Missouri is a state located in the Midwest of the United States. The population is 6,021,988 people. Area 180,533 km². The capital is Jefferson City. Major cities: St. Louis, Springfield, Kansas City, Columbia. The state consists of 114 ordinary districts and the 1st urban district. Missouri shares a border with Iowa to the north and Arkansas to the south. eastern border along the Mississippi River with Kentucky, Illinois, and Tennessee, the western border with Nebraska, and along the Missouri River with Kansas and Oklahoma. In 1821 it became the 24th US state.

State Attractions

There are more than 200 fountains in Kansas City, in addition, there is a library, the facade of which is made in the form of a bookshelf with volumes of Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolkien and Lao Tzu. The famous writer Mark Twain lived in the city of Hannibal for some time. In his work "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" he described this city, there is also a fence painted by Tom and a cave in which he and Becky got lost. In St. Louis you can visit one of the best botanical gardens in the world. Walking through the garden, you can find yourself in various climatic zones: to visit both the huge Japanese garden and the tropical rainforest. In the city you can visit the amusement park "6 Flags". You can also highlight such attractions as: the "Meeting of the Waters" fountain, where the two largest rivers of the country join, "Forrest Park", a massive steel structure in the form of an arch "Gateway" of the Jefferson Memorial.

Geography and climate

Major rivers: Mississippi and Missouri. The Missouri River is the main river route between St. Louis and Kansas City. In some places, the banks of the rivers form cliffs. In southern Missouri are the Ozark Mountains and a rugged plateau. These places contain a large amount of limestone, respectively, karst landforms are inherent. In the southeast of the state is the Butyl region - the lowest, flattest and wettest part of the state. The climate is humid, continental. Hot humid summers and cold winters. In the south of the state, the climate is humid subtropical. The climate of the state is greatly influenced by cold arctic and hot humid air masses from the Gulf of Mexico. Missouri is prone to thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Economy

In 2006, the state's GDP was $225.9 billion (per capita $32,705). The main industries are motor transport, aerospace, food, printing, chemical, brewing. Engaged in the production of electrical equipment. Limestone, lead, coal and crushed stone are mined in the state. Much attention is paid to the development of science and biotechnology. St. Louis is home to the headquarters of one of the largest companies in the field of genetic engineering - Monsanto. Missouri is also home to the only federal reserve banks in the country. In 2012, the state's unemployment rate was 7.3%. In the area of Agriculture grow corn, sorghum, cotton, rice. It also produces dairy products, hay, poultry, beef and pork.

Population and religion

About 55% of the population lives in St. Louis and Kansas City. In 2011 racial composition was 84% ​​White, 11.7% African American, 1.7% Asian, 0.5% Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Hawaiian and Other Islander, 0.1% Other . About 27.4% of the population are of German descent, 14.8% Irish, 10.2% English, 8.5% American, 3.7% French. In St. Louis, a significant part of the population is made up of African Americans - 56.6%. Kansas City has a large number of immigrants from Mexico, South-East Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. In addition, a large number of Cherokee Indians live in the state.

Do you know...

In the city of St. Louis, firefighters are prohibited from rescuing a woman in a nightgown, she must first get dressed.

Missouri map:

Missouri is a state in the Midwest of the United States, the 24th state in the federation. The population is 5,595,211 people (according to this indicator, Missouri ranks 17th in the country; data from 2000). Ethnic composition: Germans - 23.5%, Irish - 12.7%, "Americans" - 10.5%, British - 9.5%, French - 3.5%. Capital - Jefferson City, Largest cities- St. Louis and Kansas City. The official nickname is "Show Me State".

Year of formation: 1821 (24th in order)
State Slogan: The welfare of the people shall be the highest law
Formal title: State of Missouri
Most Big city state: Kansas City
State capital: Jefferson City
Population: more than 5.5 million people (17th in the country).
Area: 180 thousand sq. km. (21st place in the country).
Other big cities in the state: St. Louis, Springfield, Independence, Columbia, Fox Summit, O'Fallon, St. Joseph, St. Charles, St. Peter, Blue Springs

History of Missouri

The territory of Missouri was acquired by the United States from France as part of the province of Louisiana in 1803. Officially, the state became part of the federation on August 10, 1821. Currently, Missouri has the fourth state constitution in history, adopted in 1945.

The history of the state's entry into the Federation largely reflects the development of the United States before the Civil War. The most important stage in the development of the United States was the Missouri Compromise of 1820, according to which an agreement was reached between members of the US Congress, according to which the state of Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state, and the state of Maine as a free state. The history of the state in the 20-50s. XIX century is associated with the development of both farming and plantation slave farming. After Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, the Missouri Volunteers actively participated in the Kansas Civil War.

