Kansas

History

The name of the state comes from the Sioux Kansa (another name of the people Kaw) which means “People of the wind of the south”

Establishment of Kansas

Kansas was annexed by the the United States in 1803 as “a territory not organized” within the framework of the Louisiana purchase , the purchase of the Louisiana to the France by the United States. Kansas then became a portion of the territory of Missouri until in 1821. In 1854, a law establishes two new territories, that of Kansas and that of the Nebraska.

The first appeared agglomeration in what was going to be Kansas was Fort Leavenworth, in the neighborhoods of 1827. For the colonists on the way towards the California, the Utah or the Oregon along different the trails (tracks) which furrowed the meadow, Kansas was only one stage of the voyage.

American Civil War

Before the beginning of the American Civil War, Kansas at summer the theater of skirmishes between pro-slave militia come from Missouri and anti-slavery groups local. In March 1855, them “Border Ruffians” of the Missouri invaded Kansas during the first election carried out in the territory and imposed a slave legislature .

Kansas became the 34e state of the Union the January 29th 1861, year of the release of the American Civil War. The February 19th of the same year, Kansas became the first state of the United States to prohibit the sale and the consumption of any alcoholic drink.

The August 21st 1863, William Quantrill carried out from Missouri what was going to remain in the memories like the “Quantrill' S Raid” against the town of Lawrence, to Kansas. During this raid, the city was entirely destroyed by fire, and out of many inhabitants were killed. However, the main target of this raid, the senator James H. Lane, impassioned abolitionist, had his safety with the escape.

In reprisals, the northern army constrained population of several counted of Missouri to the escape, letting the “Jayhawks” (anti-slavery militia made up for good portion of citizens of Lawrence) plunder and destroy their houses.

Famous characters originating in Kansas

Among the famous characters born in Kansas, one can quote the US president Dwight Eisenhower and Bob Dole (candidate with presidential against Bill Clinton).

Geography

In 2000, it counted 2.688.418 inhabitants. The most important city is Wichita.

physical Geography

Kansas is with équidistance between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The geographical center of the United States is in this state. Kansas is located at horse between the Grandes Plains (in the east) and the high plains (in the west). The state has a form almost perfectly rectangular, with an indentation in north east corresponding during the Missouri.

Although exclusively made up of plains and low hills, the landscapes of Kansas present a certain variety, due to the changing nature of the ground and the differences of climate and altitude. One can distinguish, of is in west, five zones different.

Along the border with Missouri is an agricultural flat rich person, the Plaine of Osage, consisted of Cuesta S comparable with those which one can find in the Paris basin. In the north of this zone, the landscape is virtually identical, but the cuestas disappeared because of influence from the Glacier S having covered the zone at the time of the quaternary Glaciation S.

One second zone, located at the west of the plain of Osage, is that of the “Flint Hills” (flint hills). The poverty of the ground and its stony character make that this zone is unsuitable with agriculture apart from certain funds of valleys. This zone is mainly dedicated to the breeding. It constitutes the largest scrap of high meadow ( tall fatty meadow ) to be preserved plow. The meadow is intersected with curtains of trees according to the course of the rivers.

In the western south of Flint Hills develops a new depression, the “ Wellington-Mc Pherson Lowland ”, corresponding to deposits of évaporite S (Rock salt, Gypse). The rock salt is exploited mainly for industry, but also to make salt of table.

A fourth zone, made up of hills (the Smoky Hills ) is at the north and the west of this depression. Flat tops of the hills, as well as the funds of valleys are devoted to agriculture. The slopes of the hills, maintained in their natural state of meadows, are dedicated to the breeding.

Lastly, one finds all in the west of Kansas a vast zone of high plains, at an altitude of more than 1000 meters. Although altitude is higher than that of the east of Kansas of more than 900 meters, the rise is made in an insensitive way. These high plains constitute broad a Piedmont Rocky Mountains, or settled a great quantity of Sédiment S Alluvion naires, mainly of the Sable and gravels, which one names the formation of Oglala. These deposits are porous, and contain a great quantity of water which is used for the culture of corn and corn with large scales. The climate is fresher and more dryness that in the east of the state.

These five zones are cut out in a west-east direction by the alluvial plains of the principal rivers of Kansas, namely the river Arkansas and the river Kansas resulting from the junction between the Republican and the Saline.

Communication networks

Inland waterways

Kansas does not have so to speak inland waterways, except for the Missouri river on a short distance, at the North-eastern border of the state.

Railways

Kansas has a network of railways relatively dense - although declining - used mainly for goods transport. A total of 8000 kilometers railways is shared between two local national companies and 23 companies.

