, United States and Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States.

Iowa

Flag of Iowa (In Detail) (Full size)
State nickname: "The Hawkeye State"
Other U.S. States
Capital	Des Moines
Largest City	Des Moines
Governor	Thomas Vilsack
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 26th 145,743 km2 0.71%
Population  - Total (2000)  - Density	Ranked 30th 2,926,324 20/km2
Admittance into Union  - Order  - Date	29th December 28, 1846
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Latitude Longitude	40°36'N to 43°30'N 89°5'W to 96°31'W
Width Length Elevation  -Highest  -Mean  -Lowest	320 km 500 km   509 meters 335 meters 146 meters
ISO 3166-2:	US-IA

Iowa is the 29th state of the United States, having joined the union on December 28, 1846. The U.S. Post Office abbreviation for the state is IA.
The official (long) name of the state: "State of Iowa."

The state is named for the Native American Iowa people.

History

• history prior to joining the United States
• First came under U.S. control as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Part of Missouri Territory until Missouri became a state in 1821 when it became unorganized territory. Made part of Territory of Michigan in 1834, then the Territory of Wisconsin in 1836. Territory of Iowa established June 12, 1838, including all of present Iowa and most of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
• Attained statehood in December 28, 1846 (the 29th state).
• major historical events that occurred in state

Law and Government

The state capital is Des Moines. The current Governor is Tom Vilsack (Democrat) and the two U.S. Senators are Chuck Grassley (Republican) and Tom Harkin (Democrat). The five U.S. Congressmen are Jim Leach (Republican), Jim Nussle (Republican), Steve King (Republican), Tom Latham (Republican), and Leonard Boswell (Democrat).

Geography

See: List of Iowa counties

Iowa is bordered by Minnesota on the north, Nebraska and South Dakota on the west, Missouri on the south, and Wisconsin and Illinois on the east.

The Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary of the state. The boundary along the west is formed by the Missouri River south of Sioux City and by the Big Sioux River north of Sioux City. The topograpy of the state is gently rolling plains. Loess hills lie along the western border of the state. Some of these are several hundred feed thick. There are few natural lakes in the state. The most notable being Spirit Lake, Lake Okoboji and West Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa.

The point of lowest elevation is Keokuk in southeast Iowa. The point of highest elevation is unnamed and located in a feedlot north of Sibley in northwest Iowa. Considering the size of the state, there is very little elevation difference.

• See: List of Iowa rivers

• National parks, etc.
  • Effigy Mounds National Monument
  • Herbert Hoover National Historical Site

Economy

The state's total gross state product for 1999 was $85 billion placing Iowa 30^th in the nation. Its Per Capita Income for 2000 was $26,723. Iowa's main agricultural outputs are hogs, corn, soybeans, oats, cattle and dairy products. Its industrial outputs are food processing, machinery, electric equipment, chemical products, publishing and primary metals.

• State income
• Major industries/products: agriculture, insurance, manufacturing.
• state taxes

Demographics

The 2000 population was 2,926,324.

• state population: 2,926,324 (2000 census)
• racial/ethnic makeup of state
• religious makeup of state

Important cities and towns

Education

Iowa has a strong emphasis on education, which is shown in standardized testing scores. In 2003, Iowa had the second highest average SAT scores by state, and tied for second highest average ACT (examination) scores in states where more than 20% of graduates were tested. The national office of ACT is in Iowa City, and the ITBS and ITED testing programs used in many states are provided by the University of Iowa.

State universities

• Iowa State University
• University of Iowa
• University of Northern Iowa

Independent colleges and universities

Community colleges

Professional business and technical colleges and universities

Professional sports teams

The Minor League baseball teams are:

U.S. senators from Iowa

List of United States Senators who have represented Iowa:

(Seat 1):

• Chuck Grassley, Republican, 1981-present
• John Culver, Democrat, 1975-1981
• Harold E. Hughes, Democrat, 1969-1975
• Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Democrat, 1945-1969
• Guy M. Gillette, Democrat, 1936-1945
• Richard Louis Murphy, Democrat, 1933-1936
• Smith W. Brookhart, Republican, 1927-1933
• David W. Stewart, Republican, 1926-1927
• Albert B. Cummins, Republican, 1908-1926
• William B. Allison, Republican, 1873-1908
• James Harlan, Republican, 1867-1873
• Samuel J. Kirkwood, Republican, 1865-1867
• James Harlan, Free Soil and Republican, 1855-1865
• Augustus C. Dodge, Democrat, 1848-1855

(Seat 2):

• Tom Harkin, Democrat, 1985-present
• Roger Jepsen, Republican, 1979-1985
• Dick Clark, Democrat, 1973-1979
• Jack R. Miller, Republican, 1961-1973
• Thomas E. Martin, Republican, 1955-1961
• Guy M. Gillette, Republican, 1949-1955
• George A. Wilson, Republican, 1943-1949
• Clyde L. Herring, Republican, 1937-1943
• L.J. Dickinson, Republican, 1931-1937
• Daniel F. Steck, Democrat, 1926-1931
• Smith W. Brookhart, Republican, 1922-1926
• Charles A. Rawson, Democrat, 1922-1922
• William S. Kenyon, Republican, 1911-1922
• Lafayette Young, Democrat, 1910-1911
• Jonathan P. Dolliver, Republican, 1900-1910
• John H. Gear, Republican, 1895-1900
• James F. Wilson, Republican, 1883-1895
• James W. McDill, Republican, 1881-1883
• Samuel J. Kirkwood, Republican, 1877-1881
• George G. Wright, Republican, 1871-1877
• James B. Howell, Republican, 1870-1871
• James W. Grimes, Republican, 1859-1869
• George W. Jones, Democrat, 1848-1859

Iowa caucus

The state gets considerable attention every four years because of its presidential caucus, a gathering of voters which, along with the New Hampshire primary a week later, has become the starting gun for choosing the two major-party candidates for U.S. president. The caucus, held in January of the election year, involves people gathering in homes or public places and choosing their candidate, rather than casting secret ballots, as in done in a primary or election.

External links

• http://www.iowa.gov
• Iowa News. (http://www.HavenWorks.com/iowacentric)

Political divisions of the United States

States Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Federal district District of Columbia Insular areas American Samoa | Baker Island | Guam | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Northern Mariana Islands | Palmyra Atoll | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Wake Island