Outline of Kansas
Encyclopedia
Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US 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 Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
– U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
located in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. It is named after the Kansas River
Kansas River
The Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name (natively kką:ze) 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.
General reference
- Names
- Common name: KansasKansasKansas is a US 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 Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
- Pronunciation: ˈkænzəs
- Common name: Kansas
- Official name: State of Kansas
- Abbreviations and name codes
- Postal symbol: KS
- ISO 3166-2 code: US-KSUS-KSUS-KS may refer to:*An abbreviation for Kansas, USA.*US-KS "Oko" - The first USSR ICBM launch early-warning satellite system, also known as "Oko" . See...
- InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
second-level domainSecond-level domainIn the Domain Name System hierarchy, a second-level domain is a domain that is directly below a top-level domain . For example, in example.com, example is the second-level domain of the .com TLD....
: .ks.us
- Nicknames
- America's Bread Basket
- SunflowerSunflowerSunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
State - Wheat State (previously used on license plates)
- Home of Beautiful Women
- Abbreviations and name codes
- Adjectival: KansasKansasKansas is a US 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 Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
- Demonym: Kansan
Geography of Kansas
- Main article: Geography of Kansas
- Kansas is: a U.S. stateU.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
, a federal state of the United States of America - Location
- Northern hemisphereNorthern HemisphereThe Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
- Western hemisphereWestern HemisphereThe Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
- AmericasAmericasThe Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
- North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
- Anglo America
- Northern AmericaNorthern AmericaNorthern America is the northernmost region of the Americas, and is part of the North American continent. It lies directly north of the region of Middle America; the land border between the two regions coincides with the border between the United States and Mexico...
- United States of America
- Contiguous United StatesContiguous United StatesThe contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
- Central United StatesCentral United StatesThe Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States and Western United States as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the Southern United States; the term is also sometimes used...
- West North Central StatesWest North Central StatesThe West North Central States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that are officially recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau....
- West North Central States
- Midwestern United StatesMidwestern United StatesThe Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
- Central United States
- Contiguous United States
- Great plainsGreat PlainsThe Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
- United States of America
- North America
- Americas
- Northern hemisphere
- Population of Kansas: 2,853,118 (2010 U.S. Census)
- Area of Kansas:
- Atlas of Kansas
Places in Kansas
- Historic places in Kansas
- Ghost towns in Kansas
- National Historic Landmarks in Kansas
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Kansas
- National Natural Landmarks in Kansas
- National parks in Kansas
- State parks in Kansas
Environment of Kansas
- Climate of Kansas
- Geology of KansasGeology of KansasThe Geology of Kansas encompasses the geologic history of the US state of Kansas and the present-day rock and soil that is exposed there. Rock that crops out in Kansas was formed during the Phanerozoic eon, which consists of three geologic eras: the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic...
- Superfund sites in Kansas
- Wildlife of Kansas
- Fauna of Kansas
- Birds of Kansas
- Reptiles
- Snakes of Kansas
- Fauna of Kansas
Natural geographic features of Kansas
- Rivers of Kansas
- Big Basin Prairie PreserveBig Basin Prairie PreserveThe Big Basin Prairie Preserve is a nature preserve owned and managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The preserve is in the Red Hills near Ashland in Clark County, Kansas. The main features are St. Jacob's Well, a water-filled sinkhole which lies in the Little Basin, and the Big...
Administrative divisions of Kansas
- The 105 Counties of the State of Kansas
- Municipalities in Kansas
- Cities in Kansas
- State capital of Kansas:
- City nicknames in Kansas
- Cities in Kansas
- Municipalities in Kansas
Government and politics of Kansas
- Main article: Government of KansasGovernment of KansasThe government of the US state of Kansas, established by the Kansas Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
and Politics of Kansas
- Form of governmentForm of governmentA form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...
: U.S. state governmentState governments of the United StatesState governments in the United States are those republics formed by citizens in the jurisdiction thereof as provided by the United States Constitution; with the original 13 States forming the first Articles of Confederation, and later the aforementioned Constitution. Within the U.S... - United States congressional delegations from KansasUnited States Congressional Delegations from KansasThese are tables of congressional delegations from Kansas to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. -United States Senate:- Delegates from Kansas Territory :-United States House of Representatives:-1859 - 1873: 1 seat at-large:...
- Kansas State CapitolKansas State CapitolThe Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. It is located in the city of Topeka which has served as the capital of Kansas since it became a state in 1861...
- Elections in KansasElections in KansasThe number of elections in Kansas varies by year. Kansas has a gubernatorial election every four years. Members of the state's United States congressional delegation run for election or re-election at the times set out in the United States Constitution. Primary elections assist in choosing...
