KANSAS THE SUNFLOWER STATE some some say Kansas is in the middle of nowhere and flat as a pancake But those people don't know the real Kansas Yes there are wide open spaces including endless fields of wheat corn and sorghum Kansas farmers help feed the nation But the state also has forests rivers weird rock formations and marshes The Flint Hills rise up in the east And even though Kansas is far from Hollywood or Broadway the state has a rich cultural life Kansans love the arts especially music and literature In 1939 The Wizard of Oz portrayed Kansas as a land filled with simple farm folk Today farmers still work the land but the state is also home to aircraft engineers teachers biologists and energy scientists Kansas is nicknamed The Sunflower State as a reminder of its prairie heritage Colorful wild sunflowers are still found all over Kansas There is even a sunflower on the Kansas state flag Many businesses are found in modern Wichita Kansas KANSAS
KANSAS QUICK FACTS KANSAS Name Kansas is named after a Native American tribe called the Kansa The word possibly means People of the South Wind State Capital Topeka population 127 215 Date of Statehood January 29 1861 34th state Population 2 904 021 34th most populous state Area Total Land and Water 82 278 square miles 213 099 sq km 15h largest state Largest City Wichita population 388 413 Nickname The Sunflower State Motto Ad Astra per Aspera To the Stars through Difficulties State Bird Western Meadowlark KANSAS
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA State Flower Wild Sunflower State Tree Eastern Cottonwood State Animal American Bison State Song Home on the Range Highest Point Mount Sunflower 4 039 feet 1 231 m Lowest Point 679 feet 207 m on the Verdigris River in Montgomery County Average July High Temperature 92°F 33°C Record High Temperature 121°F 49°C in Fredonia on July 18 1936 and Alton on July 24 1936 Average January Low Temperature 19°F 7°C MT SLANELOWER Record Low Temperature 40°F 40°C in Lebanon on February 13 1905 Average Annual Precipitation 28 inches 71 cm Number of U S Senators 2 Number of U S Representatives 4 U S Postal Service Abbreviation KS QUICK FACTS
