Acronym Definition
KYJA Klub Young Jains of America
KYJA K Y Jelly Academy
KYJA Kentucky Jackass
KYJA Kentucky Jagged Alliance
KYJA Kentucky Jamaica
KYJA Kentucky Jane Austen
KYJA Kentucky Jane's Addiction
KYJA Kentucky Japanese American
KYJA Kentucky Jedi Academy
KYJA Kentucky Jefferson Airplane
KYJA Kentucky Jetevator Assembly
KYJA Kentucky Jewelers of America
KYJA Kentucky Jewish Agency
KYJA Kentucky Job Alliance
KYJA Kentucky Job Analysis
KYJA Kentucky Joint Affairs
KYJA Kentucky Journal Asiatique
KYJA Kentucky Judge Advocate
KYJA Kentucky Jump Address
KYJA Kentucky Jump If Above
KYJA Kentucky Junior Achievement
KYJA Kentucky Just Asking
KYJA Kentucky Justice Administration (education degree/major)
KYJA Kentucky Justicia Ambiental
KYJA Kentucky Juvenile Arthritis
Kyja K. Christianson
Kyja et Marie
KYJA Kentucky Job Analysis
The Commonwealth of Kentucky (IPA: /k?n?t?ki/) is a state located in the East
Central United States of America. Kentucky is normally included in the group of
Southern states (in particular the Upland South), but it is sometimes included,
geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S.
states to be officially known as a commonwealth. Originally a part of Virginia,
in 1792 it became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th largest
state in terms of land area, and ranks 26th in population.
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. It
is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources, including the
world's longest cave system, the greatest length of navigable waterways and
streams in the Lower 48 states, and the two largest man-made lakes east of the
Mississippi River. It is also home to the highest per capita number of deer and
turkey in the United States, and the nation's most productive coalfield.
Kentucky is also known for thoroughbred horses, horse racing, bourbon
distilleries, bluegrass music, automobile manufacturing (including the best
selling car, truck, and SUV in the U.S. market), tobacco, and college
basketball.
Origin of name
Narrow country roads bounded by stone and wood plank fences are a fixture in the
Kentucky Bluegrass.
Narrow country roads bounded by stone and wood plank fences are a fixture in the
Kentucky Bluegrass.
The origin of Kentucky's name (variously spelled Cane-tuck-ee, Cantucky,
Kain-tuck-ee, and Kentuckee before its modern spelling was accepted) has never
been definitively identified, though some theories have been debunked. For
example, Kentucky's name does not come from the combination of "cane" and
"turkey"; and though it is the most popular belief, it is unlikely to mean "dark
and bloody ground" because it isn't found in any known Indian language. The most
likely etymology is that it comes from an Iroquoian word for "meadow" or
"prairie" (c.f. Mohawk kenhtà:ke, Seneca k?hta’keh). Other possibilities also
exist: the suggestion of early Kentucky pioneer George Rogers Clark that the
name means "the river of blood", a Wyandot name meaning "land of tomorrow", a
Shawnee term possibly referring to the head of a river, or an Algonquian word
for a river bottom.
Geography
Kentucky
Kentucky borders states of both the Midwest and the Southeast. West Virginia
lies to the east, Virginia to the southeast, Tennessee to the south, Missouri to
the west, Illinois and Indiana to the northwest, and Ohio to the north and
northeast. Most of but not all of Kentucky's northern border is formed by the
Ohio River, its western border by the Mississippi River. At Henderson, U.S. 41
crosses the Ohio River and you are still in Kentucky for about a half of a mile.
Waterworks Rd is part of the only land border between Indiana and Kentucky.
Kentucky is the only U.S. state to have a non-contiguous part exist as an
exclave surrounded by other states. Fulton County, in the far west corner of the
state, 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.
