The city of Little Rock, Arkansas is the states capital city and biggest city. The city of Little Rock acts as the county seat for Pulaski County and based on the latest 2010 census, the Little Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area supports just under 700,000 residents. This statistical area comprised the Little-Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area which, based on the census of that very same year had 877,091 people residing there. This figure registered as the 47th largest combined statistical area in the US. The city of Little Rock itself had a population in 2010 of around 193,520 inhabitants making it the 118th biggest city within the United States.
The city of Little Rock derived its name from the tiny stone outcropping and rock formation located on Arkansas River's south bank. This formation is known as la Petite Roche and translates to mean "little rock" in the French language. The city of Little Rock itself is located close to the geographic center of Arkansas State. Early travelers and river traffic used the "little rock" as a landmark and this eventually turned into a well recognized river crossing. La Petit Roche was named by Jean-Baptiste Bernard de la Harpe, a French explorer and trader. This region marked the transition from the Ouachita Mountain foothills to the flat Mississippi Delta region.
Before the arrival of the European, Native American tribes have inhabited the area for many many years around Central Arkansas. There are lots of archaeological artifacts located in the area that supports these findings. Some of the first inhabitants within the area consisted of Bluff Dwellers, the different Mississippian culture civilizations who built many earthwork mounds that were recorded by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto's expedition during 1541. Additionally, the Folsom people likewise have proof of settling the area. Several historical tribes from the area comprise the Cherokee, Osage, Caddo, Choctaw and the Quapaw.
Little Rock features numerous local attractions and amenities for its visitors and residents to enjoy. They have many annual events providing cultural and historic displays. There are also plenty of recreational sites to take in. Among the most famous places include the Little Rock Zoo, that initially opened their doors in the year 1926 with only 2 animals! These days they proudly represent over 200 species with more than 725 animals. General Douglas MacArthur's place of birth is one of the oldest buildings within central Arkansas. It makes up the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History and opened during 2001. General Douglas MacArthur was a great supreme commander in the South Pacific during WWII for the U.S. forces.
Little Rock is considered to be the economic hub of Arkansas. Major sectors of obs consist of banks, federal, state and local government, and various medical facilities. There are other businesses that provide many jobs in the region like fore instance the Arkansas Children's Hospital, the University Arkansas for Medical Services and the central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. manufacturing, education, transportation, aviation and education all contribute a lot to the overall success of the city of Little Rock.
A huge and essential aspect of the local economy of Little Rock is due to agriculture. Spacecraft and aircraft combined are still a major export for Arkansas. One of the emerging businesses for the city is the University of Arkansas medical biotechnology research program. The university provides a lot of support to start-up biotechnology companies and is a main portion of the program.