With the beginning of the secession of the South and the outbreak of hostilities during the war in Missouri, a “second government” is created, which on November 28, 1861 illegally decides to secede from the United States and join the separatists to the state, however, within a fairly short time, order in the state is restored.

After civil war Missouri becomes the most important transit state when moving west. In the city of Independence in the west of the state, most of the caravans heading to the coast form. Pacific Ocean through Dodge City, Kansas. After network development railways Union Pacific great importance acquire the largest cities in the state of St. Louis and Kansas City.

Geography of Missouri

Missouri is located along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Total area 180,693 km² (21st in the US).

In the north, Missouri borders with Iowa, in the east (along the Mississippi River) - with Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, in the south - with Arkansas, in the west - with Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska (with the first two - along the Missouri River).

The relief is largely defined by the valleys of the Mississippi in the east and the Missouri in the central and northwestern regions, as well as the fact that the southern half of the state is occupied by the largest limestone plateau in the United States, the Ozarks.

Missouri is translated from the language of the local Aborigines - Indians - as "dirty river". There is also another version of the translation - "canoeing". It is a tributary, and shares the world championship along its length with the Irtysh.

It was previously believed that its length is 4740 kilometers, but recent measurements have reduced this figure to 3970 kilometers. Only a small part of the river - about 10 thousand square meters. km. - Located in Canada. The total area of ​​the pool, 1370 sq. km. belongs to the United States. The source of the Missouri is in the Rocky Mountains, near the Yellowstone National Forest. The river flows through the states of North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana, and also serves as a natural border between Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.

History of industrialization

In the twentieth century, a dam was built on the river, which formed a series of reservoirs on the Missouri plateau of the same name. This building contributed economic development region, but provoked irreversible environmental problems and affected water quality. Below, in the valley, the Missouri River created the conditions for the development of industry and agriculture. Until today, the river is a transport highway along which barges loaded with wheat, fertilizers, gravel and other products and materials grown and mined on its banks go. The system of large reservoirs for complex purposes is used for irrigation, flow regulation, for energy purposes and to improve navigation conditions. For large river vessels, the river is accessible to the city of Sioux City, and for small ones, in especially high water periods, to the city of Fort Benton.

Climatic features

The supply of the Missouri in the upper reaches is snowy, in the lower and middle reaches it is predominantly rain. The water circulation is extremely variable: sometimes the spring flood raises the level in the lower reaches to 8-12 meters, while the maximum water flow is up to 20 thousand cubic meters. meters per second. And during summer droughts, costs are reduced to 150-170 cubic meters. meters per second. Spring is characterized by high waters and floods, which often take on the character of disasters. The last large-scale flood occurred in 1952 and flooded 123 cities located on the banks of the river.

The Missouri is the largest right tributary of the Mississippi. Historically, the Mississippi is considered the main river, and the Missouri is its tributary. However, its length is quite large and amounts to 4740 km. Missouri increases the length of the Mississippi by as much as 2470 km. The Missouri is formed by the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gadlatin arms, originating on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains and joining in Montana at an altitude of 4182 m above sea level near the city of Gallatin City. The source of Madison is located at an altitude of 8301 m above sea level. In the upper reaches there is a mountain river, in some places it flows in gorges and forms rapids (the largest near the city of Great Falls with a drop of 187 m in a section of 16 km). In the middle reaches it crosses the Missouri plateau in a deep canyon. A number of large dams have been built here, turning the river into a chain of long, winding reservoirs.

