Missouri

Missouri sits right in the middle of the United States. In many ways it is the quintessential Midwestern state, with lots of farms, a few big cities and residents famous for their friendly ways. The Missouri River cuts across the middle of the state from west to east, connecting the two major cities, Kansas City and St. Louis. The Mississippi River forms the state's eastern border, and also provides the United States with a convenient dividing mark between eastern and western parts of the country.

In the early 1800s, Missouri sat at the country's western edge. The land was still wild, and the pioneer settlers regularly fought with the Native Americans living in the area. When the Missouri territory petitioned the U.S. Congress to become a State in 1818, the country was thrown into a crisis. An agreement called the Missouri Compromise was eventually reached, allowing the territory to become a state. Missouri entered the Union in 1821 as a slave state, but the balance between pro-slavery and anti-slavery states in the country was maintained through simultaneous admission of Maine, an abolitionist state.

An obscure trading outpost in 1800, St. Louis quickly grew to become one of the largest cities in America by 1900. Situated on the west bank of the mighty Mississippi, St. Louis gained fame as the gateway to the American West. Today, St. Louis is a pleasant city known for its interesting neighborhoods, sophisticated cultural life and the Gateway Arch, an enormous sculpture that provides a literal gateway to all points west.

The Great Plains, a flat grassy area that stretches all the way to Canada, lie north of St. Louis. Fans of American literature will be interested in Hannibal, a small town 100 miles up the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Samuel Clemens (known to millions as Mark Twain) was born here, and the town is the setting for his famous Tom Sawyer stories.

Below the Missouri River, the Ozark Mountains define the southern part of the state. This is country music territory. In fact, the town of Branson Missouri calls itself "the live country music capital of the universe." With over 50 music halls and seven million music-crazed visitors each year, it might just live up to that boast.