Only one line for travellers, the line Chicago - Kansas City - Los Angeles, operated by the company Amtrak, crosses Kansas. It stops at the stations of Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Huchinson, Dodge City and Garden City.

Air transport

Kansas lays out of 9 commercial airports, all turned towards the local traffic. Moreover, many aerodromes are accessible to the private aircrafts. The international airport nearest is that of Kansas City, in Missouri. It is located has 25 km of the border between Missouri and Kansas.

Road transport

Kansas is crossed by two autouroutes principal:

I-70 (I for Interstate ) connects Saint Louis, in the Missouri, with Denver, in the Colorado. Of is in west, I-70 crosses Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan, Junction City, Salina, Hays, and finally Colby.
I-35 connects to Monks, in the Iowa with Oklahoma City, in the Oklahoma. In Kansas, I-35 crosses, of the North-East in the south, Ottawa, Emporia, El Dorado and Wichita.

Other highways, of more local interest, connect Salina to Wichita (I-135) and Topeka with Emporia (I-335). The whole of these highways are free, except for the course Kansas City - Topeka - Emporia - Wichita.

Administrative geography

The State of Kansas is the 34^e State of the United States.

It is bordered by 4 other states: the Missouri in the east, the Nebraska in north, the Colorado in the west and the Oklahoma in the south.

It is divided into 105 counties ( counties ).
See the list of the Counties of the State of Kansas

Principal cities

Wichita
Topeka, capital of the State
Lawrence
Kansas City
Winfield

Policy

Kansas is a preserving state traditionally dominated by the republican S.

However, Kansas was precursory many laws progressists, of which a protective system against the industrial accidents in 1910. Schools of Kansas, as well public as deprived, are still today among most powerful of the Union. Kansas was one of the first States to remove the Racial segregation in the schools. It is even in this State that celebrates it off lawsuit “Brown v. Board Education” led to the prohibition of the racial segregation in the schools in all United States.

Presidential: on the right

At the time of the presidential election of 2004, the voters of Kansas voted to 62% for George W. Bush against 36,62% with the democratic John Kerry.

No democratic candidate with the presidential election gained the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Local government: cohabitation

The governor of the state is a democratic , Kathleen Sebelius since 2003.

In 2007, except the station of lieutenant-governor and that of Attorney General, all the other elected stations of the executive are held by republicans.

The two rooms of the congress of Kansas are dominated by the republicans. At the time of the session 2007-2008, the Lower House of 125 members is dominated by 78 republicans and the Senate of 40 members by 30 republicans. Because of extreme division of the Republican party between moderated and preserving, it is almost of use to say that Kansas knows three dominant political parties: the democratic party, the Republican party (center wing) and the Republican party (preserving wing).

In the years 1990, the right to the Avortement was restricted whereas the Théorie of the evolution started to be fought in the schools by the movements ultra-conservative.

In 2005, an constitutional amendment prohibiting the marriage of people of the same sex and approved by Referendum, came into effect.

National elected officials: Republicans with 4 against 2

At the federal level, the two senators of Kansas, Sam Brownback and Stalemate Roberts as two of the four elected officials to the Chambre of the Representatives of the United States are republican.

The administrative capital of the State is Topeka.

Economy

The GNP of Kansas in 1999 was of 81 billion dollars, which places Kansas at the 31 row among the 50 states. Its income per capita was of 27.816 annual dollars.

The agricultural sector, if it does not constitute today any more the independent source of income, remains dominating. Kansas has the third surface emblavée of the United States, after the Texas and the Montana. The sector of the bovine breeding, for milk and the meat constitutes the most important source of revenue agricultural. In the field of the vegetable productions, the principal cultures are the corn (first producer of the United States), the corn, the Sorgho, the Soja, the Tournesol and the Foin.

A great quantity of Pétrole is extracted from the basement of Kansas, which has also important gas reserves, as well as exploitable layers of Rock salt.

Kansas produces also a great number of quite industrial, mainly of the machine tools and planes.

Culture

See too

On the rise of conservatism in Kansas: What is the matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank (2004). ED. Metropolitan books, 603 p.
the opening of the novel Of coolness of Truman Capote takes as a starting point actual facts having taken place in the west of Kansas. Truman Capote, Of coolness , ED. Gallimard folio, 506 p.

On the influence of the great agroalimentary groups on cities of the west of Kansas like Dodge City or Garden City, Fast Food Nation of Eric Schlosser.

External bonds

USA-Discovery-Kansas

Beats-smg: Kanzasos Simple: Kansas Zh-min-nan: Kansas

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