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Missouri’s Location Missouri is one of 12 states in the Midwest region of the United States. Eight states share borders with Missouri. A border is a line that separates one place from another. The map on the next page shows Missouri. The border follows the Mississippi River on the east.
Missouri’s Location Part of the border follows the Missouri River on the west. The rest of Missouri’s borders are straight lines. When Missouri became a state, lawmakers decided these borders.
Missouri’s Location Missouri is located near the center of the United States. Its location has made our state a crossroads. People have come to Missouri from all directions. The earliest settlers, Native Americans, came from the west and north. French explorers traveled down the Mississippi River.
Missouri’s Rivers The two longest rivers in the United States flow through Missouri. The Mississippi River forms most of the eastern border. It is also called the “Father of Waters.”
Missouri’s Rivers The Missouri River flows along part of the state’s western border. Then it turns and flows east. It proceeds from Kansas City through the center of the state to St. Louis. There it empties into the Mississippi River. Other important rivers include the Current, Meramec and the Platte.
Missouri’s Rivers Sometimes rain adds so much water to a river that the river overflows its banks. The result is a flood. Floods can cause serious trouble for homes and farms. To help control floods, people build ridges of dirt called levees along riverbanks.
Missouri’s Lakes Like its rivers, Missouri’s lakes are an important resource. Most of Missouri’s lakes are not natural. They resulted from the building of dams and reservoirs. A reservoir is a human-made lake created to store water.
Missouri’s Lakes Lake of the Ozarks is a popular tourist attraction with more than 100 resorts along its shoreline. Over ten million people visit the lake each year.
border • A line that separates one place from another. Back to text
