According to existingcountries, Wichita is the largest city in the US state of Kansas. It lies on the Arkansas River and has approximately 600,000 inhabitants. In the past, it was ranked among the top ten cities in the US to live in according to the survey. Wichita is also the county seat of Sedgwick County and currently has around 370,000 residents. It is thus the 51st largest city in the USA and at the same time the most populous city in Kansas.
The town was founded in 1870 by entrepreneurs who came to the area with the intention of hunting, selling furs and trading with the locals. The Chisholm Trail used to lead cattle to eastern markets into the area. Only in the 20th century did the city begin to transform into the aviation capital of the world, as aviation experts such as Clyde Cessna or Walter Beech settled here. Between 1920 and 1930, the companies Stearman, Cessna, Mooney and Beech were founded here. Cessna and Beechcraft are still in operation here, and Learjet, Spirit AeroSystems, and Boeing and Airbus maintain a workforce in Wichita. There are a total of six aircraft manufacturing factories in the city.
However, Wichita is also a cultural and entertainment center, with nightclubs, restaurants, shopping centers, museums, theaters and parks. Several universities are also located here, the largest of which is Wichita State University, which is attended by about 15,000 students. In the center of the city, the so-called Downtown, is the Century II Convention Hall building, where the Music Theater of Wichita plays regularly, or the Wichita Symphony Orchestra performs here. In 1922, the Orpheum Theater was also built here, which today serves as a venue for smaller exhibitions.
The center for art in the entire state of Kansas is the Wichita Art Museum, which contains 7,000 permanent collections. There are also several museums along the Arkansas River, such as the Mid-America All-Indian Center, the Old Cowtown living history museum, the Exploration Place science and discovery Center, and the Wichita Gardens botanical garden. Wichita boasts 24 themed gardens, including the popular Butterfly Garden and Sally Stone Sensory Garden.
In the center of the city there is also the town hall from 1892, which contains collections and artefacts telling the story of the city and the entire region from 1865 to the present day. In the northwest part of the city is the Sedgwick County Zoo, which is home to more than 2,500 animals from 500 different animal species. The zoo is located next to Sedgwick County Park and Arboretum.
