pop (2000e) 2 688 400; area 213 089 km²/82 277 sq mi. State in C USA, divided into 105 counties; the Sunflower State; part of the Louisiana Purchase, 1803; virtual civil war in 18546 over whether it should be a free or slave state; 34th state admitted to the Union (as a free state), 1861; capital, Topeka; other chief cities, Wichita and Kansas City; the Missouri R forms part of the E state border; the Republican and Smoky Hill Rivers join to form the Kansas R, which meets the Missouri at Kansas City; the Arkansas R also crosses the state; highest point Mt Sunflower (1227 m/4025 ft); land rises steadily from prairies (E) to semi-arid high plains (W); suffered severe land erosion in the 1930s (part of the Dust Bowl); nation's leading wheat producer; sorghum, corn, hay; major cattle state; aircraft, chemicals, processed foods, machinery; petroleum, natural gas, helium.
background: none;">| [[Image:{{{Flag}}}|125px|Flag of Kansas]] | |
| Flag of Kansas | Seal of Kansas |
| Nickname(s): The Sunflower State | |
| Motto(s): Ad astra per aspera | |
| Official language(s) | none |
| Capital | Topeka |
| Largest city | Wichita |
| Area | Ranked 15th |
| - Total |
82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²) |
| - Width | 211 miles (340 km) |
| - Length | 417 miles (645 km) |
| - % water | 0.56 |
| - Latitude | 37°N to 40°N |
| - Longitude | 94°38'W to 102°1'34"W |
| Population | Ranked 33nd |
| - Total (2000) | 2,688,418 |
| - Density |
32.9/sq mi 12.7/km² (40th) |
| Elevation | |
| - Highest point |
Mount Sunflower 4,039 ft (1,232 m) |
| - Mean | 2,000 ft (600 m) |
| - Lowest point |
Verdigris River 679 ft (207 m) |
| Admission to Union | January 29, 1861 (34th) |
| Governor | Kathleen Sebelius (D) |
| U.S. Senators |
Sam Brownback (R) Pat Roberts (R) |
| Time zones | |
| - most of state | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| - 4 western counties | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Abbreviations | KS US-KS |
| Web site | www.kansas.gov |
Kansas is a Midwestern state in the Central United States.
Located in the heartland of the country, Kansas is home to the geographical center of the contiguous United States. The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is located in Smith County near Lebanon, Kansas, and the geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County.
Kansas is one of the six states located on the Frontier Strip. The Kansas River, formed by the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers at appropriately-named Junction City, joins the Missouri at Kansas City, after a course of 150 miles (240 km) across the northeastern part of the state. Board Of Education National Historic Site in Topeka California National Historic Trail Fort Larned National Historic Site in Larned Fort Scott National Historic Site Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Nicodemus National Historic Site at Nicodemus Oregon National Historic Trail Pony Express National Historic Trail Santa Fe National Historic Trail Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City
Climate
Kansas contains three climate types, according to the Köppen climate classification: humid continental, semiarid steppe, and humid subtropical. Kansas was admitted to the United States as a free state on January 29, 1861, making it the 34th state to enter the Union.
| Demographics of Kansas (csv) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By race | White | Black | AIAN | Asian | NHPI |
| AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | |||||
| 2000 (total population) | 91.19% | 6.41% | 1.78% | 2.10% | 0.12% |
| 2000 (hispanic only) | 6.63% | 0.23% | 0.19% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| 2005 (total population) | 90.87% | 6.60% | 1.67% | 2.45% | 0.12% |
| 2005 (hispanic only) | 7.89% | 0.28% | 0.20% | 0.06% | 0.02% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (total population) | 1.74% | 5.04% | -4.13% | 19.15% | 3.43% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (non-hispanic only) | 0.19% | 4.28% | -5.09% | 19.19% | 2.86% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (hispanic only) | 21.51% | 25.88% | 3.71% | 17.69% | 5.86% |
As of 2004, the population included 149,800 foreign-born (5.5% of the state population), and an estimated 47,000 illegal aliens (1.7% of state population). Many African Americans in Kansas are descended from the "Exodusters", newly freed blacks who fled the South for land in Kansas following the Civil War.
