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Kentucky Log Homes & KY Log Cabins

ORIGIN OF STATE NAME: Derived from the Wyandot Indian word Kah-ten-tah-teh (land of tomorrow). NICKNAME: The Bluegrass State. CAPITAL: Frankfort. ENTERED UNION: 1 June 1792 (15th). SONG: "My Old Kentucky Home." MOTTO: United We Stand, Divided We Fall. FLAG: A simplified version of the state seal on a blue field. OFFICIAL SEAL: In the center, two men exchange greetings; above and below them is the state motto. On the periphery are two sprigs of goldenrod and the words "Commonwealth of Kentucky." COLORS: Blue and gold. BIRD: Cardinal. WILD ANIMAL: Gray squirrel. FISH: Bass. FLOWER: Goldenrod. TREE: Tulip poplar. FOSSIL: Brachiopod. LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January, plus one extra day; Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Washington's Birthday, 3rd Monday in February; Good Friday, March or April, half-day holiday; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November, plus one extra day; Christmas Day, 25 December, plus one extra day. TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT; 6 AM CST = noon GMT.

Kentucky has a moderate, relatively humid climate, with abundant rainfall.

The southern and lowland regions are slightly warmer than the uplands. In Louisville, the normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 33°F (1°C) in January to 76°F (24°C) in July. The record high for the state was 114°F (46°C), registered in Greensburg on 28 July 1930; the record low, –37°F (–40°C), in Shelbyville on 19 January 1994.

Average daily relative humidity in Louisville ranges from 58% to 81%. The average annual precipitation at Louisville (1971–2000) was 44.5 in (113 cm); snowfall totals about 18 in (46 cm) a year.

Kentucky ranked 26th in population in the US with an estimated total of 4,092,891 in 2002, an increase of 1.3% since 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, Kentucky's population grew from 3,685,296 to 4,041,769, an increase of 9.7%. The population is projected to reach 4.3 million by 2025. The population density in 2000 was 101.7 persons per sq mi.

In 2000 the median age was 35.9. Persons under 18 years old accounted for 24.6% of the population while 12.5% were age 65 or older.

In 2002 there were 12,684,000 acres (5,133,000 hectares) of forested land in Kentucky—50% of the state's land area. Over 90% of the forestland is classified as commercially viable for timber production.

The most heavily forested areas are in the river valleys of eastern Kentucky, in the Appalachians. In 2002, Kentucky produced 691 million board feet of lumber, nearly all of it in hardwoods. The Division of Forestry of the Department of Natural Resources manages approximately 30,000 acres (12,300 hectares) of state-owned forestland and operates two forest tree nurseries producing 7–9 million seedling trees a year.

There are two national forests—the Daniel Boone and the Jefferson on Kentucky's eastern border—enclosing two national wilderness areas. These two national forests had a combined area of 1,415,306 acres (572,774 hectares) in 1999. Gross acreage of all Kentucky lands in the National Forest System was 2,210,000 acres (894,400 hectares) in 2001. National parks in the state include the Mammoth Cave National Park and the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park on Kentucky's eastern border.

In 2002, Kentucky had 1,796,900 housing units, 1,599,319 of which were occupied. About 70.8% were owner-occupied. About 66.2% of all units were single-family, detached homes; 14.6% were mobile homes. Though most units relied on utility gas or electricity for heating, about 13,182 units used coke or coal and 41,392 relied on wood. It was estimated that 83,268 units lacked telephone service, 10,116 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 7,810 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.49 people.

In 2002, 19,459 privately owned units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $98,132. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $870. Renters paid a median of $480 per month. During 2002, Kentucky received $87.2 million in community planning and development aid from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

There are no major league professional sports teams in Kentucky. There is a minor league baseball team in Louisville that plays in the Triple-A International League. There are also two minor league hockey teams in Kentucky that play in the American Hockey League.

The first known horse race in Kentucky was held in 1783. The annual Kentucky Derby, first run on 17 May 1875, has become the single most famous event in US thoroughbred racing. Held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, the Derby is one of three races for three-year-olds constituting the Triple Crown. Keeneland Race Course in Lexington is the site of the Blue Grass Stakes and other major thoroughbred races. The Kentucky Futurity, an annual highlight of the harness racing season, is usually held on the first Friday in October at the Red Mile in Lexington.

Rivaling horse racing as a spectator sport is collegiate basketball. The University of Kentucky Wildcats, who play in the Southeastern Conference, won NCAA Division I basketball championships in 1948–49, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, and 1998, and the National Invitation Tournament in 1946 and 1976. The University of Louisville Cardinals, who play in Conference USA, captured the NCAA crown in 1980 and 1986, and won an NIT title in 1956. Kentucky Wesleyan, at Owensboro, was the NCAA Division II titleholder in 1966, 1968–69, 1973, 1987, 1990, 1999, and 2001.