Iowa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iowa Iowa State of Iowa Governor Lieutenant Governor U.S. Senators U.S. House delegation Time zone Abbreviations Website Flag of Iowa Seal Nickname(s): The Hawkeye State (official), The Tall Corn State[1][2] Motto(s): Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain. Chet Culver (D) Patty Judge (D) Chuck Grassley (R) Tom Harkin (D) 3 Democrats, 2 Republicans (list) Central: UTC-6/DST-5 IA US-IA www.iowa.gov Official language(s) Demonym Capital Largest city Largest metro area Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Population - Total - Density - Median income Elevation - Highest point - Mean - Lowest point Admission to Union English Iowan, Iowegian (colloquial) Des Moines Des Moines Des Moines metropolitan area Ranked 26th in the US 56,272 sq mi (145,743 km²) 310 miles (500 km) 199 miles (320 km) 0.71 40° 23′ N to 43° 30′ N 90° 8′ W to 96° 38′ W Ranked 30th in the US 3,002,555 (2008 est.)[3] 53.5/sq mi/sq mi (53.5/sq mi/km²) Ranked 35th in the US $48,075 (24th) Hawkeye Point[4] 1,670 ft (509 m) 1,099 ft (335 m) Mississippi River[4] at Keokuk 480 ft (146 m) December 28, 1846 (29th) Iowa ( /ˈaɪəwə/ ) is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, 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.[5] 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.[6] Iowa is often known as the "Food Capital of the World,”[7] but Iowa’s economy, culture, and landscape are diverse. 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.[8][9] Iowa is one of the safest states in which to live[10] and its population is among the most literate and best-educated.[11] Recent immigration from other states and countries has increased Iowa’s population and diversity.[12] Des Moines is Iowa’s capital and largest city. Geography Boundaries Topography of Iowa, with counties and major streams. 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east; the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River on the west; the northern boundary is a line along 43 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude.[13] The southern border is the Des Moines River and a line along approximately 40 degrees 35 minutes north, as decided by the U.S. Supreme Court after a contentious standoff between Missouri and Iowa known as the Honey War.[14] Iowa has 99 counties, but 100 county seats because Lee County has two. The state capital, Des Moines, is located in Polk County. Iowa Geology and terrain Iowa’s bedrock geology generally increases in age from west to east. In northwest Iowa Cretaceous bedrock is ca. 74 million years old, in eastern Iowa Cambrian bedrock dates to ca. 500 million years ago.[15] Despite popular perception, Iowa is generally not flat; most of the state consists of rolling hills. Prior[16] divides Iowa into eight landforms based on glaciation, soils, topography, and river drainage. Loess hills lie along the western border of the state, some of which are several hundred feet thick.[17] In the northeast, along the Mississippi River, is a section of the Driftless Zone, which in Iowa consists of steep hills and valleys which appear almost mountainous. There are several natural lakes in the state, most notably Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake, and East Okoboji Lake in northwest Iowa (see Iowa Great Lakes).To the east lies Clear Lake. Man-made lakes include Lake Odessa,[3] Saylorville Lake, Lake Red Rock, Coralville Lake, Lake MacBride, and Rathbun Lake. Iowa annual rainfall, in inches. Iowa, like most of the Midwest, has a humid continental climate throughout the state (Koppen climate classification Dfa) with extremes of both heat and cold. The average annual temperature at Des Moines is 50 °F (10 °C); for some locations in the north the figure is under 45 °F (8 °C), while Keokuk, on the Mississippi River, averages 52 °F (12 °C). Winters are brisk and snowfall is common. Spring ushers in the beginning of the severe weather season. Iowa averages about 50 days of thunderstorm activity per year.[24] Tornadoes are common during the spring and summer months, with an average of 37 tornadoes in a single year.[25] In 2008, twelve people were killed by tornadoes in Iowa, making it the deadliest year since 1968 and also the second most tornadoes in a year with 105, which matched the total from 2001.[26] The Iowa summers are known for heat and humidity, with daytime temperatures often near 90 °F (32 °C) and sometimes exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). Ecology Iowa’s natural vegetation is tallgrass prairie and savanna in upland areas, with dense forest and wetlands in floodplains and protected river valleys, and pothole wetlands in northern prairie areas.[18] Most of Iowa is used for agriculture, crops cover 60% of the state, grasslands (mostly pasture and hay with some prairie and wetland) cover 30%, and forests cover 7%; urban areas and water cover another 1% each.[19] Less than 1% of the tallgrass prairie that once covered most of Iowa remain intact, only about 5% of the state’s prairie pothole wetlands remain, and most of the original forest has been lost.[20] Iowa ranks 49th of U.S. states in public land holdings.[21] Threatened or endangered animals include the Bald Eagle, Interior Least Tern, Piping Plover, Indiana Bat, Pallid Sturgeon, the Iowa Pleistocene Land Snail, Higgins’ Eye Pearly Mussel, and the Topeka Shiner.[22] Endangered or threatened plants include Western Prairie Fringed Orchid, Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid, Mead’s Milkweed, Prairie Bush Clover, and Northern Wild Monkshood.[23] Prehistory Excavation of the 3,800 year old Edgewater Park Site. When American Indians first arrived in what is now Iowa more than 13,000 years ago, they were hunters and gatherers living in a Pleistocene glacial landscape. By the time European explorers visited Iowa, American Climate 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Iowa Cities City Davenport[27] Des Moines Dubuque Sioux City Waterloo [4] Indians were largely settled farmers with complex economic, social, and political systems. This transformation happened gradually. During the Archaic period (10,500-2,800 years ago), American Indians adapted to local environments and ecosystems, slowly becoming more sedentary as populations increased. More than 3,000 years ago, during the Late Archaic period, American Indians in Iowa began utilizing domesticated plants. The subsequent Woodland period saw an increase on the reliance on agriculture and social complexity, with increased use of mounds, ceramics, and specialized subsistence. During the Late Prehistoric period (beginning about A.D. 900) increased use of maize and social changes led to social flourishing and nucleated settlements. The arrival of European trade goods and diseases in the Protohistoric period led to dramatic population shifts and economic and social upheaval, with the arrival of new tribes and early European explorers and traders. There were numerous Indian tribes living in Iowa at the time of early European exploration. Tribes which were probably descendants of the prehistoric Oneota include the Dakota, Ho-Chunk, Ioway, and Otoe. Tribes which arrived in Iowa in the late prehistoric or protohistoric periods include the Illiniwek, Meskwaki, Omaha, and Sauk.[28] Jan 30/13 29/12 25/9 29/8 26/6 Feb 36/19 35/18 31/15 35/15 32/13 Mar 48/29 48/29 43/26 47/26 45/25 Apr 61/41 61/40 57/38 62/37 60/36 May 72/52 72/51 69/49 73/49 72/48 Jun 81/63 82/61 79/58 82/58 82/58 Jul 85/68 86/66 82/62 86/63 85/62 Aug 83/66 84/64 80/60 84/61 83/60 Sep 76/57 76/54 72/52 76/50 75/50 Oct 65/45 64/42 60/40 64/38 62/38 Nov 48/32 47/29 44/28 45/25 45/25 Iowa Dec 35/20 33/17 30/15 32/13 31/12 The first known European explorers to document Iowa were Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet who traveled the Mississippi River in 1673 documenting several Indian villages on the Iowa side.