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. The original motivation for having so many counties was to ensure that
residents in the days of poor roads and horseback travel could make a round trip
from their home to the county seat and back in a single day. Later, however,
politics began to play a part, with citizens who disagreed with the present
county government simply petitioning the state to create a new county. The 1891
Kentucky Constitution placed stricter limits on county creation, stipulating
that a new county:
* must have a land area of at least 400 square miles (1,000 km2);
* must have a population of at least 12,000 people;
* must not by its creation reduce the land area of an existing county to less
than 400 square miles (1,000 km2);
* must not by its creation reduce the population of an existing county to less
than 12,000 people;
* must not create a county boundary line that passes within 10 miles (20 km) of
an existing county seat.
These regulations have reined in the proliferation of counties in Kentucky.
Since the 1891 Constitution, only McCreary County has been created. Because
today's largest county by area, Pike County, is 788 square miles (2,041 km2), it
is now impossible to create a new county from a single existing county under the
current constitution. Any county created in this manner will by necessity either
be smaller than 400 square miles (1,000 km2) or reduce the land area of the old
county to less than 400 square miles (1,000 km2). It is still theoretically
possible to form a new county from portions of more than one existing county
(McCreary County was created from portions of three counties), but the area and
boundary restrictions would make this extremely difficult.
Climate
Located within the southeastern interior portion of North America, Kentucky has
a climate described as humid subtropical (indicating that all monthly average
temperatures are above freezing). Monthly average temperatures in Kentucky range
from a summer daytime high of 87°F (30.9 °C) to a winter low of 23°F (-4.9 °C).
The average precipitation is 46 inches (116.84 cm) a year. 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, just wait a few hours and it will
change."
Event Death Toll
Louisville Tornado of 1890 est. 76–120+
April 3, 1974 Tornado Outbreak 72
March 1, 1997 Flooding 18
Major weather events that have affected Kentucky include:
* The Mid-Mississippi Valley Tornado Outbreak of March 1890
* The Ohio River flood of 1937
* The Super Outbreak of tornadoes in 1974
* Massive flooding in 1997
* The North American blizzard of 2003 (mostly ice in Kentucky)
Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Kentucky Cities
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Lexington 40/24 45/28 55/36 65/44 74/54 82/62 86/66 85/65 78/58 67/46 54/37
44/28
Louisville 41/25 47/28 57/37 67/46 75/56 83/65 87/70 86/68 79/61 68/48 56/39
45/30
Paducah 42/24 48/28 58/37 68/46 77/55 85/64 89/68 87/65 81/57 71/45 57/36 46/28
Pikeville 46/23 50/25 60/32 69/39 77/49 84/58 87/63 86/62 80/56 71/42 60/33
49/26
Ashland 42/19 47/21 57/29 68/37 77/47 84/56 88/61 87/59 80/52 69/40 57/31 46/23
Lakes and rivers
Lake Cumberland is the largest artificial lake, in terms of volume, east of the
Mississippi River.
Lake Cumberland is the largest artificial lake, in terms of volume, east of the
Mississippi River.
Kentucky’s 90,000 miles (140,000 km) of streams provides one of the most
expansive and complex stream systems in the nation. Kentucky has both the
largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi in water volume (Lake
Cumberland) and surface area (Kentucky Lake). It is the only U.S. state to be
bordered on three sides by rivers — the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio
River to the north, and the Big Sandy River and Tug Fork to the east. Its major
internal rivers include the Kentucky River, Tennessee River, Cumberland River,
Green River, and Licking River.
Though it has only three major natural lakes, the state is home to many
artificial lakes. Kentucky also has more navigable miles of water than any other
state in the union, other than Alaska.
Natural environment and conservation
Kentucky has an expansive park system which includes one national park, two
National Recreation areas, two National Historic Parks, two national forests, 45
state parks, 37,696 acres (153 km2) of state forest, and 82 Wildlife Management
Areas.
Kentucky has been part of two of the most successful wildlife reintroduction
projects in United States history. In the winter of 1997, the state's eastern
counties began to re-stock elk, which had been extinct from the area for over
150 years. As of 2006, the state's herd was estimated at 5,700 animals, the
largest herd east of the Mississippi River.
