Kansas is a state in the Midwestern United States.
Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west.
Kansas is named after the Kansas River, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native Americans who lived along its banks.
The tribe’s name is often said to mean “people of the (south) wind” although this was probably not the term’s original meaning.
For thousands of years, what is now Kansas was home to numerous and diverse Native American tribes. Tribes in the eastern part of the state generally lived in villages along the river valleys.
The first Euro-American settlement in Kansas occurred in 1827 at Fort Leavenworth. The pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over the slavery debate. When it was officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854 with the Kansas–Nebraska Act, abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine whether Kansas would become a free state or a slave state.
Thus, the area was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided, and was known as Bleeding Kansas. The abolitionists prevailed, and on January 29, 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state, hence the unofficial nickname “The Free State”.
Flag
Flag of Kansas
Seal
Seal of Kansas
List of facts
The name Kansas derives from the Algonquian term, Akansa, for the Quapaw people.
Kansas capital city is Topeka
Kansas largest city is Wichita.
In 1803, most of modern Kansas was acquired by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase
The first Euro-American settlement in Kansas occurred in 1827 at Fort Leavenworth.
Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861, making it the 34th state to join the United States
Kansas has a population of 2,940,865 according to the 2020 census
wichita and the arnkansas river
Residents of Kansas are called Kansans
There are 105 counties in the state of Kansas, spread across 628 cities.
The official state motto of Kansas is ‘Ad astra per aspera’ which translates to ‘To the stars through difficulties’
The classic “Home on The Range” was declared the Kansas state song on June 30, 1947.
Kansas is the 15th biggest state with an area of 82,278 square miles.
Mount Sunflower is Kansas’s highest point at 4,039 feet (1,231 meters)
The state has two primary nicknames, “the sunflower state” and “the wheat state.”
The state Amphibian of Kansas is the Barred tiger salamander
The state Bird of Kansas is the Western meadowlark
The state Flower of Kansas is the Wild sunflower
The state Grass of Kansas is Little bluestem
The state Insect of Kansas is the Western honey bee
The state Mammal of Kansas is the American bison
The state Reptile of Kansas is the Ornate box turtle
sunflower
The state Tree of Kansas is the Plains cottonwood
The state Soil of Kansas is Harney silt loam
The windiest city in the United States is Dodge City, Kansas, where the average wind speed is 14 miles per hour.
The first White Castle hamburger restaurant was opened in Wichita in 1921.
Kansas is home to Dodge City, the windiest city in America.
The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is in Smith County near Lebanon.
The world’s first Pizza Hut opened in Wichita, Kansas in 1958.
The first ever Payless Shoe Store was in Topeka in 1956
In a single year, Kansas produces enough wheat to bake 36 billion loaves of bread.
The Hugoton Gas Field is the biggest natural gas field in the US
The average farm in the state is about 770 acres
The world’s tallest water slide is located at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City
The graham cracker got its name from Reverend Sylvester Graham, a Minister of Religion.
The first woman mayor in the United States was Susan Madora Salter. She was elected to office in Argonia in 1887.
With more than 60 tornadoes each year, Kansas is ranked second nationally.
KS is the Two-letter or Postal Abbreviation and Kan. is the Traditional or Standard Abbreviation for the State of Kansas.
Kansas produces the most wind power out of any US state.
Dwight D. Eisenhower from Abilene was the 34th President of the United States.
The all-time highest temperature recorded in Kansas is (121 °F or 49.4 °C) on July 24, 1936, near Alton in Osborne County
The all-time low temperature is −40 °F (−40 °C) on February 13, 1905, near Lebanon in Smith County
The Red Light Bordello located in Dodge City is responsible for the term “red light district.”
the Rock Island Railroad bridge is located North of Arkalon and spans more than 1200 feet across the Cimarron River.
Topeka also has the distinction of being home to the Westboro Baptist Church.
Located in Greensburg, The Big Well is known as the largest hand-dug well in the world at 109 feet deep.
Hutchinson is home to possibly the longest grain elevator in the world at approximately 2600 feet in length.
Kansas has the largest population of wild grouse in North America.
There is a Wizard of Oz museum in Wamego
The rock band Kansas named themselves after their state and performed mostly in the city of Topeka.
Kansas is also a leading national producer of renewable ethanol and biodiesel fuels
Joe Walsh, guitarist for the famous rock band the Eagles, was born in Wichita.
The fictional town of Smallville, Kansas is the childhood home of Clark Kent/Superman
Historically, Kansans have supported the major league sports teams of Kansas City, Missouri, including the Kansas City Chiefs
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