Geography And Climate Of Kansas
Bordered by Nebraska to the north, Oklahoma to the south, Missouri to the east and Colorado to the west and the same distance to both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, Kansas is known as “America’s Heartland” due to its geographic center in the 48 contiguous states of the U.S. The Oregon Trail, California Trail, Pony Express Trail and Santa Fe Trail, all which travel or begin in Kansas, are all under national protection.
The western part of Kansas lies in the great central plain and prairie, which is characterized by flat surfaces, whereas the eastern area has hills and forests that gradually slope up. The Kansas River starts where Smoky Hill and the Republican rivers converge, while the Missouri River runs through the northeastern boundary of the state, which the Kansas River joins at Kansas City. The Arkansas River flows through the western and southern parts of the state.
Kansas has a humid continental climate in the eastern portion of the state, with hot summers and cold winters, while the western part has a semiarid steppe climate with very hot summers and cooler winters. The Chinook winds warm up western Kansas, while the southeastern region has milder winters, hot summers and more precipitation that the rest of the state.
Although the state is mostly sunny with snow winters, it is highly prone to thunderstorms, which can lead to tornadoes that are often F3 strength or higher. Kansas has more reported tornadoes than any other state, averaging over 50 a year.
History Of Kansas
Originally inhabited by various Native American tribes such as the Kansa, Pawnee and Osage Nation, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was the first European to explore the Kansas area in 1541. After the Louisiana Purchase, most of Kansas became part of the U.S. in the Missouri Territory, while the southwestern part of Kansas was still under Spanish and Mexican control until the Mexican-American War in 1848.
Kansas became its own territory in 1854 through the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which forced Native American tribes to cede much of their lands to the government and force them to relocate to what is now Oklahoma. The new territory also attracted pro-slavery and abolitionist settlers who fought with each other in a series of bloody conflicts over the issue of slavery, leading to the name “Bleeding Kansas.” More died in the Sand Creek Massacre, an incident in the Indian Wars where Kansas and Colorado militia killed over 150 Indians.
Kansas became a free state, entered the Union in 1861 and started experiencing some growth and development. The Santa Fe Trail transported goods between Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico, while the Union Pacific Eastern Division, later known as the Kansas Pacific, began building a transcontinental railroad from Kansas City in 1863. When the Chisholm Trail opened, the Wild West era in Kansas began, as the trail drove cattle and Texans to the north in Kansas City.
As a reaction to the openness of the times, Kansas was the first state to prohibit alcohol in its constitution in 1881, which led to the temperance movement and eventually the 18th Amendment. Kansas repealed prohibition in 1948, but banned public bars until 1987 and many Kansas counties remain dry today.
Kansas’ history has changed dramatically from the frontier setting since the 20th Century. During the Great Depression, a series of dust storms known as the Dust Bowl spurred a massive drought, ruining crops and forcing the relocation of farmers off the Great Plains land. In the 1950s, Kansas faced exposure to high amounts of radioactive nuclear fallout from nuclear tests conducted in Nevada. Additionally, Kansas facilities kept intercontinental ballistic missiles in underground silos in case of an attack, but deactivated them in the 1980s. The landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, which evaluated a public school for African-Americans in Topeka, deemed “separate but equal” as unconstitutional.
Demographics Of Kansas
The estimated population of Kansas as of 2007 is 2,775,997, with 5.5 percent of the population being foreign-born. Kansas has 105 counties and 628 cities.
German ancestry is the strongest in the northwestern area of Kansas, whereas people of British ancestry are mainly in the southeast. Significant populations of African-Americans and Mexicans reside in the southwestern region of the state.
Since World War II, Kansas has been experiencing rural flight, or migratory patterns out of the country into major cities, which have slowed its growth. There are over 6,000 ghost towns in state, yet Kansas City is one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country.
Economy Of Kansas
The gross domestic product in 2003 for Kansas was $97 billion, with a per capita income of $29,438.
Since its days as a territory, Kansas has been one of the largest cattle producers in the country. Other agricultural products from Kansas include sheep, hogs, soybeans, cotton and corn, while Eastern Kansas is part of the Grain Belt, where wheat and grain production is high. Kansas also plays a role in U.S. oil and natural gas production, as well as industrial outputs like aircraft, publishing, transportation equipment, food processing, chemical products, textiles and petroleum.
Several major corporations have headquarters in Kansas, including Sprint Nextel, Embarq, Payless Shoes and Koch Industries, while the largest employers in the state include Spirit Aerosystems and Fort Riley.
Kansas Law And Government
Democrat Kathleen Sebelius is the current Kansas governor, while there are 125 members of the Kansas House of Representatives and 40 members of the Kansas Senate. Republicans Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts both serve as U.S. Senators, along with two Democrats and two Republicans in the House. Topeka is the state capital.
Kansas has pioneered many progressive legislative initiatives, such as worker’s compensation, securities regulation and women’s suffrage. However, today it is a primarily conservative state, banning abortion, eliminating the teaching of evolution from public classrooms, which was later reversed, and banning same-sex marriage. A strong supporter of the Republican Party, Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.
Kansas Transportation
Surprisingly, Kansas is second to California in having the largest U.S. highway system. I-70 runs east to west through Topeka Kansas City, St. Louis and Denver, while I-35 goes from north to south connecting Wichita and Ottawa to Des Moines and Oklahoma City. Route 69 also passes through Kansas as it makes its way from Minnesota to Texas.
Wichita Mid-Continent Airport is the only major commercial airport in the state, while most residents fly out of Kansas City International Airport or Denver International Airport if you live in the far western part of Kansas. Smaller airports are scattered across the plains in various cities.
Major Cities And Towns Of Kansas
Wichita, located in south-central Kansas, is the state’s largest city, where the trailhead for the Chisholm Trail and Carrie Nation’s temperance movement began. The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center and Wichita Gardens attract visitors, while the city hosts the Kansas State Fair.
Kansas City in Kansas, or “KCK,” straddles the Missouri border at the convergence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers. One of the fastest growing cities in the country, Kansas City is the home of the Kansas Speedway, which has fueled development in recent years.
Kansas Educational System
The University of Kansas in Lawrence is a liberal arts school and the largest college campus, with several satellites in other parts of the state. Kansas State University, located in Manhattan, Kansas, is the oldest public university in the state, focusing on agriculture and engineering.
In 1999, the Kansas Board of Regents came up with the controversial decision to make instruction regarding evolution and the origins of the Earth were permitted, but not mandatory in public schools. The decision was later reversed, but in 2005, the Board approved a science curriculum draft that authorized equal time on evolution and intelligent design, which led to the teaching of intelligent design in classes. In 2006, the Board of Education members in support of creationism were voted out of office and the new standards were rejected.
For more information, visit the Kansas State Department of Education website.
Kansas Sports Teams And Recreational Activities
The only major sports franchise in Kansas is the Kansas City Wizards, which is part of Major League Soccer. However, the state also has two minor league baseball teams, as well as two ice hockey and two basketball teams. Many Kansans cheer for sports teams in neighboring Kansas City, Missouri, such as the Kansas City Royals from Major League Baseball and the Kansas City Chiefs from the National Football League. Those from the western part of the state often root for Denver teams, while those living close to Oklahoma support the Dallas Cowboys. The Kansas Speedway hosts NASCAR races.
The college sports teams make up for the lack of franchises, with the Jayhawks from the University of Kansas and the Wildcats from Kansas State University. The Jayhawks men’s team won the 2008 NCAA Tournament, while Kansas University won the Orange Bowl in 2008. Wichita State University also has a stellar baseball team.
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