Kansas

Capital: Topeka

Population: 2,688,418

Entered the Union: January 29, 1861

As the: 34th state

Motto: Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulties)

Nicknames: Sunflower State, Jayhawk State, Breadbasket of America

Origin of Name: From a Sioux word meaning "people of the south wind"

Major Industries: Wheat, Cattle, Aircraft

Historical Sites: Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Museum and Library, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, Fort Scott Historic Site, Boot Hill Museum's Front Street, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Old Abilene Town

Points of Interest: Wichita Art Museum, Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, NCAA Visitors Center