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Kentucky is a land of
extremes. Consider its bluegrass plains and the
Appalachian mountains; southern style mansions against
the backdrop of post-industrial Appalachia; and the
inherently aristocratic Kentucky Derby held each year in
Louisville, contrasted with the state's long coal mining
and labor rights history. Both ends of these extremes
contribute equally to Kentucky's economic activity; much
of the country's coal mining still takes place in the
Appalachia hills, while old plantation sites form a
backbone for the state's tobacco manufacturing, one of
its largest and most important industries.
Then there is Kentucky's reputation as the home of
bourbon whiskey. First produced in Bourbon County and
then named after it, this infamous corn liquor is one of
the state's biggest exports, perhaps so because,
ironically, 77 of Kentucky's 120 counties are "dry";
there's a strong Protestant tradition here, too, just
another example of Kentucky's extremes existing side by
side. Its cities, Lexington and Louisville, carry on the
metaphor. Lexington supports a variety of industrial
interests from electronics to paper production; while
Louisville, ever the genteel sister, has become the
state's leading cultural center, and hosts its only
professional opera company. See? There's just no end to
the surprises here.
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