Kentucky is known as the “Bluegrass State”, due to the bluegrass found in many of its pastures due to the fertile soil. The Bluegrass Region of central Kentucky houses two of its major cities, Louisville and Lexington. It’s 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.
Kentucky is best known for its horse racing, bluegrass music, bourbon distilleries, automobile manufacturing, tobacco and college basketball. Horse racing is a $4 billion industry in the state and the Kentucky Derby Run for the Roses generates more than $400 million annually in economic impact for Kentucky. The state is known as a top spot for the auto manufacturing industry with more than 500 motor vehicle-related facilities that employ nearly 95,000 workers. Kentucky also has a strong presence in both the health-care and education sectors.