State of the USA (137,754 km 2 with 2,834,797 inhabitants in 2007); capital Little Rock. It extends along the terminal section of the river of the same name and faces the river to the east Mississippi. it has a mild climate with abundant rainfall. Its economy is based on agriculture, favored by numerous irrigation works along the Arkansas River. In the northwest region, production is mainly oriented towards wheat and vegetables; remarkable breeding. In the eastern plain, cotton is the main product. Bauxite is mined, in greater quantities, but also oil, coal and diamonds. It activates the industry in the textile, food, metallurgical and chemical sectors.
According to abbreviationfinder, the first European to enter the territory of Arkansas, in 1541, was Hernando de Soto. In 1682 the expedition La Salle formally took possession of the territory in the name of Louis XIV of France. The territory was ceded by France to Spain in 1763, and entered the borders of the North American Union with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It had a territorial organization in 1819, and became a state in 1836. In 1861 it joined the secessionist states of the Confederation and was the scene of bloody clashes during the civil war.
Enrico Tonti, one of the members of the La Salle expedition, founded in 1686 Arkansas Post, the first outpost of the Arkansas, on the left bank of the river of the same name, just upstream of its confluence with the Mississippi. On 11 January 1863, during the Secession War, the town was the scene of a defeat of the Confederates by the federal army.
Agriculture
Most Arkansas workers engage in agriculture, and 65% of the population lives on numerous farms that occupy 51.9% of the total area of the state. The most prosperous farms are those kept by the Whites in the north-western prairies, and they produce fruit and fodder, but not cotton; this, on the other hand, is extensively cultivated in the eastern alluvial region, of which it is the most important product. The 1920 census will number 1,072,000 cattle, 252,000 horses, 323,000 mules, 1,378,000 pigs, about 225,000 sheep and goats. In general, cotton, grains, fodder, rice, potatoes, barley, strawberries, sugar cane are grown in the state. A special census for farmers, done in 1925, showed a slight decrease in farm areas, this was largely due to the introduction of automobiles to replace transport and working animals, which led to a reduction in the demand for grain and fodder. The factories in 1919 employed 58,202 people. The industry most practiced is that of timber, there is no shortage of repair shops for railway material, mills for seed oils, printing houses and barrel factories. Very little cotton has been processed so far. In Arkansas there are approximately 8700 km. of railways and about 3460 km. of navigable waterways, including the Mississippi. the most widely practiced industry is that of timber, there is no shortage of repair shops for railway materials, mills for seed oils, typographies and barrel factories. Very little cotton has been processed so far. In Arkansas there are approximately 8700 km. of railways and about 3460 km. of navigable waterways, including the Mississippi. the most widely practiced industry is that of timber, there is no shortage of repair shops for railway materials, mills for seed oils, typographies and barrel factories. Very little cotton has been processed so far. In Arkansas there are approximately 8700 km. of railways and about 3460 km. of navigable waterways, including the Mississippi.
Population
With the exception of the few French who settled at the mouth of Arkansas in 1685, until the 10th century. XIX very few were the Whites who had fixed abode in the state. In 1820 the population of the entire state was 14,273; in 1860 it rose to 435,450, in 1890 to 1,128,000 and in 1920 to 1,752,000, equal to about 13 residents per square kilometer. The urban population (in cities with more than 2500 inhabitants) in 1920 was 290,497 inhabitants, that is 16% of the total.
The most populous cities, in 1920, were: Little Rock with 65,142 inhabitants (capital and main railway center), Fort Smith, Pine Bluff, North Little Rock, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Helena, Texarkana, Paragould, West Helena, Fayetteville, Van Buren.
The total population of the state, in 1920, was divided as follows: Whites 73%, Negroes 27%, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, less than 0.1%. The most represented foreign countries are, in descending order: Germany, Italy, England, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Russia, Austria and Poland. White foreigners make up 1.9% of the urban population and 0.6% of the rural population.
The Italians are found mostly in Jefferson, Sebastian, Pulaski, Chicot and Washington counties; they are mainly farmers, since in 1920 there were only 239 Italians distributed in the five main cities, out of a total of 1314, while they ran 187 farms. An Italian agricultural colony worthy of mention is Tontitown in the northern part of Washington County; founded in 1898, it had 232 residents in 1920.
The percentage of illiteracy has declined very rapidly in Arkansas due to the increase in population density, but it is increasing among the Negroes. In this state, as in the other states of the south, white and black boys have separate schools. In addition to elementary public schools, there are private schools and several colleges. The University of Arkansas (for Whites of both sexes) is in Fayetteville.
According to countryaah, Arkansas has the following main cities:
Little Rock
Little Rock – Capital of the state of Arkansas (United States), capital of Pulaski County, on the right bank of the Arkansas River; it was founded in 1814 on a rocky spur, about fifteen meters high above the water. It has an average annual temperature of about 16 ° (5 ° in January; 27 ° in July); abundant rainfall (1250 mm.), uniformly distributed.
Little Rock’s population rose from 2,167 in 1850 to 38,307 in 1900, to 65,142 in 1920, to 81,679 in 1930. In that year 68.4% of the white population was indigenous; 5.8% born to foreign parents; 1.7% born abroad; very numerous the color element (24.1% of the entire population).
It is a notable center of industries (3-4000 workers employed), connected with cotton growing (pressing of cotton, manufacturing of cotton oil, etc.), agricultural production and forestry exploitation; it also has mechanical industries. It is home to several educational institutions, including the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) medical school, and a major rail hub.
Little Rock owes its name to Bernard de la Harpe, who, exploring the Arkansas River in 1722, gave the names La Petite Roche and La Grande Roche to two large rocks on the banks, one of which now forms the landing place for a railway bridge. In 1812 the hunter William Lewis settled in Little Rock. After Arkansas was established into the territory in 1819, the seat of government moved here from the Arkansas Post. Little Rock was formed as a City Hall in 1831 and erected in the city in 1836. During the Civil War, Arkansas being a rebel state, Little Rock was taken over by federal troops in 1863.