The state also stocked wild turkeys in the 1950s. Once extinct in the state,
today Kentucky has more turkeys per capita than any other eastern state.
Top tourist attractions in Kentucky
Place Visitors per year
City of Louisville 7 million
Lake Cumberland 5 million
Land Between the Lakes 4 million
Mammoth Cave National Park 2 million
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area 2 million
Red River Gorge / Natural Bridge 1.5 million
Significant natural attractions
* Cumberland Gap, chief passageway through the Appalachian Mountains in early
American history.
* Cumberland Falls State Park, one of the few places in the Western Hemisphere
where a "moon-bow" may be regularly seen.
* Mammoth Cave National Park, featuring the world's longest cave system.
* 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. Runs along the border of Harlan and
Letcher counties.
* Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve, 2,639-acre (11 km2) 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, as well
as a 60-foot (18 m) 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.
* Green River Lake State Park, located in Taylor County.
* Lake Cumberland, 1,255 miles (2,020 km) of shoreline located in South Central
Kentucky.
History
Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap (George Caleb
Bingham, oil on canvas, 1851–52).
Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap (George Caleb
Bingham, oil on canvas, 1851–52).
Both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were born in Kentucky.
Both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were born in Kentucky.
History of Kentucky
See also: Kentucky in the American 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. 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). 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. 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). 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.
After the American Revolution, the counties of Virginia beyond the Appalachian
Mountains became known as Kentucky County. 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.
Kentucky was a border state during the American Civil War. Although frequently
described as never having seceded, a group of Kentucky soldiers stationed at
Russellville did pass an Ordinance of Secession under the moniker "Convention of
the People of Kentucky" on November 20, 1861, establishing a Confederate
government for the state with its capital in Bowling Green. Though Kentucky was
represented by the central star on the Confederate battle flag. the legitimacy
of the Russellville Convention may well be questioned. Only a year earlier,
philosopher Karl Marx wrote in a letter to Friedrich Engels that the result of a
vote deciding how Kentucky would be represented at a convention of the border
states was "100,000 for the Union ticket, only a few thousand for secession."
Kentucky officially remained "neutral" throughout the war due to Union
sympathies of many of the Commonwealth's citizens. Even today, however,
Confederate Memorial Day is observed by some in Kentucky on Jefferson Davis'
birthday, June 3.
Designed by the Washington Monument's architect Robert Mills in 1845, the U.S.
Marine Hospital in Louisville is considered the best remaining antebellum
hospital in the United States
Designed by the Washington Monument's architect Robert Mills in 1845, the U.S.
Marine Hospital in Louisville is considered the best remaining antebellum
hospital in the United States
On January 30, 1900, Governor William Goebel, flanked by two bodyguards, was
mortally wounded by an assailant while walking to the State Capitol in downtown
Frankfort. Goebel was 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 Supreme Court of the United States 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.
Law and government
Government
Kentucky is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd
numbered years (The others are Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and
Virginia). Kentucky holds elections for these offices every 4 years in the years
preceding Presidential election years. Thus, the last year when Kentucky elected
a Governor was 2007; the next gubernatorial election will occur in 2011, with
future gubernatorial elections to take place in 2015, 2019, 2023, etc.
State government
The Kentucky State Capitol building in Frankfort
The Kentucky State Capitol building in Frankfort
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.
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; however, on December 11, Democrats Steve Beshear and Daniel Mongiardo,
who defeated Fletcher and his running mate Robbie Rudolph in the 2007 election,
will be sworn in as their successors.
The judicial branch of Kentucky is made up of courts of limited jurisdiction
called District Courts; courts of general jurisdiction called Circuit Courts; an
intermediate appellate court, 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, with fellow Democrat Jack
Conway to take his place on December 11.
Federal representation
A map showing Kentucky's six congressional districts
A map showing Kentucky's six congressional districts
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 (1st), Ron Lewis (2nd), Geoff
Davis (4th), and Hal Rogers (5th), and Democrats John Yarmuth (3rd) and Ben
Chandler (6th).
