Kansas, one of the six states located on the Frontier Strip, was annexed to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The state then became part of the Missouri Territory and entered the Union as a Free State in 1861. The state capital is Topeka.

Kansasis known as the birthplace of two prominent Americans: Amelia Earhart and President Eisenhower. It also holds the distinction of housing the disputed World's Largest Ball of Twine. Created on 15 August 1953 in Cawker City, the Ball of Twine is still –amazingly – growing.

Another favorite tourist destination in Kansas is the Garden of Eden, created by S.P. Dinsmoor in Lucas in 1905, and opened up to tourists in 1908. It is a magnificently lifelike rendition of the Garden as portrayed in the bible, with full-size sculptures of biblical scenes and a smattering of political messages. Dinsmoor even built his own mausoleum in which he is on prominent display for visitors who wish to see him today in his concrete coffin.

The Wizard of Oz Museum in Liberal, Kansas offers another skillful interpretation of a children's story with the same name. The museum has a Dorothy's House and the farm house featured in the film The Wizard of Oz.

Education in Kansas is run by the Kansas State Board of Education. The Board recently approved a draft of science curriculum standards that mandated equal time for the theories of "evolution" and "intelligent design" in order to give proper equilibrium to the lesson plans.

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