[29] The area of Iowa was claimed for France and remained French territory until 1763, when the French, realizing defeat in the French and Indian War, transferred ownership to its ally, Spain. Spain practiced very loose control over the Iowa region, granting trading licenses to French and British traders. Iowa was part of a territory known as La Louisiane or Louisiana, and European traders were interested in lead and furs obtained by Indians. The Sauk and Meskwaki effectively controlled trade on the Mississippi in the late 18th and early 19th century. Among the early traders was Julien Dubuque. Other major trade routes were the Des Moines River and the Missouri River. In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte took control of Louisiana from Spain in a treaty. After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, Iowa was placed under United States control. Much of Iowa was mapped by Zebulon Pike in 1805[30], but it was not until the construction of Fort Madison in 1808 that the U.S. established tenuous military control over the region. War of 1812 and unstable U.S. control Fort Madison was built to control trade and establish U.S. dominance over the Upper Mississippi, but it was poorly designed and disliked by the Sauk and Ho-Chunk, many of whom allied with the British, who had not abandoned claims to the territory.[31] Fort Madison was defeated by British-supported Indians in 1813 during the War of 1812, and Fort Shelby in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, also fell to the British. Black Hawk took part in the siege of Fort Madison.[32][33] After the war, the U.S. reestablished control of the region through the construction of Fort Armstrong, Fort Snelling, and Fort Atkinson (Nebraska). History Early exploration and trade, 1673-1808 Trade and Indian removal, 1814-1832 Following Manifest Destiny, the U.S. encouraged settlement of the east side of the Mississippi and removal of Indians to the west. Trade continued in furs and lead, but disease and forced population movement decimated Indian cultures and economies. A disputed 1804 treaty Iowa in 1718. Modern state area highlighted. 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iowa Almost immediately after achieving territorial status, a clamor arose for statehood. On December 28, 1846, Iowa became the 29th state in the Union when President James K. Polk signed Iowa’s admission bill into law. Once admitted to the Union, the state’s boundary issues resolved, and most of its land purchased from the Indians, Iowa set its direction to development and organized campaigns for settlers and investors, boasting the young frontier state’s rich farmlands, fine citizens, free and open society, and good government.[35] Civil War, 1861-1865 Iowa had not yet celebrated its 15th year of statehood when the American Civil War broke out. Iowa supported the Union during the Civil War, voting heavily for Abraham Lincoln, though there was a strong antiwar "Copperhead" movement among settlers of southern origins and among Catholics. There were no battles in the state, but Iowa sent large supplies of food to the armies and the eastern cities. Much of Iowa’s support for the Union can be attributed to Samuel J. Kirkwood, its wartime governor. Of a total population of 675,000, about 116,000 men were subjected to military duty. Iowa contributed proportionately more men to Civil War military service than did any other state, north or south, sending more than 75,000 volunteers to the armed forces, over one-sixth of whom were in their graves before Appomattox.[36] Most fought in the great campaigns in the Mississippi Valley and in the South.[37] Iowa troops fought at Wilson’s Creek in Missouri, Pea Ridge in Arkansas, Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Rossville Gap as well as Vicksburg, Iuka, and Corinth. They served with the Army of the Potomoc in Virginia and fought under Union General Philip Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. Many died and were buried at Andersonville. They marched on General Nathaniel Banks’ ill-starred expedition to the Red River. Twenty-seven Iowans won the Congressional Medal of Honor, first awarded in the Civil War.[38] Iowa had several brigadier generals and four major generals- Grenville Mellen Dodge, Samuel B. Curtis, Francis J. Herron, and Frederick Steele- and saw many of its generals go on to state and national prominence following the war. [39] Plan of Fort Madison, 1810. between Quashquame and William Henry Harrison that surrendered much of Illinois to the U.S. enraged many Sauk and led to the 1832 Black Hawk War. As punishment for the uprising, and as part of a larger settlement strategy, treaties were subsequently designed to remove all Indians from Iowa. The Sauk and Meskwaki were pushed out of the Mississippi valley in 1832, out of the Iowa River valley in 1843, and out of Iowa altogether in 1846, although many Meskwaki clandestinely returned, founding the Meskwaki Settlement that remains to this day. The Ho-Chunk were removed in 1850, and the Dakota were removed by the late 1850s. Western Iowa around modern Council Bluffs was used as a way station for other tribes being moved west, including the Potawatomi. U.S. settlement and statehood, 1832-1860 The first American settlers officially moved to Iowa in June 1833. Primarily, they were families from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. On July 4, 1838, the U.S. Congress established the Territory of Iowa. President Martin Van Buren appointed Robert Lucas governor of the territory, which at the time had 22 counties and a population of 23,242.[34] Agricultural expansion, 1865-1930 Following the Civil War, Iowa’s population continued to grow dramatically, from 674,913 people in 1860 to 1,194,020 in 1870. The introduction of railroads in the 1850s and 1860s transformed Iowa into a major agricultural producer. In 1917, the United States entered World War I and farmers as well as all Iowans experienced a wartime economy. For farmers, the change was significant. Since the beginning of the war in 1914, Iowa farmers 4 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Census 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Pop. 43,112 192,214 674,913 1,194,020 1,624,615 1,912,297 2,231,853 2,224,771 2,404,021 2,470,939 2,538,268 2,621,073 2,757,537 2,824,376 2,913,808 2,776,755 2,926,324 Iowa %± — 345.8% 251.1% 76.9% 36.1% 17.7% 16.7% −0.3% 8.1% 2.8% 2.7% 3.3% 5.2% 2.4% 3.2% −4.7% 5.4% Iowa farm, 1875. had experienced economic prosperity. In the economic sector, Iowa also has undergone considerable change. Beginning with the first farm-related industries developed in the 1870s, Iowa has experienced a gradual increase in the number of business and manufacturing operations. Depression, World War II, and the rise of manufacturing, 1930-1985 The transition from an agricultural economy to a mixed economy happened slowly. The Great Depression and World War II accelerated the shift away from smallholder farming to larger farms, and began a trend of urbanization that continues. The period since World War II has witnessed a particular increase in manufacturing operations. While agriculture continued to be the state’s dominant industry, Iowans also produce a wide variety of products including refrigerators, washing machines, fountain pens, farm implements, and food products. The Farm Crisis of the 1980s caused a major recession in Iowa, causing poverty not seen since the Depression.[40] The crisis spurred a major population decline in Iowa that lasted a decade.[41] Reemergence as a mixed economy, 1985-present After bottoming out in the 1980s, Iowa’s economy began to become increasingly less dependent on agriculture, and now has a mix of manufacturing, biotechnology, finance and insurance services, and government services.[42] The population of Iowa has increased at a faster rate than the U.S. as a whole,[43] and Iowa now has a predominantly urban population.[44] Est. 2008[3] 3,002,555 2.6% As of 2008, Iowa has an estimated population of 3,002,555, which is an increase of about 19,000 or 0.6%, from the prior year and an increase of 76,000 or 2.6%, since the year 2000. This is the first time the state has topped the three million mark in population.[45] The U.S. Census Bureau has not released specific demographic information for 2008. In 2007 the state had a natural increase since the last census of 53,706 people (that is 197,163 births minus 143,457 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 11,754 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 29,386 people, while migration within the country produced a net loss of 41,140 people. 