Arkansas

Arkansas is a landlocked state located in the West South Central region of the Southern United States.

It is bordered by Missouri to the north and Tennessee and Mississippi to the east. To the south, the state meets Louisiana. Texas sits to the southwest, while Oklahoma borders the western edge. The state's name is derived from the Osage language. It refers to the Quapaw people, who were relatives of the Osage.

The geography of Arkansas is highly diverse, featuring several distinct natural regions. The northern part of the state contains the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. These mountains form part of the U.S. Interior Highlands.

Moving toward the south, the landscape changes into the Arkansas Timberlands. This region is characterized by densely forested land. The eastern portion of the state consists of lowlands. These are known as the Arkansas Delta and sit along the Mississippi River.

The name Arkansas originally applied to the Arkansas River. It likely comes from a French transliteration of an Algonquian term. This term referred to the Quapaw people and translates to "south wind people." The Quapaw were Dhegiha Siouan-speaking people who settled in the area around the 13th century. The state legislature officially defined the pronunciation in 1881. They decided the final "s" should be silent, following French tradition. This was done to resolve a dispute between two state senators.

European contact began in the 16th century with Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. In 1541, de Soto marched through central Arkansas and the Ozark Mountains. He died in May 1542 near what is now McArthur, Arkansas. Later, French explorers such as Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet arrived in 1673. In 1686, Henri de Tonti established Arkansas Post. This was the first European settlement in the territory.

Arkansas was once part of French Louisiana. It became a territory in 1819 and was admitted as the 25th state on June 15, 1836.

The history of the state was shaped by the economy of cotton plantations. Much of the Delta was developed for these large-scale plantations. These operations relied heavily on the labor of enslaved African Americans. During the American Civil War, Arkansas seceded from the Union in 1861. It joined the Confederate States of America. When the state returned to the Union in 1868, it faced economic hardship. The state had relied too much on cotton and lacked industrial investment.

In the late 19th century, Jim Crow laws were instituted to segregate the African-American population.

Significant social changes occurred during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Little Rock became a major battleground for efforts to integrate public schools. Following World War II, the state began to see more prosperity. The economy started to diversify during the 1940s. By the 1960s, the state became the home of the Walmart corporation. Walmart is the world's largest company by revenue. It is headquartered in Bentonville, located in the northwestern corner of the state.

Today, Arkansas is the 29th largest state by area. The 2020 census recorded a population of just over three million people. Little Rock is the capital and the most populous city. It serves as a hub for business, culture, and government.

The Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Area is a center for education and economics. The Fort Smith Metropolitan Area is also an important economic center. The state's modern economy includes service industries, aircraft, poultry, steel, and tourism. Important crops still include cotton, soybeans, and rice.