Kansas
Contents
|
|
|
|
|
State flag
|
KANSAS,
one of the West North Central states of the U.S., bounded
on the N by Nebraska, on the E by Missouri, on the S by Oklahoma,
and on the W by Colorado. The Missouri R. forms the NE boundary.
The state is situated at the geographical center of the 48 conterminous
states.
Kansas entered the Union on Jan. 29, 1861, as the 34th state.
Traditionally known as an agricultural state, Kansas had, by the
1990s, a well-diversified economy, dominated by service industries
and manufacturing. Kansas remains, nonetheless, one of the leading
agricultural states. Its name is taken from the Kansas R., which
was named for the Kansa Indians, a Sioux tribe. Kansas is called
the Sunflower State.
| KANSAS STATE FACTS |
| DATE OF STATEHOOD: |
January 29, 1861; 34th state |
| CAPITAL: |
Topeka |
| MOTTO: |
Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulties) |
| NICKNAME: |
Sunflower State |
| STATE SONG: |
“Home on the Range” (words by Brewster Higley; music by Daniel Kelley) |
| STATE TREE: |
Cottonwood |
| STATE FLOWER: |
Sunflower |
| STATE BIRD: |
Western meadowlark |
| POPULATION (2000 census): |
2,688,418; 32d among the states |
| AREA: |
213,110 sq km (82,282 sq mi); 15th largest state; includes 1189 sq km (459 sq mi) of inland water |
| HIGHEST POINT: |
Mt. Sunflower, 1231 m (4039 ft) |
| LOWEST POINT: |
207 m (680 ft), along the Verdigris River |
| ELECTORAL VOTES: |
6 |
| U.S. CONGRESS: |
2 senators; 4 representatives |
| GOVERNOR: |
Kathleen Sebelius (Dem.) Took office January 2003 |
Kansas, with an area of 213,110 sq km (82,282 sq mi), is the
15th largest state in the U.S.; 1.3% of the land area is
owned by the federal government. The state is approximately rectangular
in shape, and its extreme dimensions are about 330 km (about 205
mi) from N to S and 660 km (410 mi) from E to W. Elevations range from
a low point of 207 m (680 ft) on the Verdigris R. in the SE to a
high point of 1231 m (4039 ft) atop Mt. Sunflower near the Colorado
border. The approximate mean elevation is 610 m (2000 ft).
The terrain of Kansas is flat to gently rolling. Elevations
increase with general uniformity from E to W. The highest and flattest
region, the Great Plains, occupies the W half of the state. Topographic
relief here is provided by stream valleys. Some of the underlying
rocks in the region are soluble, and they collapsed or subsided
as they were weathered near the surface, forming depressions that dot
the surface. Soils of this region have a higher sand content than
those in other parts of the state. The Osage Plains in the E is
a gently rolling region with some low hills. The Flint Hills in
the W part of this region are composed of an erosion-resistant flinty
limestone. The Dissected Till Plains form the NE part of the state. Glaciers
deposited a mixture of silt and stones (drift), which was eventually
eroded (dissected) by streams that formed on the surface. Rich prairie
soils are found in most of the E part of the state.
Kansas is drained by two great river systems, the Kansas (Kaw)
and the Arkansas, both of which flow W to E. The Kansas R. drains
into the Missouri. Its tributaries, which drain the N half of the
state, include the Smoky Hill, Saline, Solomon, and Republican rivers.
The Arkansas R. flows E and then S into Oklahoma. Its major tributary,
the Neosho, also flows S into Oklahoma, after draining much of SE
Kansas; the other major tributary, the Cimarron, drains SW Kansas.
The state’s only natural lakes are small, intermittently
dry ponds in the surface depressions of the Great Plains. The major
bodies of water are artificial. These include the following: Waconda
(Glen Elder), Tuttle Creek, Cheney, Milford, and Kanopolis lakes.