6.1% of Iowa’s population were reported as under the age of five, 22.6% under 18, and 14.7% were 65 or older. Males made up approximately 49.2% of the population.[46] The population density of the state is 52.7 people per square mile.[47] The center of population of Iowa is located in Marshall County, in the city of Marshalltown.[48] Race and ancestry Iowa’s population included about 97,000 foreign-born (3.3%).[46] Iowans are mostly of Western European descent. The five largest ancestry groups in Iowa are: German (35.7%), Irish (13.5%), English (9.5%), American (6.6%) and Norwegian (5.7%). The racial make up of the state is 91.0% White (nonHispanic), 3.8% Hispanic, 2.5% Black or African American,[49] 1.6% Asian, and 0.4% American Indian. One percent of respondents report two or more races.[46] Demographics Population Historical populations Rural to urban population shift 5 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Iowa (csv) By race 2000 (total population) 2000 (Hispanic only) 2005 (total population) 2005 (Hispanic only) Growth 2000–05 (total population) Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only) Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only) White 96.14% 2.68% 95.79% 3.48% 1.01% 0.12% 31.91% Black 2.51% 0.08% 2.79% 0.13% 12.55% 11.13% 53.85% AIAN* 0.63% 0.08% 0.61% 0.09% -2.70% -5.68% 19.33% Asian 1.48% 0.03% 1.67% 0.03% 14.41% 14.14% 29.51% Iowa NHPI* 0.08% 0.01% 0.08% 0.01% 1.01% 0.05% 7.14% * AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander has caused population increases in more urbanized counties such as Dallas, Johnson, Linn, and Polk, at the expense of more rural counties.[52] Some communities, such as Denison and Storm Lake, have mitigated this population loss through gains in immigrant laborers. [53] Religion Iowa Population Density Map Amana Colonies, founded by German Pietists. A 2001 survey from the City University of New York found that 52% of Iowans are Protestant, while 23% are Roman Catholic, and other religions made up 6%. 13% responded with non-religious, and 5% did not answer.[54] The largest Protestant denominations by number of adherents are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 268,543; and the United Methodist Church with 248,211.[55] The study Religious Congregations & Membership: 2000 [56] found that in the southernmost two tiers of Iowa counties and in other counties in the center of the state, the largest religious group was the United Methodist Church; in the northeast part of the state, including Dubuque and Linn counties (where Cedar Rapids is located), the Roman Catholic Church was the largest; and in ten counties, including three in the northern tier, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was the largest. The study also found rapid growth in Evangelical Christian denominations. Percent population changes by counties in Iowa, 2000-2008. Purple counties have gains of more than 5%.[50] Iowa’s population is more urban than rural, with 61 percent living in urban areas in 2000, a trend that began in the early 20th century.[51] Iowa, in common with other Midwestern states (especially Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota), is feeling the brunt of rural flight, although Iowa has been gaining population since approximately 1990. Eighty-nine percent of the total number of cities in those states have fewer than 3,000 people; hundreds more have fewer than 1,000. Between 1996 and 2004, almost one-half million people, nearly one-half with college degrees, left the five states, and headed for major population centers like Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Chicago. The shift from rural to urban 6 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Historically, religious sects and orders who desired to live apart from the rest of society established themselves in Iowa, such as the Amish and Mennonite near Kalona and in other parts of eastern Iowa such as Davis County and Buchanan County.[57] Other religious sects and orders living apart include Quakers around West Branch and Le Grand, German Pietists who founded the Amana Colonies, followers of Transcendental Meditation who founded Maharishi Vedic City, and Cistercian monks and nuns at the New Melleray and Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbies near Dubuque. Iowa Linguistic regions William Labov and colleagues, in the monumental Atlas of North American English[58] found that the English spoken in Iowa divides into two large linguistic regions. Natives of northern Iowa — including Sioux City, Fort Dodge, and the Waterloo region — tend to speak the dialect that linguists call North Central American English, which is also found in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Natives of central and southern Iowa — including such cities as Council Bluffs, Des Moines, and Iowa City — tend to speak the "North Midlands" dialect also found in Nebraska, central Illinois, and northern Indiana.[59] Culture Central Iowa Fountain of Four Seasons and Campanile, Iowa State University. Ames is the home of Iowa State University, the Iowa State Center, Brunnier Art Gallery, Reiman Gardens, and the Christian Petersen Art Gallery. The Meskwaki Settlement west of Tama is the only American Indian settlement in Iowa and is host to a large annual Pow-wow. The Clint Eastwood movie The Bridges of Madison County took place and was filmed in Madison County. The John Wayne Birthplace Museum is in Winterset. Other communities with vibrant historic downtown areas include Indianola, Pella, Knoxville, Perry, and Marshalltown. Des Moines skyline. Des Moines is the largest city in Iowa and the state’s political, economic, and cultural center. It is home to the state government, the State of Iowa Historical Museum, Science Center of Iowa and Blank IMAX Dome Theater, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines Botanical Center, and various cultural events and attractions, including the annual Iowa State Fair, Drake Relays, World Food Festival, and the Des Moines Arts Festival. Adventureland is an amusement park located in Altoona just northeast of Des Moines and Living History Farms is located in Urbandale. Terrace Hill is located in Des Moines and is the official residence of the governor. Eastern Iowa Iowa City prides itself on being a cultural destination, and is home to the University of Iowa and its famed Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Old Capitol building (Iowa’s original capitol), the Ped Mall, the Iowa City Englert Theatre, and the Landlocked Film Festival. Iowa City is the first U.S. "City of Literature" in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are located in West Branch. They contain the birthplace and grave of former President Herbert Hoover along with his presidential museum. The Amana Colonies are a group of settlements of German Pietists 7 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iowa Carroll, Atlantic, Denison, Creston, Mount Ayr, and Walnut. Loess Hills east of Mondamin. Old Capitol, Iowa City. comprising of seven villages which have been named an American cultural National Historic Landmark. The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art has one of the most significant collections of paintings by Grant Wood and Marvin Cone. Cedar Rapids is also home to the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library and the historic Queen Anne-style Brucemore mansion. Davenport boasts several cultural attractions, including the new Figge Art Museum, River Music Experience, and Putnam Museum and IMAX Theater, and plays host to the annual Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival. Other communities with vibrant historic downtown areas include West Liberty, Fairfield, Mount Pleasant, Fort Madison, Mount Vernon, Ottumwa, Washington, and Wilton. Northeast and Northern Iowa The Driftless Area of northeast Iowa has many steep hills and deep valleys, checked with forest and terraced fields. Effigy Mounds National Monument in Allamakee and Clayton Counties has the largest assemblage of animal-shaped prehistoric mounds in the world. Western Iowa Some of the most dramatic scenery in Iowa is found in the west, home of the unique Loess Hills. The Iowa Great Lakes include several resort areas such as Spirit Lake, Arnolds Park, and the Okoboji Lakes. The Sanford Museum and Planetarium in Cherokee, Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, and