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.
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.
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.
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. 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. Additionally, in 1948, the
Kentucky General Assembly established the Kentucky State Police, making it the
38th state to create a force whose jurisdiction extends throughout the given
state.
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. 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 rape and murder of Lischia Edwards.
Irregularities with the execution led to this becoming the last public execution
in the United States.
Kentucky has 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. 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.
Demographics
Kentucky Population Density Map.
Kentucky Population Density Map.
Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 73,677
—
1800 220,955 199.9%
1810 406,511 84.0%
1820 564,317 38.8%
1830 687,917 21.9%
1840 779,828 13.4%
1850 982,405 26.0%
1860 1,155,684 17.6%
1870 1,321,011 14.3%
1880 1,648,690 24.8%
1890 1,858,635 12.7%
1900 2,147,174 15.5%
1910 2,289,905 6.6%
1920 2,416,630 5.5%
1930 2,614,589 8.2%
1940 2,845,627 8.8%
1950 2,944,806 3.5%
1960 3,038,156 3.2%
1970 3,218,706 5.9%
1980 3,660,777 13.7%
1990 3,685,296 0.7%
2000 4,041,769 9.7%
Est. 2006 4,206,074 4.1%
http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21109.txt
As of July 1, 2006, Kentucky has an estimated population of 4,206,074, which is
an increase of 33,466, or 0.8%, from the prior year and an increase of 164,586,
or 4.1%, 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%).
Since 1900, rural Kentucky counties have experienced a net loss of over 1
million people, while urban areas have experienced a slight net gain in
population.
The center of population of Kentucky is located in Washington County, in the
city of Willisburg.
Race and ancestry
The five largest ancestries in the commonwealth are: American (20.9%) (Mostly of
British ancestry), German (12.7%), Irish (10.5%) (Most actually of Scots-Irish
descent), English (9.7%), African American (7.8%). Only eight Kentucky counties
have a majority ancestry listed that is not 'American', those being Christian
and Fulton, where African American is the largest reported ancestry, and the
state's most urban counties of Jefferson, Jefferson, Oldham, Fayette, Boone,
Kenton, and Campbell, where German is the largest reported ancestry.
African Americans, who made up one-fourth of Kentucky's population prior to the
Civil War, declined in number as many moved to the industrial North in the Great
Migration. Today 44.2% of Kentucky's African American population is in Jefferson
County and 52% are in the Louisville Metro Area. Other areas with high
concentrations, besides Christian and Fulton Counties, are the city of Paducah,
the Bluegrass, and the city of Lexington. Many mining communities in far
Southeastern Kentucky also have populations between five and 10 percent African
American.
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%
Religion
Lexington Theological Seminary (then College of the Bible), 1904.
Lexington Theological Seminary (then College of the Bible), 1904.
In 2000, The Association of Religion Data Archives reported that of Kentucky's
4,041,769 residents:
* 33.68% were members of evangelical Protestant churches
o Southern Baptist Convention (979,994 members, 24.25%)
o Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ (106,638 members, 2.64%)
o Church of Christ (58,602 members, 1.45%)
* 10.05% were Roman Catholics
* 8.77% belonged to mainline Protestant churches
o United Methodist Church (208,720 members, 5.16%)
o 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 has two seminaries, Lexington Theological
Seminary, and the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. Asbury Theological Seminary is
located in nearby Wilmore. 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.
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. Some claim that the Cane Ridge revival was
propagated from an earlier camp meeting at Red River Meeting House in Logan
County.
Economy
The best selling car in the United States, the Toyota Camry, is manufactured in
Georgetown, Kentucky.
The best selling car in the United States, the Toyota Camry, is manufactured in
Georgetown, Kentucky.
The best selling truck in the United States, the Ford F-Series, is manufactured
in Louisville, Kentucky.
The best selling truck in the United States, the Ford F-Series, is manufactured
in Louisville, Kentucky.
The total gross state product for 2005 was US$140.4 billion, 27th in the nation.
