Arkansas Facts -- National Geographic

Fast Facts

Population:: 2,725,714
Capital:: Little Rock; 184,055
Area:: 53,179 square miles (137,732 square kilometers)
Per Capita Income:: U.S. $23,417
Date Statehood Achieved:: June 15, 1836

Migrants from the southern Appalachians settled the forested Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains in the early 19th century. Meanwhile, rich black soils along the Mississippi River attracted cotton planters to the east and south. Arkansas now leads the nation in rice, ranks third in turkeys, and places high in soybeans and sorghum. No other place in the world produces more bromine. Hot Springs National Park and the scenic Ozarks attract a growing number of visitors.

ECONOMY

Industry: Services, food processing, paper products, transportation, metal products, machinery, electronics
Agriculture: Poultry and eggs, rice, soybeans, cotton, wheat

—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Related Features

Ozarks Road Trip

Deciduous forests create a kaleidoscopic palette of crimsons, saffrons, and ochres.
Deep Southern Caves

Hard-core cavers in three southern states stop at nothing to probe an underworld wilderness.
The Intimate Wild

An uncrowded trail traverses the Arkansas highlands.