Kansas

Capital	Topeka
Population	2,688,418 Source: U.S. Census Bureau GCT-PH1-R. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density (geographies ranked by total population): 2000 Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data
Governor	Kathleen Sebelius (D, to January 2011)
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
Sports Teams (sport listing policy)
Origin of Name	From a Sioux word meaning "people of the south wind"
Major Industries	Wheat, Cattle, Aircraft
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
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Follow these links to read articles about Kansas from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

• Encarta Concise Encyclopedia
• Columbia Encyclopedia
• Information Please Almanac

• Access Kansas: The Official Web Site of the State of Kansas
  http://www.state.ks.us/
  This is the official website for the State of Kansas.
• Kansas State Library
  http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/KSL/
  Here is the homepage for the Kansas State Library.
• Kansas State Historical Society
  http://www.kshs.org/
  Here is the homepage for the Kansas State Historical Society.
• Kansas Museum of History
  http://www.kshs.org/places/museum.htm
  Here is the homepage for the Kansas State Historical Society Musuem.
• The Kansas State Archives
  http://www.kshs.org/research/collections/documents/govtrecords/index.htm
  Here is the homepage for the Kansas State Archives.
• Kansas State Parks
  http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/parks/parks.html
  Here is the homepage for Kansas State Parks.
• Kansas: Simply Wonderful
  http://www.travelks.com/
  Here is the official state travel and tourism website for Kansas.
• Kansas Kids
  http://www.ksgovernor.org/kansas_kids.html
  Here is a site from the Kansas Office of the Governor just for kids!

• 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.

• 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."