the Fort Museum and Frontier Village in Fort Dodge are regional destinations. Sioux City considers itself to be the cultural capital of northwest Iowa and boasts a revitalized downtown and beautiful riverfront. The Missouri River city is home to the Sergeant Floyd Monument, Sergeant Floyd River Museum, Trinity Heights, and the restored Orpheum Theater. Council Bluffs, the major city of southwest Iowa, sits at the base of the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway and has become a gaming and entertainment destination. With three casino resorts, the city also includes such cultural attractions as the Western Hills Trails Center, Union Pacific Railroad Museum, historic General Dodge House, and a Lewis and Clark Monument and scenic overlook. Northwest Iowa is home to some of the largest concentrations of wind turbine farms in the world. Other western communities with vibrant historic downtown areas include Storm Lake, Spencer, Le Mars, Glenwood, Ruins of historic Fort Atkinson. Together, the largest cities in northern Iowa are the twin cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls, home of the Grout Museum and the University of Northern Iowa, respectively. Dubuque is transforming itself into a regional tourist destination with cultural features such as the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, along with many of the other new businesses booming in the Port of Dubuque, like the Diamond Jo Casino. Much of the movie Field of Dreams was shot in Dyersville. Maquoketa Caves State Park is located in Jackson County, northwest of Maquoketa, which contains more caves than any other state park in Iowa. Fort Atkinson has the remains of an original 1840s Dragoon fortification. Other communities with vibrant historic downtown areas include Decorah, McGregor, Mason City, Elkader, Algona, Spillville, Charles City, and Independence. 8 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iowa diversity has helped Iowa weather the current recession better than most states, with unemployment substantially lower than the rest of the nation.[65] If the economy is measured by gross domestic product, in 2005 Iowa’s GDP was about US $124 billion.[66] If measured by gross state product, for 2005 it was US $113.5 billion.[67] Its per capita income for 2006 was US $23,340.[67] Statewide RAGBRAI — the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa — attracts thousands of bicyclists and support personnel. It has crossed the state on various routes each year since 1973. Iowa is home to more than 70 wineries[60], and hosts five regional wine tasting trails.[61] Many Iowa communities hold farmers’ markets during warmer months, these are typically weekly events, but larger cities can host multiple markets.[62] Manufacturing Manufacturing is the largest sector of Iowa’s economy, with $20.8 billion (21%) of Iowa’s 2003 gross state product. Major manufacturing sectors include food processing, heavy machinery, and agricultural chemicals. Sixteen percent of Iowa’s workforce is dedicated to manufacturing.[68] Food processing is the largest component of manufacturing. Its industrial outputs include food processing, machinery, electric equipment, chemical products, publishing, and primary metals. Companies with direct or indirect processing facilities in Iowa include ConAgra Foods, Wells Blue Bunny, Barilla, Heinz, Wonder Bread/Hostess Snack Cakes, Tone’s Spices, General Mills, and Quaker Oats. Major non-food advanced manufacturing firms with production facilities in Iowa include 3M, ALCOA, Amana Corporation, Electrolux/Frigidaire, Emerson Process, Fisher Controls International, HON Industries, IPSCO Steel, John Deere, Lennox Manufacturing, Maytag Corporation, Pella Corporation, Rockwell Collins, Vermeer Company, and Winnebago Industries. Economy Iowa state quarter with reverse image based on a painting by American artist Grant Wood Agriculture Ethanol plant under construction, Butler County, Iowa. Directly and indirectly, agriculture has always been a major component of Iowa’s economy. However, the direct production and sale of raw agricultural products contributes only about 3.5% of Iowa’s gross state product.[69] The indirect role of agriculture in Iowa’s economy can be measured in multiple ways, but its total impact, including agriculture-affiliated business, has been measured as 16.4% in terms of value added and 24.3% in terms of total output. This is lower than the Iowa gross state products by industry, 2006.[63] While Iowa is often viewed as a farming state, in reality agriculture is a small portion of a diversified economy, with manufacturing, biotechnology, finance and insurance services, and government services contributing substantially to Iowa’s economy.[64] This economic 9 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia economic impact in Iowa of non-farm manufacturing, which accounts for 22.4% of total value added and 26.5% of total output.[70] Iowa’s main agricultural outputs are hogs, corn, soybeans, oats, cattle, eggs, and dairy products. Iowa is the nation’s largest producer of ethanol and corn. Major Iowa agricultural product processors include Cargill, Inc., Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Monsanto Co., Ajinomoto, Hy-Vee, Garst Seed Company, and Heartland Pork Enterprises. Iowa producers of turbines and componets in Iowa include Acciona Energy of West Branch, TPI Composites of Newton, and Siemens Energy of Fort Madison. Iowa is the headquarters for seven of the top 1,000 companies for revenue.[74] They include Principal Financial, Rockwell Collins, Casey’s General Stores, and HNI. Iowa is also headquarters to other companies including Hy-Vee, Pella Corporation, Vermeer Company, Kum & Go gas stations, Von Maur (a department store), Pioneer Hi-Bred, McLeodUSA, and Fareway grocery stores, among others. Other sectors Taxation Iowa imposes taxes on net state income of individuals and estates and trusts. There are currently nine income tax brackets, ranging from 0.36% to 8.98%. The state sales tax rate is 6%, with non-prepared food having no tax.[75] Iowa has two local option sales taxes that may be imposed by counties after an election, a regular local option tax and a school infrastructure local option tax.[76] Property tax is levied on the taxable value of real property, Iowa has more than 2,000 taxing authorities. Most property is taxed by more than one taxing authority. The tax rate differs in each locality and is a composite of county, city or rural township, school district and special levies. Transportation Wind turbine near Walnut. Iowa also has a strong financial and insurance sector, with approximately 6,100 firms[71], including AEGON, Nationwide Group, AmerUs, Farm Bureau Financial Services, ING, Marsh Affinity Group, MetLife, Principal Financial Group, Principal Capital Management, Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Wells Fargo, and Wells Fargo Financial Services. Biotechnology has expanded dramatically in Iowa in the past decade, with firms including Bio-Research Products Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim, Vetmedica, Diosynth, Inc., Fort Dodge Animal Health, Penford Products Co., IDT Corp., Roche Applied Science, Wacker Biochem Corp., and Wyeth. In addition to ethanol, renewable energy has become a major economic force in western Iowa, with wind turbine electrical generation increasing exponentally since 1990.[72] As of 2008, wind accounted for 15% of energy produced and 7.1% of the state’s power needs; Iowa ranked second in wind generating capacity of U.S. states.