State of the USA (145,753 km 2 with 3,002,555 inhabitants in 2008). The average course of the Mississippi divides it from Wisconsin and from Illinois to E, and the lower one of Missouri it divides it from South Dakota and from Nebraska at O; conventional the northern borders with the Minnesota and southern with Missouri. It has continental climate. The most important center is the capital Des Moines. The development of agriculture was intense. In the first places in the USA for the production of maize and oats, it also grows soy, barley, flax, potatoes and forage. Livestock farming is flourishing. The extraction of building materials and limestones is very active. The industry is mainly dedicated to the processing of agricultural products. The metallurgical industry is present in Davenport with large plants for the electrolytic refining of aluminum.
According to abbreviationfinder, the state of Iowa takes its name from the Iowa, a population of the Sioux language family, now reduced to a few hundred individuals collected in reserves, which once occupied a large part of Iowa. According to tradition, the Iowa originally formed a single group with the Oto, Missouri and Winnebogo, to which they are linked by close linguistic affinities. Hunters and farmers, like the remaining groups of the Prairies, also underwent the cultural change due to the introduction of the horse, which accentuated nomadism and tribal struggles and caused the almost total abandonment of agricultural practices in favor of hunting, especially of bison.
IOWA – THE TYPICAL AMERICAN LIFESTYLE
As a tourist you can fly across the pond to immerse yourself in the stream of the typical American lifestyle and swim in it for a while. If you want that, Iowa is the right destination for you.
One can travel to the USA for its spectacular natural beauties. Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park – the names are well known. You can travel to the USA for its interesting cities – New York, for example, San Francisco, Los Angeles. But you can also fly across the pond to just immerse yourself in the stream of the typical American lifestyle and swim in it for a while. If you want that, Iowa is the right destination for you. In this midwestern statelife has a different – quieter – pace: Here you still understand something about sowing, planting and harvesting, but here you are also proud of your free civil rights and the history of the country. Iowa doesn’t like five-star attractions; but it is definitely a worthwhile travel destination.
Location and landscapes
Iowa is one of the US Midwest states. Minnesota is the neighbor in the north, in the south the country borders on Missouri. In the east it shares the border with Wisconsin and in the west there are two neighbors: Nebraska and South Dakota. You won’t find any mountains in Iowa. The country is flat, the highest point (“Hawkeye Point”) brings it to 509 meters above sea level. But the state can score with its rivers. The southwest border is defined by the famous Missouri River, the border in the east by the no less legendary Mississippi. The Big Sioux River, which flows in the north of the country, may not be as well known in Europe, but it is still worth a detour. Almost 90 percent of the area of Iowa is used for agriculture. So it’s no wonder that the country is part of the “Corn Belt” of the United States, that is, the United States’ granary or pantry. Iowa is a major contributor to the diet of Americans.
Pork and beef come from here, there are plenty of dairies and corn, potatoes and soybeans are grown here. Accordingly, the fields through which the traveler drives can be endless. It is significant that the invention of the tractor is attributed to a tinkerer in Iowa. He is said to have built the first tractor in the small town of Froehlich in the north of the country. Incidentally, the German-sounding name of the place is no coincidence. Americans of German origin make up by far the largest population group in Iowa.
Historic sites and urban life
The capital and at the same time the largest city of the country with a good 200,000 residents is Des Moines. A visit is worthwhile, especially if you are traveling with children. Not far from the city is a huge amusement park, which is guaranteed to put you in a good mood with its rides and games. Des Moines itself has a very interesting historical museum, good art collections and a botanical garden – to name a few examples. You can also shop here with great care.
Fort Atkinson in the northeast of the country, which was once built by the Sioux Indians after they were expelled from Wisconsin, is a reminder of the native American Indians and their struggle. Also definitely worth a visit: the “Amana Colonies” in the villages around Iowa City. This religious community comes from Germany, but has been based in Iowa since the mid-19th century. German is still spoken there today.
According to countryaah, Iowa has the following main cities:
Des Moines
Capital of the state of Iowa (United States), capital of Polk County; it arose at the confluence of the Des Moines River with the Racoon, at 245 meters above sea level, almost in the geographic center of the state. Founded in 1846, in 1857 it became the capital. The climate is continental (annual average 9 °, 4; 5 ° in winter; 9 °, 4 in spring; 22 °, 8 in summer; 11 °, 1 in autumn; precipitation, 800 mm. Of annual average, with absolute prevalence in the summertime).
The population of Des Moines has been increasing very rapidly: 3965 inhab. in 1860; 22,408 in 1880; 62,139 in 1900; 126,468 in 1920; a 1928 calculation gave 151,900 inhab. of which 95.6% White. The city was born in a region rich in coal, which greatly favored its industries, in which about 10,000 people are employed. It also has great importance as a railway hub: the numerous radiating lines join Des Moines with Chicago, Sao Paulo, Minneapolis, Omalta, Kansas City, Saint Louis, etc. The city is home to Des Moines University, founded in 1865, with 50 professors and 1000 alumni; of Drake University, founded in 1881, with about 90 professors and over 1500 alumni.
