▁Scott , ▁and ▁I ola . ▁ ▁The ▁region ▁has ▁a ▁land ▁area ▁of ▁ 1 3 , 6 2 4 . 1 3 ▁km ² ▁( 5 , 2 6 0 . 3 0 ▁sq ▁mi ) ▁and ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁census ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 8 0 , 8 1 5 ▁inhabitants . ▁It ▁has ▁ 6 . 4 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁land ▁area ▁and ▁ 6 . 7 3 % ▁of ▁its ▁population . ▁It ▁is ▁domin ated ▁by ▁a ▁broad ▁rolling ▁landscape ▁that ▁includes ▁the ▁O z arks . ▁It ▁receives ▁more ▁precip itation ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁part ▁of ▁Kansas . ▁S out heast ▁Kansas ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁tall gr ass ▁pra irie ▁e cos ystem ▁of ▁North ▁America . ▁ ▁Origin ally ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁several ▁Native ▁American ▁tribes , ▁front ier ▁towns ▁largely ▁dependent ▁on ▁cattle ▁ran ch ing , ▁and ▁min ing , ▁were ▁wra ck ed ▁by ▁violence ▁over ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁sla very ▁both ▁before ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁( see ▁Ble eding ▁Kansas ). ▁The ▁most ▁pre val ent ▁min ing ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Kansas ▁was ▁coal ▁min ing . ▁This ▁is ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁coal ▁found ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁quality ▁and ▁thick ness ▁of ▁coal ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Kansas . ▁ ▁S out heast ▁Kansas ▁offers ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁premier ▁reconst ru ctions ▁of ▁early ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁at ▁Fort ▁Scott ▁National ▁Historic ▁Site .