Urban and rural populationsRural flight
Kansas, as well as five other Midwest states (Nebraska, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota and Iowa), is feeling the brunt of falling populations.
Economy
The 2003 total gross state product of Kansas was US$98 billion, an increase of 4.3% over the prior year, but trailing the national average increase of 4.8%. Various cities and counties in Kansas have an additional local sales tax.
Major employers in Kansas include the Sprint Nextel Corporation (with operational headquarters in Overland Park), Embarq (with national headquarters in Overland Park), Cessna (Wichita), Learjet Inc. Kansas City), Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (Topeka), Applebee's (Overland Park), Payless Shoes (National headquarters and major distribution facilities in Topeka), Koch Industries (Wichita), Department of Defense (Ft.Riley/Junction City and Fort Leavenworth) and Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems (Wichita). I-70 is a major east/west route connecting to St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, in the east and Denver, Colorado, in the west. Cities along this route (from east to west) include Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, Junction City, Salina, Hays, and Colby. Cities along this route (from north to south) include Kansas City (and suburbs), Ottawa, Emporia, El Dorado, and Wichita. I-435 is a beltway around the Kansas City Metropolitan Area while I-635 bypasses through Kansas City, Kansas. US 69 runs through the eastern section of Kansas, through the Kansas City area, down through Fort Scott, Frontenac, Pittsburg, and Baxter Springs before entering Oklahoma.
In January 2004, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced the new Kansas 511 traveler information service. The bicameral body consists of the Kansas House of Representatives, with 125 members serving two year terms, and the Kansas Senate, with 40 members serving four year terms.
Kansas has a reputation as a progressive state with many firsts in legislative initiatives—it was the first state to institute a system of workers compensation (1910). The council-manager government was adopted by many larger Kansas cities in the years following World War I while many American cities were being run by political machines or organized crime. The 1990s brought new restrictions on abortion, the defeat of prominent Democrats, including Dan Glickman, and the Kansas State Board of Education's infamous 1999 decision to eliminate the theory of evolution from the state teaching standards, a decision that was later reversed. On November 8, 2005, The Kansas State Board of Education, at the urging of intelligent design advocates, voted to add criticisms of evolution to the state science standards.
Federal Politics
The state's current delegation to the Congress of the United States includes Senators Sam Brownback of Topeka and Pat Roberts of Dodge City and Representatives Jerry Moran of Hays (District 1), Jim Ryun of Topeka (District 2), Dennis Moore of Lenexa (District 3), and Todd Tiahrt of Goddard (District 4). The only two counties to support Democrat John Kerry were Wyandotte, which contains the city of Kansas City, and Douglas, which contains the college town of Lawrence. U.S. Congressional Delegations from Kansas
Important cities and towns
See also: List of cities in KansasKansas has 627 incorporated cities. A city of the third class has a population of less than 5,000, but cities reaching a population of more than 2,000 may be certified as a city of the second class.
