Welcome to TheseUnitedStates - Iowa
Iowa, our 29th state, was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846. The 2000 census has Iowa's population at 2,926,324, ranking 30th in the US. With a total area of 56,272 square miles, the state ranks 38th in size. Iowa's capital, Des Moines, is also its largest city.
Useful Internet Links for Iowa:
Iowa fun facts:
Iowa State Bird: Eastern goldfinch
Iowa State Flower: Wild rose
Iowa State Motto: Our liberties we prize, our rights we will maintain
Iowa State Rock: Geode
Iowa State Tree: Oak
Nickname: Hawkeye State
The geographic center of Iowa is located in Story County, 5 miles NE of Ames. Iowa's highest point, at 1,670 feet, lies in Osceola County, NE of the town of Sibley. Iowa is an Indian word, variously translated as "here I rest" or "beautiful land." The state was named for the Iowa River, which in turn was named for the Iowa Indians.
Brief History: Iowa's early inhabitants were Mound Builders who dwelt on Iowa's plains. Later, woodland tribes including Iowa and Yankton Sioux lived in the area. Marquette and Jolliet were the first Europeans to arrive, giving France claim to the area in 1673. In 1762, France ceded the region to Spain, but Napoleon took it back and it later became part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Iowa became a territory in 1838.
Iowa is home to Effigy Mounds National Monument, near Marquette. Other attractions include the Herbert Hoover birthplace and library, West Branch; Amana Colonies; Grant Wood's paintings and memorabilia, Davenport Municipal Art Gallery; Living History Farms, Des Moines; Adventureland, Altoona; and the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, Boone.