Arkansas

Arkansas (pronounced /ˈɑ(ɹ)k(ə)nˌsɑː/ or /ˈɑ(ɹ)k(ə)nˌsɔ/) is a Southern state in the United States.

Contents

Geography

See: List of Arkansas counties, List of cities in Arkansas, List of Arkansas townships, List of Arkansas native plants.

The capital of Arkansas is Little Rock. Arkansas is the only state in the U.S. where diamonds are found naturally (near Murfreesboro, Arkansas).

The eastern border for most of Arkansas is the Mississippi River except in Clay and Greene counties where the St. Francis River forms the western boundary of the Missouri Bootheel. 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. Northwest Arkansas is part of the Ozark Plateau including the Boston Mountains, to the south are the Ouachita Mountains and these regions are divided by the Arkansas River; 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.

Arkansas is home to many caves, such as Blanchard Springs Caverns.

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

The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail also runs through Arkansas.

History

The first European who arrived in Arkansas was the Spaniard Hernando de Soto, explorer at the end of the 16th Century. The early Spanish or French explorers of the state gave it its name, which is probably a phonetic spelling for the French or Catalan word for "downriver" people, a reference to the Quapaw people and the river along which they settled. Other Native American nations that lived in Arkansas prior to westward movement were the Quapaw, Caddo, and Osage Nations. While moving westward, the Five Civilized Tribes inhabited Arkansas during the territorial period. The Five Civilized Tribes are the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee, and Seminole. They were recognized as the "civilized tribes" because they eventually adopted Western customs such as plantation living and Christianity. Prior to statehood, it was known as the Arkansaw Territory.

On June 15, 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state of the United States as a slave state. Arkansas refused to join the Confederate States of America until after Abraham Lincoln called for troops to invade South Carolina. It seceded from the Union on May 6, 1861. The state was the scene of numerous small-scale battles during the American Civil War. Under the Military Reconstruction Act, Congress readmitted Arkansas in June 1868.

In 1881, the Arkansas state legislature enacted a bill that adopted "arkansaw" as the official pronunciation - note the distinct pronunciation of the last syllable. (See Law and Government below).

Demographics

Historical populations
Census year	Population	Change	Percent Change

1810	1,062	-	-
1820	14,273	13211	93%
1830	30,388	16115	53%
1840	97,574	67186	69%
1850	209,897	112323	54%
1860	435,450	225553	52%
1870	484,471	49021	10%
1880	802,525	318054	40%
1890	1,128,211	325686	29%
1900	1,311,564	183353	14%
1910	1,574,449	262885	17%
1920	1,752,204	177755	10%
1930	1,854,482	102278	6%
1940	1,949,387	94905	5%
1950	1,909,511	-39876	-2%
1960	1,786,272	-123239	-7%
1970	1,923,295	137023	7%
1980	2,286,435	363140	16%
1990	2,350,725	64290	3%
2000	2,673,400	322675	12%

As of 2005, Arkansas has an estimated population of 2,779,154, which is an increase of 29,154, or 1.1%, from the prior year and an increase of 105,756, or 4.0%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 52,214 people (that is 198,800 births minus 146,586 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 57,611 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 21,947 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 35,664 people. It is estimated that about 48.8% is male, and 51.2% is female.

Arkansas Population Density Map

Racially, Arkansas is:
78.6% White non-Hispanic
15.7% Black
3.2% Hispanic
0.8% Asian
0.7% Native American
1.3% Mixed race
The five largest ancestry groups in the state are: American (15.9%), African American (15.7%), Irish (9.5%), German (9.3%), English (7.9%).
People of European ancestry have a strong presence in the northwestern Ozarks and the central part of the state. Blacks live mainly in the fertile southern and eastern parts of the state, especially along the Mississippi River. Arkansans of British and German ancestry are mostly found in the far northwestern Ozarks near the Missouri border.

As of 2000, 95.0% of Arkansas residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 3.3% speak Spanish. French is the third most spoken language at 0.3%, followed by German at 0.3% and Vietnamese at 0.1%.

