Introduction
Kentucky (abbreviation: KY or KY), state of the United States of America, in the eastern part of the country, 104,600 km2, with 3.7 million inhabitants; capital city: Frankfurt.
Physical Geography
The east of the state is part of the Allegheny Mountains. To the west of this is a plateau, consisting of the Cumberland Plateau and the Pennyroyal Plateau. Towards the middle of Kentucky the landscape changes into a hilly karst area; to the south of this is a national park, Mammoth Cave, a cavernous limestone formation. In the north, around Lexington, is the bowl-shaped undulating blue grass area (approx. 3000 km2). The west of the state consists of an undulating landscape, with swamps along the Mississippi. The most important river is the Tennessee (containing the Kentucky Dam, 60 m high, 2500 m long). The state’s largest reservoirs are Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Lake Cumberland. Kentucky has a temperate continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold winters.
Population
The average population density is 35 inhabitants. per km2. Approx. 52% of the population lives in the cities. Louisville and Lexington are the only two cities with more than 100,000 people. See top cities in Kentucky.
Economy
After the Second World War, agriculture and mining were superseded by industry. Today the service sector occupies the most important place. The main agricultural products are tobacco (the state is the country’s largest tobacco producer after North Carolina), corn, wheat and other grains, soybeans, fruit (particularly apples and peaches) and hay. Central and western Kentucky are the main livestock areas (cattle, pigs, poultry). Kentucky is known for its horse farms (annual Kentucky Derby in Louisville). Also forestry. The state is the country’s main coal producer; there are two main coalfields. In addition, petroleum and natural gas are extracted. Along the Ohio is a vast industrial area with Louisville, Ashland, Covington, Newsport, Owensboro and Paducah as major centers.
Sights
Kentucky offers a number of geological features of natural beauty, such as caves (Mammoth Cave, Diamond Caverns, Jesse James Cave), and the natural bridge and gorge at the Natural Bridge Resort Park. Also the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and waterfalls (Cumberland Falls, Falls of the Ohio).
History
In the 17th century, English settlers from Virginia for the first time penetrated this ‘region behind the mountains’. The real discovery didn’t begin until 1750, when Thomas Walker for the Loyal Land Company moved there through the Cumberland Pass, soon followed by a stream of settlers, who in 1769 found an important leader in Daniel Boone. In 1775, the first permanent settlements were established in four forts, Harrodstown, Boonesborough, McGary’s Fort and St. Asaph. In 1776, Kentucky County was formed as a part of Virginia. Numerous wars with the Indians were waged in the early years. Kentucky was admitted to the Union in 1792 as the 15th state. Although slavery was allowed in the area, it did not side with the South in 1861.
National Parks Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park
This park is home to the world’s largest underground cave system, which is why it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. The underground network system has been mapped for a total of more than 380 kilometers and years ago, but new corridors and tunnels are constantly being added. For thousands of years in succession, rivers flowed underground here, creating new corridors time and again and still are today. The caves were discovered in 1799 and the first guided tours were given in 1816. The cave or cave fish lives in the dark waters of the Mammoth Cave caves. If you want to spend the night in the park, you will only be able to go to the specially constructed campsites. The park is open year round and hotels can be found in Cave City, Horse Cave.