Iowa - by Marisa

Our 50 States:Iowa : 

Marisa Thum May 5, 2008 Our 50 States:Iowa

Symbols of Iowa : 

Symbols of Iowa The state bird is: the Eastern Goldfinch The state flower is: the Wild Rose The state tree is: the Oak

Symbols of Iowa, continued : 

Symbols of Iowa, continued The state song is: The Song of Iowa The state rock is: the Geode

State Flag : 

State Flag The flag has a blue stripe, a white stripe, and a red stripe. The middle bears a bald eagle with the state motto- our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain. This was chosen to explain to people they will not lose their rights in Iowa.

State Nickname : 

State Nickname The most popular state nickname is the Hawkeye state after Black Hawk the Indian chief Another nickname is the Corn State because Iowa has the largest corn production in the country.

State History : 

State History Native Americans: Chippewa, Dakota, Foxes, Sauk. The Dakotas moved to abandoned land by the angry Sauk and Fox Indians. French explorers Marquette and Jolliet explored Iowa in 1673. Lewis and Clark also visited Iowa. The first settler was Julien Dubuque in 1788.

State History, continued : 

State History, continued One of the earliest known towns was Early, named after a local. Early was created by Eli Haradon because he wanted a suitable place to be a blacksmith.

State History, continued : 

State History, continued The territory of Iowa was created in 1836. People paid a fee to get land.

Statehood : 

This state became the 29th state in the United States in 1846. The first Governor of the state was Governor Lucas. Statehood

Government : 

Government Current State Senators(2): Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin Current State Representatives(5): Bruce Braley, David Loebsack, Leonard Boswell, Tom Latham, Steve King State Legislature: 50 senators, 100 representatives. Electoral Votes: 8 The current governor is Chet Culver.

Maps : 

Maps

Population : 

Population 1840: 43,000 1860: 675,000 1880: 1,625,000 1900: 2,232,000 1920: 2,404,000 1940: 2,538,000

Population, continued : 

Population, continued 1950: 2,621,073 1960: 2,758,000 1970: 2,825,000 1980: 2,914,000 1990: 2,776,755 2000: 2,926,324 Over the past fifty years the population has increased.

Economy : 

Economy Chief products of the state include: Pork, eggs, corn, soybeans, beef dairy, oats Limestone, coal, lead Non electrical machinery, farm machinery, cereal, corn oil, corn starch, glucose, popcorn, plastic, rubber

Weather : 

Weather January Average high: 28 degrees F Average low: 8 degrees F July Average high: 89 degrees F Average low: 61 degrees F Average Yearly Rain: 26-40 inches Average Yearly Snowfall: 42 inches Average number of clear days per year: 91-107 days

Natural Resources : 

Natural Resources Water: Red Rock Lake, Saylorville Lake, Grand River, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Rathbun Lake, Clear Lake, Storm Lake, Des Moines River, Big Spirit Lake, Boyer River, Iowa River Minerals: nonmetallic, limestone, sand, gravel, coal

Natural Resources, continued : 

Natural Resources, continued Plant Life Very Few forest areas cover Iowa, as Iowa is mostly like a plain or prairie, with flat land and soft rolling hills. In Iowa there are scattered trees, though, and prairie grasses. Animal Life Common wild animals include deer, raccoons, foxes, squirrels, muskrats, rabbits, quail, ring necked pheasant, bass, pike, sunfish, trout, and catfish. There are an abundance of fish because of Iowa's great water supply. Ducks and Geese come during migrating season.

Places to Visit : 

Places to Visit Orange City Tulip Festival- Orange City (Northwest). I think it would be interesting to visit here because you would learn of Iowa’s culture. University of Okoboji Winter Games- Arnolds Park (Northwest). It would be interesting to visit here because it is a long tradition in Iowa.

Famous People : 

Famous People Johnny Carson: Hosted The Tonight Show Ashton Kutcher: Actor Mamie Doud Eisenhower: Wife of president Eisenhower John Wayne: Oscar Winning Actor Herbert Hoover: 31st president Donna Reed: Academy Award Winning Actress

Famous People, continued : 

Famous People, continued Bob Feller: Baseball Hall of fame Norman Borlaug: Nobel Peace Prize Winner Janet Guthrie: scientist and first woman Indianapolis driver

State Motto : 

State Motto ‘Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain’ is Iowa’s state motto. Iowa is special because it produces the most pork, eggs, corn, and soybeans in the country.

Largest Cities from largest to smallest : 

Largest Cities from largest to smallest Des Moines (the capital), Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Waterloo, Iowa city, Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Ames, West Des Moines

Common Iowa Gemstones: : 

Common Iowa Gemstones: Alexandrite: Alexandrite comes in most colors of the rainbow and can sell for 10,000 to 20,000 dollars a carat for a nice gem. Not many people have heard of it, though, because it is so uncommon. Amethysts: Amethysts are a common gemstone worth under 100 dollars a carat. It is still appreciated for its beautiful purple hues. Lolite: Lolite is a gem that looks like a sapphire, and a cheaper fix for someone who can’t afford sapphire.

Fun Facts : 

Fun Facts The Louisiana Purchase included Iowa. In 1995 Iowa got their current flag. Iowa is the 25th biggest state. There are 99 counties in Iowa.

Works Cited : 

Works Cited Websites: articles.directorym.com/Semi_Precious_Stones_Iowa-r998-Iowa.html, NPG.org/states/ia.htm, netstate.com/states/symb/, nemahaweb.com/crossroads/earlyhist.htm, sourceforge.net/, www.wonderquest.com, Books: Iowa, Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, World Book