersontown | Lexington | Louisville | Madisonville | Murray | Newport | Nicholasville | Owensboro | Paducah | Radcliff | Richmond | Shively | St. Matthews | Winchester |
Counties	Adair | Allen | Anderson | Ballard | Barren | Bath | Bell | Boone | Bourbon | Boyd | Boyle | Bracken | Breathitt | Breckinridge | Bullitt | Butler | Caldwell | Calloway | Campbell | Carlisle | Carroll | Carter | Casey | Christian | Clark | Clay | Clinton | Crittenden | Cumberland | Daviess | Edmonson | Elliott | Estill | Fayette | Fleming | Floyd | Franklin | Fulton | Gallatin | Garrard | Grant | Graves | Grayson | Green | Greenup | Hancock | Hardin | Harlan | Harrison | Hart | Henderson | Henry | Hickman | Hopkins | Jackson | Jefferson | Jessamine | Johnson | Kenton | Knott | Knox | LaRue | Laurel | Lawrence | Lee | Leslie | Letcher | Lewis | Lincoln | Livingston | Logan | Lyon | Madison | Magoffin | Marion | Marshall | Martin | Mason | McCracken | McCreary | McLean | Meade | Menifee | Mercer | Metcalfe | Monroe | Montgomery | Morgan | Muhlenberg | Nelson | Nicholas | Ohio | Oldham | Owen | Owsley | Pendleton | Perry | Pike | Powell | Pulaski | Robertson | Rockcastle | Rowan | Russell | Scott | Shelby | Simpson | Spencer | Taylor | Todd | Trigg | Trimble | Union | Warren | Washington | Wayne | Webster | Whitley | Wolfe | Woodford

	Political divisions of the United States
Capital	District of Columbia
States	Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Insular areas	American Samoa | Guam | Northern Mariana Islands | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands
Minor outlying islands	Baker Island | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Palmyra Atoll | Wake Island