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Missouri is a state in the
Midwestern region of the
United States bordered by
Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Kansas and
Nebraska. Missouri is the
18th most populous state. It
comprises 114 counties and
one independent city.
Missouri's capital is
Jefferson City. The four
largest urban areas are, in
descending order, St. Louis,
Kansas City, Springfield,
and Columbia. Missouri
was originally acquired from
France as part of the
Louisiana Purchase and
became defined as the
Missouri Territory. Part of
the Missouri Territory was
admitted into the union as
the 24th state in 1821.
Missouri mirrors
demographic, economic and
political makeup of the
nation with a mixture of
urban and rural culture. It
has long been considered a
political bellwether state.
It has both Midwestern and
Southern cultural
influences, reflecting its
history as a border state.
It is also a transition
between the eastern and
western United States, as
St. Louis is often called
the "western-most eastern
city" and Kansas City the
"eastern-most western city."
Missouri's geography is
highly varied. The northern
part of the state lies in
dissected till plains while
the southern part lies in
the Ozark Mountains, with
the Missouri River dividing
the two. The confluence of
the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers is located near St.
Louis.
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