Capital:
Topeka
Governor: Bill Graves, R (to Jan. 2003)
Lieut.
Governor: Gary Sherrer, R (to Jan. 2003)
Senators: Sam Brownback, R (to Jan. 2005); Pat Roberts, R
(to Jan. 2003)
Secy.
of State: Ron Thornburgh, R (to Jan. 2003)
Treasurer: Tim Shallenburger, R (to Jan. 2003)
Atty.
General: Carla Stovall, R (to Jan. 2003)
Commission of Insurance: Kathleen Sebelius, D (to Jan. 2003)
Organized as territory: May 30, 1854
Entered
Union (rank): Jan. 29, 1861 (34)
Present
constitution adopted: 1859
Motto:
Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulties)
State Symbols:
|
flower
|
sunflower (1903) |
|
tree
|
cottonwood (1937) |
|
bird
|
western meadowlark (1937) |
|
animal
|
buffalo (1955) |
|
song
|
"Home on the Range" (1947) |
|
|
|
Spanish
explorer Francisco de Coronado, in 1541, is considered the first
European to have traveled this region. Sieur de la Salle's
extensive land claims for France (1682) included present-day
Kansas. Ceded to Spain by France in 1763, the territory reverted
to France in 1800 and was sold to the U.S. as part of the
Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
Lewis and
Clark, Zebulon Pike, and Stephen H. Long explored the region
between 1803 and 1819. The first permanent settlements in Kansas
were outposts-Fort Leavenworth (1827), Fort Scott (1842), and
Fort Riley (1853)-established to protect travelers along the
Santa Fe and Oregon Trails.
Just
before the Civil War, the conflict between the pro- and
anti-slavery forces earned the region the grim title of Bleeding
Kansas.
Today,
wheat fields, oil-well derricks, herds of cattle, and
grain-storage elevators are chief features of the Kansas
landscape. A leading wheat-growing state, Kansas also raises
corn, sorghum, oats, barley, soybeans, and potatoes. Kansas
stands high in petroleum production and mines zinc, coal, salt,
and lead. It is also the nation's leading producer of helium.
Wichita is
one of the nation's leading aircraft-manufacturing centers,
ranking first in production of private aircraft. Kansas City is
an important transportation, milling, and meat-packing center.
Points of
interest include the Kansas History Center at Topeka, the
Eisenhower boyhood home and the new Eisenhower Memorial Museum
and Presidential Library at Abilene, John Brown's cabin at
Osawatomie, recreated Front Street in Dodge City, Fort Larned
(once the most important military post on the Santa Fe Trail),
and Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley.
Nicknames:
Sunflower State; Jayhawk State
Origin of name: From a Sioux
word meaning "people of the south wind"
10 largest cities (1999 est.):
Wichita, 335,562; Overland Park, 142,783; Kansas City, 139,971;
Topeka, 124,529; Olathe, 88,192; Lawrence, 78,911; Shawnee,
46,364; Salina, 44,077; Manhattan, 41,499; Lenexa, 40,518
Land area: 81,823 sq mi.
(211,922 sq km)
Geographic center: In Barton
Co., 15 mi. NE of Great Bend
Number of counties: 105
Largest county by population and area:
Sedgwick, 451,684 (1999 est.); Butler, 1,428 sq mi.
State parks: 22 (14,394 ac.)
Residents: Kansan
1999 resident population est.:
2,654,052
1990 resident census population (rank):
2,477,574 (32). Male:
1,214,645; Female:
1,262,929. White: 2,231,986
(90.1%); Black: 143,076
(5.8%); American Indian:
21,965 (0.9%); Asian: 31,750
(1.3%); Other race: 48,797
(2.0%); Hispanic: 93,670
(3.8%). 1990 percent population under
18: 26.7; 65 and over:
13.8; median age: 32.8. |