Its per-capita personal income was US$28,513, 43rd 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. The Eastern Kentucky Coal Fields are recognized as
being among the most productive in the nation.
Kentucky ranks 4th among U.S. states in the number of automobiles and trucks
assembled. The Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac XLR, Ford Explorer, Ford Super Duty
trucks, Toyota Camry, Toyota Avalon, and Toyota Solara are assembled in
Kentucky.
Unlike many bordering states which developed a widespread industrial economy,
much of rural Kentucky has maintained a farm based economy, with cattle, corn,
and soybeans being the main crops. The area immediately outside Lexington is
also the leading region for breeding Thoroughbred racing horses, due to the high
calcium content in the soil. Despite being the 14th smallest state in terms of
land area, Kentucky still ranks 5th in the total number of farms, with more
farms per square mile than any other U.S. state. The average farm size in
Kentucky is only 153 acres (0.6 km2).
Kentucky ranks 5th nationally in goat farming, 8th in beef cattle production ,
and 14th in corn production.
State taxes
There are 5 income tax brackets, ranging from 2% to 6% of personal income. The
sales tax rate in Kentucky is 6%. 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. 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.
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. 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.
"Unbridled Spirit"
To boost Kentucky’s image, give it a consistent reach, 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 tag line. 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.
The previous campaign was neither a failure nor a success. Kentucky's "It's that
friendly" slogan hoped to draw more people into the state based of the idea of
southern hospitality. Though most Kentuckians liked the slogan, as it embraced
southern values, it was also not an image that encouraged tourism as much as
initially hoped for. Therefore it was necessary to reconfigure a slogan to
embrace Kentucky as a whole while also encouraging more people to visit the
Bluegrass.
Transportation
Roads
At 464 miles long, Kentucky Route 80 is the longest route in Kentucky, pictured
here west of Somerset.
At 464 miles long, Kentucky Route 80 is the longest route in Kentucky, pictured
here west of Somerset.
See also: List of Kentucky State Highways
Kentucky is served by five major interstate highways (I-75, I-71, I-64, I-65,
I-24), nine parkways, and three bypasses and spurs. The parkways were originally
toll roads, but on November 22, 2006, Governor Ernie Fletcher ended the toll
charges on the William H. Natcher Parkway and the Audubon Parkway, the last two
parkways in Kentucky to charge tolls for access. The related toll booths have
been demolished.
Ending the tolls some seven months ahead of schedule was generally agreed to
have been a positive economic development for transportation in Kentucky. In
June 2007, a law went into effect raising the speed limit on rural portions of
Kentucky Interstates from 65 to 70 miles per hour, with signs expected to be
changed by mid-July.
Rails
High Bridge over the Kentucky River was the tallest rail bridge in the world
when it was completed in 1877.
High Bridge over the Kentucky River was the tallest rail bridge in the world
when it was completed in 1877.
See also: List of Kentucky railroads
* Ashland, Kentucky (Amtrak station)
* South Portsmouth-South Shore (Amtrak station)
* Fulton (Amtrak station)
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Ashland, South
Portsmouth and Fulton, Kentucky. The Cardinal, Trains 50 and 51, is the line
that offers Amtrak service to Ashland and South Portsmouth. Amtrak Trains 58 and
59, the City of New Orleans serves Fulton. The Northern Kentucky area, is served
by the Cardinal at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. The Museum
Center is just across the Ohio River in Cincinnati.
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.
Bardstown features a tourist attraction known as My Old Kentucky Dinner Train.
Run along a 20-mile (30 km) stretch of rail purchased from CSX in 1987, guests
are served a four-course meal as they make a two-and-a-half hour round-trip
between Bardstown and Limestone Springs. The Kentucky Railway Museum is located
in nearby New Haven.
Other areas in Kentucky are reclaiming old railways in rail trail projects. One
such project is Louisville's Big Four Bridge. If completed, the Big Four Bridge
rail trail will contain the second longest pedestrian-only bridge in the world.
