The Iowa reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Iowa

Iowa

State flag info (In Detail) (Full size)
State nickname: "The Hawkeye State"
Other U.S. States
Capital	Des Moines
Largest City	Des Moines
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 26th 145,743 km2 0.71%
Population  - Total (2000)  - Density	Ranked 30th 2,926,324 20/km2
Admittance into Union  - Order  - Date	29th December 28, 1846
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Latitude Longitude	40°36'N to 43°30'N 89°5'W to 96°31'W
Width Length Elevation  -Highest  -Mean  -Lowest	320 km 500 km   509 meters 335 meters 146 meters
ISO 3166-2:	US-IA

Iowa is the 29th state of the United States, having joined the union on December 28, 1846. The U.S. Post Office abbreviation for the state is IA.
The official (long) name of the state: "State of Iowa".

The state is named for the Native American Iowa people.

Table of contents

1 History 2 Law and Government 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Important Cities and Towns 7 Education 7.1 State Universities 7.2 Independent Colleges and Universities 7.3 Community Colleges 7.4 Professional Business and Technical Colleges and Universities 8 Professional Sports Teams 9 Miscellaneous Information 9.5 U.S. Senators from Iowa 9.6 Iowa caucus 10 External Links

History

• history prior to joining the United States
• First came under U.S. control as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Part of Missouri Territory until Missouri became a state in 1821 when it became unorganized territory. Made part of Territory of Michigan in 1834, then the Territory of Wisconsin in 1836. Territory of Iowa established June 12, 1838, including all of present Iowa and most of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
• Attained statehood in December 28, 1846 (the 29th state).
• major historical events that occurred in state

Law and Government

The state capital is Des Moines. The current Governor is Tom Vilsack (Democrat) and the two U.S. Senators are Chuck Grassley (Republican) and Tom Harkin (Democrat). The five U.S. Congressmen are Jim Leach (Republican), Jim Nussle (Republican), Steve King (Republican), Tom Latham (Republican), and Leonard Boswell (Democrat).

[Note that all the U.S. states have similar legal and political systems, so maybe we only need to mention anything that makes the state distinct]

• Governors of Iowa List.

• legislature -- bicameral: Senate and House
• structure of state judicary
• information on state constitution
• does it have referenda?

Geography

See: List of Iowa counties

Iowa is bordered by Minnesota on the north, Nebraska and South Dakota on the west, Missouri on the south, and Wisconsin and Illinois on the east.

• Physical geography (mountains, rivers, plains, elevation, that sort of thing)
  • Located between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
  • See: List of Iowa rivers

• National parks, etc.
  • Effigy Mounds National Monument
  • Herbert Hoover National Historical Site

Economy

The state's total gross state product for 1999 was $85 billion placing Iowa 30^th in the nation. Its Per Capita Income for 2000 was $26,723. 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.

• State income
• Major industries/products: agriculture, insurance, manufacturing.
• state taxes

Demographics

The 2000 population was 2,926,324.

• state population: 2,926,324 (2000 census)
• racial/ethnic makeup of state
• religious makeup of state

Important Cities and Towns

Population > 100,000 (urbanized area) Des Moines, state capital Davenport, home of Saint Ambrose University Cedar Rapids Waterloo Sioux City

Population > 10,000 (urbanized area) Iowa City, home of University of Iowa Dubuque Ames, home of Iowa State University Clinton Burlington Mason City Marshalltown Fort Dodge Ottumwa Muscatine Newton Keokuk Indianola Boone Oskaloosa Fort Madison Spirit Lake Spencer Storm Lake

Important Suburbs Bettendorf (Davenport suburb among the Quad Cities) Cedar Falls, home of the [1] University of Northern Iowa Council Bluffs Fayette, home of Upper Iowa University Maharishi Vedic City

Education

Iowa has 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.

