爱荷华州小档案：
人口：约300万
面积：约145，790平方公里，排名第25位
州府：狄摩因Des Moines
爱荷华州，名称来自印第安语，其意义为“昏昏欲睡”Sleepy Ones。
1788年开始殖民。1846年12月28日成为美国第29州。以野玫瑰Wild Rose为州花。本州别名叫做“鹰眼之州”Hawkeye State本州箴言：“珍视自由，保卫权利”Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain。
州府是狄摩因Des Moines，位于中南部，是本州交通中心。本州有53所高等学府。其中以爱荷华大学为最著名，地点在本州东南部之爱荷华城Iowa City。
本州特征有：第一，本州猪产量，在50州内，列第1位。肉牛产量仅次于得克萨斯州，列第二位。第二，玉蜀黍产量，在50州内，与伊利诺斯州同列第一位，大豆产量列第二位。本州粮食产量占美国粮食总产量十分之一。这一州是美国大粮仓之一。殖民时期之前，住在本州之内的印第安人，不必太劳，即可获得温饱。
本州是“黄土之州”。土质极细，非常肥沃。本州介于密西西比（东境）与密苏里（西境）两大河之间，有水运之利，也有灌溉之利。本州地势平坦，很少起伏，农产虽然丰富，但近年来，工业突飞猛进，工业产品总值，已远超过农牧产品总值。
本州最早的土著是造墩人Mound Builders。他们是原始印第安人，且为定居的农人，能建造高大的土墩（冢）。现今尚有未被毁的古老乡村遗迹。其中最有名的大墩，是雕像土墩遗址Effigy Mounds National Mounment。这是原始印第安人的墓地，位于马贵特Marpuette，内有鸟兽及蛇类形状的的雕刻。
Introduction简介
When early European explorers first saw the land of Iowa in the late 1600s，many Indian groups lived or hunted there．The Iowa，Miami，Ottawa，and Sioux（苏人的，苏语的）tribes lived along the Mississippi River．The Omaha［奥马哈人（内布拉斯加东北部的印第安人）］，Oto（奥托族，曾在内布拉斯加州东部沿普拉特河居住的美洲土著居民，其后代现与密苏里族混居于俄克拉荷马州中北部），and Missouri tribes lived in the western part of the state．
In 1673，French explorers canoed（乘独木舟）down the Mississippi River reaching the shore of Iowa．It is believed that the 1673voyage marked the first time that white people visited the region of Iowa．Other expeditions followed and in 1682，Robert Cavelier reached the mouth of the Mississippi River．He claimed the entire region for France and named it Louisiana，in honor of King Louis the Great．
During the early 1700s，only a few missionaries（传教士）and fur traders visited the land now called Iowa；no permanent settlements were built．In 1788，French－Canadian Julien Dubuque bought land from the Meskwaki people to mine lead near present－day Dubuque（迪比克（美国Iowa 州东部的一城市），位于密西西比河畔，对岸是伊利诺斯－威斯康星边境，1833年成为永久殖民地，是该州最古老的城市。）．He became the first white settler of Iowa．Soon afterward，other settlers began to arrive．
In 1803，the United States bought Louisiana［路易斯安那，（美国南部的州名）］from France，including the land of Iowa．Two years later the Louisiana Territory was created and the Lewis and Clark Expedition sent out to explore the new territory．In 1808，the U．S．Army built Fort Madison，Iowa’s first fort．
The Iowa region changed into different territories as states were created during the early 1800s．In 1821，Iowa became part of the unorganized territory of the United States．As settlers desired to move west，Native Americans were forced out of their lands．The end of the Black Hawk War of 1832，gave a small area in Iowa for settlement near the Mississippi River．The first official white settlement in Iowa began in June 1833，in the Black Hawk Purchase．Most of Iowa’s first white settlers came from Ohio，Pennsylvania，New York，Indiana，Kentucky，and Virginia．
The Iowa Territory was created on July 4，1838．The boundaries included all of present－day Iowa，Minnesota，and parts of North and South Dakota．After much debate on its boundaries，Iowa became the 29th state on Dec．28，1846．Over 100，000people lived in Iowa at that time．
Although no battles took place in Iowa during the Civil War（1861－1865），about 70，000Iowans fought for the Union．After the war，Iowa’s economy grew rapidly．By 1870，four railroads crossed the state connecting Iowa with the eastern market．New industries were developed and businesses opened．Iowa farmers led the nation in corn and livestock（家畜，牲畜）production．
During the early 1900s，land in Iowa increased in value．Farmers went deep into debt to buy land．When the Great Depression（〈美〉大萧条）hit in 1929，many lost their lands．Farmers formed cooperatives to save their farms during this time．They joined together to buy supplies and sell their crops．World War II also helped Iowa’s economy by increasing the need for pork（猪肉）and corn（〈美〉玉米）．
Many new industries moved into Iowa during the 1950s．Manufacturing businesses increased．Larger farms with new equipment were replacing small farms．People moved to the cities to find work．By 1960，the population living in cities was greater than in rural areas．
State government also went through changes．Liquor laws went from prohibiting the sale of alcohol in 1855，through several changes until the legalization（合法化，得到法律认可）of selling it with a county permit in 1963．Districts were changed to give equal representation in the legislature to the cities．
Recently，farmers have experienced another depression in the economy．Agricultural prices have dropped and federal aid has been reduced．Many have lost their farms，and other industries associated with the farming industry are also struggling．Some new industries have moved to Iowa that are helping to diversify the economy and provide better jobs．A few of these include publishing，printing，and electronic manufacturers．
Governor州长
Thomas J．Vilsack出生在宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡，他出生的时候就成了孤儿，在1951年被领养。他在1972年获得汉密尔顿学院的学士学位，1975年获得奥尔巴尼法律学院的法律学位。1987年Vilsack被选为爱荷华Mt．Pleasant的市长，1992年被选为爱荷华州参议员。1998年被选为爱荷华州第一个民主州长，2002年再次被选为四年为一任期的州长。
Thomas J．Vilsack was born in Pittsburgh，Pennsylvania，orphaned（无双亲的，孤儿的）at birth，and adopted in 1951．He received a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in Clinton，New York in 1972，and received a law degree from Albany Law School in 1975．Vilsack was elected mayor of Mt．Pleasant，Iowa in 1987，and was elected to the Iowa Senate in 1992．In 1998he was elected Iowa’s first Democratic（民主的，平民的）governor in more than 30years，and was re－elected to a second four－year term in 2002．
A top priority of the Governor’s administration has been to improve education opportunities．Governor Vilsack led the effort to provide funding for reduced class sizes in the early grades of elementary school（小学），and as a result，Iowa’s fourth－graders placed among the best in the nation in math and science progress，and reversed an eight－year decline in reading test scores，with increases in each of the last three years．He has worked to make Iowa a national leader in children’s health care coverage，with 94％of all Iowa children having health insurance．