Religion

Arkansas, like most other Southern states, is part of the Bible Belt and is overwhelmingly Protestant. The religious affiliations of the people are as follows:

Christian – 86%
*Protestant – 78%
**Baptist – 39%
**Methodist – 9%
**Pentecostal – 6%
**Church of Christ – 6%
**Assemblies of God – 3%
**Other Protestant – 15%
*Roman Catholic – 7%
*Orthodox Christian – <1%
*Other Christian – <1%
Other Religions – <1%
Non-Religious – 14%

Economy

The state's total gross state product for 2003 was $76 billion. Its Per Capita Personal Income for 2003 was $24,384, 50^th in the nation. The state's agriculture 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.

In recent years, automobile parts manufacturers have opened factories in eastern Arkansas to support auto plants in other states (though Arkansas does not yet have an auto plant itself, it is rumored to be a future site for a Toyota plant as well as for a truck plant to be built by Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors).

Tourism is also very important to the Arkansas economy; the official state nickname "The Natural State" is prominently displayed in state tourism advertising.

The effect of Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart, J.B. Hunt and other multinational companies located in NW Arkansas cannot be overstated. The area is currently in a long-running economic boom due to being the forefront of Global Trade. Wal-Mart alone accounts for $8.90 out of every $100 spent in U.S. retail stores.

Taxation

A map of Arkansas with county boundaries drawn

Arkansas imposes a state income tax with six brackets, ranging from 1.0 percent to 7.0 percent. The first $9,000 of military pay of enlisted personnel is exempt from Arkansas tax; officers do not have to pay state income tax on the first $6,000 of their military pay. Retirees pay no tax on Social Security, or on the first $6,000 in gain on their pensions (in addition to recovery of cost basis). Residents of Texarkana, Arkansas are exempt from Arkansas income tax; wages and business income earned there by residents of Texarkana, Texas are also exempt. Arkansas's gross receipts (sales) tax and compensating (use) tax rate is currently 6 percent. The state has also mandated that various services be subject to sales tax collection. They include wrecker and towing services; dry cleaning and laundry; body piercing, tattooing and electrolysis; pest control; security and alarm monitoring; self-storage facilities; boat storage and docking; and pet grooming and kennel services.

In addition to the state sales tax, there are more than 300 local taxes in Arkansas. Cities and counties have the authority to enact additional local sales and use taxes if they are passed by the voters in their area. These local taxes have a ceiling or cap; they cannot exceed $25 for each 1 percent of tax assessed. These additional taxes are collected by the state, which distributes the money back to the local jurisdictions monthly. Low-income taxpayers with a total annual household income of less than $12,000 are permitted a sales tax exemption for electricity usage.

Sales of alcoholic beverages account for added taxes. A 10 percent supplemental mixed drink tax is imposed on the sale of alcoholic beverages (excluding beer) at restaurants. A 4 percent tax is due on the sale of all mixed drinks (except beer and wine) sold for "on-premises" consumption. And a 3 percent tax is due on beer sold for off-premises consumption.

Transportation

Interstate highways

United States highways

North-south routes	East-west routes
U.S. Route 425 U.S. Route 49 U.S. Route 59 U.S. Route 61 U.S. Route 63 U.S. Route 65 U.S. Route 165 U.S. Route 67 U.S. Route 167 U.S. Route 71 U.S. Route 371 U.S. Route 79	U.S. Route 412 U.S. Route 62 U.S. Route 64 U.S. Route 70 U.S. Route 270 U.S. Route 278 U.S. Route 82

Major Arkansas state highways

North-south routes	East-west routes
Arkansas State Highway 1 Arkansas State Highway 5 Arkansas State Highway 7	Arkansas State Highway 10

Airports

Little Rock National Airport and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport are Arkansas' main air terminals. Fort Smith and Texarkana have smaller airports with limited passenger service.

Law and government

The Arkansas State Capitol.

