HOT SPRINGS

resort spa, city, and seat (1874) of Garland county, central Arkansas, U.S. It lies just north of the Ouachita River at the eastern edge of the Ouachita Mountains and the Ouachita National Forest. The springs, long-used by the Indians and probably visited by Hernando de Soto in 1541, were explored in the 1600s, were frequented by Spanish and French health seekers in the 1700s, and were mapped in 1804 by the William DunbarGeorge Hunter expedition. The 47 thermal springs, which were set aside as a public reserve in 1832, became the focus for Hot Springs National Park (5,839 acres [2,363 hectares]), established in 1921. More than 1,000,000 gallons of water, with an average temperature of 143 F (62 C), flow from the springs daily. The area also includes some 20 hydrotherapeutic institutions and a medical centre. Permanent settlement of the site dates from 1807; the town was incorporated in 1876 and became a city in 1886. An aluminum mill and some light manufacturing augment the resort economy. Pop. (1990) 32,462.