Kansas

Kansas is a   in the  of the, an area often referred to as the  "". It is named after the which flows through it, which in turn was named after the  tribe, who inhabited the area. The tribe's name (natively kką:ze) is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind", although this was probably not the term's original meaning. Residents of Kansas are called "Kansans".

Historically, the area was home to large numbers of  that hunted. It was first settled by European Americans in the 1830s, but the pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over the slavery issue. When officially by the U.S. government in 1854,  from  and pro- settlers from neighboring  rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would become a  or a slave state. Thus, the area was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided, and was known as. The abolitionists eventually prevailed and on, , Kansas entered the as a. After the, the population of Kansas exploded when waves of turned the  into productive farmland. Only sporadic patches of prairie grass remain for other grasses that are suitable for raising cattle have replaced the native grasses. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, producing many crops, and leading the nation in and  production most years.

Geography
Kansas is bordered by on the north;  on the east;  on the south; and  on the west. The state is divided up into with. It is located from the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. The is located in  near. The of North America was located in  until 1983. This spot was until then used as the central reference point for all maps of North America produced by the U.S. government. The geographic center of Kansas is located in. Kansas is also one of the six states located on the and one of several within.

Topography
The western two thirds of the state, lying in the of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface, and on a large scale appears almost perfectly flat. However, the eastern third is more hilly and forested. The land displays a gradual slope up from east to west; its altitude above the sea ranges from 684 (208 m) along the  at  in, to 4039 feet (1,231 m) at , one half mile from the Colorado border, in. The forms nearly 75 s (120 km) of the state's northeastern boundary. The (locally known as the Kaw), formed by the junction of the  and  rivers at appropriately-named, joins the Missouri at , after a course of 170 miles (274 km) across the northeastern part of the state. The, rising in , flows with a bending course for nearly 500 miles (800 km) across the western and southern parts of the state. It forms, with its tributaries (the (pronounced Ar-Kansas),, , , , Verdigris, and the ), the southern drainage system of the state. Other important rivers are the and, tributaries of the Smoky Hill River; the , , and , which flow into the Kansas River; and the , a tributary of the Missouri River.

National parks and historic sites
Areas under the protection of the include:
 * in Topeka
 * in
 * at
 * near
 * at
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Climate
Kansas contains three climate types, according to the : humid continental, semiarid steppe, and humid subtropical. The eastern two-thirds of the state has a climate, with cold winters and hot summers. Most of the precipitation falls in the summer and spring. The western third of the state has a  climate. Summers are hot, often very hot. Winters are cold in the northwest and cool to mild in the southwest. Also, the western region is semiarid, receiving an average of only about 16 es (40 cm) of precipitation per year. s in the winter can warm western Kansas all the way into the 80 degree Fahrenheit (25 °C) range. The far south-central and southeastern reaches of the state have a humid, with long, hot summers, short, mild winters, and much more precipitation than the rest of the state.

Precipitation ranges from about 46 inches (1200 mm) annually in the southeast of the state, to about 16 inches (400 mm) in the southwest. Snowfall ranges from around 5 inches (130 mm) in the fringes of the south, to 35 inches (900 mm) in the far northwest. Frost-free days range from more than 200 days in the south, to 130 days in the northwest. Thus, Kansas is the 9th or 10th sunniest state in the country, depending on the source. Western Kansas is as sunny as parts of California and Arizona.

In spite of the frequent sunshine throughout much of the state, the state is also vulnerable to strong thunderstorms, especially in the spring. Many of these storms become thunderstorms. These can spawn, often of strength or higher. According to statistics from the, Kansas has reported more tornadoes (for the period 1st January 1950 through to 31st October 2006) than any state except for - marginally even more than. It has also - along with - reported more  than any other state. These are the most powerful of all tornadoes. Kansas averages over 50 tornadoes annually.

History
For, the land that is presently Kansas was inhabited by. The first European to set foot in present-day Kansas was, who explored the area in 1541. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the. Southwest Kansas, however, was still a part of Spain, Mexico, and the Republic of Texas until the conclusion of the in 1848. From 1812 to 1821, Kansas was part of the. The traversed Kansas from 1821 to 1880, transporting manufactured goods from  and  and furs from. Wagon ruts from the trail are still visible in the prairie today.

