Missouri Geography

Basic Facts

• Geographical Region: Midwest
• Size: 69709 sq.mi., 21st rank overall.
• Admitted to Statehood: August 10, 1821
• Population: 5,987,580;18th rank overall.
• Capital: Jefferson City
• Other Major City: Kansas City
• Abbreviation: MO

Fun Facts

• Nickname: Show Me State
• State Flag: Click Here (opens window to 50states.com)
• State Bird: Bluebird (opens window to 50states.com)
• State Flower: Hawthorn (opens window to 50states.com)

Geographical Description

• Two major rivers greatly influence the state. The Mississippi River connects Missouri to the south part of the U.S. and the Missouri River crosses the state from west to east.
• The area north of the Missouri River is mostly prairie land, covered with rich soil making it suitable for growing corn.
• The area south of the Missouri River features foothills and the plateau of the Ozark Mountains. The eastern section of the Ozarks is heavily forested and rough, while the western section is less hilly and suitable for farming.
• Southwest Missouri is covered by part of the Great Plains, where livestock and forage crops are raised.
• In the southeast, below Cape Girardeau, are the cotton fields of the Mississippi floodplain. This area was once a swampy area improved after the establishment of a drainage system in 1805.

Map: Relief Map of MO

Industry

Aerospace, transportation equipment, food processing, chemical products, printing and publishing, electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery.

Agriculture

Wheat, cattle, soybeans, hogs, dairy products, corn, poultry and eggs

Other Information

Fun Facts:

• On March 18, 1925 the most destructive tornado tore through Annapolis leaving a 980-foot wide track of demolished landscape. It injured 3,000 and killed 823 people.
• On February 13, 1905 Warsaw set the state record with a low temperature of -40 degrees.
• Kansas City boasts more fountains than any city except Rome and more miles of boulevards than Paris.
• St. Louis is home of the tallest man in documented medical history. His name was Robert Pershing Wadlow and he was 8 feet, 11 inches tall.
• In 1811, the most powerful earthquake ever in the United States struck New Madrid, Missouri. It shook more than one million square miles and was felt 1,000 miles away.

More Fun Facts: http://www.50states.com/facts/mo.htm