ARKANSAS, lielcan-si, the "Bear State.* A south-central State of the United States, bounded on the north by Missouri, on the east bor Missouri and the Mississippi River, on the south by Louisiana and Texas, on the west by Texas and Oklahoma. It measures about 250 miles north and south and from 175 to 275 east and west. Area, 52,525 square miles of land, 810 of water. Capital, Little Rock (q.v.).
About one-fourth of the State is mountainous. In the northwest are the Ozark Mountains (q.v.), a continuation of that system from Missouri. The most ex tensive ranges are the Boston Mountains north of the Arkansas River and the Ouachita south. The highest peak is Magazine Mountain, 2,785 feet, in Logan County. Several others ap proach 2,000 feet. There are several unex plored caves of large dimensions, notably in Newton and Washington counties. Broken ranges extend eastward on the north as far as Sharpe and Independence counties and to Pulaski, Pike and Howard on the south. East and south of a line connecting these counties is a considerable tract of hilly country sloping east and south. Beyond this and ex tending to the Mississippi are the alluvial lands, swamps, lakes and bayous of the river "bottoms" 40 to 50 miles wide. The elevation of this region ranges from 350 feet along the border of the uplands to 100 feet in the extreme southeast. Much of it, excepting the prairie lands of Lonoke, Prairie and Arkansas counties, is still subject to overflow, though a considerable area has been recovered by a splendid system of drainage ditches and levees.
Except for a few miles on the north the Mississippi touches the State on its entire eastern border. Four large tribu taries flow through the State. The Saint Francis (450 miles long) parallels the Missis sippi from the Missouri border to a short dis tance above Helena. The region between the two is full of swamps and lakes, but is dotted with thriving settlements. The White River (800 miles) rises in Arkansas, passes into Missouri, re-enters the State, receives the Black (400 miles) at Jacksonport, the Cache near Clarendon, and enters the Mississippi in Arkansas County. The Arkansas River (q.v.), bisects the State from northwest to southeast and enters the Mississippi just below the White. It has no considerable tributaries. The Red River crosses the southwestern corner and receives the Ouachita (500 miles), which leaves the State through Union County. An incomplete survey of the streams in the north west showed 525,000 horse-power. The total in the State probably amounts to 1,000,000.
Climate and Sanitary Conditions.— The mean temperature is 60.8; for the winter 41.6, summer 78.9; lowest on record —32 (1862), highest 112. The variation between the north ern and southern part of the State is about 5 degrees. The average rainfall is 46.7; it is somewhat higher in the eastern and southern part. Severe droughts are unknown. Floods are common in the river sections. The eastern and southern river bottoms are hot and mala rial, but drainage has improved conditions greatly and a beginning has been made of the destruction of the mosquito. The uplands are healthful and the Ozark region is much fre quented as a summer resort.
Geology.— Several distinct periods of geo logical formation are represented in the State. The oldest is the Ordovician, found in several counties between the White River and the Missouri boundary and a narrow strip extend ing westward from Pulaski County. The next
oldest belongs to the Lower Carboniferous age and extends in general from east to west along the crest of the Ozark Mountains. Most of the region between 34° and and extending east to meridian 93 on the south and 91 on the north is Middle and Upper Carboniferous. Just below this is a small patch of Cretaceous. The rest eastward to the Mississippi is Ter tiary and Quaternary.
Minerals and The following non-metals are found in the State: Agate, asphalt, basalt, clay, coal, diamonds, fuller's earth, granite, graphite, lime, limestone, min eral waters, natural gas, novaculite (oilstone), phosphate rock, salt, sand and gravel, sandstone, slate, and tripoli. The clay products for 1914 amounted to $451,986, of which $19,400 was pottery. A small beginning has been made of the clay in Saline County for pottery work called Niloak, of a very artistic type. The coal is of two kinds, ordinary bituminous and semi-anthracite. The total production 1915 was 1,652,106 tons, valued at $2,950,456. In common with other States Arkansas suffered a depression in the industry in 1914-15. The production 1913 was 2,234,107 tons, valued at $3,923,701. Men employed in the mines, 4,339. The industry is confined mostly to Franklin, Johnson and Sebastian counties. Pike County enjoys the distinction of holding the only known deposit of diamonds in North America. The discovery was made in 1906. The product to date amounts to about 1,700 stones aggre gating 575 carats. The first discovery of ry fuller's earth in the United States was made in Saline County in 1891, but several States is found in abundance near Batesville. There are 18 mineral springs, most of them found at Hot Springs (q.v.). The production of natural gas was small up to 1916, but that year several strong wells were opened in the region of Alma and Ozark. Hot Springs, Gar land and adjoining counties are rich in novae ulite, out of which are made the "Arkansas" and °Ouachita" oilstones, the finest sharpening instruments in the world. Common whet stones, grindstones and millstones are made from the coarser grades. In this industry the State ranks first. Quartz sand is found in the northwest, but there is no glass industry. In the southwestern part of the State are deposits of asphalt, graphite and chalk- out of which Portland cement is made, but they are still undeveloped. The following metals occur in varying quantities: bauxite, copper gold, iron, lead, manganese ore, manganiferous ore, nickel and zinc. Only four, bauxite, lead, manganiferous ore and zinc are now of com mercial value. Bauxite, extensively used in making aluminum, was first discovered in Arkansas in 1891 and the bauxite industry was established by 1896. For several years the State has led in production, yielding nearly half of the world's output, though the industry is hampered by lack of transportation. Most of the ore comes from Saline and Pulaski counties. The production in 1913 amounted to 180,000 tons worth $855,000. There are large deposits of zinc (with lead by-products) in the northern part of the State, but the industry declined after 1908 until 1915, when it was considerably revived. The production in 1915 was valued at $801,754, compared with $65,214 in 1914; 7,925 tons of zinc carbonate, value $408,079, an increase in bulk of 700 per cent, and in value of 1500 per cent over 1914, were exported.