FACTBOX: Facts about McCain VP pick Sarah Palin

(Reuters) - Here are some facts about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and how her selection could affect the ticket headed by Sen. John McCain.

* Palin was sworn in as Alaska's youngest and first woman governor in December 2006. Born in Sandpoint, Idaho, February 11, 1964, she moved to Alaska with her parents as an infant.

* Palin is a darling of U.S. conservatives because of her record on tax cuts, opposition to abortion and other issues. A devout Christian, her place on the ticket may help shore up McCain with the Republican Party's Christian base.

* Palin, 44, announced on Monday that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter, Bristol, is pregnant and will keep the baby and marry the father.

* The disclosure was made as a way to rebut rumors circulating on liberal blog sites that Gov. Palin herself had faked a pregnancy in order to cover up Bristol's pregnancy.

* Gov. Palin, who is staunchly anti-abortion, gave birth in April to Trig Palin, her fifth child, a son born with Down syndrome.

* Palin remains under investigation by Alaska's state legislature to determine if she fired a public safety commissioner after he declined to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.

* Democrats contend that Palin lacks experience to be a heartbeat away from the presidency and say her selection weakens McCain's argument their candidate Barack Obama, a first-term U.S. senator, is too green to be president.