In 1827, became the first permanent settlement of white Americans in the future state. The became law on, , establishing the  of  and Kansas. stretched all the way to the Continental Divide and included the sites of present-day, , and. and sent settlers into Southeastern Kansas, namely, , and. These settlers attempted to sway votes in favor of slavery. The secondary settlement of Americans in Kansas Territory were from  and other, who attempted to stop the spread of slavery from neighboring. Directly presaging the, these forces collided, entering into skirmishes that earned the territory the name of. Kansas was admitted to the United States as a on, , making it the 34th state to enter the Union. By that time the violence in Kansas had largely subsided. However, during the Civil War, on, , led several hundred men on a raid into , destroying much of the city and killing nearly two hundred people. Until the 1995 bombing of the in, Quantrill's raid was the single bloodiest act of  in America.

After the Civil War, many veterans constructed homesteads in Kansas. Many also looked to Kansas as the land of "" and led by men like  began establishing black colonies in the state. At the same time, the was opened and the  era commenced in Kansas. was a deputy marshal at and a marshal at  and. was another wild cowboy town in the late 19th century. In one year alone, 8 million head of cattle from Texas boarded trains in Dodge City bound for the East, earning Dodge the nickname "Queen of the Cowtowns." and were both lawmen in Dodge City. In part as a response to the violence perpetrated by cowboys, on, , Kansas became the first U.S. state to adopt a Constitutional amendment prohibiting all s.

Demographics
As of 2006, Kansas has an estimated population of 2,764,075, which is an increase of 15,903, or 0.6%, from the prior year and an increase of 71,128, or 2.6%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 93,899 people (that is 246,484 births minus 152,585 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 20,742 people out of the state. from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 44,847 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 65,589 people. The of Kansas is located in, at 38.45°N, -96.53333°W, approximately three miles north of the community of.

As of 2004, the population included 149,800 foreign-born (5.5% of the state population). The largest reported ancestries in the state are: (25.9%),  (11.5%),  (10.8%),  (8.8%),  (3.1%), and  (2.4%). People of ancestry are especially strong in the northwest, while those of  ancestry and descendants of white Americans from other states are especially strong in the southeast. are present in the southwest and make up nearly half the population in certain counties. Many in Kansas are descended from the, newly freed blacks who fled the South for land in Kansas following the Civil War.

See Also and 

Rural flight
Kansas is one of the slowest-growing states in the nation. Known as a, the last few decades have been marked by a migratory pattern out of the countryside into cities.

Out of all the cities in these Midwestern states, 89% have fewer than 3000 people, and hundreds of those have fewer than 1000. In Kansas alone, there are more than 6,000, according to one Kansas historian.

At the same time, some of the communities in Johnson County (metropolitan Kansas City) are among the fastest growing in the country.

Economy
The 2003 of Kansas was US$98 billion, an increase of 4.3% over the prior year, but trailing the national average increase of 4.8%. Its per-capita income was US$29,438. The December 2003 unemployment rate was 4.9%. The agricultural outputs of the state are, , , , , , , , and. The industrial outputs are transportation equipment, commercial and private aircraft, food processing, publishing, chemical products, machinery, apparel, petroleum and mining.

Kansas ranks 8th in U.S. production. Production has experienced a steady, natural decline as it becomes increasingly difficult to extract oil over time. Since oil prices bottomed in 1999, oil production in Kansas has remained fairly constant, with an average monthly rate of about 2.8 million barrels in 2004. The have made  sequestration and other oil recovery techniques more economical.

Kansas ranks 8th in U.S. production. Production has steadily declined since the mid-1990’s with the depletion of the —the state's largest field which extends into Oklahoma and Texas. In 2004, slower declines in the Hugoton gas fields and increased production contributed to a smaller overall decline. Average monthly production was over 32 billion cubic feet (0.9 km³).

Kansas has three income brackets for income tax calculation, ranging from 3.5% to 6.45%. The state sales tax in Kansas is 5.3%. Various cities and counties in Kansas have an additional local sales tax. Except during the 2001 (March–November 2001) when monthly sales tax collections were flat, collections have trended higher as the economy has grown and two rate increases have been enacted. Total sales tax collections for 2003 amounted to $1.63 billion, compared to $805.3 million in 1990.

Revenue shortfalls resulting from lower than expected tax collections and slower growth in personal income following a 1998 permanent tax reduction has contributed to the substantial growth in the state's debt level as bonded debt increased from $1.16 billion in 1998 to $3.83 billion in 2006. Some increase in debt was expected as the state continues with its 10-year Comprehensive Transportation Program enacted in 1999. As of June 2004, ranked the state 14th for net tax-supported debt per capita. As a percentage of personal income, it was at 3.8%—above the median value of 2.5% for all rated states and having risen from a value of less than 1% in 1992. The state has a statutory requirement to maintain cash reserves of at least 7.5% of expenses at the end of each fiscal year.

