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grine falcon, whooping crane, and

bald eagle. Cheyenne Bottoms is the

largest inland wetland in the United

States.

Kansas is also home to one of the

longest prairie rivers in the nation: the

Kansas River in the northeast of the

state. Also known as the Kaw, the

Kansas River served as an important

transportation hub for pioneers mov-

ing into the frontier. Other important

rivers include the Missouri River,

which forms 75 miles (121 km) of

Kansas’s northeastern border with

Missouri State, and the Arkansas

River, which snakes across western

and southern Kansas for nearly 500

miles (800 km).

History

Kansas is named after the Kansa, or

Kaw, tribe of Indians. They migrated

west from the Ohio Valley in the early

1700s, ending up in what is now

northeastern Kansas. The Kaw, or

“People of the South Wind,” lived in

villages along the river valleys, where

they cultivated corn, beans, and

squash. Periodically, they left their vil-

lages to hunt buffalo in the western

reaches of the state.

By the mid-18th century, the Kaw

had become the dominant tribe in

Kansas. Before their arrival, however,

the area was occupied by Pawnee and

Wichita Indians. These were the tribes

that the first European explorers

encountered when they arrived here in

1541, led by the Spanish

conquistador

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado.

Coronado’s interest in the Plains

14

Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska

Mount Sunflower, located near the western

border with Colorado, is the highest point in

Kansas. Because the state’s terrain gradually

rises from east to west, the “summit” is virtually

indistinguishable from the surrounding area. It

is 4,039 feet (1,231 m) above sea level.