[73] Major Iowa’s major interstates, larger cities, and counties. Interstate highways Iowa has four primary interstate highways. Interstate 29 goes along the western edge of the state through Council Bluffs and Sioux City. Interstate 35 goes from the southern border to the northern border through the center of the state, including Des Moines. Interstate 80 goes from the west end of the state to the east end through Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Iowa City, and the Quad Cities. Interstate 74 has its western terminus at the junction with Interstate 80 in northeastern Davenport, Iowa. Interstate 380 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, which runs from 10 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Interstate 80 near Iowa City through Cedar Rapids ending in Waterloo and is part of the Avenue of the Saints highway. Iowa Law and government U.S. highways Iowa has a number of major United States highways. U.S. Route 18 runs along the northern edge of the state from South Dakota to Wisconsin. U.S. Route 20 runs from Sioux City through Fort Dodge and Waterloo before crossing into Illinois in Dubuque. U.S. Route 30 runs from the Nebraska border just north of Council Bluffs through Cedar Rapids and crossing into Illinois in Clinton, staying north of Interstate 80. U.S. Route 6 winds its way along a similar path to Interstate 80, from Council Bluffs through the Quad Cities into Illinois. U.S. Route 34 runs along the southern part of the state from Nebraska through Burlington to Illinois. U.S. Route 59 runs a path similar to Interstate 29, from south to north along the western edge of the state. U.S. Route 61 runs from the southeastern edge of Iowa in Keokuk through Burlington, the Quad Cities, and into Illinois in Dubuque. U.S. Route 63 runs south from Missouri north through Waterloo and into Minnesota along the eastern central part of the state. U.S. Route 65 and U.S. Route 69 run from Missouri to Des Moines and into Minnesota on paths similar to Interstate 35. U.S. Route 71 and U.S. Route 75 run a south to north path along the western edge of the state. U.S. Route 169 is a south to north highway in the west central part of the state. U.S. Route 218 runs almost entirely within the state of Iowa, from the southern edge in Keokuk through Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Waterloo on its way to Minnesota. Capitol in 2003 after regilding See List of Governors of Iowa, Iowa General Assembly, and Iowa State Capitol The current Governor is Chet Culver (D) Other statewide elected officials are: • Patty Judge (D) - Lieutenant Governor • Michael Mauro (D) - Secretary of State • David Vaudt (R) - Auditor of State • Michael Fitzgerald (D) - Treasurer of State • Bill Northey (R) - Secretary of Agriculture • Tom Miller (D) - Attorney General The two U.S. Senators: Further information: List of United States Senators from Iowa • Tom Harkin (D) • Chuck Grassley (R) The five U.S. Congressmen: • Bruce Braley (D) - First District • Dave Loebsack (D) - Second District • Leonard Boswell (D) - Third District • Tom Latham (R) - Fourth District • Steve King (R) - Fifth District The Code of Iowa contains the statutory laws of the State of Iowa. It is periodically updated by the Iowa Legislative Service Bureau, with a new edition published in oddnumbered years and a supplement published in evennumbered years. Iowa is an alcohol monopoly or Alcoholic beverage control state. Airports with scheduled flights Iowa is served by a few major airports including the Des Moines International Airport, the Eastern Iowa Airport, Quad City International Airport, which is located in Moline, Illinois, and Eppley Airfield, located in Omaha, Nebraska. Smaller airports in the state include the Dubuque Regional Airport, Fort Dodge Regional Airport, Mason City Municipal Airport, Sioux Gateway Airport, Southeast Iowa Regional Airport, and Waterloo Regional Airport. Railroads Amtrak’s California Zephyr serves the south of Iowa with stops at Burlington, Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa, Osceola, and Creston on its daily route between Chicago and Emeryville, California (across the bay from San Francisco). Burlington and Fort Madison are also served by Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, running daily between Chicago and Los Angeles. Political parties In Iowa, the term "political party" refers to political organizations which have received two percent or more of the votes cast for president or governor in the "last preceding general election".[77] Iowa recognizes two political parties - the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Third parties, officially termed "nonparty political organizations" can appear on the ballot as well - five of 11 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iowa From 1968 to 1984, Iowa voted for the Republican candidate in the presidential election, and from 1988 to 2000 the state voted for the Democrat; in the latter election, the Democratic candidate won by little more than 1000 votes. In the 2004 election, Iowa went by about 10,000 votes for George W. Bush but in 2008, Barack Obama won by a much larger margin of about 150,000 votes. In the 2006 elections, the Iowa Democrats gained two seats in the Iowa delegation to the United States House of Representatives, and Democrats won a majority in both houses of the Iowa General Assembly. Presidential caucus The state gets considerable attention every four years because it holds the first presidential caucuses, gatherings of voters to select delegates to the state conventions. Along with the New Hampshire primary the following week, Iowa’s caucuses have become the starting points for choosing the two major-party candidates for president. The caucuses, held in January of the election year, involve people gathering in homes or public places and choosing their candidates, rather than casting secret ballots as is done in a primary election. The national and international media give Iowa (and New Hampshire) much of the attention accorded the national candidate selection process, which gives Iowa voters enormous leverage. Those who enter the caucus race often expend enormous effort to reach voters in each of Iowa’s 99 counties. Samuel J. Kirkwood, founder of the Iowa Republican Party, abolitionist, and Iowa’s Civil War governor. these have had candidates on the ballot in Iowa since 2004 for various positions: the Constitution Party, the Iowa Green Party, the Libertarian Party, the Pirate Party, and the Socialist Workers Party.[78][79] Voter trends Presidential elections results Year Republican Democratic 2008 44.74% 677,508 54.04% 818,240 2004 49.92% 751,957 49.28% 741,898 2000 48.22% 634,373 48.60% 638,517 1996 39.92% 492,644 50.31% 620,258 1992 37.33% 504,890 43.35% 586,353 1988 44.8% 545,355 55.1% 670,557 1984 53.32% 703,088 45.97% 605,620 Iowa is currently listed as a swing state in national politics. The state currently leans slightly Democratic, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, which by analyzing recent elections gives Iowa a score of D+1. However, the state is far from homogeneous in its political leanings; Cook finds that Iowa’s five political districts range in political orientation. Iowa’s 2nd congressional district, in the Eastern/Southeastern part of the state, leans distinctly Democratic, with a D+7 (strong Democratic) score; but Iowa’s 5th congressional district, which covers most of Western Iowa, leans strongly Republican, scoring R+9. Civil rights In the 19th century Iowa was among the earliest states to enact prohibitions against race discrimination, especially in education, but was slow to achieve full integration in the 20th century. In the very first decision of the Iowa Supreme Court — In Re the Matter of Ralph[81], decided July 1839 — the Court rejected slavery in a decision that found that a slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil, 26 years before the end of the Civil War.[82] The state did away with racial barriers to marriage in 1851, more than 100 years before the U.S. Supreme Court would ban miscegenation statutes nationwide.[83] The Iowa Supreme Court decided Clark v. The Board of Directors[84] in 1868, ruling that racially segregated “separate but equal” schools had no place in Iowa, 85 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision (in Brown v. Board of Education).[82] The Court heard Coger v. The North Western Union Packet Co.[85] in 1873, ruling against racial discrimination in public accommodations 91 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.[82] In 1884, the Iowa Civil Rights Act apparently outlawed discrimination by businesses, reading: "All persons within this state shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the 12 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iowa voters rejected an Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution.