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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
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
8
Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska
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.
Words to Understand in This Chapter