Flag History
With both the state seal and the military crest on the flag, the Kansas state flag conveys much historical significance because it was a state that chose to outlaw slavery in an area of slave states. The open-faced sunflower, the official flower of Kansas, represents the fearlessness with which Kansas faces and solves its problems. The state seal depicts much of what was happening in Kansas during the times of the pioneers. A plowman is preparing his field for sowing, covered wagons are moving Westward, and Native Americans are hunting bison. The steamboat represents commerce. The rising sun and sky with its 34 stars symbolize the number of states in the Union at the time the flag was adopted. The blue background stands for the loyalty of the people of Kansas.
Flag Adopted: 1927
State Nickname: The Sunflower State
State Motto: Ad astra per aspera "To the stars through difficulties"
Area: 82,277 square miles
Approximate Population: 2.4 million
Capital: Topeka
Largest City: Wichita
Major Products: wheat, corn, livestock, coal, oil, gas
State Bird: Western Meadowlark
State Tree: Cottonwood
State Flower: Sunflower
State Animal: American Buffalo
