Kansas Facts, Map and State Symbols

Kansas was the 34th state in the USA; it became a state on January 29, 1861.

State Abbreviation - KS
State Capital - Topeka
Largest City - Wichita
Area - 82,282 square miles [Kansas is the 15th biggest state in the USA]
Population - 2,688,418 (as of 2000) [Kansas is the 32nd most populous state in the USA]
Name for Residents - Kansans
Major Industries - agriculture (wheat and other grains), aircraft manufacturing, automobile manufacturing Major Rivers - Kansas River, Republican River, Smoky Hill River, Arkansas River, Missouri River
Major Lakes - Tuttle Creek Reservoir, Cheney Reservoir, Waconda Lake
Highest Point - Mt. Sunflower - 4,039 feet (1,231 m) above sea level
Lowest Point - Verdigris River - 680 feet (270 m) above sea level
Number of Counties - 105
Bordering States - Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma

Origin of the Name Kansas - Kansas was named for Konza (also called Kansa or Kaw) Indians who lived in the area.
State Nickname - Sunflower State
State Motto - "Ad astra per aspera" - To the stars through difficulties
State Song - Home on the Range

Dinosaur Fossils Found in Kansas - Claosaurus, Hierosaurus, Nodosaurus, Silvisaurus