Kansas
Kansas is also called The Sunflower State, because of the large amount of sunflowers. Kansas owes its name to the Kansas River, named after the Kansa Indians, also known as the people of the south wind. There isn’t much to do in Kansas itself, although the old cowboy town of Dodge City and the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene are worth a visit. See all cities in Kansas.
Geography
Kansas is located in the center of the United States and borders Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The state has three major rivers, the Arkansas River, the Kansas River, and the largest the Missouri River. Kansas is 335 kilometers and 650 kilometers from north to south and 650 kilometers from east to west. The largest city in Kansas is Wichita, but the capital is Topeka. The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is located half in Kansas and half in Missouri. Kansas is slightly hilly in the east, especially in the Flint Hills, but otherwise largely consists of flat prairies. Western Kansas has almost no trees.
History
In 1541, the Spaniards were the first Europeans to visit Kansas. The United States purchased much of Kansas from the French in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1827, Fort Leavenworth was the first permanent American settlement in Kansas.
Until 1821, Kansas belonged to Spain and then to Mexico, after which it came under America during the two-year war between America and Mexico. In 1854 the Kansas Territory was established, which includes the present state and the area west to the Continental Divide in the east of the Rocky Mountains.
In 1861, Kansas became the 34th state to join the United States of America. The state was also the center of the ‘wild west’ for some time, especially in Dodge City. By the end of the 19th, Kansas was further cultivated by agriculture.
Economy
Kansas is an agricultural state par excellence with arable products such as corn, soybeans and wheat in extensive livestock farming, such as pigs, sheep and dairy cattle. Petroleum, natural gas, coal, limestone, helium and salt are also of economic importance. Aircraft manufacturer Cessna Aircraft Company is located in the city of Wichita .
Abbreviation: | KS |
Nickname: | Sunflower State |
Joined the US as the 34th state on: | January 29, 1861 |
Capital city: | Topeka |
Census: | 2,871,238 |
Surface: | 213,283 km² |
Geography: | Bordering Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska and Missouri |
Governor: | Laura Kelly |
State motto: | Ad Astra Per Aspera (To the stars through difficulties.) |
Official website: | Kansas.gov |
Kansas River
The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a river that flows in northeastern Kansas. The drainage of this river is the most southwestern part of the Missouri River. In addition, the drainage of this river is the most northwestern part of the Mississippi River. Both the name Kansas and the name Kaw both come from the Kanzas. Kanza is the name of the people who have previously lived in this area. Kansas City and the state of Kansas are both named after this river. The Kansas River has a river valley that is approximately 402 kilometers wide on average. This river has its widest points between the towns of Warmego and Rosville. The widest point is a maximum of 6.4 kilometers wide and continues with the narrower points under the places Eudora and De Soto (1.6 kilometers wide or less). The catchments of this river are largely covered for flood control. Kansas River has minor obstacles but is generally free flowing. Minor obstacles include the diversion dams and a low-impact hydroelectric dam.