Major company headquarters in Kansas include the (with operational headquarters in ),  (with national headquarters in ), Garmin in, and  (National headquarters and major distribution facilities in Topeka).

Transportation


Kansas is served by two with two s, three es, and one  over a total of 874 miles. The first section of Interstate in the nation was opened on just west of  on,. I-70 is a major east/west route connecting to and, in the east and , in the west. Cities along this route (from east to west) include, , , , , , and. is a major north/south route connecting to, in the north and , in the south. Cities along this route (from north to south) include Kansas City (and suburbs),, , , and.

Spur routes serve as connections between the two major routes. , a north/south route, connects I-70 at Salina to I-35 at Wichita. , a northeast/southwest route, connects I-70 at Topeka to I-35 at Emporia. I-335 and portions of I-35 and I-70 make up the. Bypasses include around Topeka and  around Wichita. is a beltway around the while  bypasses through Kansas City, Kansas.

US Route 69 runs north and south, from to. The highway passes through the eastern section of Kansas, from the area, through, , , and  before entering.

Kansas also has the second largest state highway system in the country after. This is because of the high number of counties and s (105) and the inter-twineing of them all.

In January 2004, the (KDOT) announced the new Kansas  traveler information service. By dialing 511, callers will get access to information about road conditions, construction, closures, detours and weather conditions for the state highway system. Weather and road condition information is updated every 15 minutes. The elaborate and efficient transportation system in Kansas has attracted praise from experts nationwide, including the former Mayor of New York City, Ed Koch, who frequents Kansas roadways.

The state's only major commercial airport is, located along on the western edge of the city. Most air travelers in eastern Kansas fly out of, located in. For those in the far western part of the state, is a popular option. Connecting flights are available from smaller airports in Dodge City, Garden City, Great Bend, Hays, Manhattan, Salina, and Topeka.

State and local politics
The top executives of the state are   and Lieutenant Governor. Both officials are elected on the same ticket to a maximum of two consecutive 4-year terms. Parkinson replaced who served as Lt. Governor during Sebelius's first term which ended on,. Sebelius will not be up for re-election in 2010. The state's Attorney General is Democrat, a former Republican who was first elected in 2006.

The of the state government is the. The body consists of the, with 125 members serving two year terms, and the , with 40 members serving four year terms.

Kansas has a reputation as a progressive state with many firsts in legislative initiatives—it was the first state to institute a system of (1910). Kansas was also one of the first states to permit in 1912. Suffrage in all states would not be guaranteed until ratification of the in 1920. The was adopted by many larger Kansas cities in the years following  while many American cities were being run by s or. Kansas was also at the center of  of , a 1954 Supreme Court decision that banned racially segregated schools throughout the U.S.

Since the 1960s, Kansas has grown more socially conservative. The 1990s brought new restrictions on, the defeat of prominent Democrats, including , and the 1999 decision to eliminate  from the state teaching standards, a decision that was later reversed. In 2005, voters accepted a constitutional amendment to ban. The next year, the state passed a law setting a minimum age for marriage at 15 years.

Although Kansas is considered to be one of the most Republican states in the nation, there has been a long-running feud between the socially moderate (or "mainstream") faction and the socially conservative faction of the party. This battle is so heated that it is often said that there are three parties in Kansas--Democrats, moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans. It is possible for a Democrat to win by winning the support of moderate Republicans and a few registered independents. Thus, recently, Kansas has been warming to Democrats, re-electing a Democratic Governor, in 2006, with 58% of the vote, as well as Democrat  (a former Republican) as replacement for incumbent Attorney General. Democrats also picked up six seats in the, and Democrat defeated conservative Republican Congressman  in the 2nd Congressional District.

Federal politics
The state's current delegation to the includes  Senators  of  and  of  and Representatives  of ,  of  ,  of  , and  of. Boyda and Moore are Democrats; Moran and Tiahrt are Republicans. Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932, when won his first term as President in the wake of the. Senator carries the distinction of being the most popularly-elected politician in Kansas history and was a candidate for the Republican party nomination for President in 2008.

Historically, Kansas since the state's inception has strongly supported the Republican party. The people of Kansas supported Republican Presidential candidates every election from 1864 to 1888. Aside from Populist candidates winning Kansas' electoral votes in the 1890s, the only Democrats to win Kansas were Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. In recent history, Kansas has not supported a presidential candidate since 1964, when  won the state's electoral vote. In 2004, won the state's 6 electoral votes by an overwhelming margin of 25 percentage points with 62% of the vote. The only two counties to support Democrat in the same election were, which contains , and , home to the University of Kansas, located in.

