|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa (pronounced [ˈaɪəwə]) is a Midwest state of the United States. It is the 29th state of the United States, having joined the Union on December 28, 1846. The official name of the state is the "State of Iowa". The state is named for the Native American Iowa people. It is known as the "Hawkeye State" or the "Corn State".
Geography
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. 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). Man-made lakes include Lake Odessa[1], Saylorville Lake, Lake Red Rock, Coralville Lake, Lake McBride and Rathbun Lake. The topography of the state is gently rolling plains. Loess hills lie along the western border of the state. Some of these are several hundred feet thick. In the northeast, along the Mississippi River, is a section of the Driftless Zone, which in Iowa consists of low rugged hills covered with conifers—a landscape not usually associated with this state. The point of lowest elevation is Keokuk in southeastern Iowa, at 480 feet (146 m). The point of highest elevation, at 1,670 feet (509 m), is Hawkeye Point, located in a feedlot north of Sibley in northwest Iowa. The mean elevation of the state is 1,099 feet (335 m). Considering the size of the state at 56,271 square miles (145,743 km²), there is very little elevation difference.
Iowa has the highest average radon concentrations in the nation due to significant glaciation that ground the granitic rocks from the Canadian Shield and deposited it as soils making up the rich Iowa farmaland http://www.cheec.uiowa.edu/misc/radon.html. Because of the high surface area of the ground rock, radon is free to off-gas from the soils. Many cities within the state, such as Iowa City have passed requirements for radon resistant construction in all new homes. Areas controlled and protected by the National Park Service include:
ClimateIowa experiences a continental climate with extremes of both heat and cold. The average annual temperature at Des Moines is 50.0 °F (10.0 °C); for some locations in the north the figure is under 45 °F, while Keokuk, on the Mississippi River, averages 52.1 °F. Winters are brisk and snowfall is common, the capital (Des Moines) receiving an average of 36.3 inches per season. Spring ushers in the beginning of the severe weather season, as well as bringing increased precipitation and warming temperatures. The Iowan summer is known for heat and humidity, with daytime temperatures sometimes exceeding 100 °F (37.8 °C). Iowa averages about 50 days of thunderstorm activity per year.[2] Some of these thunderstorms can be severe with high winds and hail. The state has a moderately high risk of tornadic activity with, on average, 37 tornadoes per year.[3] History
Highlights:
References
StatehoodThe original boundaries of Iowa proposed during statehood proceedings were different from those of today. The first design was approximately pentagonal in shape and only slightly smaller than Missouri. Iowa was to be bounded to the northwest by the lower Minnesota River and a line drawn from confluence of the Blue Earth River and Minnesota River southwest to the mouth of the Big Sioux River. This design was accepted by the Congressional Committee on Territories but met resistance in the House. The implications of adding Texas to the Union was driving Northern interests toward the creation of smaller states in the northwestern territories so as to leave the possibility of creating more states in the future. To that end, Iowa's proposed boundaries were reduced significantly. The southern boundary would remain that of Missouri (itself the subject of the Honey Lands dispute). The eastern boundary would remain that of the Mississippi River. The western boundary was to be essentially a northern continuation of Missouri's western boundary (the meridian passing through the mouth of the Kansas River). Iowa's northern boundary was to be the line of latitude passing through the confluence of the Minnesota and Blue Earth rivers. This much reduced version of Iowa was accepted by Congress but rejected by the people of Iowa — the first time a proposed state was rejected by its people. The main grievance voiced was the loss of the so-called Missouri Slope, the western part of Iowa that reaches the Missouri River. During the next session of Congress a compromise was reached and agreed upon, giving Iowa the shape it has today with its northern boundary at latitude 43° 30' and its western boundary along the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers. Ten years after statehood, Iowa attempted unsuccessfully to add a tract of land to the northwest, similar to Missouri's successful addition of the Platte Purchase. The proposed addition was the land between a western continuation of Iowa's northern boundary and the Missouri River, the southeast part of what would become South Dakota.[4] DemographicsImage:Iowa population map.png Iowa Population Density Map
As of 2005, Iowa has an estimated population of 2,966,334, which is an increase of 13,430, or 0.5%, from the prior year and an increase of 39,952, or 1.4%, since the year 2000. This includes 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. The center of population of Iowa is located in Marshall County, in the city of Marshalltown [2].
