or “prairie.” Kentucky is nicknamed
the Bluegrass State after the
bluish green grass that grows in many
parts of the state. It is known for its
Thoroughbred horses and the Kentucky
Derby, a very popular horse race held
each year.
Geography
Kentucky is located in the south-central
part of the United States. The Ohio
River separates northern Kentucky from
Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The Tug
River and the Big Sandy River run
between Kentucky andWest Virginia on
the east and northeast. Virginia borders
Kentucky to the southeast, and Tennessee
lies to the south. In the west the Mississippi
River forms the boundary
between Kentucky and Missouri.
In the east are the Appalachian Mountains,
including the Cumberland and
Pine ranges. Between the eastern mountains
and the Tennessee River in the west
is a large area of lowlands. The westernmost
part of the state is an area of flat
plains. It is part of the great lowland
region that extends north from the Gulf
of Mexico. Kentucky has cool winters
and warm summers.
People
The majority of Kentucky’s population
consists of whites of European descent.
African Americans make up about 7
percent of the state’s population. Kentucky
remains a largely rural state of
small towns. The only cities with populations
greater than 100,000 are Lexington
and Louisville.
Economy
Manufacturing and service industries
are the main sources of income and
Louisville is the largest metropolitan area in
the U.S. state of Kentucky. It lies on the
Ohio River.
56 Kentucky BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
employment in Kentucky. The major
manufactured products include motor
vehicles and parts, foodstuffs, fabricated
metal products, and electronic
equipment.
Tobacco has long been a major cash
crop. The state ranks first in the nation
in the breeding of racehorses. Broiler
chickens and cattle are the most
valuable farm animals. Kentucky is one
of the major producers of coal in the
nation.
History
The area that is now Kentucky was
inhabited by the Shawnee, Iroquois, and
Cherokee Indians when Europeans first
arrived. For many years the American
colonists could not expand westward
into the region because they were
blocked by mountain ranges. This situation
changed in 1750 when the Cumberland
Gap—a pass through the
Cumberland Mountains—was discovered.
In the 1770s the frontiersman
Daniel Boone helped create a trail that
allowed other pioneers to enter the territory.
The first permanent white settlement in
what is now Kentucky was founded in
1774. The next year Boone founded a
settlement at what is now Boonesboro.
At first the region was made a part of
the colony of Virginia. In the 1780s,
however, Kentuckians began to call for
the separation of their territory from
Virginia. Success came in 1792, when
Kentucky joined the Union as the 15th
state.
During the American CivilWar, Kentucky
was one of the border states that
lay between the North and South. Abraham
Lincoln, president of the United
States during the war, and Jefferson
Davis, president of the Confederacy,
were both born in the state. Although
the state never withdrew from the
Union, many Kentuckians fought for
the Confederacy.
The economy of Kentucky grew steadily
in the late 1800s. The introduction of
tobacco farming brought much money
into the state. Coal mining on a large
scale began in the 1870s. Bloody clashes
between miners and operators took
place in the 1930s. In later decades mining
machinery reduced the need for
miners. Manufacturing businesses
became increasingly important in the
latter part of the century. In the early
21st century, manufacturing still represented
a significant part of Kentucky’s
economy.
..More to explore
American CivilWar • Boone, Daniel
• Cumberland Gap • Frankfort
Horses graze in a grassy pasture on a
horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky.
Facts About
KENTUCKY
Flag
Population
(2000 census)
4,041,769—
rank, 25th state;
(2008 estimate)
4,269,245—
rank, 26th state
Capital
Frankfort
Area
40,409 sq mi
(104,659 sq
km)—rank, 37th
state
Statehood
June 1, 1792
Motto
United We Stand,
Divided We Fall
State bird
Cardinal
State flower
Goldenrod
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Kentucky 57
Kenya
Kenya, a country in East Africa, is a land
of natural beauty. Many visitors come to
Kenya to see its scenery and its rare wild
animals. Kenya’s capital is Nairobi.
Geography
Kenya lies along the equator on Africa’s
east coast. Kenya touches Tanzania,
Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
Lake Victoria lies in the west. The
Indian Ocean is to the east.
Highlands rise in the western part of
Kenya. The Great Rift Valley divides the
highlands. Mount Kenya, at 17,058 feet
(5,199 meters), is Kenya’s highest peak.
It lies in the center of the country. East
of the highlands, the land slopes down
toward the coast.
Kenya’s most important river, the Tana,
flows from the highlands to the Indian
Ocean. Most of the country’s other rivers
are short and shallow. They sometimes
dry up when there is little rainfall.
The Great Rift Valley has many lakes.
Kenya has two wet seasons and two dry
seasons. The highlands and the coast
receive the most rain. The north is Kenya’s
driest area. Temperatures are generally
