Description of Iowa, US

Located in the Midwest, Iowa is a state in the United States. On December 28, 1846, the state became the 29th to join the Union. Iowa serves as a bridge between the eastern forests and the high prairie plains of the Midwest. The earth gradually rises as it expands westward from the Mississippi River, which serves as its whole eastern border. As the only state in the United States with two parallel rivers as its western border, it is Iowa's most distinctive feature. To the north, Iowa is bordered by Minnesota; to the east, Wisconsin and Illinois; to the south, Missouri; and to the west, Nebraska and South Dakota. The state's capital is Des Moines, in the state's south central region. The name "Iowa" is derived from the Native American tribe that lived in the area at the time of the state's founding.

With over a million farms, Iowa ranks among the most agriculturally diverse states in the country. As a result, it ranks as one of the most agriculturally productive states in the country. To become an agricultural powerhouse, the state relies heavily on its fertile soils, gently undulating hills, and copious rainfall. Economic and labor diversification in Iowa were necessitated by economic downturns and the decline in farmland values in the 1980s. Banking, insurance, biotechnology, and R&D all received a boost in prominence at the closing of the twentieth century.

Among the many things that make their state unique, Iowans take great pride in the diversity of the state and the quality of life it provides. With its "first in the nation" caucuses, Iowa draws national attention to the presidential primary season every four years, when Iowans assemble to express their choices for presidential candidates at statewide political gatherings in their respective states. Imaginatively, the "Is this heaven?" question given in the film Field of Dreams is answered by the spirits of baseball players past frolicking on the diamond cut into a cornfield. The speaker replied, "It's Iowa."

Geographical Description of Iowa 

The vast bulk of Iowa's landscape is comprised of rolling hills or flat plains. East-southeast to west-northwest, the state's elevation generally climbs. Near Keokuk, the Des Moines River merges with Mississippi at just 480 feet (146 meters) above sea level, making it Iowa's lowest point. Located in northwest Iowa, Hawkeye Point has an elevation of 1,677 feet (511 metres).

Continental ice sheets frequently covered the state during the Pleistocene Epoch, creating its landscape and rich soils. Southeastern and extreme eastern Iowa were rerouted by the Illinoian Ice Sheet, resulting in a noticeable valley on its western front. It is estimated that a lobe of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet drifted south and ended up at Des Moines approximately 20,000 to 25,000 years ago. It is estimated that between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago, the Des Moines lobe started its final retreat. Loess, or windblown silt, has been a constant companion to the past two glacial cycles. Loess from the western plains was carried to Iowa by the prevalent west winds as the glaciers retreated over millennia. There are 100 to 200-foot (30-60-meter) high bluffs rising out of the Missouri River basin in the Loess Hills of extreme western Iowa, formed by the accumulation of loess deposits over millions of years. Less loess accumulated in much of the remainder of the state. In the majority of Iowa, the mix of loess and prairie grasses formed an unusually fertile soil.

Near the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa, the Driftless Area, a dry upland that was bypassed by glaciers, has the most diverse landscape of any place in Iowa. There are Mississippi tributaries that penetrate deeply into the underlying bedrock. The Mississippi bluffs tower 300 to 400 feet (90 to 120 metres) above the valley, and the network of streams produces a picturesque and mountainous terrain.

Economy of Iowa

Iowa struggled to produce economic recovery during a nationwide recession in the 1980s, but concluded the 20th century with a new economic issue: a predominantly non-agricultural workforce in an agricultural state. As an incentive for enterprises to locate in Iowa, the state government provided tax advantages, subsidized loans, and educational packages.

The family income in Iowa is somewhat comparable to the national average. In general, the cost of living is lower than in states with major metropolitan regions on either coast, but higher than in the South and Southwest.

Cultural life of Iowa

It is difficult for Iowans to sustain many of the cultural amenities that exist in large urban areas due to the state's dispersed population and limited urban centres. Each year, theater and dance performances, symphonies, and guest artists visit numerous locations throughout the state. The universities and colleges are the principal cultural centers. In the Amana Colonies, with its Oktoberfest; in the Dutch community of Pella, with its yearly tulip festival; among the Czechs of Cedar Rapids; and in other locales, folk traditions are maintained.