The longest pedestrian-only bridge is also found in Kentucky — the Newport
Southbank Bridge, popularly known as the "Purple People Bridge", connecting
Newport to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Air
See also: List of airports in Kentucky
Kentucky's primary airports include Louisville International Airport (Standiford
Field), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, and Blue Grass
Airport. Louisville International Airport is home to UPS's Worldport, its
international air-sorting hub. There are also a number of regional airports
scattered across the state.
On August 27, 2006, Kentucky's Blue Grass Airport in Lexington was the site of a
crash that killed 47 passengers and 2 crew members aboard a Bombardier Canadair
Regional Jet designated Comair Flight 5191. The lone survivor was the flight's
first officer, James Polehinke, who doctors determined to be brain damaged and
unable to recall the crash at all. The NTSB's report has not yet been released,
but reports state that the air traffic controller on duty at the time of the
crash was working on approximately two hours of sleep with outdated charts of
the airport. According to FAA rules, should have been working alongside another
controller, which he was not.
Water
A barge hauling coal in the Louisville and Portland Canal, the only man made
section of the Ohio River
A barge hauling coal in the Louisville and Portland Canal, the only man made
section of the Ohio River
Being bounded by the two largest rivers in North America, water transportation
has historically played a major role in Kentucky's economy. Most barge traffic
on Kentucky waterways consists of coal that is shipped from both the Eastern and
Western Coalfields, about half of which is used locally to power many power
plants located directly off the Ohio River, with the rest being exported to
other countries, most notably Japan.
Many of the largest ports in the United States are located in or adjacent to
Kentucky, including
* Huntington-Ashland, largest inland port and 7th largest overall
* Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky, 5th largest inland port and 43rd overall
* Louisville-Southern Indiana, 7th largest inland port and 55th overall
As a state, Kentucky ranks 10th overall in port tonage.
The only natural obstacle along the entire length of the Ohio River was the
Falls of the Ohio, located just west of Downtown Louisville.
Counties
See also: List of counties in Kentucky and Fiscal Court
Kentucky is subdivided into 120 counties, the largest being Pike County,
Kentucky at 787.6 square miles, and the most populous being Jefferson County,
Kentucky (the county containing Louisville Metro) with 693,604 residents as of
2000.
County government, under the Kentucky Constitution of 1891, is vested in a
County Judge (later renamed County Judge/Executive), who serves as the executive
head of the county, and a legislature called a Fiscal Court. Despite the unusual
name, the Fiscal Court no longer has judicial functions.
Cities and towns
15 Largest Cities 2006 Population
Louisville 554,496
Lexington 270,789
Owensboro 55,525
Bowling Green 53,176
Covington 42,797
Richmond 31,431
Henderson 27,915
Hopkinsville 27,415
Frankfort 27,077
Florence 26,929
Jeffersontown 25,907
Paducah 25,661
Nicholasville 24,791
Elizabethtown 23,406
Ashland 21,570
See also: List of cities in Kentucky
The Greater Louisville Metro Area holds a very disproportionate share of
Kentucky's population, growth and wealth, and is by definition Kentucky's
primate city. The city has a 2006 estimated population of 554,496, while the
Louisville Combined Statistical Area (CSA) has a population of 1,356,798;
including 1,003,025 in Kentucky, which is nearly 1/4 of the state's population.
Since 2000 over 1/3 of the state's population growth has occurred in the
Louisville CSA. In addition, the top 28 wealthiest places in Kentucky are in
Jefferson County and seven of the 15 wealthiest counties in the state are
located in the Louisville CSA.
The second largest city is Lexington with a 2006 census estimated population of
270,789 and its CSA having a population of 645,006. The Northern Kentucky area
(the seven Kentucky counties in the Cincinnati CSA) had an estimated population
of 408,783 in 2006. The metropolitan areas of Louisville, Lexington, and
Northern Kentucky have a combined population of 2,169,394 as of 2006, which is
51.5% 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,
manufacturing, and medical 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 counties of
Boyd and Greenup, are 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.
Population growth is centered along and between interstates I-65 and I-75.
