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The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. At about 2,565 mi (4,130 km) in length, it is the longest river in the United States and drains approximately one-sixth of the North American continent. The combined Missouri-Mississippi river system is the fourth longest river in the world.1 Description
The headwaters of the Missouri are in the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Montana, near the continental divide. The river rises in the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers, which converge near Three Forks, Montana to form the Missouri. It flows north, through mountainous canyons, emerging from the mountains near Great Falls, where a large cataract historically marked the navigable limit of the river. It flows east across the plains of Montana into North Dakota, then turns southeast, flowing into South Dakota, and along the north and eastern edge of Nebraska, forming part of its border with South Dakota and nearly all its boundary with IowaIowa Flag of Iowa (In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: "The Hawkeye State Other U. States Capital Des Moines Largest City Des Moines Governor Thomas Vilsack Area Total % water Ranked 26th 145,743 km2 0. 71% Population Total ( 2000) Density Ranked 30th, flowing past Sioux CitySioux City is a city located in Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 85,013. It is the county seat of Woodbury County 6. Sioux City is at the navigational head of the Missouri River, about 100 miles northwest of Council Bluffs, and OmahaOmaha, Nebraska County Douglas County, Nebraska Area Total Water 1,290. 6 kmē (498. 86% Population Total ( 2000) Density 390,007 1,301. 5/ kmē Time zone Central: UTC-6 Latitude Longitude 41°15'38" N96°0'47" W Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska. It is t. It forms the entire boundary between Nebraska and MissouriMissouri named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning "canoe", is a Midwestern state of the United States with Jefferson City as its capital. The state's nickname is the State the U. Post Office abbreviation for Missouri is MO and the state public, and part of the boundary between Missouri and KansasKansas derived from the Siouan word Kansa meaning "People of the south wind", is a midwestern state in the United States. postal abbreviation for the state is KS and the state flower is the sunflower. The state motto is "Ad astra per aspera", Latin for "t. At Kansas CityKansas City is a city in Clay, Cass, Jackson, and Platte counties in Missouri. Often abbreviated KCMO, Kansas City is the center of the Kansas City metropolitan area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a, it turns generally eastward, flowing across Missouri and joins the Mississippi just north of St. Louis.
The river is nicknamed "Big Muddy" because of the high silt content in its flow, a feature that is highly visible at its confluence with the Mississippi. The river was of great importance in the westward expansion of the United States. It was acquired by the United States as part of the Louisiana PurchaseVia the Louisiana Purchase the United States acquired more than 529,911,680 acres (2,144,476 km2) of territory from France in 1803 for $15 million (which, if adjusted for inflation, would equal approximately $184 million in 2003). The French territory of and explored by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which successfully used the river to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. During the late 19th century, the river was a primary means of transportation of goods and passengers before the spread of the railroads. The extensive use of paddle steamers on the upper river helped facilitate white settlement of the Dakotas and Montanas, helping spark several of the most intense Indian Wars in the region.
In the 20th century, the upper Missouri was extensively dammed for flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. After President Roosevelt signed the Flood Control Act of 1944, the Pick-Sloan Plan turned the Missouri River into the largest reservoir system in North America. There are six dams in three states with four located in South Dakota.
The extensive system of tributaries drain nearly all the semi-arid northern Great Plains of the United States. A very small portion of southern Alberta, Canada is also drained by the river through its tributary, the Milk.
The river's course roughly follows the edge of the glaciation during the last ice age. Most of the river's longer tributaries stretch away from this edge, towards the west, draining portions of the eastern Rockies.
