The United States of America

Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and

Missouri

States of America

The United States is a federal union of fifty states, which are equal subjects of the

federation, and a federal district. Every state has it’s own constitution, legislative, executive and

judicial authority. In this work I want to present you five of these states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and

Missouri.

States of America

Minnesota

Etymology

The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the Minnesota River: Mnisota. The root mni (also spelled mini or minne) means, "water". Mnisota can be translated as sky-tinted water or somewhat clouded water. Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers by dropping milk into water and calling it mnisota. Many locations in the state have similar names, such as Minnehaha Falls ("waterfall"), Mineisska ("white water"), Minneota ("much water"), Minnetonka ("big water"), Minnetrista("crooked water"), and Minneapolis, which is a combination of mni and polis, the Greek word for "city".

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents.

Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state on May 11, 1858. Known as the Land of 10,000

Lakes, the state's name comes from a Dakota word for "sky-tinted water". Those waters, together with forests, parks, and wilderness areas, offer residents and tourists a variety

of outdoor recreational opportunities.

Some interesting facts about Minnesota:

o Minnesota is known for its moderate to progressive politics and social policies, civic involvement, and high voter turnout. Minnesota ranks among the healthiest states,

and has a highly literate population. The large majority of residents are of German or Nordic descent, but ethnic diversity has increased in recent decades. Substantial

influxes of African, Asian, and Latin American immigrants have joined the descendants of European immigrants and the original Native American inhabitants.

o The remainder of the state consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture; deciduous forests in the southeast, now cleared, farmed and settled; and

the less populated North Woods, used for mining, forestry, and recreation.o Minnesota contains some of the oldest rocks found on earth, gneisses some 3.6 billion

years old, or 80% as old as the planet.o Today Minnesota has 72 state parks and recreation areas, 58 state forests covering

about four million acres (16,000 km²), and numerous state wildlife preserves, all managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

o Nearly 60% of Minnesota's residents live in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, which is the most populous urban area in the state of Minnesota and is composed of 186 cities and townships. Built around the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers, the area is also

nicknamed the Twin Cities for its two largest cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the former the larger and the latter the state capital. It’s the center of transportation,

business, industry and education, and home to an internationally known arts community.

Some interesting facts about Minnesota:

o Nickenames: "Land of 10,000 Lakes" "North Star State" "Gopher State" "Land of Sky-Blue Waters" "Bread and Butter State" (A reference to the

grain and dairy products Minnesota produces)o Capital – Saint Paulo Largest city – Minneapoliso Area: Ranked 12th in US, total: 86,939 sq mi

(225,181 km2)o Population: Ranked 21st in the US, total:

5,303,925 (2010)o Elevation:Highest point – Eagle Mountain (2,301 ft (701 m))Lowest point – Lake Superior (601 ft (183 m))

Minneapolis-Saint Paul (Twin Cities) highlighting both the 7-county Urban Area (traditional) and the revised 13-county Metropolitan Statistical Area from the 2000 Census. Today, the term Twin

Cities typically refers to the metropolitan area. The pink areas represent urbanized areas as defined by the Metropolitan Council (urbanized meaning developed with sewer access and

includes suburbia and small towns). The red and green lines are highways while the grid-like lines within the counties are township boundaries and mostly rural. Suburban cities are also defined

within the pink area however they are not as apparent since their borders so regularly match up with existing highways and natural features

Sights (attractions?)The French Renaissance style Cathedral

of St. Paul in the city of St. PaulThe Richardsonian Romanesque

Pillsbury Hall (1889) is one of the oldest buildings on the University of

Minnesota Minneapolis campus

SightsThe IDS Tower, designed by Philip Johnson

is the state's tallest building (775 feet =236 m), reflecting César Pelli's

Art Deco-style Wells Fargo Center

Jay Cooke State Park is a Minnesota state park located about ten miles (16 km) southwest of Duluth. It is famous for its rustic style historical structures and for it strange and unique geology.

Itasca State Park is a state park in Minnesota and contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River. It was established by the Minnesota Legislature on April 20, 1891, making it the first of Minnesota's state parks and second oldest in the United States,

behind Niagara Falls State Park.

