Little Rock is Arkansas state's capital and most populous city. The city was established as the county seat of Pulaski County on November 7, 1831, on the southern bank of the Arkansas River near the geographic center of the State. The town derives its name from a rock formation along the river, known in the 1720s by the French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bnard as the Little Rock. Little Rock is a hub of culture, agriculture, government, and transportation within Arkansas and the South. Several cultural institutions, such as the Arkansas Arts Center, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, are in Little Rock.