Louisville is the state's largest city with a metro population of 1.2 million.
Lexington is the state's second largest city with a metro population of around
500,000.
Although Covington, Kentucky only has a population of 42,000, the Kentucky side
of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area has a population of
400,000.
Education
The University of Kentucky is Kentucky's flagship university
The University of Kentucky is Kentucky's flagship university
The University of Louisville is Kentucky's urban research univesrity
The University of Louisville is Kentucky's urban research univesrity
Education in Kentucky
See also: List of colleges and universities in Kentucky, List of high schools in
Kentucky, and List of school districts in Kentucky
Kentucky maintains eight public four-year colleges and universities. The two
major research institutions are the University of Kentucky, which is the land
grant system, and the University of Louisville. Both combine for over 99% of
endowment in the system and rank first or second in academic rankings and
average ACT scores in the state system. The other six colleges in the state
system are regional universities.
The state's sixteen public two-year colleges have been governed by the Kentucky
Community and Technical College System since the passage of the Postsecondary
Education Improvement Act of 1997, commonly referred to as House Bill 1. Prior
to the passage of House Bill 1, most of these colleges were under the control of
the University of Kentucky.
Berea College, located at the extreme southern edge of the Bluegrass below the
Cumberland Plateau, was the first coeducational college in the South to admit
both black and white students, doing so from its very establishment in 1855.
This policy was successfully challenged in the United State Supreme Court in the
case of Berea College v. Kentucky in 1908. This decision effectively segregated
Berea until the landmark Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
Kentucky has been the site of much educational reform over the past two decades.
In 1989, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that the state's education system was
unconstitutional. The response of the General Assembly was passage of the
Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) the following year. Years later, Kentucky
has shown progress, but most agree that further reform is needed.
Culture
Old Louisville is the largest Victorian Historic neighborhood in the United
States.
Old Louisville is the largest Victorian Historic neighborhood in the United
States.
See also: Theater in Kentucky
Although Kentucky's culture is generally considered to be Southern, it is unique
and also influenced by the Midwest and Appalachia. The state is known for
bourbon and whiskey distiling, horse racing, and gambling. Kentucky is more
similar to the Upper South in terms of ancestry which is predominantly American.
Neveretheless, during the 19th century, the state Kentucky did receive a
substantial number of German and Irish immigrants, who settled primarily in the
Midwest. Only Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and Oklahoma, all also border
states, have higher German ancestry percentages than Kentucky among
Census-defined Southern states. Kentucky was a slave state, and blacks once
comprised over one-quarter of its population. However, it lacked the cotton
plantation system and never had the same high percentage of African Americans as
most other slave states. With less than 8% of its current population being
black, Kentucky is rarely included in modern-day definitions of the Black Belt,
despite a relatively significant rural African American population in the
Central and Western areas of the state. Kentucky adopted the Jim Crow
system of racial segregation in most public spheres after the Civil War, but the
state never disenfranchised African American citizens to the level of the Deep
South states, and it peacefully integrated its schools after the 1954 Brown v.
Board of Education verdict, later adopting the first state civil rights act in
the South in 1966.
The biggest day in horse racing, the Kentucky Derby, is preceded by the two-week
Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville. Louisville also plays host to the
Kentucky State Fair, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival,and Southern gospel's
annual highlight, the National Quartet Convention. Owensboro, Kentucky's third
largest city, gives credence to its nickname of "Barbecue Capital of the World"
by hosting the annual International Bar-B-Q Festival. Bowling Green, Kentucky's
fifth largest city and home to the only assembly plant in the world that
manufactures the Chevrolet Corvette, opened the National Corvette Museum in
1994.
Old Louisville, the largest historic preservation district in the United States
featuring Victorian architecture and the third largest overall, hosts the St.
James Court Art Show, the largest outdoor art show in the United States. The
neighborhood was also home to the Southern Exposition (1883–1887), which
featured the first public display of Thomas Edison's light bulb,and was the
setting of Alice Hegan Rice's novel, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch and
Fontaine Fox's comic strip, the "Toonerville Trolley.
