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Iowa
Capital:
Des Moines
State abbreviation/Postal code:
Iowa/IA
Governor:
Chet Culver, D (to Jan. 2011)
Lieut. Governor: Patty Judge, D (to
Jan. 2011)
Senators:
Chuck
Grassley, R (to Jan. 2011); Tom
Harkin, D (to Jan. 2009)
U.S. Representatives:
5
Historical biographies of Congressional members
Secy. of State: Michael A. Mauro,
D (to Jan. 2011)
Treasurer: Michael L. Fitzgerald, D (to
Jan. 2011)
Atty. General: Tom Miller, D (to
Jan. 2011)
Organized as territory: June 12, 1838
Entered Union (rank):
Dec. 28, 1846 (29)
Present constitution adopted: 1857
Motto:
Our liberties we prize and our rights we will
maintain
State symbols:
flower
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wild rose (1897) |
bird
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eastern goldfinch (1933) |
colors
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red, white, and blue (in state flag) |
song
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“Song of Iowa” |
Nickname:
Hawkeye State
Origin of name:
From the Iowa River which was named after the
Ioway Indian tribe
10 largest cities (2005 est.):
Des Moines, 194,163;
Cedar Rapids,
123,119; Davenport, 98,845;
Sioux City, 83,148;
Waterloo, 66,483;
Iowa City, 62,887;
Council Bluffs,
59,568; Dubuque, 57,798;
West Des Moines,
52,768; Ames, 52,263
Land area:
55,869 sq mi. (144,701 sq km)
Geographic center: In Story Co., 5 mi.
NE of Ames
Number of counties: 99
Largest county by population and
area: Polk, 401,006 (2005); Kossuth, 973 sq mi.
State forests: 10 (43,917 ac.)
State parks/recreation areas: 84 (53,000
ac.)
Residents:
Iowan
2005 resident population est.:
2,966,334
2000 resident census population (rank):
2,926,324 (30). Male: 1,435,515 (49.1%); Female:
1,490,809 (50.9%). White: 2,748,640 (93.9%); Black:
61,853 (2.1%); American Indian: 8,989 (0.3%); Asian:
36,635 (1.3%); Other race: 37,420 (1.3%); Two or more
races: 31,778 (1.1%); Hispanic/Latino: 82,473 (2.8%).
2000 percent population 18 and over: 74.9; 65 and
over: 14.9; median age: 36.6.
See
additional census data
Area codes
Tourism office
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The first Europeans to visit the area were the French explorers Jacques Marquette and
Louis Joliet in 1673. The
U.S. obtained control of the area in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase, and
during the first half of the 19th century, there was heavy fighting
between white settlers and Indians. Lands were taken from the Indians
after the Black Hawk War in 1832 and
again in 1836 and 1837.
When Iowa became a state in 1846, its capital was Iowa City; the more
centrally located Des Moines became the new
capital in 1857. At that time, the state's present boundaries were also
drawn.
Although Iowa produces a tenth of the nation's food supply, the value
of Iowa's manufactured products is twice that of its agriculture. Major
industries are food and associated products, non-electrical machinery,
electrical equipment, printing and publishing, and fabricated
products.
Iowa stands in a class by itself as an agricultural state. Its farms
sell over $10 billion worth of crops and livestock annually. Iowa leads
the nation in all corn, soybean, and hog marketings, and comes in third in
total livestock sales. Iowa's forests produce hardwood lumber,
particularly walnut, and its mineral products include cement, limestone,
sand, gravel, gypsum, and coal.
Tourist attractions include the Herbert Hoover birthplace
and library near West Branch; the Amana Colonies; Fort Dodge Historical
Museum, Fort, and Stockade; the Iowa State Fair at Des Moines in August; and
the Effigy Mounds National Monument, a prehistoric Indian burial site at
Marquette.
See more on Iowa: Encyclopedia: Iowa Encyclopedia:
Geography
Encyclopedia: Economy Encyclopedia:
Government
Encyclopedia: History Monthly Temperature Extremes
Accredited Colleges and Universities
All U.S. States: Geography & Climate
Printable Outline Maps
Record Highest Temperatures
Record Lowest Temperatures
Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations
Land and Water Area
All U.S. States: Population & Economy
Historical Population Statistics,
1790–Present
Per Capita Personal Income
Minimum Wage Rates
State Taxes
Federal Government Expenditure
Percent of People in Poverty
Births and Birth Rates
Homeownership
Percentage of Uninsured by State
All U.S. States: Society & Culture:
Most Livable States
Healthiest States
Most Dangerous States
Smartest States
Crime Index
Residency Requirements for Voting
Compulsory School Attendance Laws
Driving Laws
National Public Radio Stations
Selected famous natives and residents:
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Norman Borlaug
plant pathologist, geneticist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner;
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Simon Estes
bass-baritone;
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Frederick L. Maytag
inventor and manufacturer;
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education,
Inc. All rights reserved.
More on Iowa from Infoplease:
- University of Iowa - Iowa, University of Iowa, University of, at Iowa City; state supported; coeducational; chartered ...
- Iowa, indigenous people of North America - Iowa Iowa , Native North Americans whose language belongs to the Siouan branch of the Hokan-Siouan ...
- Iowa, river, United States - Iowa Iowa, river, 329 mi (529 km) long, rising in the lakes of N Iowa and flowing SE to the ...
- Iowa: Temperature Extremes - Iowa: Temperature Extremes Month Maximum °F Year Place Minimum °F Year Place Jan. 73 1950 ...
- Iowa: meaning and definitions - Iowa: Definition and Pronunciation
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