Arkansas Land for Sale

Arkansas is located in the southeastern region of the United States, and borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Oklahoma to the west, and Texas to the southwest. It is the 33rd most populated state and the 29th largest by area. The state's name comes from a French mispronunciation of a tribal name for the Native American Quapaw people, meaning "land of downriver people" or "people of the south wind," in the Sioux language. In 1881, the pronunciation of Arkansas, with the final "s" silent, was made an official act of the state legislature after a dispute around between Arkansas' two U.S. Senators who favored different pronunciations. Also, in 2007, the state legislature passed a non-binding resolution that the possessive form of the state's name be "Arkansas's." Though grammatically incorrect, it has been followed increasingly by the state government. Its nickname is "The Natural State," as Arkansas is famous for its natural beauty, clear lakes and streams and abundant wildlife. Little Rock is the capital city and the largest city in the state, with Fayetteville being the second largest. Fort Smith, Springdale, Jonesboro, North Little Rock, Conway, and Rogers are cities with populations above 50,000.

The geography of the state is quite diverse, with two mountain regions, the Ozark Mountains and Ouachita Mountains, densely-forested land in the south known as the Timberlands, and lowlands in the east along the Mississippi River and the Arkansas River Delta. Arkansas has a number of protected areas, which include 37 state parks, one state forest, one state historic site, three state fish hatcheries, 19 state wildlife management areas, one national park, four national forests and nine national wildlife refuges. Notable are Hot Springs National Park, Ouachita National Forest, and Lake Ouachita State Park, Ozark National Forest, Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, White River National Wildlife Refuge, Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, Buffalo, Bull Shoals State Park, Can Creek State Park, Crater of Diamonds State Park, Crowley Ridge State Park, Delta Heritage Trail State Park, Devil's Den State Park, Lake Catherine State Park, Lake Charles State Park, Lake Dardanelle State Park, Lake Frierson State Park, Mount Magazine State Park, Moro Bay State Park, Mount Nebo State Park, Toltec Mounds State Park, and Poison Springs State Park. The state also features a number of historical sites related to pioneer times and the Civil War, as well as small towns and cities with quaint historical districts with unique shopping and dining locations. Some other excellent attractions in the state include Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas Air and Military Museum in Fayetteville, Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, which started the school desegregation movement, and Buffalo National River.

Though only a small percent of the population is employed in agriculture, it remains a large part of the state's economy. Arkansas is the nation's largest producer of rice, broilers, and turkeys, and is in the top three states for cotton, chicken, and aquaculture, specifically catfish. The state ranks fourth in the nation and first in the south for softwood lumber production, as timber production is high in the Timberlands region. Other industries are mineral mining and manufacturing of automobile parts. Tourism also contributes to the economy, with the large number of state and national parks and wildlife areas for all kinds of outdoor recreation. Arkansas supports a network of public universities and colleges, such as Arkansas State University and University of Arkansas, two major university systems. Other public universities include Arkansas Tech University, Henderson State University, Southern Arkansas University, and University of Central Arkansas. There are also 11 private colleges and universities, including Hendrix College, one of the country's top 100 liberal arts colleges. In total, there are more than 30 higher education institutions in the state.