[91] On April 3, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court decided Varnum v. Brien[92], holding in a unanimous decision[93], that the state’s law forbidding same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. This makes Iowa the third state in the U.S. and first in the Midwest to permit same-sex marriage.[94] [95] Sister states Iowa has seven official partner states:[96] • Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China (1983) • Stavropol Krai, Russia (1989) • Taiwan (1989) • Terengganu, Malaysia (1987) • Veneto Region, Italy (1997) • Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan (1960) • Yucatán, Mexico (1964) The Union Block building, Mount Pleasant, scene of early civil rights and women’s rights activities. Listed as one of the most endangered historic sites in Iowa.[80] accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, restaurants, chophouses, eating houses, lunch counters, and all other places where refreshments are served, public conveyances, barber shops, bathhouses, theaters, and all other places of amusement." However, the courts chose to narrowly apply this act, allowing defacto discrimination to continue.[86] Racial discrimination at public businesses was not deemed illegal until 1949, when the court ruled in State of Iowa v. Katz that businesses had to serve customers regardless of race; the case began when Edna Griffin was denied service at a Des Moines drugstore.[87] Full racial civil rights were codified under the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965.[88] As with racial equality, Iowa was a vanguard in women’s rights in the mid 19th century, but was slow to give women the right to vote. In 1847, the University of Iowa became the first public university in the U.S. to admit men and women on an equal basis.[89] In 1869, Iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law, with the Court ruling that women may not be denied the right to practice law in Iowa and admitting Arabella A. Mansfield to the practice of law.[82] Several attempts to grant full voting rights to Iowa women were defeated between 1870 and 1919. In 1894 women were given "partial suffrage", which allowed them to vote on issues, but not for candidates. It was not until the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1920 that women had full suffrage in Iowa.[90] Although Iowa supported the Federal Equal Rights Amendment; in 1980 and 1992, Iowa Education Primary and secondary schools See also: List of school districts in Iowa Iowa takes pride in its education system. The graduation rate for high school seniors has gradually increased to 90.8% in 2006.[97] The state has the third highest graduation rate in the nation.[98] Iowa continually ranks in the top 3 for ACT and SAT scores.[99] In 2008, Iowa ranked top in the nation for average SAT scores per student and second in the nation for average ACT scores per student.[100] Iowa has 365 school districts,[99] and has the twelfth best student to teacher ratio of 13.8 students per teacher.[101] Teacher’s pay, however, is ranked fortysecond with the average salary being $39,284.[101] The Iowa State Board of Education works with the Iowa Department of Education to provide oversight, supervision, and support for the state’s education system that includes all public elementary and secondary schools, nonpublic schools that receive state accreditation, area education agencies, community colleges, and teacher preparation programs. The State Board consists of ten members: nine voting members who are appointed by the governor for six-year terms and subject to Senate confirmation; and one nonvoting student member who serves a one-year term, also appointed by the governor. Colleges and universities See also: List of colleges and universities in Iowa The Iowa Board of Regents is composed of nine citizen volunteers appointed by the governor to provide policymaking, coordination, and oversight of the state’s public 13 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia universities, two special K-12 schools, and affiliated centers. Iowa’s three public universities include: • Iowa State University, Ames • University of Iowa, Iowa City • University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls The special K-12 schools include the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs and the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Vinton. Both Iowa State and Iowa are major research institutions and members of the prestigious Association of American Universities. In addition to the three state universities, Iowa has multiple private colleges and universities. Private colleges and universities include: • Buena Vista University, Storm Lake • Clarke College, Dubuque • Des Moines University, Des Moines • Divine Word College, Epworth • Drake University, Des Moines • Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque • Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary, Ankeny • Graceland University, Lamoni • Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant • Kaplan University, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Mason City, and Urbandale • Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield • Saint Ambrose University, Davenport • University of Dubuque, Dubuque • Upper Iowa University, Fayette • Waldorf College, Forest City • William Penn University, Oskaloosa Private liberal arts colleges include: • Ashford University, Clinton • Briar Cliff University, Sioux City • Central College, Pella • Coe College, Cedar Rapids • Cornell College, Mount Vernon • Dordt College, Sioux Center • Grand View University, Des Moines • Grinnell College, Grinnell • Loras College, Dubuque • Luther College, Decorah • Morningside College, Sioux City • Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids • Northwestern College, Orange City • Simpson College, Indianola • Wartburg College, Waverly Iowa University and the University of Iowa compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), whereas the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Baseball Iowa has four Class A minor league teams in the Midwest League. They are the Burlington Bees, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Clinton LumberKings, and the Quad Cities River Bandits. The Sioux City Explorers are part of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The Waterloo Bucks play in the Northwoods League. Des Moines is home to the Iowa Cubs, a Division AAA team in the Pacific Coast League. Football The Sioux City Bandits are an Indoor football team in the United Indoor Football League. The Quad City Steamwheelers are an af2 football team whose home games are played in Moline, Illinois. The Iowa Barnstormers resumed play after a seven season layoff in the af2 football league. They play their home games at Wells Fargo Arena. Hockey The American Hockey League has two teams the Quad City Flames whose games are played in Moline, Illinois, as well as the newly formed Iowa Chops, who have taken over the former Iowa Stars franchise and still play in Wells Fargo Arena. The United States Hockey League has five teams in Iowa: the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Sioux City Musketeers, Waterloo Black Hawks, Des Moines Buccaneers, and the Omaha Lancers whose games are played in Council Bluffs. The North Iowa Outlaws play in the North American Hockey League in Mason City. Basketball Iowa has two professional basketball teams. The Iowa Energy, an NBA Development League team that plays in Des Moines, is affiliated with the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns of the NBA. The Quad Cities Riverhawks of the Premier Basketball League are based in Davenport, but play at Wharton Field House in Moline, Illinois. Soccer The Des Moines Menace play their home games at Valley Stadium on the grounds of Valley High School in West Des Moines. Sports See also: Sports teams from Iowa Iowa has professional sports teams in all major sports, including baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, and wrestling. The state has four major college teams playing in Division I for all sports. In football, Iowa State College The state has four NCAA Division I college teams. The Iowa State University Cyclones of the Big 12 Conference and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten 14 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Conference are Division I FBS teams, while the University of Northern Iowa Panthers and Drake University