The current governor of Arkansas is Mike Huckabee, a Republican. Huckabee, who had been elected lieutenant governor in a 1993 special election, became governor in 1996 when Governor Jim Guy Tucker, a Democrat, was convicted 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.

Both of Arkansas' U.S. Senators are Democrats: Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor. The state has four seats in U.S. House of Representatives. Three seats are held by Democrats—Marion Berry ([map]), Vic Snyder ([map]), and Mike Ross ([map]). One seat is held by the state's lone Republican Congressman, John Boozman ([map]).

The Democratic Party holds super-majority status in the Arkansas General Assembly. Republicans lost seats in the State House in 2004. A majority of local and statewide offices are also held by Democrats. This arrangement is extremely rare in the modern South, where a majority of statewide offices are held by Republicans. Arkansas had the distinction in 1992 of being the only state in the entire country to give the majority of its vote to a single candidate in the presidential election—native son Bill Clinton— while every other state's electoral votes were won by pluralities of the vote between the three candidates.

Most Republican strength lies mainly in northwest Arkansas in the area around Fort Smith, while the rest of the state is strongly Democratic. Arkansas has only elected one Republican to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction. The Arkansas General Assembly has not been controlled by the Republican Party since Reconstruction and is the fourth most heavily Democratic Legislature in the country, after Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Connecticut. Arkansas is also the only state among the states of the former Confederacy that sends two Democrats to the U.S. Senate and the overwhelming majority of registered voters in the state are Democrats. However, the state is perceived as generally being conservative – its voters passed a ban on gay marriage, the Arkansas Constitution protects right to work (whereas other states have this provision in their laws), and the state is one of a handful that has legislation on its books banning abortion in the event Roe vs. Wade is ever overturned.

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

Each officer's term is four years long. Office holders are term-limited to two full terms plus any partial terms prior to the first full term.

Some of Arkansas' counties have two county seats, as opposed to the usual one seat. The arrangement dates back to when travel was extremely difficult in the states. The seats are usually on opposite sides of the county. Though travel is no longer the difficulty it once was, there are few efforts to eliminate the two seat arrangement where it exists, since the county seat is a source of pride (and jobs) to the city involved.

The state is the only one with a pronunciation specified by law. Section 105 of Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Arkansas code^[link] determined in 1881 the official, codified pronunciation of Arkansas: "It should be pronounced in three (3) syllables, with the final "s" silent, the "a" in each syllable with the Italian sound, and the accent on the first and last syllables." The same section states that the variation are-KAN-sas "is an innovation to be discouraged."

Important cities and towns

Education

Public school districts

List of school districts in Arkansas

Centers of research

[Arkansas Cherokee Indian Research]
Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center [website]
National Center for Toxicological Research [website]

Colleges and universities

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.

Arkansas State University, Jonesboro.

Arkansas State University System
*Arkansas State University - Jonesboro
*Arkansas State University - Beebe
*Arkansas State University - Mountain Home
*Arkansas State University - Newport
*Arkansas State University - Marked Tree
*Arkansas State University - Heber Springs
*Arkansas State University - Searcy

Miscellaneous topics

Symbols

The following state symbols are officially recognized by state law.

State Anthem: Arkansas by Eva Ware Barnett
State Beverage:Milk
State Bird: Mockingbird
State Flower: Apple Blossom
State Folk Dance: Square Dance
State Fruit: South Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomato
State Gem: Diamond
State Historical Song: The Arkansas Traveler by Sanford Faulkner
State Historic Cooking Vessel: Dutch oven
State Insect: Honeybee
State Mammal: White-tailed Deer
State Mineral: Quartz Crystal
State Motto: Regnat Populus (The People Rule)
State Musical Instrument: the Fiddle
State Rock: Bauxite
State Soil: Stuttgart Soil Series
State Songs: Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me) by Wayland Holyfield and Oh, Arkansas by Terry Rose and Gary Klass
State Tree: Pine
State Vegetable: South Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomato

The designation of a variety of tomato as both the state fruit and the state vegetable is correct. Standing on both sides of the long-running controversy, the law recognizes that the tomato is botanically a fruit, but is a vegetable in culinary use; thus it is officially both in Arkansas.

