Kansas

Map of US with Kansas highlighted

  • Just the Facts
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  • State Links
  • Did You Know
  • State's Famous People
Abbreviation KS
Source: United States Postal Service - Abbreviations
Capital Topeka
Population 2,853,118
Source: Resident Population Data - 2010 Census
Governor Sam Brownback (Republican, to January 2015)
Entered the Union January 29, 1861
as the 34th state
Motto Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulties)
Nicknames Sunflower State, Jayhawk State, Breadbasket of America
Flower Sunflower
Bird Western Meadowlark
Song Home on the Range
Professional Sports Teams No NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, or NHL teams.
(sports listing policy)
Origin of Name From a Sioux word meaning "people of the south wind"
Historical Sites Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Museum and Library, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, Fort Scott Historic Site, Boot Hill Museum's Front Street, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Old Abilene Town
Points of Interest Wichita Art Museum, Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, NCAA Visitors Center
Bordering States Kansas borders Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Missouri
Flag Kansas' flag

Follow these links to read articles about Kansas from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

Official State Links

Other State Links

  • 50states.com: Kansas
    http://www.50states.com/kansas.htm
    The site provides a wealth of information about Kansas. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
  • Things To Do in Kansas
    http://www.thingstodo.com/states/KS/index.htm
    ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about entertainment, recreation, and travel in Kansas, and includes the state's interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
  • Roadside America: Kansas Attractions
    http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/ks.html
    Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of "weird sites along the highway" in Kansas.
  • Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center
    http://www.cosmo.org/
    Check out this exciting space museum with Dr. Goddard's Science Lab live science show, the Justice Planetarium and its laser light shows, space camp experiences for all ages, the IMAX Theatre, and a collection of space artifacts second only to the National Air and Space Museum.
  • Kansas Sights
    http://www.ukans.edu/heritage/kssights/
    Use this site to find online links for everything about Kansas from checking out Kansas schools, learning about Kansas history, and answering your burning questions about Kansas facts and history.
  • FedStats: MapStat: United States: Kansas
    http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/20000.html
    Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on "economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more" in Kansas.
  • Susanna Salter was elected mayor of Argonia in 1887, making her the first woman mayor in the U. S.
  • Kansas was the first state to include prohibition of alcohol in its constitution in 1880.

Some Famous People from this State

  • Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She was born in Atchison on July 24, 1897, and she mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world.
  • Bob Dole was a United States senator for many years; he ran unsuccessfully for President in 1996. He was born in Russell on July 22, 1923.
  • James "Wild Bill" Hickok was a scout and frontier marshal in the Old West.
  • Charlie "Bird" Parker was born in the 1920s. He is remembered as one of the greatest jazz musicians in American history.
  • John Brown was an infamous abolitionist during the Civil War.
  • Melissa Etheridge, a popular singer and guitarist, was born in Leavenworth on May 29, 1961.
  • Kirstie Alley, actress, was born January 12, 1951, in Wichita. She is most well-known for her role as Rebecca on the television show "Cheers."