Geography and Climate of Missouri
Missouri borders eight different states, with Iowa to the north, Arkansas to the south, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east and Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas to the west. The Mississippi River runs along the eastern boundary, while the Missouri River flows west to east, connecting Kansas City and St. Louis.
Both a Midwestern and Southern state due to migrants from the South and its slave state status prior to the Civil War, Missouri sits in the central region of the U.S. It's best described in three distinct geographical regions.
The northwest upland plain or prairie region is part of the Interior Plains’ Central Lowland, or the Northern Plains. The region consists of gently rolling hills north of the Missouri River that stretch out into Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. The Northern Plains cover about a third of the state.
Southern Missouri is part of the Ozark Mountains, where the Ozarks Plateau begins near Springfield. The region has many sinkholes and caverns, including Marvel Cave, located in Branson on top of Roark Mountain. The Bootheel region is part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The Bootheel region is the most fertile land in the state, with undulating plains and swampy lowlands.
Missouri has a continental climate, which features colder winter and hot, humid summers. Near the Bootheel region, it shifts slightly to a humid subtropical climate. The state has some extremes in temperatures, due to a lack of high mountains or oceans to help moderate. However, the winds from the Arctic and the Gulf of Mexico have the most influence on weather.
Missouri, like neighboring states, is susceptible to tornadoes. Given its geographic position within the New Madrid Seismic Zone, Missouri has been the center for earthquake activity, for example, the 1812 New Madrid Earthquake. The state is also vulnerable to flooding from the Mississippi River.
History of Missouri
Before Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet sailed down the Mississippi River passing Missouri in 1673, the Missouri, Osage, Sac, Fox, Iowa, Miami, Shawnee and Kansas Native American tribes inhabited the area. By 1682, Robert de LaSalle had claimed the Missouri area for France. Immigrants came from the Great Lakes and New Orleans, creating cities like St. Louis.
Missouri became a territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase, with steamboats carrying cargo along the Mississippi River. The Missouri Compromise in 1820 resulted official admittance to the Union as a slave state.
Nicknamed “Gateway to the West,” Missouri was the starting point for settlers traveling westward toward the frontier, especially during the California Gold Rush. The Platte Purchase in 1835, bought from Native American tribes, added the northwest corner of Missouri. Missouri then became the largest state in the Union.
As people passed through, settlers migrated to western and central Missouri from parts of the South. They brought African-American slave labor and the goal of building new plantations. People of the area known as “Little Dixie” fought with the new settlers, mainly Mormons, over slavery and religion.
In 1839, previous settlers exiled the Mormons from Missouri. During the same time, frequent skirmishes with Kansas led to a border war between the states.
Contrary to its status as a slave state, Missouri voted to stay with the Union. However, secessionists tried to take up arms, making Missouri a battleground for pro-Confederacy and pro-Union supporters. The victory at Battle of Wilson’s Creek and siege of the town of Lexington forced Confederate troops to retreat to neighboring states. However, guerilla warfare by citizen soldiers such as Jesse James still raged.
After the Civil War, Missouri’s riverfront economy took a long time to recover. In 1930, a diphtheria epidemic occurred around the city of Springfield, killing around 100 people. Native son Harry S. Truman became President after assuming the office from Franklin D. Roosevelt.
After World War II, St. Louis suffered from a loss of jobs in manufacturing and deindustrialization. However, later St. Louis started to recover in the 1960s by diversifying the economy.
Demographics of Missouri
As of 2006, Missouri’s estimated population is 5,842,713, with over half living in either the St. Louis or the Kansas City metro areas.
German is the largest ancestry group at over 23 percent, with Irish, American, English and French heritages following behind. African-Americans reside mostly in the two major metros, parts of the Missouri River valley and the southeastern Bootheel region.
St. Louis is home to a small, yet notable number of Bosnian immigrants. French Creoles reside mainly in the Mississippi River valley just south of St. Louis.