Though two other songs are designated as "state songs" (plus a "state historical song" which was the state song from 1949 to 1963), by state law the Secretary of State must respond to any requests for "the state song" with the music of the state anthem, Arkansas; it was the state song before 1949 and from 1963 to 1987, when it became state anthem and the other songs gained their present status. This is strictly to preserve the status of Arkansas; all four songs are either copyrighted by the state itself or in the public domain.

Famous Arkansans

Politics

Dale Bumpers, former United States Senator and Arkansas Governor; born in Charleston, Arkansas.
Bill Clinton, former President of the United States; born in Hope, Arkansas.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, member of the United States Senate and former First Lady of the United States; former First Lady of Arkansas.
Orval Faubus, fomer Arkansas Governor.
Mike Huckabee, current Arkansas Governor.
Wilbur Mills, powerful former member of the United States House of Representatives; born in Kensett, Arkansas.
David Pryor, former United States Senator and original Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service; born in Camden, Arkansas.

Business

John Harold Johnson, founder of Johnson Publishing Company. Born in Arkansas City, Arkansas.
Sam Walton, founder of Wal Mart stores, and one of the world's wealthiest men. Born in Oklahoma, but created Wal Mart in 1962, in Rogers, Arkansas.

Entertainment

Glen Campbell, a Country musician that is most famous for his songs "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Wichita Lineman". Born in Delight, Arkansas.
Johnny Cash, Country music legend. Born in Kingsland, Arkansas.
Floyd Cramer, famous musician most known for his piano instrumental "Last Date". Born in Shreveport, Louisiana and raised in Huttig, Arkansas in 1933.
Jimmy Driftwood, famous Folk Music and Country Music personality. Born in Mountain View, Arkansas.
Gil Gerard, actor most famous for his role as Buck Rogers in the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, was born January 23, 1943, in Little Rock.
Gail Davis, film actress, best know as Annie Oakley from the 1950's television series. Born in Little Rock and raised in McGehee, Arkansas.
Corina Taylor, adult film actress born March 19, 1980, in Little Rock, where she was also raised.
Jody Evans, rising Country Music star. Born in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Gauge, adult film actress also known as Paige or Gage. Born July 24, 1980 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where she was also raised.
John Grisham, author and attorney, best known for his books that were later transformed into popular movies, such as The Pelican Brief, A Time To Kill, The Client, The Rainmaker, The Firm and The Chamber. Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Mark Lavon Helm (also known as Levon Helm), musician. Has played with many rock-&-roll legends, including Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan. He is a founding member of The Band.
Buddy Jewell, a Country musician born in Osceola, Arkansas.
Alan Ladd, a film actor most famous for his leading role in Shane. Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Tracy Lawrence, a Country musician born in Atlanta, Texas, raised in Foreman, Arkansas.
Ne-Yo, a R&B musician. Born October 18th, 1982 in Camden, Arkansas.
Dick Powell, a film actor, producer and director, best know for 1930's films such as 42nd Street and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Born in Mountain View, Arkansas.
Collin Raye, a Country musician best known for his songs "Little Rock", and "Love Me". Born in De Queen, Arkansas.
Mary Steenburgen, Academy Award-winning film and television actress. Born in Newport, Arkansas.
Billy Bob Thornton, famous film actor born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and raised in Alpine, Arkansas and Malvern, Arkansas.
Conway Twitty, a Country music legend. Born in Friars Point, Mississippi, raised in Helena, Arkansas. Born with the name Harold Jenkins, he took his stage name from the towns of Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas.

