Kentucky: staff of corn whiskey

The state of Kentucky (USA) is located in the southeastern part of the state. Its area is about 105 thousand square kilometers. In this indicator, he is in 37 place in the country. In the US Kentucky entered in 1792. The population of the region is estimated at 4.4 million inhabitants.

origin of name

Currently, scientists are considering several options for the origin of the name of this state. Without a doubt, it was borrowed from the language of one of the Aboriginal tribes, who lived here many centuries ago. Based on the main version, the title is translated as "dark and bloody land". Researchers believe that it appeared in the thirteenth century. Then many local tribes were driven out of here by Iroquois Indians as a result of numerous and bloody wars. Along with this, some researchers tend to the fact that the name means "the land of a new day." Equally popular is the theory from which Kentucky is a state whose name is of Iroquois origin and is translated as "prairies" or "meadow".

Geography and climate

Kentucky lies in a region that is known as the Upper South of the United States. It borders on such states as Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee. An interesting feature of the region is that its western, northern and eastern borders run along the rivers (Mississippi, Ohio, and also Tag-Fork and Big Sandy respectively). A significant part of the state is the Appalachian Mountains. As here a lot of meadow bluegrass grows , it is often called the edge of blue grass.

Kentucky is a state in which the subtropical, continental type of climate prevails . In summer, the temperature of the air rarely rises above the mark of 30 degrees of heat, and in winter it drops no lower than minus 5 degrees.

Population

As already noted above, the population of the region is about 4.4 million people. Of these, Americans account for about 21% of local residents, Germans - 12.7%, for Irish - 10.5%, for English - almost 10%. Speaking of the racial makeup, it should be noted that in the state there are mostly white citizens. African Americans account for only 8% of local residents, and for all others - only 2%. As for religion, the third part of the population is Evangelical Christians, 10% are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, 9% - Protestants. One can not help but emphasize the fact that 46.5% of the inhabitants of Kentucky do not consider themselves to be one of the religions.

Cities

Louisville (Kentucky) is the largest city in the region. Here live about 550 thousand people. Megapolis is famous for its unique parks. In second place is the 300 thousandth Lexington. Despite this, the capital of the state is the city of Frankfort, erected on the river Kentucky in 1835. Here live only 25 thousand people. As in any administrative center, its economy is based on the public sector. In other words, the majority of the population works in various levels of government. The other major cities of Kentucky are Owensboro, Bardstown, Richmond, Henderson, Conwington and others.

Economy

The most developed industries in the region are the textile, mining, food and tobacco industries, engineering, the production of alcoholic beverages, electronics, furniture, footwear, and metal products. The most common local minerals are natural gas, oil and coal. Most industrial enterprises are located along the Ohio River. In the eastern part of the state, timber production is well established, and the city of Padyuk is one of the largest centers of the state's nuclear industry.

Kentucky is the state that ranks second in the country in terms of tobacco production. In addition, maize, soybeans, fodder grasses are grown on local farms, and cattle and racehorses are bred. One can not but note the mass production of an unofficial business card of the United States - corn whiskey, known as bourbon.

Tourist attraction

Tourism is considered one of the fastest growing industries in Kentucky. This is not surprising, because the state can boast not only numerous historical sights, but also unique natural beauty. It is here that the world famous Cumberland waterfalls are located - one of the largest in the country. Quite interesting are the caves in limestone washed by the Kentucky River. The longest of them has an extent of 630 kilometers and is known as the Mammoth Cave.

Races that are held annually at the racetrack in Louisville are also quite popular. Here is the museum dedicated to them. Thirty kilometers from this city is located "Fort Knox", which is the repository of the country's gold reserve. Many tourists come to the historic park "Lincoln's Birthplace". Kentucky is the state that is home to American whiskey from corn. For fans of this drink, special thematic tours are constantly organized, which include not only tasting, but also interesting stories about the history of its occurrence and the development of production.