Kansas

Kansas is a landlocked state located in the Midwestern region of the United States.

It is bordered by Nebraska to the north and Colorado to the west. Missouri lies to the east, while Oklahoma borders the state to the south. The state is the 15th-largest in the country by total area. It is also the 36th most populous of the 50 states. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,940,865 people. Because of its location, Kansas is often considered the geographic center of the contiguous United States. The town of Lebanon sits near this central point.

The name Kansas comes from the Kansa people, a federally recognized Native American tribe. The term may derive from the Algonquian word Akansa, which refers to the Quapaw people. For thousands of years, diverse Indigenous tribes occupied this land. The Caddoan Wichita and the Siouan Kaw people were among these groups. In the eastern river valleys, tribes often lived in established villages. In the western regions, tribes were often semi-nomadic. They survived by hunting large herds of bison. The first European to explore this area was the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado in 1541.

The history of settlement in Kansas became very intense during the 1850s. This era was marked by political conflict regarding the issue of slavery. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 opened the territory to more settlers. This led to a period known as "Bleeding Kansas." Abolitionist Free-Staters from New England clashed with pro-slavery settlers from Missouri. These groups fought skirmishes and guerrilla conflicts to influence the state's future. On January 29, 1861, Kansas officially entered the Union as a free state. This event earned the state the unofficial nickname "The Free State."

Following the Civil War, the state experienced significant changes in its population and economy. The Homestead Acts of 1862 encouraged many people to move west to farm. Many African Americans, known as Exodusters, moved to Kansas to escape discrimination in southern states. During the 1870s, the cattle trade became very important in western Kansas. The Chisholm Trail helped move large numbers of cattle. Dodge City became a famous center for this trade. At its peak, Dodge City shipped up to 500,000 Texas cattle every year. This era also saw famous lawmen like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson.

The physical landscape of Kansas changes significantly from east to west. The eastern third of the state contains many hills and forests. The middle third is also hilly but has thinner vegetation. The western third consists of the Great Plains, which are mostly flat or undulating. The land actually rises in elevation as you travel toward the west. The highest point in the state is Mount Sunflower.

The state sits on sedimentary rocks that include Mississippian and Permian layers. Some areas in the west even feature chalk badlands and cliffs.

Water is a vital part of the Kansas environment through its many rivers and lakes. The Missouri River defines part of the northeastern boundary. The Kansas River, or Kaw River, flows 205 miles before joining the Missouri. The Arkansas River flows through the western and southern parts of the state. It is joined by several tributaries, such as the Verdigris and the Neosho rivers.

These water systems support the state's massive agricultural industry. Kansas is one of the most productive states for crops like wheat, corn, and soybeans.

Additionally, the state has a very important aerospace industry, especially near Wichita. This sector remains a major part of the economy today.