Kansas

Kansas is a state right in the center of the United States. It is known for its wide open prairies and huge fields of wheat. Kansas gets more tornadoes than most other states. The state is sometimes called the Sunflower State because sunflowers grow wild there.

Land and People

About 3 million people live in Kansas. The capital is Topeka, but the largest city is Wichita. Kansas is very flat, especially in the western part. The state grows so much wheat that it is called the Breadbasket of America.

Culture and Fun Facts

Kansas is famous as the setting for The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy gets swept away by a tornado. Wichita is known as the Air Capital of the World because many airplanes are built there. Dodge City was once a wild frontier town in the Old West. The state animal is the American bison.

Fun Facts

• Kansas grows enough wheat each year to make about 36 billion loaves of bread.
• The geographic center of the lower 48 states is near Lebanon, Kansas.
• Dodge City, Kansas, is one of the windiest cities in the United States.

Did You Know?

In the story The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy lives on a farm in Kansas before a tornado carries her to the magical land of Oz. Kansas really does get lots of tornadoes every year.