- Political party strength in KansasPolitical party strength in KansasThe following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Kansas:*Governor*Lieutenant Governor*Secretary of State*Attorney General*State Treasurer*Insurance CommissionerThe table also indicates the historical party composition in the:...
Executive branch of the government of Kansas
- Governor of KansasGovernor of KansasThe Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
- Lieutenant Governor of KansasLieutenant Governor of KansasThe Lieutenant Governor of Kansas is the lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Kansas. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term...
- Secretary of State of KansasSecretary of State of KansasThe Secretary of State of Kansas is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Kansas.-History:The first Secretary of State for Kansas was John Winter Robinson, a physician from Manhattan, Kansas...
- Kansas State TreasurerKansas State TreasurerThe State Treasurer of Kansas is the chief custodian of Kansas’s cash deposits, monies from bond sales, and other securities and collateral and directs the investments of those assets...
- Lieutenant Governor of Kansas
- State departments
- Kansas Department of TransportationKansas Department of TransportationThe Kansas Department of Transportation is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Kansas.-Organization:*Secretary of Transportation...
- Kansas Department of Transportation
Legislative branch of the government of Kansas
- Kansas LegislatureKansas LegislatureThe Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, composed of 125 Representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 Senators...
(bicameral)- Upper houseUpper houseAn upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
: Kansas SenateKansas SenateThe Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal amount of districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members of the Senate are elected to a four year term.... - Lower houseLower houseA lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
: Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
- Upper house
Judicial branch of the government of Kansas
- Supreme Court of KansasKansas Supreme CourtThe Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, the Court supervises the legal profession, administers over the judicial branch, and serves as the state court of last resort in the appeals...
Law and order in Kansas
- Main article: Law of Kansas
- Crime in KansasCrime in Kansas-Statistics:In 2008 there were 106,141 crimes reported in Kansas including 113 murders a full list can be found -Capital punishment laws:Capital punishment is legal in this state...
- Law enforcement in Kansas
Laws by type
- Alcohol laws of KansasAlcohol laws of KansasThe alcohol laws of Kansas are among the strictest in the United States, in sharp contrast to its neighboring state of Missouri , and similar to its other neighboring state of Oklahoma...
- Capital punishment in Kansas
- Constitution of Kansas
- Gun laws in Kansas
History of Kansas, by period
- Prehistory of Kansas
- FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
colony of LouisianeLouisiana (New France)Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
, 1699–1764- Treaty of Fontainebleau of 1762
- SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(though predominantly FrancophoneFrancophoneThe adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
) district of Alta LuisianaLouisiana (New Spain)Louisiana was the name of an administrative district of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1764 to 1803 that represented territory west of the Mississippi River basin, plus New Orleans...
, 1764–1803- Third Treaty of San IldefonsoThird Treaty of San IldefonsoThe Third Treaty of San Ildefonso was a secretly negotiated treaty between France and Spain in which Spain returned the colonial territory of...
of 1800
- Third Treaty of San Ildefonso
- FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
district of Haute-LouisianeLouisiana (New France)Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
, 1803- Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana PurchaseThe Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
of 1803
- Louisiana Purchase
- Unorganized U.S. territory created by the Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana PurchaseThe Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, 1803–1804- Lewis and Clark ExpeditionLewis and Clark ExpeditionThe Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
, 1804–1806
- Lewis and Clark Expedition
- District of LouisianaDistrict of LouisianaThe District of Louisiana, or Louisiana District, was an official, temporary, United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had not been organized into the Orleans Territory. It officially existed from March 10, 1804 until July 4, 1805, when it was incorporated...
, 1804–1805 - Territory of Louisiana, 1805–1812
- Pike expeditionPike expeditionThe Pike Expedition was a military effort authorized by the United States government to explore the south and west of the recent Louisiana Purchase. Roughly contemporaneous with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, it was led by United States Army Captain Zebulon Pike, Jr...
, 1806–1807
- Pike expedition
- Territory of Missouri, 1812–1821
- War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, June 18, 1812 – March 23, 1815- Treaty of GhentTreaty of GhentThe Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, December 24, 1814
- Treaty of Ghent
- Adams-Onís TreatyAdams-Onís TreatyThe Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty or the Purchase of Florida, was a treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819 that gave Florida to the U.S. and set out a boundary between the U.S. and New Spain . It settled a standing border dispute between the two...
of 1819
- War of 1812
- Unorganized Territory, 1821–1854
- Santa Fe TrailSanta Fe TrailThe Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
, 1821–1880 - Mexican-American War, April 25, 1846 – February 2, 1848
- Treaty of Guadalupe HidalgoTreaty of Guadalupe HidalgoThe Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...