Bulldogs play in Division I FCS. Iowa Notable Iowans Vice President Henry Wallace. • Frank Gotch, wrestling World Heavyweight Champion and Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee • Shawn Johnson, Olympic gymnastics gold medal winner and AAU James E. Sullivan Award recipient • Zach Johnson, Masters golf champion • Nile Kinnick, Heisman Trophy winner and AllAmerican football player • Ashton Kutcher, film and television actor • Ann Landers, syndicated advice columnist • Cloris Leachman, Academy Award and multi-Emmy Award winning actress • Glenn Miller, Big Band leader, musician, and composer • Kate Mulgrew, Golden Globe nominated television and film actress • Harry Reasoner, national television news anchor • Donna Reed, Academy Award and Golden Globe winning actress • Peter Schickele, composer and humorist • Phil Stong, novelist, State Fair • Corey Taylor, plus other original members of Grammy award winning band Slipknot • James A. Van Allen, astronomer • Abigail Van Buren, syndicated advice columnist • Kurt Warner, NFL quarterback, Super Bowl MVP, and two-time NFL MVP President Herbert Hoover. Iowa has been the birthplace of one president: • Herbert Hoover One vice-president: • Henry A. Wallace Two first ladies: • Lou Henry Hoover • Mamie Eisenhower Three Nobel Prize winners: • Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize • Alan J. Heeger, Nobel Prize in Chemistry • Stanley B. Prusiner, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Other notable Iowa-born natives include: • Bix Beiderbecke, jazz musician • Lara Flynn Boyle, actress • Bill Bryson, author • Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show television host and comedian • Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild West showman • Simon Estes, international bass-baritone opera star • Bob Feller, MLB Hall of Fame pitcher • Dan Gable, Olympic wrestling gold medal winner 15 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia • John Wayne, Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and Academy Award winning actor • Andy Williams, crooner, songwriter, and television host • Meredith Willson, musical playwright, composer, and songwriter, The Music Man • Elijah Wood, Screen Actors Guild Award winning actor • Grant Wood, artist, American Gothic [3] Iowa ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008". United States Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NSTEST2008-01.csv. Retrieved on 2009-01-26. ^ "Elevations and Distances in the United States". U.S Geological Survey. 29 April 2005. http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/ pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest. Retrieved on November 6, 2006. Alex, Lynn M. (2000) Iowa’s Archaeological Past. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. Merry, Carl (1996) The Historic Period http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/learn/historic/ hisper.htm Iowa Department of Economic Development, http://www.iowalifechanging.com/downloads/ iaindustries.pdf Iowa Department of Economic Development, http://www.iowalifechanging.com/downloads/ iaindustries.pdf Iowa Energy Center, http://www.energy.iastate.edu/renewable/wind/ Crime/Enforcement, Iowa Factbook 2007, http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Fiscal/factbook/ Iowa_Factbook_2007.pdf Elementary and Secondary Education, Iowa Factbook 2007, http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Fiscal/factbook/ Iowa_Factbook_2007.pdf Population/ Vital Statistics, Iowa Factbook 2007, http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Fiscal/factbook/ Iowa_Factbook_2007.pdf Iowa’s borders are defined in the Preamble to the State Constitution, http://www.legis.state.ia.us/ Constitution.html#pre1 It should be noted that the Missouri and Mississippi river boundaries are as they were mapped in the 19th century, which can vary from their modern courses. Jeff Morrison, Forty-Thirty-five or fight? http://homepage.mac.com/jeffmorrison/maps/ sullivanline.html Prior: Geology of Iowa: Iowa’s Earth History Shaped by Ice, Wind, Rivers, and Ancient Seas Prior, Jean C. (1991) Landforms of Iowa. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/ Browse/landform.htm "Geology of the Loess Hills, Iowa". United States Geological Survey. July 1999. http://pubs.usgs.gov/info/ loess/. Retrieved on 2008-03-26. Prior, Jean C. (1991) Landforms of Iowa. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. Iowa DNR: Iowa’s Statewide Land Cover Inventory, http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/Browse/landcvr/ landcvr.htm Iowa’s Threatened and Endangered Species Program, http://www.iowadnr.gov/other/ threatened.html [4] [5] [6] State symbols [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] Eastern Goldfinch, Iowa state bird. • Nickname(s): The Hawkeye State,[102] the Tall Corn State (unofficial) • Bird: Eastern Goldfinch[103][104] • Fish: Channel catfish (unofficial)[105] • Flower: Wild Rose[103][104] • Grass: Bluebunch wheatgrass[104] • Tree: Oak[103][104] • Colors: Red, white, and blue (represented in state flag) • Fossil: Crinoid (proposed) • Motto: "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"[103] • Rock: Geode[103][104] • Song: The Song of Iowa[106] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] See also • [18] [19] References [1] [2] Iowa History Online Our Iowa Magazine [20] 16 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [21] Iowa Must Step Up Investment in Public Lands "Des Moines Register", June 1, 2005, http://www.nicholasjohnson.org/politics/IaChild/ eddmr601.html [22] Federally Listed Animals in Iowa, http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/ livingOnTheEdge/endangeredAnimals.asp [23] Federally Listed Plants in Iowa, http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/ livingOnTheEdge/endangeredPlants.asp [24] US Thunderstorm distribution. src.noaa.gov. Last accessed February 13, 2008. [25] Mean Annual Average Number of Tornadoes 1953–2004. ncdc.noaa.gov. Last accessed November 1, 2006. [26] 2008 Iowa tornadoes deadliest since 1968. USA Today. Last accessed January 2, 2009. [27] "Monthly Averages for Davenport, IA". Weather.com. http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/ wxclimatology/monthly/52804. Retrieved on 2008-11-01. [28] Alex, Lynn M. (2000) Iowa’s Archaeological Past. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. [29] History of Iowa, Iowa Official Register, http://publications.iowa.gov/135/1/history/ 7-1.html [30] Pike (1965): The expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike to headwaters of the Mississippi River, through Louisiana Territory, and in New Spain, during the years 1805-6-7, Ross & Haines [31] Prucha, Francis P. (1969) The Sword of the Republic: The United States Army on the Frontier 1783–1846. Macmillan, New York. [32] Jackson, Donald (1960), A Critic’s View of Old Fort Madison., Iowa Journal of History and Politics 58(1) pp.31–36 [33] Black Hawk (1882) Autobiography of Ma-Ka-Tai-MeShe-Kia-Kiak or Black Hawk. Continental Printing, St. Louis. (Originally published 1833) [34] Iowa Official Register, Volume Number 60, page 314 [35] "Official Encouragement of Immigration to Iowa", Marcus L. Hansen, IJHP", 19 (April 1921):159-95 [36] Iowa Official Register, Volume No. 60, page 315 [37] http://www.iowanationalguard.com/Museum/ IA_History/CivilWar.htm [38] Iowa Official Register, Volume No. 60, pages 315-316 [39] Iowa Official Register, Volume No. 60, page 315 [40] The Midwest Farm Crisis of the 1980s, http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id395.htm [41] Population Trends: The Changing Face of Iowa, http://iwin.iwd.state.ia.us/iowa/ ArticleReader?itemid=00003011 [42] Iowa Industries, Iowa Workforce Development. http://www.iowalifechanging.com/downloads/ iaindustries.pdf Iowa [43] Population Trends: The Changing Face of Iowa, http://iwin.iwd.state.ia.us/iowa/ ArticleReader?itemid=00003011 [44] Iowa Data Center, 2000 Census: http://data.iowadatacenter.org/datatables/ urbanrural/urstagesexbymalefemale2000.pdf [45] "DSM Register". United States Census Bureau. