Missouri is located in the Midwestern United States. This is a fairly large part of America - more than six million people live there. And this despite the fact that the area is about 180 500 square meters. km That is, it occupies a fairly decent territory of the United States. The state of Missouri is interesting for many - history, cities and nature.
general information
The state capital is a city called Jefferson City, but it is not the largest metropolis. The cities of St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia are much larger. It is worth noting that Missouri consists of one urban district and as many as 114 ordinary. In the north, the state borders on Iowa, and on the south side - with Arkansas. Its eastern boundary passes along the Mississippi River, and in the west of Missouri, it is adjacent to Nebraska. Like many other states, it became part of the United States at the beginning of the 19th century. To be more precise, in 1821. It was then that the state of Missouri officially became part of a large state - the 24th in a row.
sights
If we talk about interesting places that can attract the attention of visitors, the first thing I would like to mention the city of Kansas. This metropolis is famous for its numerous fountains - more than 200 pieces are located on its territory. The local library is also eye-catching, and all because it has a completely original design - the building is made in the form of a bookshelf on which are the volumes of such writers as Tolkien, Dickens, Shakespeare and Lao Tzu. In another city, Hannibal, Mark Twain lived for some time. And it was he who he described in his famous story about Tom Sawyer. By the way, there is also a fence painted by the main character, and a cave where he and Becky got lost.
St. Louis (Missouri) is interesting because it is here that one of the most picturesque botanical gardens in the world is located. Its visitors have a unique opportunity to simultaneously visit the rain tropics and the Japanese garden. The Fountain of the Meeting of Waters fountain is also known - the two largest rivers in the USA merge there into a single whole. It is also worth a visit to Forrest Park and the Jefferson Memorial. Of course, there are many other interesting places, but these are the most interesting of all, which are especially famous among tourists.
State Features
Missouri is definitely financially secure . Even if we take the statistics of almost a decade ago, the total GDP indicator was still more than solid - more than 225 billion dollars! The main sources of income in the state are the automotive, food, brewing, printing, aerospace and chemical industries. In addition, Missouri produces electrical equipment and also extracts valuable minerals such as crushed stone, coal, lead and limestone. So in Missouri there is where to work and, most importantly, earn good money. Even the unemployment rate in this state is less than in many others - only 7 percent.
Diverse St. Louis
I would like to continue the theme of this city, since it really is one of the most visited in the whole state. He has a very interesting story. Firstly, the city was named after Louis IX, king of France. As you know, his nickname was the name of St. Louis. In 1803, the United States took over the lands of the future St. Louis from France. Everything was honest - due to the fact that Napoleon then badly needed financial support, he sold the United States these colonial possessions. The city began to develop quite rapidly - already in 1817, when steamboats appeared, St. Louis secured the status of an important shopping center. He was the main beneficiary city. No wonder he was also called the "gateway to the West" - all the goods that came to the United States were delivered through the Mississippi and St. Louis. Although today it is one of the most dangerous cities. Especially “famous” in this regard are areas such as Clayton, Laclede's Landing, Central West End, Downtown and Forest Park. Nevertheless, tourists come here, which means that everything is not so bad, and the reality is somewhat distorted.
City with a criminal present
Ferguson (Missouri) is a city that has recently been known for its criminal and rebellious events. It is located in St. Louis County. It is in this city that the headquarters of the transnational corporation known as Emerson Electric is located. Although the city itself is small: the population is a little more than 21 thousand people, and the area is only 16 square meters. km Most of them are African-Americans, about 68% of them live in the territory, the rest is white-skinned. The city was founded in 1855, but it acquired this status only in 1894. Ferguson (Missouri) developed slowly, the first school was built in 1878, the economy also stood still for a long time, and people settled in these places not very actively. But today this city exists, and it is also quite interesting. For example, since 2010, a race has been held in Ferguson - residents of all ages participate in it. But lately tourists have not come here - last August a policeman shot and killed an 18-year-old black guy, and this caused mass protests and riots, which only intensified after the servants of the law were acquitted in court.
What you need to know about other cities
Kansas City is the largest and most populous city, St. Louis is independent, Ferguson is criminal, and what about the rest, because there are several dozen more? For example, the fact that only in three cities (these are Springfield, Independence and Colombia) the population exceeds the figure of one hundred thousand people. The smallest is the Republic - there live only 15 600 people. It is very cozy and well-groomed, so some people come here to relax for a while and forget about the noise. By the way, another similar city is Clayton, also small and suitable for such a holiday. People are not really eager for Overland - it is small, but unattractive, gloomy and groomed. Well, in every state and state there are such places, and there is no point in denying it. The state of Missouri in its composition has the most diverse - large and small, attractive and not very, calm and noisy. But for each person there is exactly one that is specifically suitable for his purposes. As for a lover to study historical values and sights, so for an adherent of outdoor activities or a fan of peace and quiet.