Largest cities with population of at least 10,000| City | Population* | Growth rate** | Metro area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wichita | 354,865 | 0.20% | Wichita |
| 2 | Overland Park | 164,811 | 1.89% | Kansas City |
| 3 | Kansas City | 144,210 | -0.35% | Kansas City |
| 4 | Topeka | 121,946 | -0.16% | Topeka |
| 5 | Olathe | 111,334 | 3.73% | Kansas City |
| 6 | Lawrence | 81,816 | 0.38% | Lawrence |
| 7 | Shawnee | 57,628 | 3.70% | Kansas City |
| 8 | Manhattan | 49,462 | 1.87% | ‡ |
| 9 | Salina | 85,000 | 0.08% | ‡ |
| 10 | Lenexa | 43,434 | 1.51% | Kansas City |
| 11 | Hutchinson | 40,961 | -0.41% | ‡ |
| 12 | Leavenworth | 35,213 | -0.15% | Kansas City |
| 13 | Leawood | 30,145 | 1.71% | Kansas City |
| 14 | Garden City | 27,098 | -1.01% | ‡ |
| 15 | Emporia | 26,456 | -0.27% | ‡ |
| 16 | Dodge City | 26,104 | 0.66% | ‡ |
| 17 | Prairie Village | 21,454 | -0.55% | Kansas City |
| 18 | Derby | 20,543 | 2.55% | Wichita |
| 19 | Liberal | 20,257 | 0.57% | ‡ |
| 20 | Hays | 19,632 | -0.38% | ‡ |
| 21 | Pittsburg | 19,214 | -0.04% | ‡ |
| 22 | Newton | 18,229 | 0.56% | Wichita |
| 23 | Junction City | 16,402 | -2.49% | Manhattan‡ |
| 24 | Great Bend | 15,440 | 0.12% | ‡ |
| 25 | Gardner | 14,317 | 9.60% | Kansas City |
| 26 | McPherson | 13,695 | -0.13% | ‡ |
| 27 | El Dorado | 12,659 | -0.25% | Wichita |
| 28 | Ottawa | 12,597 | 1.08% | Kansas City |
| 29 | Winfield | 11,861 | -0.58% | ‡ |
| 30 | Arkansas City | 11,581 | -0.65% | Winfield‡ |
| 31 | Parsons | 11,212 | -0.47% | ‡ |
| 32 | Merriam | 10,769 | -0.42% | Kansas City |
| 33 | Coffeyville | 10,359 | -1.22% | ‡ |
| 34 | Lansing | 10,214 | 1.98% | Kansas City |
| 35 | Atchison | 10,169 | -0.12% | ‡ |
|
*Estimated as of July 1, 2005 **Estimated annual growth rate 2000–2005 ‡Defined as a micropolitan area |
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Northeast Kansas
The northeastern portion of the state has a rich history and is home to more than 1.1 million people in the Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, and St. Joseph metropolitan areas. In the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the cities of Johnson County have some of the fastest growing populations and highest median incomes in the state and the enitre country.
Several institutions of higher education are in the area including MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas City Kansas Community College and KU Medical Center in Kansas City, and KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park. Less than an hour's drive to the west, Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas, the largest public university in the state, and Haskell Indian Nations University.
To the north, Kansas City, Kansas, with the second largest land area in the state, contains a number of diverse ethnic neighborhoods. Its attractions include Kansas Speedway, the Woodlands, and Kansas City T-Bones. Historic Leavenworth, founded in 1854, was the first incorporated city in Kansas. Built at a Kansas River crossing along the old Oregon Trail, this historic city has several nationally registered historic places. Further westward along Interstate 70 and the Kansas River is Junction City with its historic limestone and brick buildings and nearby Fort Riley, well-known as the former home to the "Big Red One". A short distance away, the city of Manhattan is home to Kansas State University, the second largest public university in the state and the nation's oldest land-grant university, dating back to 1863.
Wichita
In south-central Kansas, the four-county Wichita metropolitan area is home to nearly 600,000 people. To the southeast of Wichita are the cities of Winfield and Arkansas City with historic architecture and the Cherokee Strip Museum (in Ark City). The city of Udall was the site of the deadliest tornado in Kansas on May 25, 1955; To the southwest of the largest city in the state is Freeport, the state's smallest incorporated city (population 8).
Around the state
Located midway between Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita in the heart of the Bluestem Region of the Flint Hills, the city of Emporia has several nationally registered historic places and is the home of Emporia State University, well-known for its Teachers College. Located in Crawford County (dubbed the Fried Chicken Capital of Kansas), Pittsburg is the largest city in the region and the home of Pittsburg State University.
Salina is the largest city in central and north-central Kansas. The city of Hays is home to Fort Hays State University and the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, and is the largest city in sparsely-populated northwest Kansas.
Southwest Kansas, and Dodge City in particular, is famously known for the cattle drive days of the late 19th century.
Education
Education in Kansas is governed primarily by the Kansas State Board of Education (web).
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