This article is about the Ozark Plateau. Ozark is also the name of a place in Alabama.

Ozark or Ozark Plateau, an upland region, is actually a dissected plateau of about 50,000 square miles (129,500 sq km). It is chiefly in central and southern Missouri and north Arkansas, but is also partly in Oklahoma and Kansas, between the Arkansas and Missouri rivers. The Ozark Highland area is the only major highland region in the US between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains.

The Ozarks, which rise from the surrounding plains, are locally referred to as mountains. Composed of igneous rock overlain by limestone and dolomite, the ancient land form has been worn down by erosion. Summits (knobs) are found wherever there is a resistant rock outcrop; the Boston Mountains are the highest and most rugged section, with several peaks more than 2,000 ft (610 m) high. The Ozark Plateaus consists of three sections—the Springfield Plateau, the Salem Plateau, and the Boston Mountains. Topography is mostly gently rolling, except in the Boston Mountains, along the escarpments separating the Springfield and Salem Plateaus, and the Saint Francois Range where it is rugged. Karst features such a springs, sinkholes, and caves are common in the Springfield Plateau and abundant in the Salem Plateau.

The Saint Francois Mountain Range rises above the Ozark plateau and is the geological cause of the highland dome. Concentric circles of elevation emanating from the range outward can be observed from outer space. The Saint Francois Range is sometimes not considered part of the Ozarks because it has exposed igneous rock and no Karst features, and was formed by volcanic activity rather than erosion.

The Ozarks are rich in lead and zinc, and fruit-growing areas are prevalent. Subsistence farming and household crafts are found in the more isolated regions. The Ozarks have several large lakes that were created by dams across the White and Black rivers; the dams generate electricity. The scenic Ozarks, with forests, streams, and mineral springs, are a popular tourist region, and the construction of summer homes there has grown.

Ozark culture

Ozark also refer to a region of people with a distinct cultural, architectural, and dialect shared by the people that live on the plateau. The people in this area have more in common with one another than with their surrounding states. One of the attributes of this cultural and dialectic area is that the peoples have local names for the areas not well-known outside the region. People outside of the Ozarks typically do not refer to areas such as

• White River Hills along the Missouri-Arkansas border;
• Shepherd of the Hills Country around Branson, Missouri;
• Irish Wilderness located in south central Missouri;
• Boston Mountains of Arkansas; and
• Cookson Hills in Oklahoma.

See also

• Buffalo National River

External links

• MO Conservation Ozarks Guide (http://www.dnr.state.mo.us/geology/adm/publications/Ozarks.pdf)
• Arkansas Parks and Tourism Ozark Page (http://www.arkansas.com/attractions/region.asp?region=Ozarks)
• Natural Divisions of Arkansas (http://www.ahtd.state.ar.us/Environ/Wild%20Flower%20Routes/natural_divisions_of_arkansas.htm)
• MO Conservation Natural Divisions Page (http://www.mdc.state.mo.us/nathis/natcom/natdiv/)