Wisconsin

EtymologyThe word Wisconsin originates from the name given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian speaking American Indian groups living in the region at the time of European contact. French explorer Jacques Marquette was the first European to reach the Wisconsin River and record its name, arriving in 1673 and calling the river Meskousing in his journal. This spelling was later corrupted to Ouisconsin by other French explorers, and over time this version became the French name for both the Wisconsin River and the surrounding lands. English speakers anglicized the spelling to its modern form when they began to arrive in greater numbers during the early 19th Century. The current spelling was made official by the legislature of Wisconsin Territory in 1845.

Throughout the course of its many variations, the Algonquian word for Wisconsin and its original meaning have both grown obscure. Interpretations may vary, but most implicate the river and the red sandstone that line its banks. One leading theory holds that the name originated from the Miami word Meskonsing, meaning "it lies red," a reference to the setting of the Wisconsin River as it flows by the reddish sandstone of the Wisconsin Dells. Numerous other theories have also been widely publicized, including claims that name originated from one of a variety of Ojibwa words meaning "red stone place," "gathering of the waters," or "great rock."

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United State and is considered part of the Midwest. Wisconsin is bordered by the Montreal River; Lake Superior and Michigan to the north; by Lake Michigan to the east; by Illinois to the south; and by

Iowa to the southwest and Minnesota to the northwest. More than 46% of Wisconsin's land area is covered by forest.

Some interesting facts about Wisconsin:o Wisconsin is the northernmost state that does not share a border with Canada.o With its location between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, Wisconsin is home to a

wide variety of geographical features. The state is divided into five distinct regions.o Wisconsin is second to California in overall production of milk and butter, and third in per-

capita milk production, behind Idaho and Vermont, though it leads the nation in cheese production

o Wisconsin's capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee. As of 2010 the state has 5,686,986 residents. The state contains 72 counties.

o Nicknames: Badger State; America's Dairyland.o Capital – Madisono Largest city – Milwaukeeo Area: Ranked 23rd in US, total: 65,497.82 sq mi (169,639 km2)o Population: Ranked 20th in the US, total: (2010) 5,686,986o Elevation: Highest point – Timms Hill (1,951 ft (595 m))Lowest point – Lake Michigan (579 ft (176 m))o Areas under the management of the National Park Service include the following: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore along Lake Superior Ice Age National Scenic Trail North Country National Scenic Trail Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

With its location between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, Wisconsin is home to a wide variety of geographical features. The state is divided into five distinct regions. In the north, the Lake Superior Lowland

occupies a belt of land along Lake Superior. Just to the south, the Northern Highland has massive mixed hardwood and coniferous forests including the 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km2) Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, as well as thousands of glacial lakes, and the state's highest point, Timms Hill. In the middle of the

state, the Central Plain has some unique sandstone formations like the Dells of the Wisconsin River in addition to rich farmland. The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands region in the southeast is home to many of

Wisconsin's largest cities. The ridges include the Niagara Escarpment, that stretches from New York State, the Black River Escarpment and the Magnesian Escarpment. The bedrock of the Niagara Escarpment is

dolomite, while the two shorter ridges have limestone bedrock. In the southwest, the Western Upland is a rugged landscape with a mix of forest and farmland, including many bluffs on the Mississippi River. This

region is part of the Driftless Area, which also includes portions of Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. This area was not covered by glaciers during the most recent ice age, the Wisconsin Glaciation.

Sights.There is one national forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service in Wisconsin,

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Legally two separate national forests—the Chequamegon National Forest and the Nicolet

National Forest—the areas were established by presidential proclamations in 1933 and have been managed as one unit since 1993.

The U.S. Bank Center in Milwaukee is Wisconsin's tallest skyscraper.

Tourist destinations such as the House on the Rock near Spring Green and Circus World Museum in Baraboo also draw thousands of visitors annually, and festivals such as Summerfest and the EAA Oshkosh Airshow draw international attention, along with

hundreds of thousands of visitors.The House on the Rock, originally opened in 1959, is a complex of architecturally unique rooms, streets, gardens and shops designed by Alex Jordan, Jr.

The Infinity Room juts out 218 feet from the

House on the Rock, without supports

underneath. The room has over 3,000 windows.

The Circus World Museum is a large museum complex in Baraboo devoted to circus-related history. The museum, which features not only circus artifacts and exhibits, but also hosts daily live circus performances throughout the summer, is owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, and operated by the non-profit Circus World Museum Foundation. The museum was the major participant in the Great Circus Parade held from 1985 to 2005.

Iowa

Etymology

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New France. After the Louisiana Purchase, settlers laid the foundation for an agriculture-based economy in the heart of the Corn Belt. Iowa is often known as the "Food Capital of the World.

