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Arkansas

Arkansas is a southern state in the southern United States. The 2000 census was 2,673,400. Its U.S. postal abbreviation is AR. It was admitted as a slave state in 1836.

USS Arkansas was named in honor of this state.

History

The early French explorers of the state gave it its name, which is probably a phonetic spelling for the French word for "downriver" people, a reference to the Quapaw people and the river along which they settled. Other Native American nations living in present-day Arkansas were Caddo and Osage.

On June 15, 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state of the United States. Arkansas seceded from the Union on May 6, 1861 during the American Civil War. Under the Military Reconstruction Act, Congress, by June 1868, had readmitted Arkansas, as well as North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

The state is the only one with an official pronunciation. The traditional form "arkanSAW" was made official by the state legislature in 1881.

Law and Government

The current governor of Arkansas is Mike Huckabee(2004), a Republican. Huckabee, who had been elected lieutenant governor in a 1993 special election, ascended to the governor's office when Governor Jim Guy Tucker, a Democrat, was convicted of felony mail fraud as part of the Whitewater Scandal. This led to a state "Constitutional crisis" when Tucker refused to give up the governor's office for a short period of time, because the Arkansas Constitution does not allow a convicted felon to be governor of the state. Tucker had been lieutenant governor under Bill Clinton and had become governor as a result of Clinton's election to the presidency.

In Arkansas, the lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor and thus can be from a different political party.

Geography

The capital of Arkansas is Little Rock. Arkansas is the only state in the US where diamonds are found naturally.

The eastern Arkansas border is the Mississippi River. 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. Arkansas is a beautiful land of mountains and valleys, thick forests and fertile plains. The Ozark and Ouachita mountain ranges in northern and western Arkansas are known as the Highlands; the southern and eastern parts of Arkansas are called the Lowlands.

The so called Lowlands are better known as the Delta and the Grand Prairie. The land along the Mississippi river is referred to as the "Delta" of Arkansas. It gets this name from the formation of its rich alluvial soils formed from the flooding of the mighty Mississippi. The Grand Prairie is slightly away from the Mississippi river in the southeast portion of the state and consists of a more undulating landscape. Both are fertile agricultural areas and home to much of the crop agriculture in the state.

Economy

The state's total gross state product for 1999 was $64 billion placing Arkansas 33rd in the nation. Its Per Capita Personal Income for 2000 was $22,257, 47th in the nation. The state's argiculture outputs are poultry and eggs, soybeans, sorghum, cattle, cotton, rice, hogs, and milk. Its industrial outputs are food processing, electric equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, paper products, bromine, and vanadium.

Demographics

As of 2000, the state's population was 2,673,400.

Important cities and towns

Colleges and Universities

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Arkansas, a state rich in its natural resources and famous for its outdoors and hunting opportunities. Duck hunting in Arkansas is some of the best in the nation and don’t forget the challenging deer hunting as well. Browse these pages to find information on Arkansas, Arkansas genealogy, the Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri and more. Our community calendars are open to the residents of each hometown to post events and happenings in their community such as: Arkansas auctions, Arkansas state fair, sales at your favorite store and more. A state rich in history, Arkansas will fascinate you if you live here or are planning a vacation to our great state.

Be sure to check out our Arkansas classifieds to find Northwest Arkansas jobs, Arkansas State jobs, or jobs anywhere in Arkansas. You will also find many postings by residents for items that are for sale and items that are being sought.

If you are planning a move to Arkansas, make sure you browse through our moving pages to see farm land for sale in Arkansas, apartments for rent and other types of real estate and moving services.

Be sure to search through our yellow pages for information regarding Arkansas newspapers, radio stations and other news agencies. The yellow pages are also host to contact information for an extensive list of Arkansas State Government agencies and departments such as: the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Divorce Laws, Arkansas Workforce Education, Arkansas State Department of Education, Arkansas Fish and Game, Arkansas Secretary of State, Arkansas DMV (Arkansas Department of Motor Vehicles), Arkansas Highway Department and more. You’ll find listings for companies and organizations throughout our great state such as: Arkansas hospitals, Arkansas State Board of Nursing, Arkansas Federal Credit Union, Arkansas Bar Association and more in the yellow pages.

Arkansas’s exceptional educational system includes the Arkansas Public Schools System, the Central Arkansas Library System, the University of Arkansas and other Arkansas Colleges. Arkansas is also known for its outstanding High School football programs and of course the Razorback football team.

Travel to Arkansas, you won’t be disappointed. Check out our travel pages for Arkansas vacations such as: Cabins in Arkansas, haunted places in Arkansas, Arkansas State Parks, lakes and rivers and much more. Before traveling be sure to browse through our interactive yet printable map of Arkansas State that is linked to by each hometown. These maps feature interactive maps of each hometown and have street and road maps available with the driving directions.