Kansas has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot
summers. The climate throughout the state is relatively uniform,
due in large part to the absence of major topographical features
to influence the flow of air masses. The average annual temperature
is about 13.3° C (about 56° F). The recorded temperature
has ranged from –40° C (–40° F)
in 1905 to 49.4° C (121° F) in 1936. The annual precipitation
decreases uniformly from E to W, ranging from a high of 1016 mm
(40 in) in the SE to only 406 mm (16 in) in the SW. Most precipitation
falls during the warm half of the year, especially in late spring
and early summer. Droughts occur every few years, however, and are
particularly severe in the W. Thunderstorms are common, and occasional
hailstorms occur. E Kansas has a high frequency of tornadoes. Annual
snowfall is about 381 mm (about 15 in).
| KANSAS AVERAGE CLIMATE |
| |
Topeka |
Dodge City |
| Average January temperature range |
–7.8° to 3.3° C |
18° to 38° F |
–7.2° to 6.1° C |
19° to 43° F |
| Average July temperature range |
19.4° to 31.7° C |
67° to 89° F |
19.4° to 32.8° C |
67° to 91° F |
| Average annual temperature |
12.2° C |
54° F |
12.8° C |
55° F |
| Average annual precipitation |
889 mm |
35 in |
533 mm |
21 in |
| Average annual snowfall |
533 mm |
21 in |
457 mm |
18 in |
| Mean number of days per year with appreciable precipitation |
92 |
77 |
| Average daily relative humidity |
71% |
63% |
| Mean number of clear days per year |
114 |
139 |
Most of Kansas was once natural grassland (prairie), a result
of its subhumid to semiarid climate and recurring droughts. The
largest remaining areas of natural grassland are found in the Flint
Hills, which are covered with bluestem grasses. The shorter grama
grasses predominate to the W, where buffalo grass is also common.
Wild flowers abound during the spring and include sunflowers, asters,
gentians, and columbines. Cactus and yucca may be found on the drier
landscapes of the W. Only about 1.3% of the land is covered
by forests. The largest forested areas are found in the NE and contain
oak, hickory, and elm trees. Cottonwood and willow trees are found
in river valleys in most parts of the state.
Until the mid-19th century the grasslands were the home of
huge herds of buffalo and antelope. Today larger wildlife is restricted
to deer, coyote, fox, prairie dogs, and rabbits. Birdlife includes
prairie chickens, quail, meadowlarks, hawks, and blackbirds. The
streams and reservoirs are the home of bass, catfish, sunfish, and
crappie.
The state’s most important mineral resources are
petroleum and natural gas. Thousands of wells have been drilled,
but nearly all are low producers, or “stripper wells.” Most of
the oil is in the central and S parts of the state; natural gas
is most prevalent in the SW. Some coal is mined in the SE. Construction
minerals are also significant, with portland cement and crushed
stone being produced in the E part of the state. Salt is found in
central Kansas.
According to the 2000 census, Kansas had 2,688,418 inhabitants,
an increase of 8.5% over 1990. The average population density
in 2000 was 32.9 people per sq mi of land area. The E part of the
state, however, had a considerably higher population density than
the W, where in most areas there were about 10 people per sq mi
of land area. Whites made up 86.1% of the population and
blacks 5.7%; additional population groups included 24,936
American Indians and Alaska Natives and 46,806 Asians. (These figures
do not include the 2.1% of the population who reported
more than one race.) A total of 188,252 persons, or about 7.0%,
reported being of Hispanic origin. The state’s largest
cities were Wichita; Overland Park; Kansas City; Topeka, the capital;
and Olathe.
