Iowa

Iowa is a relatively small state that has played a disproportionately large role in American politics, with its caucuses marking a key point in U.S. presidential election contests every four years.

Iowa is a farm state, producing milk, chicken and eggs, as well as livestock. Iowa is also a major engine of corn and soybean production, and is home to one of the nation’s largest cereal mills. Machinery production – from farm machinery and construction equipment to home appliances – is another major industry in the state.

Iowa, its name derived from the Native American Ioway people who once inhabited the region, became the 29th state in 1846. The Mississippi River forms its entire eastern border, while the Missouri River and a tributary, the Big Sioux, form the western border, making Iowa the only state with two parallel rivers defining its borders. The state abuts Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Missouri to the south, Nebraska and South Dakota to the west.