Louisville (Louisville) - the largest city of Kentucky (Kentucky). The population of Louisville in 2010 was estimated at 741,000 people. If you do not take into account the settlements with semi autonomous status, the urban population - 597 000 people. Overall, the metropolitan area, which is the center of Louisville, live more than 1.3 million people (in the state of Kentucky and Indiana). Until 2003, when a part of Louisville additional areas were included (the area has increased 6 times), the population within the city limits is estimated at only 245 thousand inhabitants.

 

Due to its geographical location, Louisville is the most northerly of the US cities of the South. Impact of the city had a culture of the southern states, and culture of the Midwest.

 

It is worth noting that there are several variants of pronunciation of the name of the city: Luvel, Luivel, Lavel. However, none of these letter «c» is not pronounced.

 

Settlement, transformed over time in Louisville, was founded in 1778 during the war for independence. The founder of the city is Colonel George Rogers Clark (George Rogers Clark), who led the military campaign against British troops north of the Ohio River. The town was named in honor of the French King Louis XVI, whose soldiers assisted the Americans in the War of Independence.

 

Louisville development is largely due to the existence of a series of rapids, known as "waterfalls» (Falls of the Ohio). Thresholds have been a serious obstacle to navigation, so needed help of people who know the area, which could provide safe navigation on the 3-km stretch. In many cases the required unloading of ships that was provided by local colonies.