According to the 1990 census, Roman Catholics (17.3%),
Baptists (16.4%), and Methodists (14.7%) formed
the largest religious groups. In 1990 about 69% of all
Kansas residents lived in areas defined as urban, and the rest lived
in rural areas.
| POPULATION OF KANSAS SINCE 1860 |
| Year of Census |
Population |
Classified As Urban |
| 1860 |
107,000 |
9% |
| 1870 |
364,000 |
14% |
| 1880 |
996,000 |
11% |
| 1900 |
1,470,000 |
22% |
| 1920 |
1,769,000 |
35% |
| 1940 |
1,801,000 |
42% |
| 1960 |
2,179,000 |
61% |
| 1980 |
2,364,000 |
67% |
| 1990 |
2,477,574 |
69% |
| 2000 |
2,688,418 |
-- |
| POPULATION OF TEN LARGEST CITIES IN KANSAS |
| |
2000 Census |
1990 Census |
| Wichita |
344,284 |
304,011 |
| Overland Park |
149,080 |
111,790 |
| Kansas City |
146,866 |
149,767 |
| Topeka |
122,377 |
119,883 |
| Olathe |
92,962 |
63,352 |
| Lawrence |
80,098 |
65,608 |
| Shawnee |
47,996 |
37,993 |
| Salina |
45,679 |
42,303 |
| Manhattan |
44,831 |
43,081 |
| Hutchinson |
40,787 |
39,308 |
Cultural life in Kansas, despite the lack of large urban centers,
has been promoted by civic-minded residents of the state’s
communities and by the colleges and universities.
The first schools, opened in the 1830s, were religious missions
for the Indians. In 1855 the territorial legislature provided for
free public education. In the late 1980s public education facilities
included 1459 public elementary and secondary schools. Annual public
school enrollment totaled about 313,600 elementary pupils and 117,300
secondary school students. About 33,700 students attended private
schools. In the same period Kansas had 54 institutions of higher
education, enrolling a total of about 158,500 students per year.
Colleges and universities include the following: the University
of Kansas, in Lawrence; Kansas State University (1863), in Manhattan;
Wichita State University (1895), in Wichita; Emporia State University
(1863), in Emporia; Washburn University of Topeka (1865); and the
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (1881), in Fort Leavenworth.
Major museums in the state include the Kansas State Historical Society
Museum, in Topeka; the Wichita Art Museum and the Wichita-Sedgwick
County Historical Museum, in Wichita; the Museum of Natural History,
the Snow Entomological Museum, and the Museum of Anthropology, at
the University of Kansas, in Lawrence; and the Birger Sandzen Memorial
Gallery, in Lindsborg. The state’s largest public libraries
are at Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita; the Kansas State Library is
located at Topeka. Wichita and Topeka support symphony orchestras.
Many of the historical sites in Kansas commemorate the Indian inhabitants
and the early pioneer days. The latter are recalled at Fort Scott
National Historic Site, at Fort Scott, and Fort Larned National
Historic Site, at Larned, both frontier posts. The Cherokee Strip
Living Museum, situated near the Oklahoma border, commemorates the
opening of the Indian Territory to settlement. The Shawnee Mission,
in Fairway, and the John Brown Memorial Museum, in Osawatomie, recall
historical events. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Museum and Home, located
in Abilene, contains papers and effects of the former president.
The First Capitol of Kansas, at Fort Riley, is maintained by the
Kansas State Historical Society.
Numerous parks and lakes, as well as areas along major highways,
provide recreation opportunities in Kansas. Camping, fishing, and
boating are popular, as are rodeos and county fairs.
Communications facilities in Kansas are relatively decentralized. In
the early 1990s, Kansas had 60 AM radio stations, 98 FM stations,
and 24 television stations. The first radio station in Kansas, KFH,
began broadcasting at Wichita in 1922. In the early 1990s, Kansas
was served by 46 daily newspapers, which had a combined daily circulation
of about 531,100. The first newspaper in Kansas was the Shawnee
Sun, which was written in the Shawnee language and began
publication at Shawnee Mission, near Kansas City, in 1835. The first
English-language paper was the Kansas Weekly Herald, founded at
Leavenworth in 1854. Among the leading dailies today are the Wichita
Eagle, the Kansas City Kansan, the Topeka
Capital-Journal, and the noted Emporia Gazette, edited
for many years by William Allen White.
Kansas is governed under a constitution adopted during 1859
(two years before statehood), as amended. Constitutional amendments
may be proposed by the legislature or by a constitutional convention.
