The following
outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the
U.S. state of
Iowa.
Iowa is located in the
Midwestern United States, and often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the
Ioway people, one of the many
American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration.[1] Iowa was a part of the French
colony of
New France. After the
Louisiana Purchase, settlers laid the foundation for an agriculture-based economy in the heart of the
Corn Belt.[2] Iowa is often referred to as the "Food Capital of the World".[3]
^Alex, Lynn M. (2000). Iowa's Archaeological Past. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City.
^Merry, Carl A. (1996).
"The Historic Period". Office of the State Archeologist at the University of Iowa. Archived from
the original on June 4, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.