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2004, Iowa's population included about 97,000 foreign-born (3.3%). Iowans are mostly of Northern European origin. The eight largest ancestry groups in Iowa are: German (35.7%), Irish (13.5%), English (9.5%), American (6.6%), Norwegian (5.7%), Dutch (4.6%), Swedish (3.3%) and Danish (3.2%) 6.4% of Iowa's population were reported as under the age of five, 25.1% under 18, and 14.9% were 65 or older. Males made up approximately 49.1% of the population. Rural flightIowa, in common with other Midwestern states (especially Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota), is feeling the brunt of falling populations. 89% of the total number of cities in those states have fewer than 3,000 people; hundreds have fewer than 1,000. Between 1996 and 2004, almost half a million people, nearly half with college degrees, left the six states. "Rural flight", as it is called, has led to offers of free land and tax breaks as enticements to newcomers. ReligionMost Iowans are Protestant Christians, with Lutheranism being the largest single Protestant denomination, followed by Methodist. The state has the second largest population of Reformed Christians, both RCA and CRC. The religious affiliations of the people of Iowa are:
EconomyThe state's total gross state product for 2003 was US$103 billion. Its per capita income for 2003 was US$28,340. 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. Iowa produces the nation's largest amount of ethanol. Des Moines also serves as a center for the insurance industry. 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 5%.[5] Iowa has two local option sales taxes that may be imposed by counties after an election at which the majority of voters favors the tax. They are in addition to the 5% state sales tax. The regular local option tax is imposed on the gross receipts from sales of tangible personal property. It usually remains in effect until it is repealed, but the ordinance may include a sunset clause. The school infrastructure local option tax is automatically repealed 10 years after it is imposed, unless the ballot imposes a shorter time frame.[5] Property tax is levied on the taxable value of real property, that is, mostly land, buildings, structures, and other improvements that are constructed on or in the land, attached to the land or placed upon a foundation. Typical improvements include a building, house or mobile home, fences, and paving. The following five classes of real property are evaluated: residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial and utilities/railroad (which is assessed at the state level). Homeowners pay less than half of the property tax collected each year in Iowa. Farmers pay 21%, and businesses and industry, a total of 23%. Utility companies, including railroads, pay 10%. 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. TransportationInterstate highwaysThese are the interstate highways that go through Iowa: US highwaysThese are the United States highways that go through Iowa: Airports with scheduled flights
Law and governmentThe current Governor is Chet Culver (D) Other statewide elected officials are:
The two U.S. Senators:
The five U.S. Congressmen:
The Code of Iowa contains the statutory laws of the State of Iowa. The Iowa Legislative Service Bureau is a non-partisan governmental agency that is responsible for organizing, updating and publishing the Iowa Code. The Iowa Code is republished in full in odd years (i.e., 1999, 2001, 2003, etc..) and is supplemented in even years. Iowa has a liberal populist tradition, but now is fairly evenly divided between the two major political parties. Iowa supported Bill Clinton in 1992 and in 1996. In 2004, George W. Bush won re-election by less than a majority of votes (49.9%). By 2006, Iowa had leaned Democratic and two Republican seats switched parties to the Democrats. Iowa is an alcohol monopoly or Alcoholic beverage control state. Iowa Presidential caucusThe state gets considerable attention every four years because it holds the first presidential caucus, a gathering of voters to select delegates to the state convention. Along with the New Hampshire primary a week later, it has become the starting gun for choosing the two major-party candidates for 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 is done in a primary election. The national and international media give Iowa (and New Hampshire) about half of all the attention accorded the national candidate selection process, which gives the voters enormous leverage. Some candidates decide to skip the Iowa caucus, especially those who oppose ethanol subsidies, and use their resources in other early states such as New Hampshire and South Carolina. Those who enter the caucus race often expend enormous effort to reach voters in each of Iowa's 99 counties. U.S. senators from IowaImage:IAborderMN2006-08.JPG Survey post defining the northeastern corner of Iowa, placed in 1849. List of United States Senators who have represented Iowa:
Image:Iowa capitol.jpg Capitol in 2003 after regilding
Important cities and townsPopulation figures are given in parentheses and are based on 2005 estimates [4], except for those marked with *, which are special census figures from 2005. Metropolitan Statistical Area figures are 2005 estimates [5]. Population > 100,000 (metropolitan area)
Population > 10,000
EducationIowa has historically placed 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 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. An overhaul of the current education system is being discussed. One of the suggested ideas is switching from 180 days to a year-round school system. [6] State universitiesIndependent colleges and universitiesCommunity colleges | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
