The Flag of Kentucky Montage of Kentucky Kentucky kən-TUK -ee ken- Commonwealth of Kentucky , is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States . It borders Illinois , Indiana , and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the northeast, Virginia to the east, Tennessee to the south, and Missouri to the west. Its northern border is defined by the Ohio River . Its capital is Frankfort and its largest city is Louisville . As of 2020, the state's population was approximately 4.5 million.
Previously part of Virginia, Kentucky was admitted into the Union as the fifteenth state on June 1, 1792. It is known as the "Bluegrass State" in reference to Kentucky bluegrass , a species of grass introduced by European settlers which has long supported the state's thoroughbred horse industry.
The fertile soil in the central and western parts of the state led to the development of large tobacco plantations similar to those in Virginia and North Carolina , which utilized enslaved labor prior to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment . Kentucky ranks fifth nationally in goat farming, eight in beef cattle production, and fourteenth in corn production. While Kentucky has been a long-standing center for the tobacco industry, its economy has diversified into non-agricultural sectors including auto manufacturing, energy production, and medicine. Kentucky ranks fourth among US states in the number of automobiles and trucks assembled. It is one of several states considered part of the Upland South . (Full article...
Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards. The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky , and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's military forces . The governor has a duty to enforce state laws; the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Kentucky General Assembly ; the power to convene the legislature; and the power to grant pardons , except in cases of treason and impeachment . The governor is also empowered to reorganize the state government or reduce it in size. Historically, the office has been regarded as one of the most powerful executive positions in the United States.
Fifty-nine individuals have held the office of governor. Prior to a 1992 amendment to the
state's constitution , the governor was prohibited from succeeding himself or herself in office, though four men (
Isaac Shelby ,
John L. Helm ,
James B. McCreary and
Happy Chandler ) served multiple non-consecutive terms.
Paul E. Patton , the first Kentucky governor eligible for a second consecutive term under the amendment, won his reelection bid in 1999.
James Garrard succeeded himself in 1800, before the constitutional provision existed. Garrard is also the longest serving governor, serving for a total period of eight years and 90 days. In 2023
Democrat Andy Beshear became the 3rd incumbent governor in Kentucky history to be reelected to a second consecutive term. (
Full article... )
List of recognized articles
Ned Thomas Beatty Deliverance White Lightning All the President's Men Network Superman Superman II Back to School Rudy Shooter Toy Story 3 Rango Stanley Bolander in the first three seasons of the hit NBC TV drama Homicide: Life on the Street
Beatty was nominated for an
Academy Award , two
Emmy Awards , an
MTV Movie Award for Best Villain , and a
Golden Globe Award ; he also won a
Drama Desk Award . (
Full article... )
List of selected articles
Kentucky Derby Hatfield–McCoy feud University of Kentucky Thomas Hunt Morgan Louisville, Kentucky Owensboro, Kentucky Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky Bowling Green, Kentucky History of Louisville, Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky W. B. Belknap Iroquois Park Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball Kentucky in the American Civil War Kentucky coffeetree Kentucky warbler Ashland, Kentucky Kentucky Colonel Paducah, Kentucky Kentucky Bend Johnny Depp Mary Todd Lincoln Gus Van Sant Rand Paul Chuck Woolery Thomas Massie Loretta Lynn Hunter S. Thompson Mitch McConnell Billy Ray Cyrus Shaun King Skeeter Davis George Clooney Muhammad Ali Colonel Sanders Bourbon whiskey Wynonna Judd Fort Knox Dippin' Dots Richmond, Kentucky Jim Beam Georgetown, Kentucky History of Kentucky Covington, Kentucky Black Patch Tobacco Wars Kentucky meat shower Casey County, Kentucky Louisville City FC Bardstown, Kentucky Cuisine of Kentucky Culture of Kentucky Lake Cumberland Red River Gorge Martin County coal slurry spill Transylvania University Bill Monroe Chris Stapleton Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Louisville International Airport Keeneland Mammoth Cave National Park Belle of Louisville Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Ernest Hogan Mint julep Cincinnati metropolitan area Vent Haven Museum Waverly Hills Sanatorium Wigwam Motel Martin Castle National Corvette Museum Rabbit Hash, Kentucky Black Mountain (Kentucky) Cave Hill Cemetery Thomas Merton Florence Y'all Water Tower Downtown Louisville Floyd Collins Big Bone Lick State Park Louisville and Portland Canal Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Old Talbott Tavern Corbin, Kentucky Top Chef: Kentucky Kentucky Mr. Basketball Kentucky River Bluegrass region Kentucky cave shrimp Lexmark Buffalo Trace Distillery Texas Roadhouse Kentucky–Tennessee football rivalry Kentucky common beer Blue Moon of Kentucky Sugartit, Kentucky Brandenburg stone French–Eversole feud Brown–Forman Rooster Run University of Louisville Kentucky Women Remembered List of Kentucky women in the civil rights era Churchill Downs James Ohio Pattie
The following are images from various Kentucky-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 The Native American Crab Orchard culture existed in western Kentucky and southern
Indiana from c. 200 BCE to 500 CE. (from
History of Kentucky )
Image 2 Artist's conception of
Annis Mound and Village , a Mississippian site in
Butler County , c. 1250–1300 CE (from
History of Kentucky )
Image 3 A barge hauling coal in the
Louisville and Portland Canal , the only manmade section of the
Ohio River (from
Transportation in Kentucky )
Image 4 Dunmore War Saga (from
History of Kentucky )
Image 5 At 464 miles (747 km) long,
Kentucky Route 80 is the longest route in Kentucky, pictured here west of
Somerset . (from
Transportation in Kentucky )
Image 6 James Pierce Barton's
Kentucky Landscape (1832) (from
History of Kentucky )
Image 7 The
Earl of Dunmore via
Dunmore's War cleared the way for settlement of Kentucky (from
History of Kentucky )
Image 8 Map of Kentucky published in 1784 with
John Filson 's
The Discovery, Settlement and Present State of Kentucke (from
History of Kentucky )
Image 10 Biggs Site , also known as the
Portsmouth Earthworks Group D, an Adena culture archaeological site located Greenup County (from
History of Kentucky )
Image 11 Old Louisville is the largest Victorian Historic neighborhood in the United States. (from
Culture of Kentucky )
Image 12 Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap (
George Caleb Bingham , oil on canvas, 1851–52) (from
History of Kentucky )
Image 13 High Bridge over the
Kentucky River was the tallest rail bridge in the world when it was completed in 1877. (from
Transportation in Kentucky )
Image 14 This 1800
Low's Encyclopaedia map of Kentucky and surrounding region did not include southwestern Kentucky and
West Tennessee , which were held by the
Chickasaw until 1818. (from
History of Kentucky )
National Register of Historic Places listings in Kentucky by county
Largest cities or towns in Kentucky
Rank
Name
County
Pop.
Louisville Lexington
1
Louisville Jefferson 623,349
Bowling Green Owensboro
2
Lexington Fayette 321,959
3
Bowling Green Warren 67,067
4
Owensboro Daviess 59,404
5
Covington Kenton 40,455
6
Richmond Madison 35,397
7
Georgetown Scott 33,660
8
Florence Boone 32,305
9
Hopkinsville Christian 30,789
10
Nicholasville Jessamine 30,553
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