Some interesting facts about Iowa:o Iowa has been listed as one of the safest states in which to live.o Des Moines is Iowa's capital and largest city.o Area: Ranked 26th in the US, total: 56,272 sq mi (145,743 km2)o Population: Ranked 30th in the US, total: (2010) 3,046,355o Elevation:Highest point – Hawkeye Point (1,670 ft (509 m))Lowest point – Mississippi River at Keokuk (480 ft (146 m))o Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east; the Missouri River and the

Big Sioux River on the west and the southern border is the Des Moines River.o Iowa has 99 counties, but 100 county seats because Lee County has two. The state

capital, Des Moines, is located in Polk County.o In the mid and late 20th century, Iowa's agricultural economy transitioned to a

diversified economy of advanced manufacturing, processing, financial services, biotechnology, and green energy production.

o After English, Spanish is the second-most-common language spoken in Iowa, the third-is German.

o Nickname: The Hawkeye State

SightsDes Moines is the largest city in Iowa and the state's political and economic center. It is

home to the Iowa State Capitol, the State Historical Society of Iowa Museum, Drake University, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines Botanical Center, Principal Riverwalk, the

Iowa State Fair, Terrace Hill, and the World Food Prize. Nearby attractions include Adventureland in Altoona, Living History Farms in Urbandale, and the Iowa Speedway in

Newton.

The Iowa State Capitol is the state capitol building of Iowa. The building was

constructed between 1871 and 1886. Todar’s capitol is the only five-domed

state capitol in the country.

The University of Iowa (also known as U of I, or simply Iowa) is a public flagship state-supported research university located in Iowa City.. The University of Iowa is the oldest public university in the state.

University seal mosaic, ca. 1908, Iowa Hall

The Grotto of the Redemption is a religious monument located in West Bend, Iowa, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. A conglomeration of nine grottos depicting scenes in

life of Jesus, the Grotto contains a large collection of minerals and petrifications and is believed to be the largest grotto in the world.

The main entrance on the North side of the Grotto of the Redemption

The Iowa Great Lakes Region, showing Spirit Lake (top), West Okoboji Lake (left), and East Okoboji Lake (right). Map courtesy of USGS

The Iowa Great Lakes are a group of natural glacial lakes in Dickinson County in northwestern Iowa in the United States. The three principal lakes of the group are Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake, and East Okoboji Lake. They are the largest natural lakes in the state of Iowa. The largest, Spirit Lake, is 5,684 acres (23 km²)

Illinois

Etymology"Illinois" is the modern spelling for the early French missionaries and explorers' name for the Illinois people, a name that was spelled in many different ways in the early records.The name "Illinois" has traditionally been said to mean "man" or "men" in the Miami-Illinois language, with the original iliniwek transformed via French into Illinois.However, this etymology is not supported by the Illinois language itself, in which the word for 'man' is ireniwa and plural 'man' is ireniwaki. The name Illiniwek has also been said to mean "tribe of superior men",though this is nothing more than a folk etymology.

In fact the name "Illinois" derives from the Miami-Illinois verb irenwe·wa "he speaks the regular way". This was then taken into the Ojibwe language, perhaps in the Ottawa dialect, and modified into ilinwe· (pluralized as ilinwe·k). These forms were then borrowed into French, where the /we/ ending acquired the spelling -ois. The current form, Illinois, began to appear in the early 1670s. The Illinois's name for themselves, as attested in all three of the French missionary-period dictionaries of Illinois, was Inoka, of unknown meaning and unrelated to the other terms.

Illinois' eastern border - Indiana consists (from Lake Michigan to the

Wabash River, above Post Vincennes). The Wabash

River continues as the eastern/southeastern

border with Indiana, until the Wabash enters the

Ohio River. This marks the beginning of Illinois'

southern border with Kentucky, which runs

along the northern shoreline of the Ohio

River. Its western border with Missouri and Iowa is the Mississippi River. Its

northern border with Wisconsin. The

northeastern border of Illinois actually lies within

Lake Michigan, within which Illinois shares a

water boundary with the state of Michigan.