Downstream within Central Plains the channel is winding, unstable, the wide floodplain is diked for protection from floods. The Missouri, like the Mississippi, flows through the United States; it is the largest water stream flowing through the Great Plains.
From Gallatin City, the Missouri carries its waters north over the highlands. The width of its valley ranges from 30 to 40 km, high mountain ranges. Near the city of Helena, the river flows through a deep and narrow gorge about 9 km long. This canyon is called the Gateway of the Rocky Mountains. Approximately at a distance of 650 km from the junction of the three branches, the waters of the Missouri break down from a height of 357 m, forming a beautiful waterfall.
Further, the river flows through the states of Montana and North Dakota, where it merges with one of its major tributaries, the Yellowstone River, after which it flows south along the steppes of North Dakota.
At the confluence with the Cheyenne, the Missouri turns southeast and flows to the border with the state of Nebraska, absorbs the waters of several more tributaries, and finally joins the Mississippi. Throughout this distance, the river erodes the banks and carries with it a lot of silt, which enters the Mississippi, making it even dirtier.
The total area of ​​the Missouri basin is 1370 thousand km², the average water flow reaches 2600 m³ / s. The main left tributary of the river is Milk, and Yellowstone, Platte, and Kansas join it on the right. Other tributaries include the Dakota or James, the Niobpa, the Little Missouri, the Osage, and the Grand.
The average water flow at the mouth is 2250 m³/s. The food in the upper reaches is snowy, in the middle and lower reaches it is mainly rain. Water content is highly variable. In the lower reaches, the spring flood causes a rise in levels up to 8–12 m, max. water flow reaches 25 thousand m³/s, the minimum is 120 m³/s. Catastrophic floods are frequent.
The Missouri is a shallow river. On the territory of the Great Plains, its runoff does not exceed 19–25 km³. At the same time, there is a large amount of suspended particles in the water. Despite this, it is in this area that the need for water is quite high: it is used both for industrial purposes and for irrigation.
In the spring, floods often occur on the river. Sometimes the waters rise to 10 or even 12 m and flood the surroundings. In the upper reaches of the river, reservoirs and a system of locks were built to help control the water level. There are also two hydroelectric power plants built on the river.
The erosional activity of the river is great. Solid runoff - about 220 million tons per year. The water is very cloudy, dirty-brown in color. Because of the color of the water in the river, the Americans called it Big Muddy, which in English means "big
filth.” The system of large reservoirs on the Missouri and its tributaries (Fort Peck, Harrison, Oah) serves to regulate flow, irrigation, energy, and improve shipping conditions. The river is accessible for large river vessels up to Sioux City, for small ones in high water periods up to Fort Benton. The famous expedition of Lewis and Clark (1804-1806), which is rightfully considered one of the most important explorations of the United States, took place along the Missouri River. Moreover, President Thomas Jefferson personally organized the expedition - he even made his secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, the head of the detachment. The results of the research turned out to be very positive, but the very return of the researchers was perceived as a miracle - after all, in their homeland they were already considered missing.
The famous Lewis and Clark expedition explored the Missouri in early XIX century, entered the history of the United States.
When, on January 18, 1803, US President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) petitioned Congress for $2,500 (no small amount in those days!) to expand foreign trade, in fact, he conceived the expedition, which as a result became one of the most important milestones in the history of land development North America.
Jefferson attached such importance to the study of the Missouri basin and the possibility of a waterway to the Pacific Ocean that he appointed his own secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), head of the expedition. Lewis chose as his assistant a comrade in military service Lieutenant William Clark (1770-1838).
Bought from France in 1803, the lands that Lewis and Clark were supposed to explore had previously been developed exclusively by the forces of "enthusiasts" - fur traders and trappers, there were not even official maps.
Although, of course, Lewis and Clark could use the data collected in the XVIII century. French trappers. The expedition was personally given instructions by the president: “The purpose of your mission is to study the Missouri River and its main tributaries, its channel and connection with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, as well as to establish the possibility of organizing the shortest and most profitable route across the continent along the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other or another river for trading. In addition, it was necessary to draw up maps, put on them all reliable data on minerals and collect as much information as possible about the Indian tribes.
Lewis and Clark developed their plan to climb up the Missouri, cross the Rocky Mountains (at the same time clarify geographical coordinates their peaks and canyons), and then along the Columbia River (having studied the possibilities of navigation along it) to get into the Pacific Ocean. The voyage up the Missouri began in mid-May 1804. In the expedition diaries there were entries about the abundance of game (beavers, deer, bison) and meetings with groups of Indians.
By the beginning of December, having already covered 2500 km, the expedition founded Fort Mandan (it was named after a friendly Indian tribe) and stayed there for the winter.
In April 1805, the expedition moved on - now through a completely unknown territory, without plans and maps. Instead of large river boats, travelers built small canoes, since large boats were unsuitable for sailing in the upper Missouri. The Indians helped Lewis and Clark a lot, describing the conditions of navigation on the Missouri, and gave a guide who knew the local roads.
In 1805, the expedition managed to cross the Rocky Mountains and reach the Pacific Ocean. They discovered the waterfalls of Great Falls and the source of the Missouri - Three Forks, that is, the "Trident", the confluence of three rivers, to which they also gave names. the westernmost and big river named in honor of President Jefferson, middle - Madison, east - Gallatin, in honor of supporters of the president.
The expedition was especially lucky that among the Indians accompanying it was the wife of the French trapper, the Indian Sacagavea, who knew these places well. She showed passages through the passes of the Rocky Mountains. November 15, 1805 Lewis and Clark with their associates came to the Pacific coast.
In the spring of 1806, the expedition set off on its return journey. At home, they were already considered dead, and when Lewis and Clark returned to St. Louis on September 23, 1806, a solemn welcome awaited them.
The capricious nature of Missouri brought a lot of unpleasant surprises to a person - but in the 20th century. a system of dams and reservoirs was built, which not only accumulates and saves water for irrigation of agricultural land, but also prevents floods.
From the mouth of the Missouri up the river, the path to the west of North America has long run. The river tested everyone who went on a journey along it. The results of the Lewis and Clark expedition can hardly be overestimated - real maps appeared and scientific descriptions new lands, the way to the west of the continent was opened. In 1814, the diaries of the expedition were published, which described in detail all the difficulties on the way up the Missouri and the nature of this region. Two maps, which appeared as a result of the expedition, gave a detailed idea of ​​the possibilities for developing new territories.
Following Lewis and Clark, new explorers and numerous detachments of fur traders, and later settlers to the states of Kansas and Nebraska, moved. More and more seekers went up the river a better life, whole caravans of immigrants. The river helped the strong survive and did not spare the weak.
And St. Louis and Kansas City served as the "Gateway to the West" for decades - it was from here that the pioneers often sailed.
Today, the Missouri is one of the main rivers in the United States; there are practically no unexplored and undeveloped places on its banks. At the headwaters of the three rivers that form the Missouri, Yellowstone was created in 1872. national park. Not far from the Great Falls rapids, where the water drops 187 m over a 16 km stretch, is the Canyon Ferry Reservoir. A network of large reservoirs (more than 100) has been created throughout Missouri, and the river banks in especially dangerous areas have been strengthened to prevent floods.
By the way, serious flooding in Missouri is not uncommon. So, in the spring of 2009, the state of North Dakota was declared a disaster zone; ice jams had to be blown up in Missouri in order to prevent the flooding of the city of Bismarck. There were 100 major floods in the Missouri basin between 1940 and 1950. The last happened in 1952. After that, the floodplain of the river in the lower reaches (from the mouth of the James River) was diked, and water disasters left in the past.
Water in Missouri, thanks to leaching rocks, still cloudy, dirty-brown in color. So the title
Missouri - from the Indian "dirty river" is still relevant. Flowing through the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, the Missouri forms the water border of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.
In the upper reaches of the Missouri, it retained its character as a mountain river; in the middle reaches, crossing the Missouri plateau, the river becomes a chain of long reservoirs. And in the lower reaches of the Missouri, it still tends to change course, which forces a person to closely monitor the intentions of the river. In the upper reaches of the Missouri, the food is snow, in the middle and lower reaches it is mostly rain.
Another unpleasant consequence of the development of the Missouri River basin has become indeed one of the dirtiest rivers in the world, its banks are contaminated with dioxins, the river carries runoff industrial enterprises and settlements located on its banks. In its lower reaches, an increased content radioactive elements and heavy metals.
The Missouri received the title of the longest tributary in the world after it was accurately proved that it is longer than the Irtysh, which received a well-deserved second place in this category.

