IOWA FROM A TO Z

C IS FOR CAPITAL, COMMUNICATION, & COUNTIES

• The CAPITAL of Iowa is Des Moines.It was incorporated in 1851 as Fort Des Moines and shortened to Des Moines in 1857. It was named after the Des Moines River. The city is a major center for the insurance industry. Knoxville is called the Sprint Car Capital of the World.

• All forms of COMMUNICATION are available throughout Iowa including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, telephone, and Internet. The state has 9 telephone area codes. There are many Web Cams and Internet service Providers throughout the state.

• Iowa has 99 COUNTIES. The largest county is Kossuth and Dickinson is the smallest. Polk has the largest population & Adams has the smallest. The term county is the level of local government below the state itself.

• Iowa has 200 DAMS. The United States Society on Dams is involved in the maintenance, construction, operation, and safety of dams. The state has a Dam Safety Program. Alternate forms of energy are being investigated including hydroelectric power, Solar power, and Wind power.

• At one time DINOSAURS lived in Iowa, but the evidence is only a few fossils. The Crinoid has been proposed as the State Fossil. The state has an interesting Paleontology History.

• Iowa has experienced minor EARTHQUAKES. The first recorded quake occurred in 1867 and the most recent in 2004. FEMA provides information about EARTHQUAKES.

• The Department of EDUCATION oversees public education in Iowa. It is provided free and is compulsory for any child age 6-16. The State also has private schools that are required to comply with state standards and regulations. Information about schools is available from GreatSchools and SchoolBug.

• Iowa has a variety of Festivals and EVENTS including Arts & Crafts Shows. The state observes State & Federal Holidays.

• Many nearly 150 species of FISH are found in lakes & rivers of Iowa and Channel Catfish. Iowa has several Fish Hatcheries.

• The Iowa State FLAG consists of three vertical stripes of blue, white, and red. On the central white stripe is depicted a spreading eagle bearing in its beak blue streamers on which is inscribed the State Motto. There are Municipal Flags and all counties have a flag. The Sac & Fox Nations have a flag. The State Seal was made official in 1847.

  Iowa has FOOD Festivals, Shows, and Events. The cultivation of corn dates back 2,000 years. The Red Delicious apple was first discovered in Iowa. The state ranks first in the production of pork, corn, and eggs. The Food Bank of Iowa is a private, non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger and reduce food waste.

• Iowa has 10 State Forests. The State Tree is the Bur Oak. Iowa has many Big Trees, and the Iowa Big Tree Program is designed to locate the largest tree of various specimens in the state.

• The GEOLOGY of Iowa is varied . The US Geological Survey has water programs in Iowa. Several minerals are found in Iowa including quartzite, calcite, galena, gypsum, coal, and copper. The State Rock is the Geode. NOAA provides information about the topography of the state.

• The GLOBAL POSITION of Iowa is approximately 42 degrees north and 62 degrees west. The geographic center is in Story. The highest point is Hawkeye_Pointand the lowest place is junction of the Mississippi & Des Moines Rivers. Geocaching is a popular game using a global positioning finder, and there are many geocaches in Iowa.

• Iowa has many GHOST TOWNS. There are a few residents in Jordan and Shipley. Ten people live in Angus.

• Many places in Iowa are on the National Register of HISTORIC Places. A Queen Anne-style house in Cedar Rapids that was once the home of the Sinclair, Douglas, and Hall families is a National Trust Historic Site. The Effigy Mounds National Mounument preserves three prehistoric sites.

• The HISTORY of Iowa dates back 10,000 years when Nomadic hunters arrived in the area. Recorded history began in the 1673. Iowa participates in National History Day.

• Iowa has a variety of INDUSTRIES including food processing, machinery, electric equipment, chemical products, printing, and publishing. Trade Shows are held throughout the year.

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  A wide variety of INSECTS are found in Iowa including many species of butterflies & moths. There are a variety of Spiders in the state. The Iowa State University has an Insect Zoo program developed to foster an appreciation of insects found in Iowa and throughout the world.

• Iowa has nearly 100 ISLANDS. Most are on the Mississippi River and some on other rivers.

• Jazz is popular in Iowa. Iowa city has a Jazz Festival and Jazz Clubs are located throughout the state. Many other musical events are held each year. Opera Companies are located throughout the state. There are also many Bands & Orchestras.

Iowa has KARST and many caves. Crystal Lake Cave and Spook Cave are Show Caves. Maquoka State Park has more caves than any other State Park in Iowa. Coldwater Cave is the longest cave in the state. The National Speleological Society has a grotto in the state that provides information about caving. The National Park Service has a Cave and Karst Program.
• Many aspects of life in Iowa focus on KIDS, and the state has a Kids Page, and the Department of Natural Resources has a Kids Page. NOAA has a Kids Page about the weather. AG in the Classroom has a Kids Page about agriculture in the state.

• Iowa has many LAKES ponds, and reservoirs. The Iowa Great Lakes are the largest natural lakes in the state. Lake Red Rock is the largest lake in the state.

• Public and Academic LIBRARIES are located throughout Iowa. Most of them have internet access & special programs, and some have bookmobiles.The State Library is in Des Moines. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library is in West Branch. The Poet Laureate is Robert Dana.

• Iowa has a landlocked LIGHTHOUSE.