Over three-fourths of Missourians identify themselves as Christian, with 19 percent Catholic and 22 percent Baptist. Those that do not claim any religious affiliation represent 15 percent of the population. The United Pentecostal Church International, the Church of the Nazarene, the Assemblies of God and the General Association of General Baptists all have headquarters in Missouri.
Economy of Missouri
In 2006, the gross state product for Missouri was $225.9 billion, while per capita income was $32,707.
With over 100,000 farms, Missouri’s agricultural outputs include beef, poultry, pork, sorghum, eggs, dairy products, soybeans, corn and hay. In addition to being an industry leader in hogs and cattle, the state also has a growing wine industry. Missouri has huge amounts of limestone and lime, as well as other natural resources like coal and crushed stone. Lead mines in the central eastern region are another important economic contributor.
Other major industries for Missouri include biotechnology, aerospace, chemicals, transportation equipment, electrical equipment, light manufacturing, food processing and publishing. Missouri also benefits from tourism and financial services. Anheuser-Busch, one of the largest beer manufacturers in the world, is located in Missouri.
Missouri Law and Government
Republican Matt Blunt currently serves as Governor of Missouri. Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Kit Bond represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate. There are 163 in the House of Representatives and 34 Senate members. Missouri’s capital is Jefferson City.
Politically, Missouri has been the bellwether of national politics for over a century due to its equal blend of conservatives and liberals. After the Civil War, the state voted Democrat. However, after the 1970s, Republicans gained more votes. Neither party dominates Missouri. Democrats are strongest in Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia, while Republican supporters live in the southern and rural parts of Missouri.
When it comes to social issue such as stem cell research or same-sex marriage, Missouri tends to divide, but is thought to represent the general views of the rest of the nation. The state has also supported the winning presidential election in longer stretches than any other state.
Missouri Transportation
I-29 and I-435 are main thoroughfares in Kansas City. I-635 links Kansas City to its other half in the state of Kansas, while I-35 runs north from Kansas City to Des Moines. I-55 goes from St. Louis to the Arkansas border. I-70, I-44, I-170 and I-72 are other major highways within the state, along with many other U.S. routes.
The Kansas City International Airport and the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport have daily commercial flights serving Missouri.
Kansas City is a major hub for railroads and freight rail. The St. Louis MetroLink connects the city to Illinois suburbs, while Kansas City is in the planning stages of its own light rail system. Both the Mississippi and Missouri rivers are used for barge traffic, with St. Louis as a major stopping point.
Major Cities and Towns of Missouri
Kansas City is popular for its breweries and barbeque steaks, but the city’s jazz and blues nightclubs from the 1930s are still hopping. The city is in the process of completing the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Feel free to take a picture in front of one of the 200 fountains scattered throughout the metro area.
St. Louis, the largest metro area in Missouri, is next to the Mississippi River, where the Gateway Archway is symbolic of the city’s central location between the east and west. The New Cathedral has a distinct Romanesque and Byzantine architecture. The city’s Victorian era homes dot different neighborhoods. Like Kansas City, St. Louis has also contributed to jazz, blues and ragtime.
Missouri Educational System
The University of Missouri system has four campuses, with the University of Missouri in Columbia as the flagship institution. Washington University in St. Louis is one of the top schools in the nation. Lincoln University in Jefferson City is a notable historically black college. There are many more community colleges, vocational schools and private universities.
Learn more at the Missouri Department of Education.
Missouri Sports Teams and Recreational Activities
Missouri has major sports franchises in every sport except basketball, with teams located in the two largest cities. Both baseball and football have rivals in their respective cities, from the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals to the St. Louis Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs. The St. Louis Blues play in the NHL, while the Kansas City Wizards play soccer.
Other teams play minor league baseball, ice hockey, indoor soccer, arena football and tennis. The University of Missouri and the University of Kansas have a friendly sports rivalry, in which their annual football games, known as the “Border Showdown,” draw massive crowds.
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