Commonwealth of Kentucky | |||||
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Nickname(s): Bluegrass State | |||||
Motto(s): United we stand, divided we fall Deo gratiam habeamus (Let us be grateful to God) |
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Official language | English | ||||
Demonym | Kentuckian | ||||
Capital | Frankfort | ||||
Largest city | Louisville | ||||
Largest metro | Louisville metropolitan area | ||||
Area | Ranked 37th | ||||
• Total | 40,409 sq mi (104,659 km2) |
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• Width | 140 miles (225 km) | ||||
• Length | 379 miles (610 km) | ||||
• % water | 1.7 | ||||
• Latitude | 36° 30′ N to 39° 09′ N | ||||
• Longitude | 81° 58′ W to 89° 34′ W | ||||
Population | Ranked 26th | ||||
• Total | 4,436,974 (2016 est) | ||||
• Density | 110/sq mi (42.5/km2) Ranked 22nd |
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Elevation | |||||
• Highest point |
Black Mountain 4,145 ft (1263 m) |
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• Mean | 750 ft (230 m) | ||||
• Lowest point |
Mississippi River at Kentucky Bend 257 ft (78 m) |
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Before statehood | part of Virginia | ||||
Admission to Union | June 1, 1792 (15th) | ||||
Governor | Matt Bevin (R) | ||||
Lieutenant Governor | Jenean Hampton (R) | ||||
Legislature | Kentucky General Assembly | ||||
• Upper house | Senate | ||||
• Lower house | House of Representatives | ||||
U.S. Senators |
Mitch McConnell (R) Rand Paul (R) |
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U.S. House delegation | 5 Republicans, 1 Democrat (list) | ||||
Time zones | |||||
• eastern half | Eastern: UTC −5/−4 | ||||
• western half | Central: UTC −6/−5 | ||||
ISO 3166 | US-KY | ||||
Abbreviations | KY, Ky. | ||||
Website | kentucky |
Kentucky state symbols | |
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The Flag of Kentucky
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The Seal of Kentucky
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Living insignia | |
Bird | Cardinal |
Butterfly | Viceroy butterfly |
Fish | Kentucky spotted bass |
Flower | Goldenrod |
Insect | Western honeybee |
Tree | Tulip poplar |
Inanimate insignia | |
Beverage | Milk |
Dance | Clogging |
Food | Blackberry |
Fossil | Brachiopod |
Gemstone | Freshwater pearl |
Mineral | Coal |
Rock | Kentucky agate |
Slogan | Kentucky Unbridled Spirit |
Soil | Crider Soil Series |
Song | "My Old Kentucky Home" |
Other |
Thoroughbred (state horse) Chevrolet Corvette (state sports car) |
State route marker | |
State quarter | |
Released in 2001
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Lists of United States state symbols |
Kentucky (i/kənˈtʌki/, kən-TUCK-ee), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth (the others being Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts). Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States.
Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State", a nickname based on the bluegrass found in many of its pastures due to the fertile soil. One of the major regions in Kentucky is the Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky, which houses two of its major cities, Louisville and Lexington. It is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources, including the world's longest cave system, Mammoth Cave National Park, the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States, and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River.