# Arkansas

| Arkansas |
| --- |
| State |
| FlagSeal |
| 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 |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Arkansas Territory |
| Admitted to the Union | June 15, 1836 (25th) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Little Rock |
| Largest county or equivalent | Pulaski |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Central Arkansas |
| Government |
|  • Governor | Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) |
|  • Lieutenant Governor | Leslie Rutledge (R) |
| Legislature | Arkansas General Assembly |
|  • Upper house | Senate |
|  • Lower house | House of Representatives |
| Judiciary | Arkansas Supreme Court |
| U.S. senators | John Boozman (R) Tom Cotton (R) |
| U.S. House delegation | 4 Republicans (list) |
| Area |
|  • Total | 53,179 sq mi (137,732 km2) |
|  • Land | 52,035 sq mi (134,771 km2) |
|  • Water | 1,143 sq mi (2,961 km2)  2.15% |
|  • Rank | 29th |
| Dimensions |
|  • Length | 240 mi (386 km) |
|  • Width | 270 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) |
|  • Total | 3,011,524 |
|  • Rank | 34th |
|  • Density | 57.9/sq mi (22.4/km2) |
|   • Rank | 34th |
|  • Median household income | $49,500 |
|  • Income rank | 48th |
| Demonym | Arkansan Arkansawyer Arkanite |
| Language |
|  • Official language | English |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (Central) |
|  • Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | AR |
| ISO 3166 code | US-AR |
| Traditional abbreviation | Ark. |
| Latitude | 33° 00′ N to 36° 30′ N |
| Longitude | 89° 39′ W to 94° 37′ W |
| Website | arkansas.gov |

| Arkansas state symbols |
| --- |
| Flag of Arkansas |
|  |
| Living insignia |
| Bird | Mockingbird |
| Butterfly | Diana fritillary |
| Flower | Apple blossom |
| Insect | Western honeybee |
| Mammal | White-tailed deer |
| Tree | Pine tree |
| Inanimate insignia |
| Beverage | Milk |
| Dance | Square dance |
| Food | Pecan |
| Gemstone | Diamond |
| Mineral | Quartz |
| Rock | Bauxite |
| Soil | Stuttgart |
| Other | South Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato (state fruit and vegetable) |
| State route marker |
|  |
| State quarter |
| 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

* View from the summit of Petit Jean Mountain, in the Arkansas River Valley, from Mather Lodge in Petit Jean State Park.
* The Ouachita River runs through the Ouachita National Forest.
* Blanchard Springs Caverns in Stone County is a popular tourist destination.
* The Buffalo National River, one of many attractions that give the state's nickname *The Natural State*.
* Flatside Wilderness Area, Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas

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:

* Arkansas Post National Memorial at Gillett
* Buffalo National River
* Fort Smith National Historic Site
* Hot Springs National Park
* Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
* Pea Ridge National Military Park
* President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site
* Clinton House Museum

## Related pages

* List of counties in Arkansas
* List of rivers of Arkansas