Kansas

This article is about the US State. For other Kansases, see Kansas (disambiguation)

Kansas (In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: The Sunflower State Other U.S. States Capital Topeka Largest City Wichita Largest Metropolitan Area Kansas City Area  - Total  - Land  - Water  - % water Ranked 13th 213,283 km² 212,093 km² 1,190 km² 0.56% Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 32nd 2,688,418 13/km² Admittance into Union  - Order  - Date 34th January 29, 1861 Time zone Central : UTC-6/-5 Mountain: UTC-7/-6 counties are Central except for 4 counties on western border Latitude Longitude 37°N to 40°N 94°38'W to 102°1'34"W Width Length Elevation  -Highest  -Mean  -Lowest 340 km 645 km   1,231 meters 610 meters 207 meters ISO 3166-2: US-KS

Kansas, derived from the Siouan word Kansa meaning "People of the south wind", is a midwestern state in the United States. The U.S. postal abbreviation for the state is KS and the state flower is the sunflower.

USS Kansas was named in honor of this state.

Table of contents

1 History 2 Law and Government 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Important Cities and Towns 7 Education 7.1 Colleges and Universities 8 Professional Sports Teams 9 Miscellaneous Information 10 External Links

History

Kansas, as part of the Louisiana Purchase, was annexed to the United States in 1803 as unorganized territory. Kansas then became part of the Missouri Territory until 1821. Then the Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854 established the US territories of Nebraska and Kansas.

Fort Leavenworth was the first community in the area around 1827. To travellers enroute to Utah, California, or Oregon, Kansas was a waystop and outfitting place. On March 30, 1855 "Border Ruffians" from Missouri invaded Kansas during the territory's first election and forced the election of a pro-slavery legislature.

Kansas became the 34th state of the Union on January 29, 1861. Civil War veterans constructed homesteads in Kansas following the war. On February 19, 1861 it became the first U.S. state to prohibit all alcoholic beverages.

Law and Government

The State Capital is Topeka.

The Governor of the State is Kathleen Sebelius (Democrat) and the two U.S. Senators are Sam Brownback (Republican) and Pat Roberts (Republican).

See also: List of Kansas Governors

Geography

Kansas is bordered by Oklahoma on the south, Missouri on the east, Nebraska on the north, and Colorado on the west. It is located equidistant from the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. The geographic center of Northamerica is located in Osborne County. This spot is used as the central reference point for all maps produced by the government.

Economy

The 1999 total gross state product of Kansas was $81 billion placing Kansas 31^st in the nation. Its Per capita Income is $27,816. The agricultural outputs of the state are cattle, wheat, sorghum, soybeans, hogs and corn. The industrial outputs are transportation equipment, food processing, publishing, chemical products, machinery, apparel, petroleum and mining.

Demographics

The population is 2,688,418, as of 2000. The largest city is Wichita.

Important Cities and Towns

Wichita ("The Air Capital") Overland Park - a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas City, Kansas area. Kansas City, Kansas is the smaller Kansas City. Topeka (State Capital)

Olathe Lawrence (Site of The University of Kansas) Shawnee Salina Manhattan (Site of Kansas State University) Hutchinson

Education

Colleges and Universities

Professional Sports Teams

Miscellaneous Information

There is also a 1970s American rock and roll band named Kansas. See Kansas (band).

External Links

• State.KS.US
• "Kansas Is Flatter Than a Pancake"