Missouri
The Show-Me State
Climate
Humid continental, with hot summers and cold winters. Summer highs are about 90F (32C) and winter highs about 40F (4C), with storms possible in spring.
Main industries
Farming of soybeans, corn, cattle, and hogs, plus aerospace and transportation building, food processing, and beer brewing in St. Louis.
Top places for tourists
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the music shows of Branson, and the Lake of the Ozarks.
Places of interest
The Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the United States at 630 feet, and the writer Mark Twain grew up in Hannibal by the Mississippi River.
A little history
Part of the Louisiana Purchase, Missouri became the gateway to the West for pioneers on the Oregon Trail and joined the Union as the 24th state in 1821.
Fun fact
Many famous westward trails, like the Oregon Trail and the Pony Express, began in Missouri.