State of the Month – Kansas

Here is the next instalment of my monthly feature going through the States of the United States in alphabetical order to check out how they got named, what their flag is like and other things of interest. 

Location – Kansas is said to be Midwestern.  From the map it looks just about Central to me.  Kansas' neighbouring states are Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma and Colorado.

Origin of name – named after the Kansa tribe.

Nicknames – The Sunflower State, The Wheat State

Flag

Capital – Topeka (although the largest city is Wichita – home of the first ever Pizza Hut)

Flower – Wild Sunflower

Bird – Western meadowlark

State Tree – Plains Cottonwood

State Song – Home on the Range

Bierock

Signature foods – BBQ, Zwieback (soft dinner roll), Bierock (cabbage rolls), Fried Chicken

Famous places to visit – Monument Rocks, Lake Shawnee

Famous businesses/brands – Applebee's, Cessna Aircraft Company and Fuller Brush Company

Famous people from Kansas – Joe Walsh (of the Eagles), Melissa Etheridge, Kansas (the band), Amelia Earhart, Walter Chrysler (Chrysler cars), Kirstie Alley and the fictional Clark Kent.

Go to this Pinboard to see the States of the Month so far.