“Land of downriver people” means a Quapaw Indian word roughly AR-ken-saw in its French pronunciation. Officially, this pronunciation was established by state law in 1881. This was preceded by a debate between two state senators, after which the pronunciation ar-KAN-zas was no longer used. As one of the poorest states with little industrialization, Arkansas played only a subordinate role in the USA in the 20th century. The state emerged in 1992 when the then relatively unknown governor William J. Clinton was elected the Democratic candidate for the US presidency and later won the presidential election. In the meantime, the state has been able to improve its position. Automotive suppliers in particular have settled in the east of the country. One of the largest school bus manufacturers in the world is located in Convay, a city with almost 50,000 inhabitants in the center of the country. The Northwest is home to the headquarters of Wal-Mart (the world’s largest retailer in 2007), JB Hunt (one of the largest transportation companies in the United States), and Tyson Foods (the world’s largest poultry, beef, and pork producer). This region has experienced a veritable economic boom since the 1970s. Another important source of income is tourism, as evidenced by the nickname The Natural State. Check topschoolsoflaw.com for brief history of the state of Arkansas.