Arkansas

Arkansas
State
Flag of Arkansas
Flag
Official seal of Arkansas
Seal
Nicknames: 
The Natural State (current)
Land of Opportunity (former)
Motto: 
Regnat populus (Latin: The People Rule)
Anthem: "Arkansas", "Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)", "Oh, Arkansas", and "The Arkansas Traveler"
Map of the United States with Arkansas highlighted
Map of the United States with Arkansas highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodArkansas Territory
Admitted to the UnionJune 15, 1836 (25th)
Capital
(and largest city)		Little Rock
Largest county or equivalentPulaski
Largest metro and urban areasCentral Arkansas
Government
 • GovernorSarah Huckabee Sanders (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorLeslie Rutledge (R)
LegislatureArkansas General Assembly
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
JudiciaryArkansas Supreme Court
U.S. senatorsJohn Boozman (R)
Tom Cotton (R)
U.S. House delegation4 Republicans (list)
Area
 • Total53,179 sq mi (137,732 km2)
 • Land52,035 sq mi (134,771 km2)
 • Water1,143 sq mi (2,961 km2)  2.15%
 • Rank29th
Dimensions
 • Length240 mi (386 km)
 • Width270 mi (435 km)
Elevation
650 ft (200 m)
Highest elevation
(Mount Magazine)
2,753 ft (839 m)
Lowest elevation
(Ouachita River at Louisiana border)
55 ft (17 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total3,011,524
 • Rank34th
 • Density57.9/sq mi (22.4/km2)
  • Rank34th
 • Median household income
$49,500
 • Income rank
48th
DemonymArkansan
Arkansawyer
Arkanite
Language
 • Official languageEnglish
Time zoneUTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation
AR
ISO 3166 codeUS-AR
Traditional abbreviationArk.
Latitude33° 00′ N to 36° 30′ N
Longitude89° 39′ W to 94° 37′ W
Websitearkansas.gov
Arkansas state symbols
Flag of Arkansas
Living insignia
BirdMockingbird
ButterflyDiana fritillary
FlowerApple blossom
InsectWestern honeybee
MammalWhite-tailed deer
TreePine tree
Inanimate insignia
BeverageMilk
DanceSquare dance
FoodPecan
GemstoneDiamond
MineralQuartz
RockBauxite
SoilStuttgart
OtherSouth Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato (state fruit and vegetable)
State route marker
Arkansas state route marker
State quarter
Arkansas quarter dollar coin
Released in 2003
Lists of United States state symbols

Arkansas is a state in the United States of America. Its capital and largest city is Little Rock. It is considered part of the South, and is bordered by Oklahoma to the west, Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and its southwestern corner touches Texas. The 2020 census counted 3,013,756 people living in Arkansas.

History

Arkansas became the 25th state to enter the Union in 1836. During the American Civil War, Arkansas was one of the Confederate states. Afterward, during Reconstruction, it was the second state to be reintegrated into the U.S. Native Americans first settled in the state before the arrival of Europeans. Many enslaved Africans and their descendants were forcibly brought to Arkansas during the Transatlantic slave trade.

Geography

Arkansas has many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Arkansas has few natural lakes but many reservoirs such as Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Ouachita, Greers Ferry Lake, Millwood Lake, Beaver Lake, Norfork Lake, DeGray Lake, and Lake Conway.

Arkansas is home to many caves, such as Blanchard Springs Caverns. More than 43,000 Native American living, hunting and tool making sites have been catalogued by the State Archeologist. Arkansas is currently the only U.S. state in which diamonds are mined. This is done by members of the public with primitive digging tools for a small daily fee, not by commercial interests.

Arkansas is home to a bunch of wood Areas adding around 150,000 acres (610 km2). These areas are set for outdoor playing and are open to hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping. No vehicles are able to drive in these areas.

Religion

First Baptist Church, Magnolia

Arkansas, like most other Southern states, is part of the Bible Belt. It is mostly Protestant. The largest denominations by number of followers in 2000 were the Southern Baptist Convention with 665,307; the United Methodist Church with 179,383; the Roman Catholic Church with 115,967; and the American Baptist Association with 115,916.

Education

Education in Arkansas has been an issue. Part of the problem has been low teacher salaries and small budgets for spending on students. Other problems have been not wanting to integrate, and poor school facilities.

Arkansas has two university systems: Arkansas State University System and University of Arkansas System. Some other public institutions are Arkansas Tech University, Henderson State University, Southern Arkansas University, and University of Central Arkansas. It is also home to 11 private colleges and universities. One of them being Hendrix College, one of the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Culture

Arkansas is liked for its bauxite mines. Arkansas was also the first U.S. state where diamonds were found. Liked Arkansans are Bill Clinton, who was governor of Arkansas before he became the President of the United States, Sam Walton, the CEO of Wal-Mart, Johnny Cash, a famous guitar player known as "The Man In Black".

Attractions

Arkansas is home to many areas protected by the National Park System. These include:

Notes

  1. 1 2 Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  2. ↑ The Geographic Names Index System (GNIS) of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicates that the official name of this feature is Magazine Mountain, not "Mount Magazine". Although not a hard and fast rule, generally "Mount X" is used for a peak and "X Mountain" is more frequently used for ridges, which better describes this feature. Magazine Mountain appears in the GNIS as a ridge, with Signal Hill identified as its summit. "Mount Magazine" is the name used by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, which follows what the locals have used since the area was first settled.

References

  1. ↑ "Mag". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey.
  2. 1 2 "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Magazine Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Signal Hill". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "2020 Census Apportionment Results". The United States Census Bureau. April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  6. ↑ "US Census Bureau QuickFacts". Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  7. ↑ Blevins 2009, p. 2.
  8. ↑ "2020 Arkansas Code Title 1 - General Provisions Chapter 4 - State Symbols, Motto, Etc. § 1-4-117. Official language". Justia US Law. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ Smith, Richard M. (1989). The Atlas of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-55728-047-3.
  10. ↑ "Crater of Diamonds: History of diamonds, diamond mining in Arkansas". Craterofdiamondsstatepark.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  11. ↑ "US Diamond Mines – Diamond Mining in the United States". Geology.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  12. ↑ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | Maps & Reports". Thearda.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  13. ↑ Goodwyn, Lawrence; Books, Time-Life. The Shouth Central States Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. Taylor & Francis. p. 122.
  14. ↑ "National Liberal Arts College Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. 2012. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Arkansas". National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2008.