Kansas

History: For thousands of years, Kansas was occupied a variety of Native Americans, notably the Kansa Tribe who gave their name to both the river and the state. In 1827, Americans settled Kansas with the establishment of Fort Leavenworth. After the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, both pro-and anti-slavery settlers rushed in. There was so much violence between the settlers that it was nicknamed “Bleeding Kansas”. Just before the start of the Civil war, Kansas entered the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861.

Economy: Kansas is mostly known for agriculture, since 90% of the land is devoted to raising crops. Kansas is first among the U.S. states in the production of wheat and sorghum (used as grain and feed for livestock), as well as corn and soybeans. Raising livestock such as pigs, beef, and sheep helps rank Kansas high in agriculture. Aerospace is also va ery important industry, as many large aircraft and small planes are manufactured in Kansas.

Climate: There are basically three types of climate in Kansas; humid-continental, semi-arid steppe, and humid subtropical. The two-thirds of the state located in the northeast region has the humid-continental, with cool to cold winters and hot, mostly humid summers. Most of the rainfall comes during the summer and the spring.

Geography: For almost 90 years (up until 1989) the Meades Ranch Triangulation Station in Osborn County was considered the center of North America for all maps of North America. Kansas is bordered by Nebraska (to north), Missouri (to east), Oklahoma (to south), and Colorado (to west). It is equidistant (same distance away) from both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Most of the western parts of the state, being part of the Great Plains, are flat and gently rising while the eastern third has a lot of hills and forests.

Fun Facts:

Kansas has so many tornadoes, they call it “Tornado Alley”.
“Home on the Range”, a popular early-American song, is the state song.
Dodge City is the windiest city in America, with an average speed of 14 miles per hour.
Dorothy, from the famous movie “The Wizard of Oz” is from Kansas.
Kansas was named after the Kansa Native Americans who lived on the banks of the Kansas River.
Kansas is called the “breadbasket” of the U.S. because it grows more wheat than any other state.

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