The land between the rivers
The US state of Missouri is located in the Midwest, slightly east, central United States. Missouri is nicknamed “Show Me State”. The capital of Missouri is Jefferson City. However, the largest city in the country is Kansas City. The highest point in the state of Missouri is Taum Sauk Mountain at 540 meters. The state in the Midwest is dominated by the two rivers Mississippi River and Missouri River. The Mississippi River forms the border with the state of Illinois to the east.
- Medicinelearners: Offers a full list of top medical schools and their profiles in Missouri.
State Capitol – government building in Jefferson City, Missouri
The Missouri River divides the state of Missouri into a northern half and a southern half. After its very long journey from Montana to Missouri north of Kansas City, the river forms the border with the neighboring state of Kansas. After traversing the entire state from west to east, it empties into the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. Kansas City is centrally located on the western border of Missouri; St. Louis is almost at the same elevation on the state’s eastern border. In addition to regions with largely original nature and agricultural areas, the state in the Midwest has a great variety of culture to offer, especially in the cities. This is how the city of Branson calls itself “the world capital of live music shows”.
Agriculture and cotton
Agriculture plays an important role in the US state, but there are also individual wineries to discover. The country in the Midwest can be described as relatively rich in water. Today large areas of the relatively flat, former prairie landscape are used for agriculture. In southeastern Missouri there is a seemingly endless amount of agricultural land. The water-intensive crops rice and cotton are grown there. Otherwise, agriculture is dominated by cattle breeding, pig and poultry farming and the processing of meat. In addition to corn, grain is also grown. Industrially, Missouri is known for the mining and supply of basic materials for the building materials industry, such as gravel and calcareous rock.
Gateway Arch in St. Louis on the west bank of the Mississippi
Wooded landscapes
Apart from the big cities, Missouri is characterized by impressive natural landscapes. In the northern area, wide plains characterize the landscape. Huge herds of buffalo were grazing there before the arrival of the whites. South of the Missouri River is the Ozark Plateau with extensive forest areas, which finally merges further south into the equally densely forested Ozark Mountains. Many of the country’s recreational activities take place by or on the water or in the country’s large forested regions. Fishing and boating are popular in this landscape of lakes, rivers, torrents and waterfalls, as is (temporary) wildlife hunting in the Missouri forests among locals. The entire country is criss-crossed by countless hiking trails, primarily in the vast forested areas of the Ozark Plateau and the Ozark Mountains. The term Ozark Mountains is a bit misleading when the tallest mountain in Missouri is 540 meters high. Campsites, scattered throughout the country, attract numerous campers and backpackers.
“The Scout” statue in Penn Valley Park – Sioux “Indians” overlooking Kansas City
Civil War – between the front lines
The “Street of Hope”, the legendary Route 66, runs through the state of Missouri on its way west to California. This historical legacy plays an important tourist role in the US Midwest state, along with the memory of the American Civil War in the 19th century. The state of Missouri found itself at the center of events during the US Civil War (1861-1865), “sandwiched” between the southern states and the northern states. Numerous museums in the country make American, sometimes bloody and warlike history understandable for visitors.
Kauffman Center – Home of the Performing Coast in Kansas City
Mark Twain and Jesse James
Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, wrote the stories of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in Missouri as a covert criticism of society at the time across the country. He was born in 1835 in the village of Florida, Missouri. The famous 19th century American bandit, Jesse James, was born in 1847 in the town of Kearney, Midwestern country. After the end of the Civil War in 1865, Jesse James became more and more involved in criminal activities such as bank robberies and robberies of money transport, which at that time were mainly carried out by railroad and stagecoach. He was a member of the notorious James Younger gang. To the common people, Jesse James was a hero, a kind of “Robin Hood”. In 1882, Jesse James was shot in the back by Bob Ford, whom he had trusted, in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
Big Cities in Missouri
- Kansas City
- St louis
- Independence
- Springfield
- Columbia
- Lee’s Summit
See Countryaah for more cities in the state of Missouri.
Missouri map
Map of Missouri, located in the Midwest of the United States. The map shows the neighboring states, the largest cities, the most important road connections and highways, the numerous lakes and rivers in the American state. The area of Missouri is 180,533 km². About 6.13 million people currently live in the US state of Missouri in 2019. The state capital of Missouri is Jefferson City.
Kansas City in Missouri
Interstate metropolitan area
Kansas City in Missouri with about 465,000 inhabitants is located in the northwest of the state, on the border with neighboring Kansas on the Missouri River. Across the border that the Missouri River forms with Kansas is Kansas City, Missouri’s sister city, Kansas City, Kansas. There is a city with the same name on both sides of the state line, in Kansas and in Missouri. Both cities together form the metropolitan area of Kansas City. Kansas City, Missouri is referred to as KCMO in the US.
Kansas City in Missouri, on the border with the state of Kansas
Kansas City was founded by Mormons in 1831. Today only relatively few people of this religious community live in the region. Kansas City was founded as a trading center because of its favorable location on the Missouri River.
Attractions in Kansas City Missouri
- 18th and Vine-Downtown East
- American Jazz Museum
- Arrowhead Stadium
- Bannister Federal Complex
- Boulevard Brewing Company
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
- Community Christian Church
- Crown Center
- Ewing & Muriel Kauffman Memor. Garden
- Harry S. Truman Farm Home
- Harry S. Truman National Historic Site
- Harry S. Truman Presidential Libr. & Museum
- Jacob L. Loose Park
- John Wornall House Museum
- Kansas City Convention Center
- Kansas City Zoo
- Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
- Kauffman Stadium
- Kemper Arena
- Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
- Knuckleheads Saloon
- Liberty Memorial
- Midland Theatre
- Municipal Auditorium
- National Airline History Museum
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
- Oceans of Fun
- Science City im Union Station
- Sprint Center
- Starlight Theatre
- Swope Park
- Thomas Hart Benton State Historic Site
- Uptown Theater
- Worlds of Fun
