Kansas is a Great Plains state in the United States. The state is named after the Kansas River that flows through it, which in turn derived its name from the Siouan word Kansa meaning "People of the south wind."

Located in the heartland of the country, Kansas is home to the geographical center of the contiguous United States. Historically home to large numbers of Native Americans who hunted buffalo there, the state was first settled by white Americans in the 1850s. Beginning in 1854, abolitionists from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would become a free state. Known as Bleeding Kansas, the state was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided. In 1861 Kansas entered the Union as a free state. After the Civil War, the population of Kansas exploded as wave after wave of immigrants turned the desolate prairie into productive farmland. Today Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, leading the nation in wheat production.

Geography

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Kansas is bordered by Nebraska on the north; Missouri on the east; Oklahoma on the south; and Colorado on the west. It is located equidistant from the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. The geodetic center of North America is located in Osborne County. This spot is used as the central reference point for all maps produced by the government. The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is located in Smith County near Lebanon, Kansas, and the geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County.

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154 S DELOS, HAYSVILLE, KS – $109,900 http://t.co/rcYHRDNc
KansasRealtyPro (Kansas Realty Pro) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:18:03 -0000
154 S DELOS, HAYSVILLE, KS – $109,900 http://t.co/rcYHRDNc
So excited to be hosting some of the Best and Brightest in the state at the Kansas Academic Decathlon! #scholarship #leadership #service
KSUMortarBoard (MortarBoard) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:17:51 -0000
So excited to be hosting some of the Best and Brightest in the state at the Kansas Academic Decathlon! #scholarship #leadership #service
Radioactive tissue holder: If you bought it, bring it back: A metal tissue holder sold in Ove... http://t.co/fH4sirbT #Kansas #News #USA Subscribe to Kansas RSS feed