Kentucky's official state motto is "United we stand, divided we fall" (appearing on both the state flag and great seal of Kentucky).
In 2002 Kentucky also recognized an official Latin motto: "Deo gratiam habeamus" (Let us be grateful to God). This phrase appears in the preamble to the constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky .
Coal was designated the official "state mineral" of Kentucky in 1998. Coal is an organic sedimentary rock used as fuel. All State Rocks & Minerals
Coal is a fossil fuel, composed largely of carbon, formed from the remains of plants that lived approximately 100 to 400 million years ago. The first known use of coal in what was to become Kentucky was in 1750, by a Dr. Thomas Walker.
Kentucky's nickname is The Bluegrass State, based on the fact that bluegrass is found in many of the lawns and pastures throughout the state (particularly in the northern part of Kentucky - including the metropolitan areas of Lexington and Louisville).
The tulip poplar (Lirodendroan tulipifera) was designated official state tree of Kentucky in 1994 (Indiana and Tennessee also recognize tulip poplar as their state tree). All State Trees
The viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) was designated the official state butterfly of Kentucky in 1990 (Kentucky also recognizes an agricultural insect symbol, adopted in 2010). All State Insects
The honey bee (apis mellifera) was designated the official state agricultural insect of Kentucky in 2010 (Kentucky also recognizes a state butterfly, adopted in 1990). The honeybee has been adopted as an official state symbol in seventeen states, primarily because honeybees play such an important role in agriculture.
The name "Kentucky" is of native American origin and has been attributed to several different languages with several different possible meanings, including the Iroquois word "ken-tah-ten," which means land of tomorrow.
Other possible meanings for the name Kentucky: meadow lands, cane and turkey lands, or dark and bloody ground. All State Name Origins
Kentucky designated "Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Bill Monroe as the official state bluegrass song in 1988 ("My Old Kentucky Home" is the state song). All State Songs
Goldenrod was designated the official state flower of Kentucky in 1926. All State Flowers
About thirty varieties of goldenrod are found in Kentucky and it grows throughout the state. Although the statute does not specify a particular variety of goldenrod, Kentucky legislature's website does (Solidago gigantea).
The Appalachian dulcimer was designated as the official state musical Instrument of Kentucky in 2001. Eastern Kentucky lies in the heart of the region known as Appalachia.