To become effective they must be approved by a majority of the persons
voting on the amendment in an election.
The governor of Kansas is popularly elected for a 4-year term
and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. Other members
of the state executive department, all popularly elected for 4-year
terms, include the lieutenant governor (who succeeds the governor
on the latter’s death, removal from office, or incapacity
to serve), the secretary of state, the attorney general, the state
treasurer, and the commissioner of insurance.
The bicameral Kansas legislature consists of a senate and
a house of representatives. The 40 members of the senate are popularly
elected to 4-year terms, and the 125 members of the house are popularly
elected to 2-year terms.
The highest Kansas tribunal, the supreme court, consists of
a chief justice and six associate justices, serving 6-year terms.
Justices are appointed by the governor and must be confirmed after
one year in office by the voters. The next highest court is the
ten-member court of appeals. The principal trial courts are the
district courts. Appeals and district court judges serve 4-year
terms.
Kansas has 105 counties, each of which has three popularly elected
commissioners, as well as a county attorney and other elected officials.
Counties are divided into townships. Most cities have the mayor-council
form of government.
Kansas elects two senators and four representatives to the U.S.
Congress. The state has six electoral votes in presidential elections.
The Republican party has dominated national, state, and local
politics in Kansas since its admission to the Union, although several
Democratic governors have been elected in recent decades. Bob Dole
represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1996; prominent
in the national Republican party since the early 1970s, he ran unsuccessfully
as the GOP nominee for vice-president in 1976 and for president
in 1996.
From the mid-19th century, Kansas had an economy based on
the cultivation of wheat and on cattle ranching. With an increased
demand for wheat during World War I, large areas of the virgin prairies
were brought under cultivation. By the mid-1930s, however, a prolonged
drought, combined with poor farming practices, had led to the creation
of the Dust Bowl, and agriculture in the state entered a period
of economic depression. During World War II the manufacturing sector
grew rapidly, and Wichita became an important aircraft-producing
center. By the early 1950s transportation equipment had surpassed
processed food as the state’s leading manufacture. Today
the state’s economy is diversified; agriculture and mining
activities remain important, and manufacturing and service industries
continue to grow in significance.
| KANSAS STATE ECONOMY (early 1990s) |
| STATE BUDGET |
|
| General revenue |
$4.4 billion |
| General expenditure |
$4.3 billion |
| Accumulated debt |
$306 million |
 |
| STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, PER CAPITA |
$1848 |
| PERSONAL INCOME, PER CAPITA |
$13,300 |
| POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL |
11.5% |
| ASSETS, INSURED COMMERCIAL BANKS (573) |
$26.7 billion |
|
| LABOR FORCE (CIVILIAN NONFARM) |
1,068,000 |
| Employed in wholesale and retail trade |
25% |
| Employed in services |
22% |
| Employed in government |
20% |
| Employed in manufacturing |
17% |
|
| MAJOR INDUSTRIES |
% CONTRIBUTED TO GSP* |
| Commercial, financial, and professional services |
47% |
| Manufacturing and construction |
22% |
| Transportation, communications, and public utilities |
12% |
| Government |
12% |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries |
5% |
| Mining |
2% |
* Gross State Product = total value of goods and services produced in a year.
