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Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska

lowest point is at the Verdigris River in the southeast. The elevation here is 679 feet (207 m). The state’s highest elevation is 4,041 feet (1,232 m) at Mount Sunflower, along the western border with Colorado. The High Plains region, stretching across the western third of the state, is the area that most closely fits the stereotypical image of Kansas. A vast

Nebraska on the north, and Oklahoma on the south. The Kansas landscape is commonly thought of as flat and monotonous . Contrary to the stereotype, however, Kansas as a whole isn’t really flat. There are deep valleys and steep slopes in some parts of the state. The elevation can change as much as 400 feet (122 m) in a single area. Kansas’s

Words to Understand in This Chapter

confluence— the place where two rivers or streams join up. conquistador— a soldier in the Spanish conquests of the Americas in the 16th century. contiguous— adjacent, or sharing a common border. guerrilla warfare— irregular warfare carried out by small, independent groups of fighters. monotonous— lacking variety; boring and unchanging. popular sovereignty— the right of settlers in a territory to decide by vote whether or not to permit slavery. reservoir— an artificial lake used for storing water. sediment— sand, soil, and rock particles deposited by water, wind, or glaciers. temperance movement— a movement beginning in the early 19th century advocating the restriction or prohibition of alcoholic beverages.

thwart— to prevent someone from doing something; to defeat their plans. topography— the features of a land area, such as mountains and rivers.