, February 2, 1848
- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
- Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1851Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851)Although many European and European-American migrants to western North America had previously passed through the Great Plains on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, the California gold rush greatly increased traffic...
- Santa Fe Trail
- Territory of Kansas, 1854–1861
- Kansas-Nebraska ActKansas-Nebraska ActThe Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement, and had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing settlers in those territories to determine through Popular Sovereignty if they would allow slavery within...
of 1854 - History of slavery in KansasHistory of slavery in KansasWhile cotton never had a significant role in Kansas' early agrarian economy, a tiny portion of the population did engage in the ownership of slaves and plantations in the fertile grounds lining the Missouri River during the mid-19th century.-Armed civil conflict:...
- Bleeding KansasBleeding KansasBleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a series of violent events, involving anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery "Border Ruffian" elements, that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of the U.S. state of Missouri roughly between 1854 and 1858...
, 1854–1859 - Pike's Peak Gold Rush, 1858–1861
- Territory of Jefferson (extralegal), 1859–1861
- Pony ExpressPony ExpressThe Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
, 1860–1861
- Kansas-Nebraska Act
- State of Kansas becomes 34th State admitted to the United States of America on January 29, 1861
- American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, April 12, 1861 – May 13, 1865- Kansas in the American Civil War
- Price's RaidPrice's RaidPrice's Missouri Expedition, also known as Price's Raid, was an 1864 Confederate cavalry raid through the states of Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. While Confederate Major General Sterling Price enjoyed some successes during this campaign, he was decisively beaten at the Battle...
, September 27 – December 2, 1864
- Price's Raid
- Kansas in the American Civil War
- Comanche CampaignComanche CampaignThe Comanche Campaign, or the Comanche War, from 1867 to 1875, was a series of conflicts that took place throughout the border regions of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas, between the Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa, Sioux and Cheyenne tribes of native Americans against the United States Army...
, 1868–1874 - Spanish-American WarSpanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, April 25 – August 12, 1898 - Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
becomes 34th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
on January 20, 1953 - United States Supreme Court hands down decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka on May 17, 1954
- American Civil War
History of Kansas, by subject
- History of education in Kansas
- History of slavery in KansasHistory of slavery in KansasWhile cotton never had a significant role in Kansas' early agrarian economy, a tiny portion of the population did engage in the ownership of slaves and plantations in the fertile grounds lining the Missouri River during the mid-19th century.-Armed civil conflict:...
- History of sports in Kansas
- History of the Kansas City RoyalsHistory of the Kansas City RoyalsThe following is a detailed history of the Kansas City Royals, a Major League Baseball team that began play in 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri. The team is currently in the American League Central Division...
- History of the Kansas City Royals
Culture of Kansas
Culture of Kansas- Museums in Kansas
- Religion in Kansas
- Episcopal Diocese of KansasEpiscopal Diocese of KansasThe Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, created in 1859, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over eastern Kansas. It is in Province 7 and its cathedral, Grace Cathedral, is in Topeka, as are the diocesan offices....
- Episcopal Diocese of Kansas
- Scouting in KansasScouting in KansasScouting in Kansas has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
- State symbols of Kansas
- Flag of the State of Kansas
- Great Seal of the State of Kansas
- Flag of the State of Kansas
Sports in Kansas
- Main article: Sports in Kansas
- College athletic programs in Kansas
- Kansas State High School Activities AssociationKansas State High School Activities AssociationThe Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
- Kansas Sports Hall of FameKansas Sports Hall of FameThe Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in Wichita, Kansas, dedicated to preserving the history of sports in the state of Kansas. The museum provides exhibits, archives, facilities, services, and activities to honor those individuals and teams whose achievements in sports brought...
Economy and infrastructure of Kansas
- Main article: Economy of Kansas
- Communications in Kansas
- Health care in Kansas
- Transportation in Kansas
Education in Kansas
- Main article: Education in KansasEducation in KansasEducation in Kansas is governed at the primary and secondary school level by the Kansas State Board of Education. The state's public colleges and universities are supervised by the Kansas Board of Regents.- Colleges and universities :...
- Schools in Kansas
- School districts in Kansas
- Colleges and universities in Kansas
- University of KansasUniversity of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
- Kansas State UniversityKansas State UniversityKansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
- University of Kansas
See also
- Outline of geographyOutline of geographyThe following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to geography:Geography – science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth.- Geography is :...
- Outline of North America
- Outline of the United States
- Outline of North America
- Index of Kansas-related articles