Capital: Frankfort
Population: 4,041,769
Governor: Ernie Fletcher (R, to December 2007)
Entered the Union: June 1, 1792
as the 15th state
Motto: United We Stand, Divided We Fall
Nickname: Bluegrass state
Flower: Goldenrod
Bird: Kentucky cardinal
Song: My Old Kentucky Home
Sports Teams: none
(sport listing policy)
Origin of Name: From an Iroquoian word "Ken-tah-ten" meaning "land of tomorrow"
Major Industries: Industrial Machinery, Tourism, Horses, Cars, Coal
Historical Sites: Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Fort Knox, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Fort Campbell Memorial Park, Fort Duffield, Old Fort Harrod State Park
Points of Interest: Kentucky Derby, Mammoth Cave National Park, Daniel Boone National Forest, Red River Gorge Geological Area
Bordering States: Kentucky borders Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source: State of Kentucky
Population, 2006 estimate: 4,206,074
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 4.1%
Population, 2000: 4,041,769
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2005: 6.5%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2005: 23.5%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2005: 12.6%
Female persons, percent, 2005: 50.9%
White persons, percent, 2005 (a):90.4%
Black persons, percent, 2005 (a): 7.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2005 (a): 0.2%
Asian persons, percent, 2005 (a): 0.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2005 (a): 0.0%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2005: 1.0%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2005 (b): 2.0%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2005: 88.6%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 55.9%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 2.0%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 3.9%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 74.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 17.1%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 874,156
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 23.5
Housing units, 2005: 1,865,516
Homeownership rate, 2000: 70.8%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000: 17.7%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $86,700
Households, 2000: 1,590,647
Persons per household, 2000: 2.47
Median household income, 2004: $37,046
Per capita money income, 1999: $18,093
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004 : 16.3%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
Total Gross Domestic Product by State: 138,616
Private industries: 118,016
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 2,405
Crop and animal production (Farms): 1,997
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 408
Mining: 3,080
Oil and gas extraction: 198
Mining, except oil and gas: 2,568
Support activities for mining: 314
Utilities: 2,259
Construction: 6,197
Manufacturing: 25,922
Durable goods: 15,531
Wood product manufacturing: 708
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 1,150
Primary metal manufacturing: 2,271
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 1,657
Machinery manufacturing: 1,485
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 548
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 1,016
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 5,441
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 376
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 361
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 519
Nondurable goods: 10,391
Food product manufacturing: 3,908
Textile and textile product mills: 131
Apparel manufacturing: 421
Paper manufacturing: 1,243
Printing and related support activities: 808
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 276
Chemical manufacturing: 2,213
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 1,391
Wholesale trade: 8,817
Retail trade: 9,750
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 6,672
Air transportation: 720
Rail transportation: 677
Water transportation: 139
Truck transportation: 1,806
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 100
Pipeline transportation: 136
Other transportation and support activities: 2,360
Warehousing and storag: 734
Information: 3,687
Publishing including software: 716
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 49
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 2,414
Information and data processing services: 508
Finance and insurance: 6,520
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 3,340
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 571
Insurance carriers and related activities: 2,563
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 45
Real estate and rental and leasing: 12,578
Real estate: 11,671
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 907
Professional and technical services: 5,601
Legal services: 1,294
Computer systems design and related services: 802
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 3,505
Management of companies and enterprises: 1,711
Administrative and waste services: 3,231
Administrative and support services: 2,894
Waste management and remediation services: 337
Educational services: 803
Health care and social assistance: 11,320
Ambulatory health care services: 5,769
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities 4,802
Social assistance: 749
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 814
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 387
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 427
Accommodation and food services: 3,645
Accommodation: 800
Food services and drinking places: 2,846
Other services, except government: 3,004
Government: 20,601
Federal civilian: 3,585
Federal military: 3,853
State and local: 13,163
Longitude: 81° 58'W to 89° 34'W
Latitude: 36° 30'N to 39° 9'N
Length / Width: Kentucky is about 380 miles long and 140 miles wide.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of Kentucky is located in Marion County, 3 miles NNW of Lebanon.
Borders: Kentucky is bordered by Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio in the north. On the south, Kentucky is bordered by Tennessee. West Virginia and Virginia border Kentucky on the east and Missouri borders Kentucky on the west.
Total Area: Kentucky covers 40,411 square miles, making it the 37th largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 39,732 square miles of Kentucky are land areas.
Water Area: 679 square miles of Kentucky are covered by water.
Highest Point: The highest point in Kentucky is Black Mountain at 4,139 feet above sea level.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in Kentucky is 257 feet above sea level; the Mississippi River.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of Kentucky is 750 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: Cumberland River, Green River, Kentucky River, Mississippi River, Ohio River
Major Lakes: Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Lake Cumberland
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
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