Sources: U.S. government publications |
| PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS OF KANSAS (early 1990s) |
|
Quantity Produced |
Value |
| FARM PRODUCTS |
|
$7.6 billion |
|
| CROPS |
|
$2.7 billion |
| Wheat |
12.8 million metric tons |
$1.2 billion |
| Corn |
4.8 million metric tons |
$434 million |
| Hay |
5.5 million metric tons |
$430 million |
| Sorghum |
4.7 million metric tons |
$368 million |
| Soybeans |
1.3 million metric tons |
$267 million |
|
| LIVESTOCK AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS |
|
$4.9 billion |
| Cattle |
1.4 million metric tons |
$4.4 billion |
| Hogs |
285,000 metric tons |
$321 million |
| Milk |
556,000 metric tons |
$166 million |
|
| MINERALS |
|
$2.2 billion |
| Petroleum |
55.5 million barrels |
$1.0 billion |
| Natural gas |
16.6 billion cu m |
$846 million |
| Salt |
1.8 million metric tons |
$82 million |
| Cement |
1.4 million metric tons |
$72 million |
| Stone |
14.4 million metric tons |
$57 million |
| Sand, gravel |
12.0 million metric tons |
$36 million |
| Coal |
775,000 metric tons |
$23 million |
|
| |
|
Annual Payroll |
| MANUFACTURING |
|
$4.9 billion |
| Transportation equipment |
|
$1.6 billion |
| Industrial machinery and equipment |
|
$583 million |
| Food and kindred products |
|
$526 million |
| Printing and publishing |
|
$411 million |
| Chemicals and allied products |
|
$244 million |
| Rubber and plastics products |
|
$234 million |
| Fabricated metal products |
|
$195 million |
| Electronic equipment |
|
$161 million |
| Stone, clay, and glass products |
|
$135 million |
| Instruments and related products |
|
$126 million |
| Paper and allied products |
|
$121 million |
|
| OTHER |
|
$16.4 billion |
| Government |
|
$4.7 billion |
| Services |
|
$3.9 billion |
| Retail trade |
|
$2.0 billion |
| Transportation, communications, and public utilities |
|
$1.5 billion |
| Wholesale trade |
|
$1.5 billion |
| Finance, insurance, and real estate |
|
$1.3 billion |
| Construction |
|
$986 million |
| Sources: U.S. government publications |
Agriculture accounts for about 5% of the annual gross
state product in Kansas. The state has some 69,000 farms that average
281 ha (694 acres) in size. Crops make up about 35% of
the total annual farm income. Kansas is a leading wheat-producing
state in the U.S. and is a major producer of corn, alfalfa, and
sorghum grains. Winter wheat, which is grown in virtually every
county in Kansas, is grazed by cattle during the fall and spring
and allowed to grow and ripen during the summer months. Sorghum
grains are grown in most areas, and corn is grown in the NE and
as an irrigated crop in the W. Other crops include soybeans, rye,
oats, barley, and sunflowers. Irrigation is important in the dry
W portion of the state.
Livestock and livestock products account for approximately
65% of the yearly farm income. About 5.7 million cattle
and calves graze on Kansas farms, and the prairies of the Flint
Hills in E Kansas support large-scale ranching. Kansas is also a
leading hog-raising state; corn and sorghum crops furnish feed.
Dairy and poultry farming are also important.
Forestlands are limited, and the annual income from forestry
is small. Some oak, walnut, and hickory are sawed, principally in
the NE, for lumber and for the manufacture of furniture.
The mining industry accounts for 2% of the annual
gross state product in Kansas. The leading minerals, in order of
value, are petroleum, natural gas, and natural-gas liquids. Petroleum is
found in most areas, but especially in the central part of the state.
Most natural gas is produced in the SW. Helium is extracted from
the natural gas obtained in several locations. Other important minerals
are salt recovered from brine wells and rock-salt mines at Hutchinson,
Lyons, and Kanopolis, cement, stone (especially limestone), and
sand and gravel. Mineral production also includes coal, mined in
the SE, and clay.
Enterprises engaged in manufacturing account for approximately 19% of
the annual gross state product in Kansas and employ some 185,000
workers. The state’s leading manufacture is transportation
equipment, primarily aircraft. The next most important manufactures
are industrial machinery and processed foods. Kansas is a major
flour-milling state, and meat packing has grown in importance since
the 1960s. Other manufactures include printed materials, chemicals,
rubber and plastics products, fabricated metals, and electronic
equipment. Oil refining is also a significant industry. The bulk
of the state’s manufacturing is concentrated in the three
largest cities: Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka.
