Capital - Jefferson City
Governor - Jeremiah W. "Jay" Nixon
Lieutenant Governor - Peter Kinder
Entered Union (rank) - August 10, 1821 (24)
Motto - Salus populi suprema lex esto (The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law)
Nickname - Show-me State
Origin of name - Named after the Missouri Indian tribe. “Missouri” means “town of the large canoes.”
10 largest cities (2005 est.) - Kansas City, 444,965; St. Louis, 344,362; Springfield, 150,298; Independence, 110,208; Columbia, 91,814; Lee's Summit, 80,338; St. Joseph, 72,661; O'Fallon, 69,694; St. Charles, 62,304; St. Peter's, 54,209
Land area - 68,886 sq mi. (178,415 sq km)
Geographic center - In Miller Co., 20 mi. SW of Jefferson City
Number of counties - 114, plus 1 independent city
Largest county by population and area - St. Louis, 1,004,666 (2005); Texas, 1,179 sq mi.
Population - 2005 resident population est.: 5,800,310 |