List of Arkansas state symbols
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The state of Arkansas has numerous symbols.
Though two other songs are designated as "state songs" (plus a "state historical song" which was the state song from 1949 to 1963), by state law, the secretary of state must respond to any requests for "the state song" with the music of the state anthem, "Arkansas", which was the state song before 1949 and from 1963 to 1987, when it became state anthem and the other songs gained their present status. This is strictly to preserve the status of "Arkansas"; all four songs are either copyrighted by the state itself or in the public domain. The oldest symbol is the apple blossom, designated in 1901. The most recently designated symbol is the Cotton Belt 898, designated in 2021.
Insignia
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flag | The Flag of Arkansas |  |
||
| Seal | The Great Seal of the State of Arkansas |  |
||
| Anthem | "Arkansas" by Eva Ware Barnett |
1987 | — | [1] |
| Historical song | "The Arkansas Traveler" by Sandford C. Faulkner |
1987 |  |
[1] |
| Motto | Regnat Populus "The People Rule" |
1907 | — | [2] |
| Nickname | "The Natural State" | 1953[3] | ||
| Language | English | 1987[4] | ||
| Song | "Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)" by Wayland Holyfield |
1987 | — | [1] |
| Song | "Oh, Arkansas" by Terry Rose and Gary Klass |
1987 | — | [1] |
Animals
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bird | Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos |
1929[5] |  |
| Butterfly | Diana fritillary butterfly Speyeria diana |
2007[6] |  |
| Dinosaur | Arkansaurus Fridayi | 2019[7] |  |
| Insect | Honey bee Apis mellifera |
1973[8] |  |
| Mammal | White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus |
1993[9] |  |
| Primitive fish | Alligator gar Atractosteus spatula |
2019[10] |  |
Plants
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floral emblem | Apple blossom Pyrus malus |
1901[11] |  |
| Fruit and vegetable | South Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato Solanum lycopersicum |
1987[12] |  |
| Grain | Rice Oryza sp. |
2007[13] |  |
| Grape | Cynthiana grape Vitis aestivalis |
2009[14] |  |
| Nut | Pecan Carya illinoinensis |
2009[15] |  |
| Soil | Stuttgart soil series | 1997[16] | |
| Tree | Pine tree either Pinus taeda or Pinus echinata |
1939[17] |  |
Geology
Culture
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| American folk dance | Square dance | 1991[21] |  |
| Beverage | Milk | 1985[22] |  |
| Firearm | Shotgun | 2019[23] |  |
| Historic cooking vessel | Dutch oven | 2001[24] |  |
| Knife | Bowie knife | 2019[25] |  |
| Musical instrument | Fiddle | 1985[26] |  |
| Northwest Purple Martin Capital | Fort Smith, Arkansas | 1993[27] |  |
| Poultry Capital of the World | Springdale, Arkansas | 2013[28] |  |
| Southeast Purple Martin Capital | Lake Village, Arkansas | 1993[27] |  |
| Steam Locomotive | Cotton Belt 819 | 2021[29] |  |
| Trout Capital | Cotter, Arkansas | 1993[30] |  |
Other
State quarter for Arkansas
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