Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $138,953 million (2012 U.S. Department of Commerce)
Key Industries: Agriculture including wheat, soybeans, corn, cattle, sheep, and hogs
Mining and production oil, meat packing, chemical products, and transportation equipment
How Kansas got its name: The name Kansas comes from a local Native American tribe called the Kansa (also Kaw). The name means people of the south wind.
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Kansas State Symbols
State Nickname: Sunflower State
State Slogan: Kansas, as big as you think, (formerly) Simply Wonderful
State Motto: Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulties)
State flower: Sunflower
State bird: Western Meadowlark
State fish: none
State tree: Cottonwood
State mammal: American buffalo
State foods: Wheat
Becoming a State
Date admitted: Tuesday, January 29, 1861
Number admitted: 34
Prior Name: Kansas Territory
Postal Abbreviation: KS
The Geography of Kansas
Total Size: 81,815 sq. miles (source: 2003 Census)
Geographical Low Point: Verdigris River at 679 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Montgomery (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Geographical High Point: Mt. Sunflower at 4,039 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Wallace (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Central Point: Located in Barton County approx. 15 miles northeast of Great Bend (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Counties: 105 (source: National Association of Counties)
Bodies of Water: Arkansas River, Kansas (Kaw) River, Smoky Hill River, Republican River, Milford Lake, Tuttle Creek Lake, Waconda Lake, Perry Lake
Kansas was named after the Kansa Native Americans. It means 'People of the South Wind'.
Kansas has so many tornadoes, it has the nickname 'Tornado Alley'.
Kansas is the home of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. You can still see her home in Liberal, Kansas.
The State Song of Kansas is 'Home on the Range'.
Smith County is the center of the 48 contiguous United States.
President Dwight Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, Kansas.
Kansas was known for its wild frontier towns like Dodge City and Wichita during the settling of the wild west. Lawmen like Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickock became famous keeping the peace in these towns.
Barton County is named after the famous civil war nurse Clara Barton.
Kansas produces enough wheat in a year to provide every person on earth with six loaves of bread.
The Graham cracker was named after a Kansas' preacher named Sylvester Graham.
Professional Sports Teams
Sporting Kansas City - MLS (soccer)
Note: The Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL (football) and the Kansas City Royals of the MLB (baseball) play in Kansas City, Missouri.