Information

• Country: USA

Source. earth06.narod.ru

Welcome to the United States of America!

In the language of the local Indian tribe, "Missouri" means "dirty river." The Missouri River is the largest right tributary. Along with r. The Irtysh, Missouri is the longest tributary river on the planet. This is one of the longest rivers in America. According to various sources, its length is either 3970 or 4740 km. The river basin area is 1,370 thousand km2, with 10,000 km2 located in Canada, occupying 1/6 of the entire country.

The river was formed during the confluence of the river. Jefferson, r. Gallatin and R. Madison, rivers that start in the eastern part (rn) and merge into one river at an altitude of about 4132 m above sea level, near the city of Gallatin City.

The main part of the river flows in the Rocky Mountains, overcoming the path from the source to the mouth of the river. Milk, in some places washing the gorges and forming the largest rapids near Great Falls (with a drop of 187 m in a section of 16 km). The river passes in the middle course along the steep slopes of the Missouri Plateau, which is located in a deep valley. The water in the river is very dirty.

Research on the river was carried out by the expeditions of Louis Jollier and Jacques Marquette in 1673, and two hundred years later by the groups of Lewis and Clark in 1804-1805. In the Upper reaches, where the Indians of the Plains lived, exploration was carried out by trappers in the 1820s.

At the time, the river was used as a transport artery. The river played a very important role for settlers in Nebraska and Kansas. Today the Missouri is a major source of energy. It is also called "Big Muddy" or "Big Muddy River".