Arkansas - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arkansas
State
Flag Seal
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[1][2][a][b])	2,753 ft (839 m)
Lowest elevation (Ouachita River at Louisiana border[2][a])	55 ft (17 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,011,524[5]
• Rank	34th
• Density	57.9/sq mi (22.4/km2)
• Rank	34th
• Median household income	$49,500[6]
• Income rank	48th
Demonym	Arkansan Arkansawyer Arkanite[7]
Language
• Official language	English[8]
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, nicknamed the Land of Opportunity or The Natural State, is a state in the United States of America. Its capital and largest city is Little Rock. The 2020 census counted 3,013,756 people living in Arkansas.^[5]

Arkansas became the 25th state to enter the Union in 1836. During the American Civil War, Arkansas was one of the Confederate states, however, it was the second state to be put back in to the U.S. in the Reconstruction. Native Americans first settled in the state before the arrival of Europeans. African American slaves were imported to Arkansas for slavery.

• 
  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.^[9]

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.^[10][11]

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.

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.^[12]

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.^[13]

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.^[14]

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".

Arkansas is home to many areas protected by the National Park System. These include:^[15]

• 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

• List of counties in Arkansas
• List of rivers of Arkansas

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arkansas.