Arkansas: Fun Facts and Trivia

Ask most Northerners about Southern states, and you'll quickly discover they know the least about Arkansas beyond Bill Clinton and his family.

The state shares a border with six states, although the Mississippi River largely defines its eastern border. The geography is varied, with the Ozarks and the Ouachita Mountains comprising mountainous areas and eastern lowlands located along the Mississippi. According to 50states.com, elevations vary from 54 feet above sea level to 2,753 feet at Mount Magazine, the highest point in the state. The Arkansas River at 1,450 miles long has been named the longest stream to flow into the Mississippi-Missouri River system.

The name "Arkansas" shares the root for its name with Kansas. It derives from the Kansas tribe of American Indians associated with the Sioux. The word is actually a French pronunciation of a Quapaw name that means "land of downriver people" or "people of the south wind". The state is one of several carved from the land bought as the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon Bonaparte.

Visitors will find 6 national parks, 2.5 million acres of national forest, 7 national scenic byways, 3 state scenic byways and 50 state parks. The Ozark National Forest alone spreads over more than a million acres. Crater of Diamonds State Park permits amateur prospectors to search for precious gens such as diamonds, amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate and quartz just outside Murfreesboro. One of the country's premier restoration efforts, the Quapaw Quarter, contains some of Little Rock's oldest buildings, including Victorian and antebellum homes.

Since the 1830s, Arkansas has been known for Hot Springs National Park. Among its famous bathers were President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Babe Ruth and Al Capone. The city of Hot Springs, childhood home of Bill Clinton, completely surrounds Hot Springs.

Arkansas entered the Untied States as its 25^th state on June 15, 1836. The Arkansas Post, which was established in 1686 near the mouth of the Arkansas River, was the first permanent white settlement in the state. The correct term for a resident of the state is "Arkansan".

Unlike many other states, Arkansas has a state instrument: the fiddle. Quartz crystal was named the official state rock in 1967. Six years later, the honey became the state insect. The state gem is the diamond, and the official state name is The Natural State. Milk was designated as the official beverage of Arkansas in 1985. The apple blossom is the state flower, and the mockingbird is the official state bird.

Pine Bluff is recognized as the world center for production of archery bows. Alma says it's the Spinach Capital of the World. The Work's Championship Duck Calling Contest is held in Stuttgart each year.

Arkansas has been the residence of many famous individuals. Among them was musician Scott Joplin, who was born in Texarkana. Johnny Cash hailed from Kingsland. Entertainers Julie Adams, Glen Campbell, Gail Davis, Alan Ladd, and Mary Steenburgen and Billy Bob Thornton have called it home. Baseball great Dizzy Dean and legendary Alabama football coach "Bear" Bryant hailed from Alabama, as did author John Grisham and activist Eldridge Cleaver.

The state gained national attention after the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education case in 1954. The Federal Government intervened in Little Rock to protect African-American students trying to integrate a high school in the state capital. By the fall of 1959, Little Rock high schools were totally integrated.