State Universities

• Iowa State University
• University of Iowa
• University of Northern Iowa

Independent Colleges and Universities

Briar Cliff University Buena Vista University Central College Clarke College Coe College Cornell College Divine Word College Dordt College Drake University Emmaus Bible College Faith Baptist Bible College Graceland University Grand View College Grinnell College Iowa Wesleyan College

Loras College Luther College Maharishi University of Management Morningside College Mount Mercy College Northwestern College Simpson College Saint Ambrose University The Franciscan University University of Dubuque Upper Iowa University Vennard College Waldorf College Wartburg College William Penn University

Community Colleges

Clinton Community College Des Moines Area Community College Ellsworth Community College Hawkeye Community College Indian Hills Community College Iowa Central Community College Iowa Lakes Community College Iowa Western Community College Kirkwood Community College

Marshalltown Community College Muscatine Community College North Iowa Area Community College Northeast Iowa Community College Northwest Iowa Community College Scott Community College Southeastern Community College Southwestern Community College Western Iowa Community College

Professional Business and Technical Colleges and Universities

American Institute of Business Allen College of Nursing Hamilton College Kaplan College Mercy College of Health Sciences

Palmer College of Chiropractic St. Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences Vatterott College

Professional Sports Teams

The Minor League baseball teams are:

Iowa Cubs Cedar Rapids Kernels Burlington Bees

Clinton LumberKings Swing of the Quad Cities Waterloo Bucks

The Hawkeye State
State Bird:	Eastern Goldfinch
State Flower:	Wild Rose
State Rock:	Geode
State Song:	"The Song of Iowa"
State Tree:	Oak

Miscellaneous Information

The battleship USS Iowa was named in honor of this state.

• State bird: Eastern goldfinch
• State flower: wild rose
• State motto: "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"

U.S. Senators from Iowa

List of United States Senators who have represented Iowa:

(Seat 1):

• Chuck Grassley, Republican, 1981-present
• John Culver, Democrat, 1975-1981
• Harold E. Hughes, Democrat, 1969-1975
• Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Democrat, 1945-1969
• Guy M. Gillette, Democrat, 1936-1945
• Richard Louis Murphy, Democrat, 1933-1936
• Smith W. Brookhart, Republican, 1927-1933
• David W. Stewart, Republican, 1926-1927
• Albert B. Cummins, Republican, 1908-1926
• William B. Allison, Republican, 1873-1908
• James Harlan, Republican, 1867-1873
• Samuel J. Kirkwood, Republican, 1865-1867
• James Harlan, Free Soil and Republican, 1855-1865
• Augustus C. Dodge, Democrat, 1848-1855

(Seat 2):

• Tom Harkin, Democrat, 1985-present
• Roger Jepsen, Republican, 1979-1985
• Dick Clark, Democrat, 1973-1979
• Jack R. Miller, Republican, 1961-1973
• Thomas E. Martin, Republican, 1955-1961
• Guy M. Gillette, Republican, 1949-1955
• George A. Wilson, Republican, 1943-1949
• Clyde L. Herring, Republican, 1937-1943
• L.J. Dickinson, Republican, 1931-1937
• Daniel F. Steck, Democrat, 1926-1931
• Smith W. Brookhart, Republican, 1922-1926
• Charles A. Rawson, Democrat, 1922-1922
• William S. Kenyon, Republican, 1911-1922
• Lafayette Young, Democrat, 1910-1911
• Jonathan P. Dolliver, Republican, 1900-1910
• John H. Gear, Republican, 1895-1900
• James F. Wilson, Republican, 1883-1895
• James W. McDill, Republican, 1881-1883
• Samuel J. Kirkwood, Republican, 1877-1881
• George G. Wright, Republican, 1871-1877
• James B. Howell, Republican, 1870-1871
• James W. Grimes, Republican, 1859-1869
• George W. Jones, Democrat, 1848-1859

Iowa caucus

The state gets considerable attention every four years because of its presidential caucus, a gathering of voters which, along with the New Hampshire primary a week later, has become the starting gun for choosing the two major-party candidates for U.S. 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 in done in a primary or election.

External Links

• http://www.iowa.gov
• Iowa News.

Political divisions of the United States

States Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Federal district District of Columbia Insular areas American Samoa | Baker Island | Guam | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Northern Mariana Islands | Palmyra Atoll | Puerto Rico | U.S. Virgin Islands | Wake Island

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