Sports

Lou Brock, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, considered to be the greatest base stealer of his era. Born in El Dorado, Arkansas.
Paul "Bear" Bryant, legendary University of Alabama football coach. Born in Moro Bottom, Arkansas.
William Carr, 1932 Olympic Gold Medalist. Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
John Daly, PGA golf champion. Born in California, raised from age 5 in Dardanelle, Arkansas.
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Born in Lucas, Arkansas.
Derek Fisher, NBA basketball player. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Joe Johnson, NBA basketball player. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Jerry Jones, owner of the NFL team Dallas Cowboys. Born in North Little Rock, Arkansas and raised in Rose City.
Matt Jones, NFL football star and 2005 1st round NFL draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
George Kell, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Born in Swifton, Arkansas.
Sonny Liston, world Heavyweight champion. Born in Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas
Mark Martin, NASCAR race car driver. Born in Batesville, Arkansas.
Sidney Moncrief, retired NBA star who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and who set several college records with the University of Arkansas. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Scottie Pippen, former NBA legend who played for the Chicago Bulls championship teams, named as one of the 50 Greatest Players. Born in Hamburg, Arkansas; attended the University of Central Arkansas.
Brooks Robinson, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Jermain Taylor, current undisputed middleweight boxing champion. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Barry Switzer, former head coach of the NFL team Dallas Cowboys. Born in Crossett, Arkansas.
Corliss Williamson, former NBA 6th Man of the Year and member of the 2004 NBA Champion [Detroit Pistons]. Lead the Arkansas Razorbacks to the 1994 NCAA title. Now a member of the [Sacramento Kings]. Born and raised in Russellville, Arkansas.

Inventor

Freeman Owens, former World War I combat camera operator, who later perfected the art of putting sound on film as a pioneer in cinematography. Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Military

Douglas MacArthur The supreme commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area during World War II was born in Little Rock.
John Hanks Alexander, the first African American to hold a regular command position in the US Armed Forces and the second African American to graduate from West Point. Born in Helena, Arkansas.
Maurice L. Britt World War II soldier, Medal of Honor recipient, and Lt. Governor of Arkansas
Wesley Clark Retired Army general, NATO Supreme Commander.

Outlaws

Bill Doolin (1858 – August 24, 1896), noted old west outlaw, once member of the Dalton Gang, and the subject of the rock band the Eagles song, Doolin Dalton, was born in Clarksville, Arkansas.

External links

	The State of Arkansas
Capital	Little Rock
Regions	Ozarks \| Ouachita Mountains \| Mississippi Alluvial Plain \| Crowley's Ridge \| Arkansas River Valley \| Western Arkansas
Metropolitan Areas	Little Rock \| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers \| Fort Smith \| Texarkana \| Jonesboro \| Pine Bluff \| Hot Springs \| Memphis, Tennessee \|
	Arkansas\| Ashley \| Baxter \| Benton \| Boone \| Bradley \| Calhoun \| Carroll \| Chicot \| Clark \| Clay \| Cleburne \| Cleveland \| Columbia \| Conway \| Craighead \| Crawford \| Crittenden \| Cross \| Dallas \| Desha \| Drew \| Faulkner \| Franklin \| Fulton \| Garland \| Grant \| Greene \| Hempstead \| Hot Spring \| Howard \| Independence \| Izard \| Jackson \| Jefferson \| Johnson \| Lafayette \| Lawrence \| Lee \| Lincoln \| Little River \| Logan \| Lonoke \| Madison \| Marion \| Miller \| Mississippi \| Monroe \| Montgomery \| Nevada \| Newton \| Ouachita \| Perry \| Phillips \| Pike \| Poinsett \| Polk \| Pope \| Prairie \| Pulaski \| Randolph \| Saline \| Scott \| Searcy \| Sebastian \| Sevier \| Sharp \| St. Francis \| Stone \| Union \| Van Buren \| Washington \| White \| Woodruff \| Yell
Cities	Benton \| Bentonville \| Blytheville \| Conway \| El Dorado \| Fayetteville \| Fort Smith \| Hot Springs \| Jacksonville \| Jonesboro \| Little Rock \| North Little Rock \| Paragould \| Pine Bluff \| Rogers \| Russellville \| Searcy \| Sherwood \| Springdale \| Texarkana \| Van Buren
See also	For the complete list of current cities, towns, unincorporated communities, counties, and other recognized places in Arkansas, see: List of places in Arkansas.

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