Wikijunior:North America/United States/Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Arkansas shares a border with six states. Arkansas shares its southern border with Louisiana, its northern border with Missouri, its eastern border with Tennessee and Mississippi, and its western border with Texas and Oklahoma.

History

Arkansas was inhabited thousands of years by the Native American people before European settlers arrived. Henri de Toni settled it in the name of King Louis the XIV of France in 1686 and called it the Arkansas Post.

Napoleon Bonaparte sold Arkansas to The United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Arkansas became a territory of The United States in 1819 and shortly after this the capitol of Arkansas was moved to Little Rock. Arkansas gain fulled statehood in in 1836. It was the 25th state to enter the Union.

Geography

Arkansas is a land of the mountains and valleys, thick forests and fertile plains. The so-called Lowlands are better known by names of their two regions, the Delta and the Grand Prairie. The Arkansas Delta is a flat landscape of rich soils formed by repeated flooding of the Mississippi River. Further away from the river, in the southeast portion of the state, the Grand Prairie consists of a more rolling plains landscape. Both are fertile agricultural areas.

The Highlands of Arkansas are called the Ozark mountains and the Ouachita Mountains. In the Ozarks and the Ouachita Mountains there are dense forests and rivers. The Ozark Mountains are found in the North Central part of Arkansas and the Ouachita Mountains are found in the western part of the state. The Ouachita Mountains were part of the Appalachian mountains of the East coast a long time ago.

People

As of 2012, Arkansas has an estimated population of 2,949,132. In the 2008 American Community Survey, 93.8% of Arkansas' population over the age of five years spoke only English at home.

Arkansas is mostly Protestant, with Baptist being the most followed denomination. There are Catholic, Buddhist, and Pagans in Arkansas as well.

Arkansas is home to the world's largest retailer Walmart. Arkansas is also the United States largest producer of rice, broiler chickens, and turkeys. Arkansas is fourth in The United States in softwood lumber production.

Arkansas also depends on tourism for it's economy. It is called The Natural State and has 52 state parks. Arkansas has the only diamond producing site that is open to the public at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.

State Symbols

The State Nickname is The Natural State
The State Motto is "Regnat populus", which is Latin for "The people rule."
The State Anthem is "Arkansas"
The State American Folk Dance is the Square dance
The State Beverage is Milk
The State Bird is the Mockingbird
The State Butterfly is the Diana Fritillary
The State Flower is the Apple blossom
The State Fruit and Vegetable is the South Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato
The State Gem is the Diamond
The State Grain is Rice
The State Grape is the Cynthiana Grape
The State Historic Cooking Vessel is the Dutch oven
The State Insect is the Honey bee
The State Mammal is the White-tailed deer
The State Mineral is Quartz
The State Musical Instrument is the Fiddle
The State Nut is the Pecan
The State Rock is Bauxite
The State Soil is Stuttgart
The State Tree is the Pine Tree