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081222/ NEWS/81222009/1001/. Retrieved on 2008-12-28. [46] ^ "Iowa QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/19000.html. [47] [Title=The New York Times 2008 Almanac|Author=edited by John W. Wright|Date=2007|Page=178] [48] "U.S. Census quickfacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/19000.html. Retrieved on 2008-12-28. [49] Davenport, Iowa African American History [50] Data from U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Modeled after Iowa Data Center Map, http://www.iowadatacenter.org/maps/ copercent2008 [51] Iowa Data Center, 2000 Census: http://data.iowadatacenter.org/datatables/ urbanrural/urstagesexbymalefemale2000.pdf [52] U.S. Census Bureal State and County Quick Facts, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/ 19000.html [53] In This Small Town in Iowa the Future Speaks Spanish. New York TimesSeptember 14, 2005, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/14/books/ 14grim.html [54] "American Religious Identification Survey 2001" (PDF). The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_studies/ aris.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-08-16. [55] http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/ state/19_2000.asp [56] "Religious Congregations & Membership: 2000" (jpg). Glenmary Research Center. http://www.glenmary.org/ grc/RCMS_2000/maps/Largest_Group.jpg. Retrieved on 2009-04-24. [57] Elmer Schwieder and Dorothy Schwieder (2009) A Peculiar People: Iowa’s Old Order Amish University of Iowa Press [58] Labov, W., S. Ash, and C. Boberg, Atlas of North American English. Berlin, Germany: Mouton de Gruyter, 2006. http://www.mouton-online.com/ anae.php [59] "Atlas of North American English". The University of Pennsylvania. http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/ maps/MapsNC/Map1NC.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. [60] ISU Extension Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute, http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Wine/ Resources/iowawineries.htm 17 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [61] Iowa Wine Growers Association, https://iowawinegrowers.org/mos/Frontpage/ Itemid,1/ [62] Iowa Farmers Market Association, http://www.iafarmersmarkets.org/About_Us.html [63] Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, as presented in the 2007 Iowa Factbook Des Moines:Iowa Legislative Services Agency. [64] Iowa Industries, Iowa Workforce Development. http://www.iowalifechanging.com/downloads/ iaindustries.pdf [65] Iowa’s initial jobless claims grow. Des Moines Register April 2, 2009, http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/ 20090402/BUSINESS/90402018/-1/NEWS04 [66] Iowa State University. Gross domestic product by sector and state. Regional Capacity Analysis Program. Retrieved on: April 26, 2008. [67] ^ "Iowa Quick Facts — State Data Center". http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/datacenter/ quickfacts. [68] Iowa Industries, Iowa Workforce Development. http://www.iowalifechanging.com/downloads/ iaindustries.pdf [69] 2007 Iowa Factbook p. 59, Des Moines:Iowa Legislative Services Agency. [70] "Multiple Measures of the Role of Agriculture in Iowa’s Economy". http://ideas.repec.org/p/isu/genres/ 10180.html. [71] Iowa Industries, Iowa Workforce Development. http://www.iowalifechanging.com/downloads/ iaindustries.pdf [72] Iowa Energy Center, http://www.energy.iastate.edu/renewable/wind/ [73] Report: Iowa’s Wind Leadership not hurting consumers. Cedar Rapids Gazette April 14, 2009, p. 8B. [74] "FORTUNE 500 2006: States". http://money.cnn.com/ magazines/fortune/fortune500/states/I.html. [75] Iowa Department of Revenue, Iowa Tax / Fee Descriptions and Rates, http://www.iowa.gov/tax/ taxlaw/taxtypes.html#sales [76] Iowa Department of Revenue, Iowa Local Option Tax Information, http://www.iowa.gov/tax/ educate/localoption.html [77] "Forming a New Political Party in Iowa" (PDF). Elections Division, Iowa Secretary of State. http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/ FormingPoliticalParty.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-07-26. [78] "Official Results Report - Statewide: 2006 General Election" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/GenOffResults.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-07-26. [79] "Canvass Summary: 2004 General Election" (PDF). Chester J. Culver, Iowa Secretary of State. Iowa http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/2004/general/ CanvassSummary.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-07-26. [80] Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance: Iowa’s Most Endangered Historic Sites, http://www.iowapreservation.org/ endangered.php [81] 1 Morris 1 (Iowa 1839) [82] ^ http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/ Public_Information/Iowa_Courts_History/ Civil_Rights/ [83] Gay marriage and Iowa: Why’s everyone so surprised?, Chicago Tribune, April 10, 2009 [84] 24 Iowa 266 (1868) [85] 37 Iowa 145 (1873) [86] Iowa Civil Rights Commission, http://www.iowa.gov/government/crc/docs/ annual66activities.html [87] African-Americans in Iowa, 1838-2005, http://www.iptv.org/IowaPathways/ myPath.cfm?ounid=ob_000238 [88] Iowa Civil Rights Commission http://www.state.ia.us/government/crc/ publications/brochures/english_brochure.html [89] About Iowa, http://www.uiowa.edu/homepage/ about-UI/index.html [90] The Fight for Women’s Suffrage, http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/ myPath.cfm?ounid=ob_000320 [91] How Did Iowa Coalitions Campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment in 1980 and 1992? http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com/iowaera/ intro.htm [92] WL 874044 (Iowa 2009) (Publication to N.W.2d pending as of April 09, 2009.) [93] [1] [94] [2] [95] USA Today, Iowa Court Upholds Gay Marriage [96] "Iowa Sister States". http://www.iowasisterstates.org/. [97] "The State Report Card For No Child Left Behind". Iowa Department of Education. http://www.iowa.gov/ educate/ index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=4184&Itemid=55. Retrieved on 2008-01-23. [98] "High School Graduation". United Health Foundation. http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.com/shr2005/ components/hsgrad.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-23. [99] ^ "Quick Facts about Iowa Schools". Iowa Department of Education. http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/ 281/1003/. Retrieved on 2008-01-23. [100] "News Releases". Iowa Department of Education. http://www.iowa.gov/educate/ index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=430&dir=DESC&orde Retrieved on 2009-01-22. [101] ^ "Education Stats". National Education Association. http://www.nea.org/edstats/RankFull06b.htm. Retrieved on 2008-01-23. 18 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Preceded by Texas List of U.S. states by date of statehood Admitted on December 28, 1846 (29th) Succeeded by Wisconsin Iowa [102] "Iowa Department of Economic Development Travel Iowa web site - State Symbols". Iowa Department of Economic Development. http://www.traveliowa.com/iowafacts/ symbols.html. Retrieved on August 7, 2007. [103] ^ "Iowa General Assembly - Iowa State Symbols". www.legis.state.ia.us. http://www.legis.state.ia.us/ Pubinfo/StateSymbols/. Retrieved on November 24, 2006. [104] ^ "State Facts for Students - Iowa". U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/schools/facts/iowa.html. Retrieved on 2007-11-20. [105] "National State-Fish Art: Iowa (Unofficial) State Fish". http://www.statefishart.com/states/midwest/io.htm. [106] "New Citizen Civic Handbook, page 44" (PDF). sos.state.ia.us. 2006. http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/ NewCitizens/EntireEnglish.pdf. Retrieved on December 26, 2006. External links • Official State of Iowa Website • Constitution of the state of Iowa • Energy Data & Statistics for Iowa- From the U.S. Department of Energy • Iowa State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Iowa state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association. • U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts • Iowa at the Open Directory Project Coordinates: 42°N 93°W / 42°N 93°W / 42; -93 Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa" Categories: Iowa, States of the United States, Midwestern United States, States and territories established in 1846 This page was last modified on 18 May 2009, at 01:59 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers 19