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  Camp Dodge in the town of Johnston is the only MILITARY training facility in Iowa. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has project in the state. The state has both Army and Air National Guard Units. The state has had many Forts. The stockade and detached blockhouse of Fort Madison have been reconstructed in Riverview Park. A museum at Fort Dodge is a replica of the second fort. Fort Defiance is now a State Park

• Iowa has MOUNTAIN peaks and summits. Sundown Mountain is the only midwest resort granted the National Ski Area Association Award of Excellence. Pikes Peak State Park offers some of the finest view in the upper midwest.

• MUSEUMS are located throughout Iowa including Art Museums and Historical Museums.

The name "Iowa" is a Siouan Indian word. It is a tribal name from the Chiwere language meaning "sleepy ones". The state has several nicknames including Tall Corn State, Hawkeye State, Land of Rolling Prairie, and Cyclone State. Iowas has 3 songs - The Song of Iowa, Iowa State Fight Song, and The Bells of Iowa State.
• The first residents of Iowa were NATIVE AMERICANS. The state has been home to several Tribes. The state has one Federally recognized Tribe - - The Sac and Fox. Powwows are often held. Iowa has 2 Indian Casinos.

• Iowa has 6 OBSERVATORIES and 7 planetariums. Most offer classes as well as programs for the general public. Iowa also has several astronomical societies. Many places observe Astronomy Day.

• Iowa has a wide variety of PARKS including many State Parks. The state also has Theme Parks and Amusement Parks.

• Iowa has a POPULATION of OVER 3 million people. Many famouspeople have called Iowa their home including Johnny Carson, TV entertainer; Glenn Miller, Bandleader; John Wayne, actor; Cloris Leachman, actress; Buffalo Bill Cody, scout; and Herbert Hoover, 31st president of the United States.

• Iowa has several PORTS along rivers. The Des Moines Inland Port is the crossroads of America where two major interstate freight corridors intersect. The state also has many Marinas.

• A QUARTER was issued by the U.S. Mint for each state according to its admission date. Iowa was admitted to the union in 1846 and a quarter was issued in its honor in 2004. The Mint has a Kids Page.

• QUILTING is popular in Iowa and Quilting Guilds are located throughout the state. There are also Weaving, Spinning, and Knitting Guilds.
• Take a QUIZ about Iowa 1. map quiz 2. Trivia quiz

• Iowa is home to many species of REPTILES including Frogs and lizards. The State Reptile is the Northern American Bullfrog.

• Iowa has many RIVERS and tributaries. The Upper Mississippi River is an American Heritage River. American River is an organization that protects and restores river systems in the country.

• Iowa offers a wide variety of SPORTS and has teams in all major sports including college, high school, league, & professional. The state has hundreds of Golf Courses both Public and Private. There are many Auto Race Tracks and a Horse Race Track. Several great sports figures have come from the state. Dyersville is home of the Baseball field built for the movie Field of Dreams.

• Iowa has a State TARTAN and participates in National Tartan Day. Davenport is host to Celtic Highland Games.

• Iowa has many types of TRAILS including horse and mule trails and celebrates National Trails Day. The state has many Scenic Byways and Roadside Attractions.

• Iowa has many forms of TRANSPORTATION. The State Department of Transportation maintains highways, bridges, tunnels, and has an Adopt-A-Highway Program. The Federal Highway Administration provides information on traffic and road closures in Iowa. Many Personalized license plates are available. To celebrates its 50th birthday, Matchbox cars issued a car for each state in the order in which it was admitted into the union. The car for Iowa was the Mercedes-Benz Trac 1600 Turbo.

• Iowa has many public and private UNIVERSITIES and Colleges. It also has Technical Colleges.

• Four Ships have been named The USS IOWA. The 1st USS Iowa was a Monitor but was never commissioned. The 2nd USS Iowa (BB-4) saw action during the Spanish American War. The 3rd USS Iowa (BB53) was a Battleship but construction was cancelled. USS Iowa (BB-61) served in World War II and the Korean War.

• Iowa has a variety of VEGETATION. The State Flower is the Wild Prairie Rose. The Nature Conservancy helps preserve the land in Iowa.

• Iowa does not have any VOLCANOES but there is evidence of a volcanic past. A 23-mile-diameter circular feature known as the Manson Impact Structure shows a meteor impact 74 million years. Federal Emergency Management Agency has information about volcanoes.

• Iowa has several WATERFALLS.

• The Climatology Bureau provides information about the weather in Iowa. NOAA provides information about the climate in the state. The Environmental Protection Agency provides information about Climate Change.

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  Iowa has a great diversity of WILDLIFE and many Wildlife Refuges and Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers. Some species of wildlife are endangered. The Nature Conservancy protects lands & water needed for plants & animals to survive. The state has Wildlife Viewing Areas. Iowa participates in the Wildlife Protection Program.

• XMAS is the common abbreviation for Christmas and it is celebrated in Iowa much like the rest of the country and around the world. The National Christmas Tree Association has information about Christmas trees.

• YMCA organizations are located throughout Iowa.

• There are several YOUTH HOSTELS in Iowa. The state also has Elder Hostels.

• The use of ZIP CODES began in 1963. Zip codes (go to find state) in Iowa all start with the number *.

• The United states has 9 Time Zones. Iowa is in the Central Time ZONE. The state is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 and 5.

• Blank Park ZOO in Des Moines has more than 1,000 furry, finned, and feathered friends. The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium has 6 aquariums and many exhibits. 2-Jos Farm is a Petting Zoo and has special events for kids.