Kansas Theme
State of Kansas
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| Nicknames | The Sunflower State (official) The Wheat State |
|---|---|
| Motto | Ad astra per aspera “To the stars through difficulties” |
| Demonym | Kansan |
| Capital | Topeka |
| Largest city | Wichita |
| Largest metro area | Kansas portion of Kansas City, MO-KS Metro Area |
| Area | Ranked: 15th in the US
Total: 82,277 sq miWidth: 417 miles Length: 211 miles Water: 0.56 |
| Population | Ranked: 33rd in the US
Total: 2,853,116 (2010)Density: 34.9/sq mi Median: income $50,177 (25th) |
| Elevation | Highest Point: Mount Sunflower 4,039 ft Mean: 2,000 ft Lowest Point: Verdigris River 679 ft |
| Before statehood | Kansas Territory |
| Admission to Union | January 29, 1861 (34th) |
State Symbols
| Amphibian | Barred Tiger Salamander |
|---|---|
| Animal | Buffalo |
| Fish | Channel Catfish |
| Bird | Western Meadowlark |
| Flower | Sunflower |
| Insect | European honey bee |
| Reptile | Ornate Box Turtle |
| Soil | Harney silt loam |
| Song | Home on the Range |
| Tree | cottonwood |
Kansas is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe’s name is often said to mean “people of the wind” or “people of the south wind,” although this was probably not the term’s original meaning. Residents of Kansas are called “Kansans.”
For thousands of years what is now Kansas was home to numerous and diverse Native American tribes. Tribes in the Eastern part of the state generally lived in villages along the river valleys. Tribes in the Western part of the state were semi-nomadic and hunted large herds of bison. Kansas was first settled by European Americans in the 1830s, but the pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over the slavery issue. When officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854, abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would become a free state or a slave state. Thus, the area was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided, and was known as Bleeding Kansas. The abolitionists eventually prevailed and on January 29, 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state. After the Civil War, the population of Kansas grew rapidly, when waves of immigrants turned the prairie into productive farmland. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, producing many crops and leading the nation in wheat, sorghum and sunflower production most years.
Silly Joke
Do you pronounce the capital of Kansas: AB-eh-lean or AB-eh-line?
Neither. It’s pronounced Toe-PEEK-uh!
Theme Elements
The primary colors I used for this theme are, once again, the primary colors from the Kansas state flag. Considering that the official nickname of the state is the Sunflower State and the highest point in the state is named Mount Sunflower, I decided to go with a sunflower theme. And as Yiker once said, “Sunflowers just make people happy!” How could I go wrong?
The main element in this theme that deserves a special note is the image in the lower-right corner of the page. This being Kansas and all, tornadoes are not unusual. In fact, one even swept Dorothy up and away in The Wizard of Oz—perhaps making Kansas one of the most famous states for tornadoes, and I found this rather dramatic photo of a tornado in Kansas somewhere Over the Rainbow. Groan at the pun if you must....
The photo came from one of my favorite little websites: Astronomy Picture of the Day. Sometimes, they use the term ‘astronomy’ a little loosely—but weather phenomena are certainly major issues for astronomers everywhere! Follow that link for the original (larger) photo to see all the detail! Here is what they have to say about the photo:
Explanation: The scene might have been considered serene if it weren’t for the tornado. Last June [2006] in Kansas, storm chaser Eric Nguyen photographed this budding twister in a different light — the light of a rainbow. Pictured above, a white tornado cloud descends from a dark storm cloud. The Sun, peeking through a clear patch of sky to the left, illuminates some buildings in the foreground. Sunlight reflects off raindrops to form a rainbow. By coincidence, the tornado appears to end right over the rainbow. Streaks in the image are hail being swept about by the high swirling winds. Over 1,000 tornadoes, the most violent type of storm known, occur on Earth every year, many in tornado alley. If you see a tornado while driving, do not try to outrun it — park your car safely, go to a storm cellar, or crouch under steps in a basement.
It’s a wonderful little website, that Astronomy Picture of the Day. I’ve followed it on and off since I first found it in 2000. Amazing photos, and educational to boot!
Members
Now, time for a quick shout out to everyone on Atlas Quest from this state!
Letterboxing Cities
And, here are all of the cities in Kansas we’ve hit with letterboxes!