Outline of Iowa
Iowa, pronounced EYE uh wuh, is one of the greatest farming states in the United States. It is sometimes called the Corn State and is known as ''the land where the tall corn grows.'' Iowa produces about a fifth of the corn grown in the United States-more than any other state.
The pioneers who plowed the prairie sod of Iowa uncovered deep layers of rich soil. They made the grass-covered plains of Iowa bloom with vast fields of crops. Today, farms make up about 93 percent of the state's area. Approximately 10 percent of the people of Iowa live on farms.
Iowa farmers provide about 7 percent of the nation's food supply. The chief crops raised in the state are corn and soybeans. Iowa leads the states in the number of hogs raised for marketing-about a fourth of the country's total. Iowa also ranks among the leading producers of beef cattle, milk, and oats.
Many manufacturing industries of Iowa serve the state's agriculture. The most important manufacturing activity is food processing, particularly the processing of corn and pork products. Next in importance among manufacturing activities is the production of machinery, especially farm machinery.
In 1960, for the first time in Iowa's history, the U.S. census reported that more Iowans lived in urban areas than in rural areas. Opportunities in manufacturing and service industries in cities had caused people to move away from farms. Service industries have continued to grow since that time, and they now employ about two-thirds of the state's workers. Des Moines, Iowa's capital and largest city, has become a national center of the insurance industry. Other important service industries in Iowa include wholesale and retail trade, and health care.
Iowa has produced many famous people. Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, was born in West Branch. Henry A. Wallace, who served as vice president of the United States under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was from Iowa. Carrie Chapman Catt, an Iowa educator, became a leader in the woman-suffrage movement. Grant Wood's paintings of rural Iowa have won fame throughout the world. Iowan Norman E. Borlaug received the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for helping increase food production in developing countries.
Iowa's many lakes and streams offer vacationers fine boating, fishing, and swimming. In fall, hunters seek a variety of small game. Many people enjoy hiking in the rugged northeastern part of Iowa, especially in autumn, when the wooded hills are a mass of brilliant color.
Iowa's most famous nickname is the Hawkeye State. This nickname probably honors Black Hawk, a famous Indian chief. Black Hawk led a group of Sauk and Fox Indians against the whites in the Black Hawk War of 1832. The Indians were defeated and gave up a strip of land along the Mississippi River. This land was known as the Black Hawk Purchase. In 1833, permanent settlements began there.
