Capital: Des Moines
Population: 2,929,324
Governor: Chet Culver (D, to January 2011)
Entered the Union: December 28, 1846 as the 29th state
Motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain
Nickname: Hawkeye state
Flower: Wild Rose
Bird: Eastern Goldfinch
Song: Song of Iowa
Sports: Teams None
Origin of Name: Probably from an Indian word meaning "the beautiful land"
Major Industries: Corn, Soybeans, Livestock
Historical Sites: Herbert Hoover Birthplace and Library, Fort Dodge Historical Museum, Effigy Mounds National Monument
Points of Interest: Amana Colonies, Des Moines Art Center, Sanford Museum and Planetarium, Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad, DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Living History Farms, Paddlewheel Riverboats
Bordering States: Iowa borders Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin
Source: State of Iowa
Population, 2006 estimate: 2,982,085
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 1.9%
Population, 2000: 2,926,324
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2006: 6.4%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2006: 23.8%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2006: 14.6%
Female persons, percent, 2006: 50.6%
White persons, percent, 2006 (a): 94.6%
Black persons, percent, 2006 (a): 2.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2006 (a): 0.4%
Asian persons, percent, 2006 (a): 1.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2006 (a): NA
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2006: 1.0%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b): 3.8%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2006: 91.0%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 56.9%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 3.1%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 5.8%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 86.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 21.2%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 446,665
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 18.5
Housing units, 2006: 1,320,331
Homeownership rate, 2000: 72.3%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000: 18.4%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $82,500
Households, 2000: 1,149,276
Persons per household, 2000: 2.46
Median household income, 2004: $42,865
Per capita money income, 1999: $19,674
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004: 10.5%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
Total Gross Domestic Product by State: 117,635
Private industries: 104,033
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 4,003
Crop and animal production (Farms): 3,696
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 307
Mining: 213
Oil and gas extraction: 0
Mining, except oil and gas: 211
Support activities for mining: 2
Utilities: 2,401
Construction: 4,817
Manufacturing: 24,834
Durable goods: 14,260
Wood product manufacturing: 841
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 928
Primary metal manufacturing: 987
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 1,627
Machinery manufacturing: 5,498
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 813
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 1,141
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 936
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 206
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 942
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 341
Nondurable goods: 10,574
Food product manufacturing: 5,317
Textile and textile product mills: 53
Apparel manufacturing: 89
Paper manufacturing: 641
Printing and related support activities: 449
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 51
Chemical manufacturing: 2,994
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 981
Wholesale trade: 6,893
Retail trade: 7,256
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 4,163
Air transportation: 29
Rail transportation: 819
Water transportation: 20
Truck transportation: 2,222
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 58
Pipeline transportation: 46
Other transportation and support activities: 477
Warehousing and storage: 492
Information: 3,468
Publishing including software: 974
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 63
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 1,783
Information and data processing services: 647
Finance and insurance: 14,042
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 4,037
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 356
Insurance carriers and related activities: 9,631
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 19
Real estate and rental and leasing: 10,568
Real estate: 9,959
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 609
Professional and technical services: 3,523
Legal services: 818
Computer systems design and related services: 448
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 2,258
Management of companies and enterprise: 898
Administrative and waste services: 2,236
Administrative and support services: 2,067
Waste management and remediation services: 169
Educational services: 971
Health care and social assistance: 7,849
Ambulatory health care services: 3,885
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities: 3,252
Social assistance: 712
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 1,112
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 249
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 863
Accommodation and food services: 2,339
Accommodation: 680
Food services and drinking places: 1,659
Other services, except government: 2,447
Government: 13,602
Federal civilian: 1,531
Federal military: 683
State and local: 11,387
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Longitude: 89° 5' W to 96° 31' W
Latitude: 40° 36' N to 43° 30' N
Length / Width: Iowa is 310 miles long and 200 miles wide.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of Iowa is located in Story County, 5 miles NE of Ames.
Borders: Iowa is bordered by Minnesota in the north and by Missouri in the south. Wisconsin and Illinois are on the east and South Dakota and Nebraska border Iowa on the west.
Total Area: Iowa covers 56,276 square miles, making it the 26th largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 55,875 square miles of Iowa are land areas.
Water Area: 401 square miles of Iowa are covered by water.
Highest Point: The highest point in Iowa is on Sterler Farm, north of Sibley, in Osceola County and is 1,670 feet above sea level. The high point was officially named Hawkeye Point in 1998.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in Iowa is at the Mississippi River; 480 feet above sea level.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of Iowa is 1,100 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: Cedar River, Des Moines River, Iowa River, Mississippi River, Missouri River
Major Lakes: Lake Red Rock
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
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