The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States, although it is sometimes included, geographically, in the Midwest. In 1792, it became the fifteenth state to join the union. Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State", a nickname based on the fact that bluegrass is present in much of the lawns and pastures throughout the state.
Kentucky is well known for thoroughbred horses, horse racing, local bourbon whisky distilleries, bluegrass music and college basketball. 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 U.S. cuisine.
Economy
The total gross state product for 2003 was US$129 billion. Its per-capita personal income was US$26,575, 41st 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.
Historically, a major problem with Kentucky's economy has been that 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. This is also the reason that most rural counties have only one sizeable town and still have median household incomes that are often half the U.S. national average.
Miscellaneous Topics
Kentucky is well known for thoroughbred horses, horse racing, local bourbon whisky distilleries, bluegrass music, and college basketball. 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.
Origin of name
It was once believed that the name Kentucky was derived from the Native American word meaning "dark and bloody hunting ground," which is believed to be due to the fact that many Native American tribes went there to hunt in the game-rich forests and often fought each other there. However, it is now most commonly believed that the name Kentucky can be attributed to various Native American languages with several possible meanings from "land of tomorrow" to "cane and turkey lands" to "meadow lands." This last may come from the Iroquois name for the Shawnee town Eskippathiki. The name Kentucky referred originally to the Kentucky River and from that came the name of the region.
Interesting facts about Kentucky
* Both the president of the Union (Abraham Lincoln) and the Confederacy (Jefferson Davis) during the Civil War were born in Kentucky.
* Kentucky has more navigatable shoreline than any other state in the union, other than Alaska. This is thanks to Kentucky's intricate system of lakes and rivers, as well as being home to Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Lake Cumberland, all of which rank in the top 20 in size area of US lakes.
* Kentucky's universities have been invloved in several important medical breakthroughs. In 2006 researchers at the University of Louisville developed the first Human Papilloma Virus vaccine. U of L also transplanted the first self contained artifical heart in the world in 2001, and did the first ever hand transplant in the U.S. in 1999.
* The Purple People Bridge connecting Newport and Cincinnati is the longest pedestrian only bridge in the world. In 2007, the Big Four Bridge in Louisville will be converted into the world's second longest pedstrian only bridge, meaning Kentucky will be home to the two longest pedestrian only bridges in the world and the only two in the United States connecting two states.
* The Old Louisville neighborhood is the largest historic preservation district in the U.S. featuring Victorian architecture and is also the first place the public viewed Thomas Edison's light bulb. It is also the fourth largest historic preservation district overall in the U.S.
* Garrett Morgan, born to former slaves in Paris, Kentucky, developed a concept of the gas mask.
* The roll-top desk was invinted in Henderson, KY by the original owners of Alles Brothers Furniture.
* The first public library open to African Americans was the Western Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library.
* Rainey Bethea was the last condemned prisoner to be publicly executed in the United States. The sentence was carried out on August 14, 1936 in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators in Owensboro.
* Bourbon whiskey was first produced in Kentucky, purportedly by Baptist minister Elijah Craig.
* Mother's Day was originally celebrated in Henderson, KY.
* The University of Kentucky's men's basketball team, The UK Wildcats, are the winningest team in college basketball history.
* Famed wildlife artist John James Audubon spent much of his career painting in Henderson, KY.
* The World Peace Bell, located in Newport, is the largest free-swinging bell in existence.
* Several U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Kentucky in honor of the state. The USS Paducah and USS Louisville also served as naval vessels. Also, in honor of their massive and record-breaking contributions to scrap drives in World War II, the small town of Stearns got a ship named after itself.
* William Goebel became the only governor of a US state to be assassinated when he was shot by a sniper as he walked to the State Capitol in Frankfort.
* Kentucky ranks 4th among U.S. states in the number of automobiles and trucks assembled. The Corvette, Ford Expedition, Ford Explorer, all Ford F-series trucks, and the Toyota Camry are all assembled in Kentucky.
* Paris, Kentucky native George Snyder is credited as inventing the first modern fishing reel.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/
