Arkansas, also known as the “Natural State,” became the 25th state in 1836 with Little Rock as its largest city and capital, covering 53,179 square miles and has a population of 2,779,154 as of 2005. Arkansas is bounded on the north by Missouri and on the east by the Mississippi River, which separates it from Mississippi and Tennessee. It is bordered on the south by Louisiana and on the west by Oklahoma and Texas. In size, Arkansas stands 26th among the states with 9,740 of those miles being streams and 453,868 acres accompanying lakes.
      The climate is usually without extreme heat or cold, with average annual temperatures varying from 58 to 65 degrees. Arkansas is also known for the Ozark Mountains, providing plenty of fishing, camping and boat rafting among other outdoor activities.
      Arkansas 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.


      Petroleum, natural gas and bromine are the top three minerals produced. Arkansas leads the nation of bauxite (which is sedimentary rock), providing over 80 percent of this valuable ore from which most all of our aluminum is made. St Vincent Health System, Sparks Regional Medical Center, Oklahoma Alltel Corp. Services are the top three biggest employers in Arkansas. Diamonds are found naturally in this state near Murfreesboro, where the Crater of Diamonds State Park is located. ‘Finders keepers’ is the motto here, as this is the only diamond

mine open to the public in the world and proves to be a fun adventure for the whole family. Arkansans love to celebrate the harvest, as evidenced by peach, tomato, watermelon, grape and purple hull pea festivals.

Local Attractions

      There are also steak cook-offs, Greek food festivals, chili-cooking contests, and of course lots of barbecues and catfish fries. If music is more your thing, the King Biscuit Blues Festival is one of the largest outdoor blues festival in the nation, but you can also hear jazz, rock 'n' roll, country and bluegrass or even the symphony or opera.

Schools

      Educational systems are very prevalent in Arkansas, with over 20 colleges that include University of Arkansas, with a unique graduate school that focuses on public service, as well as Arkansas State University and several community colleges. The state’s demographics are as follows, 78.6 percent Caucasian, 15.7 percent African-American, 3.2 percent Hispanic, 0.8 percent Asian, 0.7 percent Native American, and 1.3 percent of mixed race. Urban population is 52.5 percent; Rural 47.5 percent, with an almost even gender ratio of 49 percent male and 51 percent female.