The more rural communities are not without traditions of their own, however.
Hodgenville, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, hosts the annual Lincoln Days
Celebration, and will also host the kick-off for the National Abraham Lincoln
Bicentennial Celebration in February 2008. Bardstown celebrates its heritage as
a major bourbon-producing region with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. (Legend
holds that Baptist minister Elijah Craig invented bourbon with his black slave
in Georgetown, but some dispute this claim.) Glasgow mimics Glasgow, Scotland by
hosting the Glasgow Highland Games, its own version of the Highland Games, and
Sturgis hosts "Little Sturgis", a mini version of Sturgis, South Dakota's annual
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The residents of tiny Benton even pay tribute to their
favorite tuber, the sweet potato, by hosting Tater Day. Residents of Clarkson in
Grayson County celebrate their city's ties to the honey industry by celebrating
the Clarkson Honeyfest. The Clarkson Honeyfest is held the last Thursday, Friday
and Saturday in September, and is the "Official State Honey Festival of
Kentucky."
Music
Music of Kentucky
The breadth of music in Kentucky is indeed wide, stretching from the Purchase to
the eastern mountains. Contemporary Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman
is a Paducah native, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Everly Brothers are
closely connected with Muhlenberg County, where older brother Don was born.
Kentucky was also home to Mildred and Patty Hill, the Louisville sisters
credited with composing the tune to the ditty Happy Birthday to You; Loretta
Lynn (Johnson County), and Billy Ray Cyrus (Flatwoods). However, 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, Louis Marshall "Grandpa"
Jones, 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,while the annual Festival of the Bluegrass is held in Lexington.
Kentucky is also home to famed jazz musician and pioneer, Lionel Hampton
(although this has been disputed in recent years). Blues legend W.C. Handy and
R&B singer Wilson Pickett also spent considerable time in Kentucky. The pop
bands Midnight Star and Nappy Roots were both formed in Kentucky, as were
country acts The Kentucky Headhunters and Montgomery Gentry, as well as Dove
Award-winning Christian groups Audio Adrenaline (rock) and Bride (metal).
Cuisine
Cuisine of Kentucky
Kentucky's cuisine, like much of the state's culture, is unique and is
considered to blend elements of both the South and Midwest, given its location
between the two regions. One original Kentucky dish is called the Hot Brown, a
layered dish normally in this order: bread, tomatoes, turkey, bacon, and topped
with melted cheese. It was developed at the Brown Hotel in Louisville. The
Pendennis Club in Louisville is the Birthplace of the drink The Old Fashioned.
Sports
Sports in Kentucky
Kentucky is the home of several sports teams such as Minor League Baseballs
Class A Lexington Legends and AAA Louisville Bats. They are also home to the
Frontier Leagues Florence Freedom and several teams in the MCFL. They are also
the home of the Louisville Fire of the af2 who appear to be interested in making
a move up to the "major league" Arena Football League Major league teams in
nearby cities, typically have strong fan support depending on the part of the
state, with Nashville teams having strong fan support in South Central and most
of Western Kentucky, Nashville and St. Louis teams competing for loyalties in
the Purchase, Indianapolis and Chicago teams predominating in the Louisville
area, and Cincinnati teams having strong support in Central and Eastern
Kentucky. The northern part of the state lies across the Ohio River from
Cincinnati, 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 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.
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 three Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs, including the
Kentucky Wildcats, the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers, and the
Louisville Cardinals. The Wildcats, Hilltoppers, and Cardinals are among the
most tradition-rich college basketball teams in the United States, combining for
nine championships and 22 NCAA Final Fours; and all three are on the lists of
total all-time wins, wins per season, and average wins per season. Louisville
has also stepped onto the football scene in recent years, with eight straight
bowl games, including the 2007 Orange Bowl. Western Kentucky, the 2002 national
champion in Division I-AA football (now Division I Football Championship
Subdivision (FCS), is currently transitioning to Division I FBS football.
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