The Show-Me State. A state that doesn’t know if it’s Southern or Midwestern. Its 6 million residents are divided in geography, accent and culture. Northern Missouri is flat and similar to the rest of the Midwest while southern Missouri is hilly and in the Ozark region. Ironically, America’s new unofficial
country music capital is Branson, near the Arkansas border. People from northern Missouri are considered more Midwestern while Southern Missouri is more Southern. Missouri is the place where North America’s two great rivers meet: The
Mississippi and Missouri, near Saint Louis.
Kansas City is the largest city but St. Louis is the largest metro area. Ironically both metro areas cross state boundaries. Kansas City is known as a great center of jazz music and barbeque while St. Louis is a major center for the production of beer (Anheiser Bush) and has the
Gateway Arch. What’s ironic is that beer and barbeque go together like sex and nicotine. However, both cities are extremely crime-ridden by many comparisons. Some natives include Jessie James, Harry Truman, Walt Disney and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain).