Explore a destination located in Missouri, United States
Missouri is the 24th state in the United States of America.[1] The state is bordered by eight different states: Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Missouri is divided into four geographical regions and has two distinct mountain ranges, the Ozarks and the Ouachitas.[9] The capital city is St. Louis, and the largest city in Missouri is Kansas City.[1] Around 45 million people visit Missouri every year, typically spending time at the St. Louis Gateway Arch and the Lake of the Ozarks.[5] Other popular attractions within Missouri include the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the St. Louis Zoo, Busch Stadium, and Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.[2] The most popular time for tourism is during the summer, specifically the months of July and August.[5] Missouri is partly cloudy year-round, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit. The Tornado Alley passes through Missouri and brings many tornadoes to the region every year.[4] The main points of industry throughout the state include agriculture, wood processing, mining, electrical equipment manufacturing, and beer distribution.[6]
Missouri was the 24th state to be adopted into the U.S. With the exception of Tennessee, it has the most neighboring states of any state in the country.[1] The name Missouri comes from the name of the indigenous people who first lived in the area when the first European settlers arrived. The tribe was known by the name of Missouri, or ouemessourita, which translates to "wooden canoe people."[3] French settlers named the Missouri River before the state was established, and when the time came, the name was also used to name the state. Missouri was admitted to the Union on August 10th, 1821.[10]
The state is known for its sprawling cities, rural areas, diverse culture, sports events, and low cost of living. The capital city of Missouri is St. Louis, which has a population of 294,000 residents. Kansas City has the highest population in Missouri, with 501,900 people. Other major cities in Missouri Include Springfield, Columbia, and Independence. The overall population of the state is 6.1 million.[1] Several popular businesses that work nationwide and even internationally are headquartered in Missouri. These include O'Reilly Auto Parts, Anheuser-Busch, and Emerson Electric.[6] Additionally, the state is the birthplace of a variety of noteworthy inventions. The ice cream cone was invented at the World's Fair in St. Louis. Iced tea was also invented in Missouri and introduced to the public at the World's Fair.[3]
Around 45.4 million people visit Missouri every year. The summer months are most popular, in particular July and August. During these months, lodging, dining accommodations, and activity pricing are raised. Outdoor activities are common during the summer, typically boating on the Ozarks, touring the Hermann Wine Trail, and observing the Gateway Arch. There are several indoor attractions within the state as well, like museums, exhibits, and theatres. It is recommended to visit Missouri during the months of September and November when there are fewer crowds, temperatures are cooler, and there is less rain.[5]
St. Louis Gateway Arch is perhaps Missouri's most popular attraction. The arch is symbolic in defining St. Louis as the "Gateway to the West." An elevator can take visitors to a viewing platform at the top of the arch 630 feet in the air. [The arch is located within Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park and is surrounded by blocks of historical buildings, gardens, and upscale restaurants.] Visitors can do a variety of other activities in the area as well, such as helicopter tours and riverboat cruises. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is another popular tourist destination within Missouri. Located in Kansas City, the museum is filled with art pieces from around the world and also showcases a sculpture garden. Admission to the museum is free, and the exhibits are often rotated.[2]
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield is a historic landmark site of a civil war battleground. World-famous author Mark Twain's childhood home and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library Museum are both open to the public. Other commonly visited attractions within Missouri's major cities include the national WWI Museum and Memorial, Busch Stadium, and the St. Louis Zoo. In the more rural areas of the state, there are several state parks and natural attractions. The Lake of the Ozarks was created through the Osage River in 1931. This popular destination is surrounded by professionally designed golf courses, campgrounds, lakefront resorts, and multiple boat slips. On the lake, visitors can go swimming, fishing, and play water sports. Forest Park, Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Onondaga Cave State Park, and Meramec State Park are spread throughout the state's four geographical regions and are comprised of wildlife refuges, hiking trails, and fresh waterways.[2]
Agriculture is the most important and prominent point of industry in Missouri, as the state has more farms than nearly every other state in the United States. Nearly seventy-five percent of Missouri's farmland is planted in crops, and the remaining land is used for woodland and pastures. Cotton, soybeans, hay, corn, wheat, sorghum, cotton, and rice are the state's main crops. Due to the forest resources in the Ozarks, lumber, wood flooring, railroad ties, cabinet wood, whiskey barrels, and wood chips are produced from the forest wood. Mineral resources in the state are iron ore, zinc, barite, and limestone. Missouri is the United States' top producer of mined lead, used in car batteries as well as Lime, a mineral used for steel manufacturing.[6]
Missouri is located in the central-eastern area of the United States of America. The state is bordered by eight other states and has a jagged eastern border as the state line follows the Mississippi River. Iowa meets Missouri to the north while Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee meet its eastern border. Arkansas is to the south, and the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska are on Missouri’s western side.[1]
Four geographical regions make up the topography of Missouri. These include the Dissected Till Plains, the Osage Plains, the Ozark Plateau, and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. There are two distinct mountain ranges in Missouri; the Ozarks and the Ouachitas. These mountain ranges are separated by the Arkansas River Valley. The Ozarks cover most of southern Missouri and consist of three plateaus covered in oak forests. The Ouachitas are to the south and are dominated by shortleaf pine forests.[9]
The Dissected Till Plains cover the northern area of the state, above the Missouri River. The land is covered in flat prairie with rivers, streams, and fertile soil. The Osage Plains cover western Missouri and are almost completely flat. The soil throughout this region is shallow and not as rich as the soil in the Dissected Till Plains. The tallgrass throughout the plains can grow up to eight feet and are preserved in the Prairie State Park. The Ozark Plateau is the largest of Missouri’s geographical regions and covers the state’s southern half. Due to gradual water erosion over centuries, the land is covered in steep ridges, springs, and thousands of caves. The Lake of the Ozarks, a large reservoir, is located in this geographical region, as is the highest point in the state, Taum Sauk Mountain. The last of the geographical regions is the Mississippi Alluvial Plain which occupies a small bit of land in Missouri’s southeastern corner. This area of the state is often referred to as the “Boot Heel.” Due to flooding of the Mississippi River, the region is extremely fertile, and most of the land is used for agriculture. Cotton, soybeans, and rice are farmed throughout the region.[9]
Missouri is home to the American Bison, the biggest mammal in North America. In the more mountainous areas of the state, wildlife such as black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, and the endangered grey wolves reside. Common birds throughout the region include peregrine falcons, eastern screech-owls, and purple finches. Reptiles roam the plains of the state and include the alligator snapping turtle, Great Plains rat snakes, and prairie massasaugas. Thousands of caves dot Missouri's landscape and it is sometimes called the “Cave State”. Animals that reside inside these caves include cave salamanders, American bullfrogs, and various species of bats.[8]
Plantlife in Missouri varies depending on the geographical region. There are many trees in the more forested areas, including the eastern redbud, white oak, eastern wahoo, and black walnut. The prairies are filled with hundreds of species of grasses. The most common of these are switchgrass, Indian grass, June grass, and bluestem. Wildflowers that bloom throughout Missouri include putty root, Ozark bluestar, and yellow lady’s slipper.[7]
The climate in Missouri is influenced by both the cold Canadian air and the warm, humid air traveling north from the Gulf of Mexico. Summers in the state last for four months, from May to September, with an average daily temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest month of the year throughout Missouri is July. The winter season lasts for three months and has a daily average temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month of the winter season is January. Precipitation throughout Missouri varies from thirty-five inches in the north to fifty inches in the south. April and June see the highest amounts of this precipitation. Snow is not common in Missouri; if it does snow, however, it is typically between the months of December and February. Missouri is in “Tornado Alley,” where the maximum tornadic activity takes place in the United States.[4]
The land of Missouri was home to a variety of indigenous people throughout history. Studies conclude that humans have inhabited the area as far back as 9000 BCE. The most prominent of these ancient societies is the Mississippian culture. This culture is known for its effigy and burial mounds at Cahokia, which is the largest prehistoric city in the United States. Centuries later, the land was inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Chickasaw, Illini, Missouri, and Osage. The first European settlers took the land of Missouri in 1682 when the Louisiana Territory was extended into Missouri. France claimed the land for eight years before Spain took control of the territory. In 1800, the land was returned to France. Three years later, in 1803, the United States bought the land when the Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed.[10]
At the time of the Louisiana Purchase, the entire territory had roughly 10,000 residents consisting primarily of French settlers. New groups of natives made their way to Missouri to avoid conflict with settlers in their own homelands. American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were sent into Missouri to map its land and create its borders. In 1821 Missouri became its own state. Slavery was legal at the time when Missouri was admitted to the Union and French lead-mining in the state operated on slave work. In the 1830s, a majority of Missouri’s Native population was forced to leave the state and move westward by the government. This action resulted in the creation of the Trail of Tears and a newly established Indian Territory.[10]
Missouri is home to a historical lawsuit in 1846 when Dred Scott, an African American slave, sued for his freedom. He lost the lawsuit in 1857. However, this event aided in leading to the Civil War and the freeing of all slaves in America.[1] This war started in 1861, and Missouri never seceded from the Union. Missourians fought on both sides of the war, though those in the Union army outnumbered those in the Confederate army. The war’s first major battle happened west of the Mississippi River on the banks of Wilson’s Creek, August 10th of 1861. After the war, it took nearly 12 years to reconstruct the state’s legislature and abolish slavery.[10] The state continues to grow today as its capital city, St. Louis, is a successful production ground for lumber, durable goods, and electricity.[6]
Famous individuals born in Missouri include Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States of America; George Washington Carver, an American scientist; Laura Ingalls Wilder, the award-winning author of the Little House on the Prairie book series; Mark Twain, another author who wrote notable works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; and Jesse James, an American outlaw who led the James-Younger Gang.[1]
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