Each year visitors to Kansas produce more than $2
billion annually for the Kansas economy. The state’s travel
industry, which employs nearly 40,000 workers, benefits from the
large number of persons passing through Kansas from the E to the
Rocky Mts. region. Kansas itself has popular tourist and recreational
attractions, including the restored frontier town of Dodge City
and Tuttle Creek Reservoir. The state maintains a system of 23 state
parks and about 40 state lakes.
Railroads are important for hauling the state’s wheat
and other farm products, and Kansas ranks as one of the leading
states in total railroad length, with about 10,430 km (about 6480
mi) of operated Class I track. The state is served by a network
of about 214,980 km (about 133,580 mi) of federal, state, and local
roads. This total includes 1321 km (821 mi) of interstate highways,
which cross the state from E to W and N to S. The Kansas Turnpike
connects Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita.
The Missouri R. is the only navigable waterway. Kansas City,
Leavenworth, and Atchison are important ports for the shipping of
grain.
Because much of the state is sparsely settled, air transportation
is of special importance. Kansas has 359 airports and 26 heliports.
Wichita and Topeka have the busiest airports.
Electricity generating plants in Kansas have a total capacity
of about 9.6 million kw and produce approximately 33.9 billion kwh
of electricity each year. More than 75% of the state’s electric
energy is furnished by conventional steam plants using petroleum,
natural gas, or coal. Nuclear generating facilities account for
most of the remainder.
Beginning about 10,000 years ago, five different prehistoric
cultures were established in the area of present-day Kansas. They
were the predecessors of historic Plains tribes: the Wichita, Pawnee,
Kansa, Osage, and Plains Apache. These natives—hunters
who also farmed—were joined on the Plains by the nomadic Cheyenne,
Arapaho, Comanche, and Kiowa about 1800. Despite some temporary
alliances, intertribal warfare continued into the 19th century.
The Spanish, under Francisco Coronado, came in 1541 seeking
Quivira, a fabled land of gold. Other Spaniards came occasionally
until 1601, and the French traded for furs from 1682 to 1739. The
first American explorers to enter the area, in 1804, were Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark. The Santa Fe Trail was opened in 1821 and
remained a trade artery for 50 years, and the Oregon-California
road, in northeastern Kansas, was a major route of westward migrants.
After 1830 thousands of eastern Indians, including the Shawnee and
Potawatomi, were removed to Kansas. Traders, missionaries, and troops
at forts Leavenworth, Scott, and Riley made up the white population
of Kansas before its opening as a territory.
Kansas Territory was opened for settlement on May 30, 1854,
with its western border at the Rocky Mountains. Disputes arose at
once over whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave
state, and they continued until 1858. Because of some violent incidents
between pro-slavery and antislavery settlers, the territory became
known as “Bleeding Kansas”; the name was also
applied to the conflict itself. For several years the territory
had two governments—one extralegal—and fraudulent
elections were common. Finally, in 1859, a constitution acceptable
to the U.S. Congress was written, and Kansas entered the Union as
a free state in 1861.
Kansas sent a majority of its adult males to the Union army,
and units from the state saw action through the South and West during
the war. The only full-scale battle in Kansas was at Mine Creek
(1864); the most tragic incident of the war was the devastating
raid (1863) on the town of Lawrence by Confederate guerrillas under
William Quantrill.
For the first decade after the war both railroad construction
and settlement increased in central Kansas. The Union Pacific and
the Santa Fe railroads crossed the state by 1872, and additional
lines were built during the 1870s and ’80s. This encroachment
on Indian lands led to warfare with the Plains tribes that lasted
until 1878. The railroads transported new settlers to Kansas, many
of them from Europe, and also brought Texas cattle north to the
Kansas stockyards. In the 1870s agriculture gained a new dimension
when hard winter wheat was introduced to the state. By 1900 all
of Kansas was occupied, and county organization was complete. Prohibition,
adopted in 1890, remained in effect until 1948.
Kansas, traditionally Republican, favored GOP presidential
nominee George H. W. Bush in 1992 and his son George W. Bush in
2000; Kansas also supported the candidacy of Bo