State law

 * See also:

The in Kansas is 21. In lieu of the state retail sales tax, a 10% Liquor Drink Tax is collected for liquor consumed on the licensed premises and an 8% Liquor Enforcement Tax is collected on retail purchases. Although the sale of  (also known as ) was legalized in 1937, the first post- legalization of alcoholic liquor did not occur until the  was amended in 1948. The following year the enacted the Liquor Control Act which created a system of regulating, licensing, and taxing, and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) was created to enforce the act. The power to regulate cereal malt beverage remains with the cities and counties. Liquor-by-the-drink did not become legal until passage of an amendment to the state's constitution in 1986 and additional legislation the following year. As of November 2006, Kansas still has 29 and only 17 counties have passed liquor-by-the-drink with no food sales requirement. Today there are more than 2600 liquor and 4000 cereal malt beverage licensees in the state.

The state's investigative branch is the.

Important cities and towns


Kansas has 627. By state statute, are divided into three classes as determined by the  obtained "by any  of enumeration". A city of the third class has a population of less than 5,000, but cities reaching a population of more than 2,000 may be certified as a city of the second class. The second class is limited to cities with a population of less than 25,000, and upon reaching a population of more than 15,000, they may be certified as a city of the first class. First and second class cities are independent of any and are not included within the township's territory.

Northeast Kansas
The northeastern portion of the state, extending from the Eastern border to Manhattan and from the Nebraska Border to south of Johnson County, has a rich history and is home to more than 1.5 million people in the Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, and St. Joseph s. In the, the cities of  have some of the fastest growing populations and highest median incomes in the state and the entire country. , a young city incorporated in 1960, has the largest population and the largest land area in the county. It is home to, the state's largest , and the corporate campus of , the largest private employer in the metro area. In 2006 the city was ranked as the 6th best place to live in America; the neighboring city of was 13th. Olathe is the and home to. The cities of Olathe,, and have some of the state's fastest growing populations. The cities of Overland Park,, Olathe, and Gardner are also notable because they lie along the former route of the. Among cities with at least one thousand residents, has the highest median income in the state.

Several institutions of higher education are located in Northeast Kansas including in Olathe,  in Ottawa and Overland Park, Kansas City Kansas Community College and KU Medical Center in Kansas City, and KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park. Less than an hour's drive to the west, is home to the, the largest public  in the state, and.

To the north,, with the second largest land area in the state, contains a number of diverse ethnic neighborhoods. Its attractions include the, the Woodlands, and. Further up the, the city of is the home of the state's first maximum-security prison. Historic, founded in 1854, was the first incorporated city in Kansas. North of the city, is the oldest active Army post west of the. The city of was an early commercial center in the state and is well-known as the birthplace of.

To the west, nearly a quarter million people reside in the Topeka metropolitan area. is the state and home to. Built at a crossing along the old, this historic city has several nationally registered historic places. Further westward along and the Kansas River is  with its historic limestone and brick buildings and nearby, well-known as the home to the 's , also known as the  "". A short distance away, the city of is home to, the second largest public university in the state and the nation's oldest land-grant university, dating back to 1863. South of the campus, dates back to 1889 and is the state's oldest shopping district of its kind.

Wichita
In south-central Kansas, the four-county Wichita metropolitan area is home to nearly 600,000 people. is the largest city in the state in terms of both land area and population. 'The Air Capital' is a major manufacturing center for the aircraft industry and the home of. With a number of nationally registered historic places, museums, and other entertainment destinations, it has a desire to become a cultural mecca in the Midwest. Although Wichita's population growth has been anemic in recent years, surrounding suburbs are among the fastest growing cities in the state. The population of has grown by more than 11% per year since 2000. Other fast-growing cities include, , , , and.

Up river (the ) from Wichita is the city of. The city was built on one of the world's largest salt deposits, and it has the world's largest and longest wheat elevator. It is also the home of, Prairie Dunes Country Club and the Kansas State Fair. North of Wichita along is the city of, the former western terminal of the  and trailhead for the famed. To the southeast of Wichita are the cities of and  with historic architecture and the  Museum (in Ark City). The city of was the site of the deadliest  in Kansas on, ; it killed 80 people in and near the city. To the southwest of the largest city in the state is, the state's smallest incorporated city (population 8).

Around the state
Located midway between Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita in the heart of the Bluestem Region of the, the city of has several nationally registered historic places and is the home of , well-known for its Teachers College. It was also the home of newspaper man.

