Kansas
Kansas is a landlocked state in the Midwest of the United States. Much of its area is part of the Great Plains and in the past was home to large herds of bison, making the bison a symbol of the state. The animal provided the livelihood for many of the Native American tribes, including the Caddoan Wichita and the Siouan Kaw. The Kansas River and thus the state of Kansas are named after the Kaw people, also known as "Kansa".
The wild sunflower is widely distributed throughout Kansas, and its seeds have been cultivated for oil by native cultures for thousands of years. Hence, Kasas is nicknamed “The Sunflower State”. Although most of Kansas is dominated by a flat landscape, there are some unique geographic features. The Monument Rocks south of Oakley were Kansas' first National Natural Landmark.
The Spanish first explored the area in 1541. Most of the state was sold to the United States in 1803 under the Louisiana Purchase, while the southwestern portion remained Spanish and was not acquired until after the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848. The Kansas Territory, founded in 1854, also encompassed the eastern part of present-day Colorado. In 1861, Kansas joined the Union as the 34th state. The Latin state motto "Ad astra per aspera" roughly means "to the stars through difficulties".
Kansas' largest city, Wichita, developed into a center of the aircraft industry in the 20th century, earning it the nickname "The Air Capital of the World".
Facts
- Capital city: Topeka
- Largest city: Wichita
- Area: 82,278 square miles (213,100 km²)
- Population: 2.9 million
- Date of statehood: 29th January 1861
- Rank of the admission: 34th
Kansas Folding Card
Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was not only the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, she also wrote best-selling books about her flights and became an icon of female emancipation. In her 1937 attempt to become the first woman to circumnavigate the entire globe, her plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean and Earhart was declared dead two years later. She was born and raised in Atchison, Kansas. This note from the 50 U.S. States Program features a portrait of Earhart, a depiction of her sitting on the nose of her plane, the Monument Rocks south of Oakley, a drawing of the plane, the outline of a bison, Kansas' motto "Ad astra per aspera" (Latin for "to the stars through difficulties") and the year of admission to the Union.
100 Souvenir Dollars
Obverse: Amelia Earhart (1897–disappeard in 1937), aviation pioneer, Earhart atop the nose of her Lockheed Model 10-E Electra airplane, Monument Rocks south of Oakley, drawing of a Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, silouette of an American bison
Reverse: United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., seals of the commemorative series
| Dimensions: 7.07 x 3.00 inches (179.50 x 76.20 mm) Material: Paper |
