So, you're thinking about attending a college or university in Arkansas?

The southern state of Arkansas has a diverse geography that ranges from the mountainous areas in the Ozarks and Quachita Mountains to the lowlands in the east along the Mississippi River, which dominates Arkansas' eastern border. Six states border Arkansas: Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Oklahoma and Texas to the west.

Weather in Arkansas is typically mild, though it can change dramatically due to the influence of surrounding weather systems. In the winter months, the average temperatures range from a low of 33°F to a high of 54°F. In the summer, temperatures tend to reach a high of 91°F and a low of 68.5°F.

In 2005, it was estimated that Arkansas had a population of 2,779,154. As of 2000, it was reported that 95.07% of Arkansas residents age 5 and older spoke English at home while only 3.31% spoke Spanish.

While Arkansas is socially conservative, unlike most southern states, the overwhelming majority of registered voters are Democrats. Almost all elected officials are Democrats as well. In fact, the Arkansas General Assembly has not been controlled by the Republican Party since the Reconstruction and is the fourth most heavily Democratic Legislature in the country. The only center of Republican strength in the state is in the northwestern area, in the region around Fort Smith.

Not surprisingly, since Arkansas is part of the Bible Belt, the religion of its residents is overwhelmingly Christian. 86% of Arkansas natives claim Christianity as their religion. 78% are Protestant. The strong religious beliefs of this state can even be seen in its state symbols, as the official state book of Arkansas is The Holy Bible. Only 14% of residents say they are non-religious.

Arkansas imposes a state income tax with six brackets, ranging from 1-7%. The state sales tax rate is currently 6%, though cities and counties have the authority to enact additional sales taxes if they are passed by their voters.

There are added taxes on the sales of alcoholic beverages, however. The sale of alcoholic beverages, excluding beer, at restaurants is charged a 10% tax. There is also a 4% tax on the sale of all mixed drinks, except beer and wine, sold for "on-premises" consumption and a 3% tax on beer sold for off-premises consumption.

As for education, Arkansas has several colleges and universities to choose from. These include:

• Arkansas State University

• The University of Arkansas

• The University of the Ozarks

To find more information about universities and colleges in this area, visit the Online College Degree page on this website.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Arkansas".

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