Some interesting facts about Illinois:o It is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America.o Capital: Springfield.o Largest city: Chicago.o Area: Ranked 25th in the US, total: 57,914 sq mi

(149,949 km2)o Population: Ranked 5th in the US, total: 12,910,409 (2009 est.)o Elevation:Highest point – Charles Mound (1,235 ft (377 m))Lowest point – Mississippi River (279 ft (85 m))o Three U.S. Presidents have been elected while living in Illinois — Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant,

and Barack Obama. However, the only President actually born and raised in Illinois was Ronald Reagan. Today, Illinois honors Lincoln with its official state slogan, Land of Lincoln, which is displayed on its license plates.

o Another nickname: The Prairie Stateo Illinois has three major geographical divisions: Nothern, Central, Southern.o Chicago is the largest city in the state and the third most populous city in the United States.o Nuclear power arguably began in Illinois with the Chicago Pile-1, the world's first artificial self-

sustaining nuclear chain reaction in the world's first nuclear reactor, built on the University of Chicago campus. There are six operating nuclear power plants in Illinois: Braidwood; Byron; Clinton; Dresden; LaSalle; and Quad Cities.

SightsThe state of the art Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is the largest

presidential library in the country.Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the

American Civil War.

Two of the buildings, the museum and the library, are separated by a street and connected above the street level by an enclosed walkway. The entrance of each building features a rotunda,

reflective of the dome on the Old State Capitol in Springfield, where Lincoln served four terms as a legislator.

The Illinois State Capitol, located in Springfield, is the capitol and seat of government of Illinois. The current building is the sixth capitol to serve the state since its entry into the United States in 1818. The current capitol is in the architectural style of the French

Renaissance.

Missouri

Etymology

The state is named for the Missouri River, which was named after the Siouan-language tribe. They were called the ouemessourita (wimihsoorita), meaning "those who have dugout canoes", by the Miami-Illinois language speakers. The Illini were the first natives encountered by Europeans in the region and they took adopted the name of the Missouri from them.

•Nicknames (unofficial): "The Show-Me State " , "The Cave State", "The Lead State", "The Bullion State", "The Ozark State", "Mother of the West", "The Iron Mountain State", and "Pennsylvania of the West".

Missouri is bounded on the north by Iowa; on the east, across the Mississippi River, by Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee; on the south by Arkansas; and on the west by Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska (the last across the Missouri River). The two largest Missouri rivers are the Mississippi, which defines the eastern boundary of the state, and the Missouri River, which flows from west

to east through the state, essentially connecting the two largest metros, Kansas City and St. Louis.

Some interesting facts about Missouri:o Missouri borders eight different states, as does its neighbor, Tennessee. No

state in the U.S. touches more than eight states.o With a 2009 population of 5,987,580, Missouri is the 18th most populous

state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city.

o Missouri mirrors the demographic, economic and political makeup of the nation (in general) with a mix of urban and rural culture.

o Residents of cities and rural areas farther north and of the state's large metropolitan areas, where most of the state's population resides (Kansas City, St. Louis, and Columbia), typically consider themselves Midwestern. In rural areas and cities farther south (such as Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, Springfield, and Sikeston), residents typically self-identify as more Southern.

o Capital: Jefferson Cityo Largest city: Kansas Cityo Area: Ranked 21st in the US, total: 69,704 sq mi (180,533 km2)o Population: Ranked 18th in the US, total: (2010) 5,988,927o Elevation:Highest point – Taum Sauk Mountain 1,772 ft (540 m)Lowest point – St. Francis River 230 ft (70 m)

Some interesting facts about Missouri:

o The four largest urban areas are St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. Missouri was originally acquired from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase and became defined as the Missouri Territory. Part of the Missouri Territory was admitted into the union as the 24th state on August 10, 1821.

o Missouri has 114 counties and one independent city (St. Louis).

o The largest county by size is Texas County (1,179 sq. miles) and Shannon County is second (1,004 sq. miles). Worth County is the smallest (266 sq. miles).

SightsThe Jefferson National Expansion Memorial was established to commemorate several historical events:•the Louisiana Purchase, and the subsequent westward movement of American explorers and pioneers;•the first civil government west of the Mississippi River;•the debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case.The memorial site consists of a 91-acre park along the Mississippi River on the site of the original city of St. Louis; the Old Courthouse, a former state and federal courthouse which saw the origins of the Dred Scott case; the 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) Museum of Westward Expansion; and most notably, the Gateway Arch, an inverted steel catenary arch that has become the definitive icon of the city.The Gateway Arch is known as the "Gateway to the West".

Sights

Jasper County Courthouse, erected in 1894-95, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Brunswick, Missouri. World's Largest Pecan.