Southeast Kansas

has a unique history with a number of nationally registered historic places in this coal-mining region. Located in (dubbed the Fried Chicken Capital of Kansas),  is the largest city in the region and the home of. The neighboring city of in 1888 was the site of the worst mine disaster in the state in which an underground explosion killed 47 miners. "" is located a mile and a half outside the city of. Along with the restored fort, historic has a national cemetery designated by President Lincoln in 1862.

Central and North-Central Kansas

is the largest city in central and north-central Kansas. South of Salina is the small city of with its numerous. Much of the architecture and decor of this town has a distinctly Swedish style. To the east along, the historic city of was formerly a trailhead for the  and was the boyhood home of. To the west is, the Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas.

Northwest Kansas

Westward along the Interstate, the city of, traditionally the beginning of sparsely-populated , is the home of former U.S. Senator and the boyhood home of U.S. Senator. The city of is home to  and the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, and is the largest city in the northwest with a population of around 20,000. Two other landmarks are located in smaller towns in : the "Cathedral of the Plains" is located 10 miles east of Hays in, and the boyhood home of is 15 miles west of Hays in. West of Hays, population drops dramatically, even in areas along I-70, and only two towns containing populations of more than 3,000: and, which are located 35 milies apart along I-70.

Southwest Kansas

Southwest Kansas, and in particular, is famously known for the cattle drive days of the late 19th century. The city of Dodge was built along the old route. The city of is located along the southern Santa Fe Trail route. The first wind farm in the state was built east of. has the Lee Richardson Zoo.

Education
Education in Kansas is governed primarily by the (web). Twice the Board has approved changes in the state science curriculum standards that encouraged the teaching of intelligent design. Both times, the standards were reversed after changes in the composition of the board in the next election.

Professional sports teams
Although there are no teams within Kansas, many Kansans support the sports teams of, including the  , the  , the   and the. All three teams except the Brigade, play at the, located about 10 miles from the Kansas-Missouri state line. However, the Wizards are considering relocating to a new stadium or complex in Johnson County. The played at the  and will move to the new  in 2008.

Persons in western Kansas may sometimes support the major league teams in, and those areas close to the Colorado state line have large pockets of fans of the 's. Many people who live close to the Oklahoma state line support the. All Chiefs games are televised throughout Kansas by television stations in Topeka and Wichita, and any Broncos and Cowboys games which do not conflict with Chiefs telecasts are also broadcast across the state.

Two major facilities are located in Kansas. The located in Kansas City hosts races of the, , and  circuits. Also, the (NHRA) holds  events at.

Notable residents
(aviation pioneer), (temperance activist),, former Vice President , and former presidential candidates  and  called Kansas their home. s, , and also lived in Kansas.

Despite its strong agricultural reputation, Kansas was home to industrial and intellectual pioneers of automotive fame,  and  (aviation pioneers),  (microchip inventor, The Nobel Prize Winner in Physics 2000),  (educator and scientist),, Jr. (The Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine 1971), and  (The Nobel Prize Winner in Economics 2002). Also from Kansas are General (Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2001-05) and  (United States Secretary of Defense December 2006 - Present).

Kansas was also home to (musician), (actress),  (opera singer),  (actress),  (actress),  (abolitionist),  (poet),  (photographer, movie director, musician, author),  (actor),  (writer),  (actor),  (actor),  (Jazz musician),  (Country Singer),  (musician),  (actress),  (actor),  (Jazz musician),  (Survivor host), Survivor: Guatemala winner,  ( Finalist) and  (editor). Famous athletes from Kansas include, , , , , , , , , , , and. Kansas was also home to coaches, , , , , , , and.

No discussion of notable Kansas residents would be complete without mentioning the more famous residents:   from the TV Show,  of ,  (Dennis the Menace),  and  from the TV Show , /,  of , Walter and India Bridge from  Jonas Nightengale from  and of course Kansas's most famous fictional daughter,  from.

Landmarks



 * The museum is located in.
 * The boyhood home of, the Eisenhower Library, and his grave are located in.
 * Abilene is the ending point of the where the cattle driven from Texas were loaded onto rail cars.
 * The house of, now a museum, is located in.
 * Constitution Hall in is the location where the Kansas Territorial Government convened and drafted a pro-slavery constitution.
 * The Wizard of Oz Museum in features Dorothy's House, a recreation of the farm house featured in the film .
 * The, located in Hutchinson, is affiliated with the . The museum features the largest collection of artifacts from the Russian Space Program outside of Moscow. It is also home to , an , Libery 7, and many space artifacts.
 * The award-winning is the state museum, and is located in the capital city of Topeka.
 * The (disputed), created, , in.
 * The, billed as the Worlds Largest Hand Dug Well is located in.