The state of Missouri is also called "The Show-Me State (unofficial)". Their moto is Salus populi suprema lex esto (Latin). The official languages are English. The largest city in Missouri is Kansas City. Before statehood it was called Missouri Territory. Missouri's government is comprised of the Governor, who is currently Jay Nixon (D), Lieutenant Governor, who is currently Peter Kinder (R), Senators: Claire McCaskill (D), Roy Blunt (R), House Delegation: 6 Republicans, 3 Democrats (list).The legislature is General Assembly.

Total area for Missouri is 69,704 sq mi (180,533 km2) (Ranked 21st in the U.S.). The width is 240 miles (385 km) and the length is 300 miles (480 km). In terms of latitude and longitude we have: 36° N to 40° 37′ N and 89° 6′ W to 95° 46′ W. According to the 2010 United States Census, the total population is 6,010,688 (2011 est) (Ranked 18th in the U.S.). This equates to a population density of 87.3/sq mi  (33.7/km2) Ranked 28th in the U.S.. The highest point is Taum Sauk Mountain 1,772 ft (540 m) and the lowest point is Saint Francis River at southern Arkansas border 230 ft (70 m).

The local time zone is Central: UTC-6/-5. The abbreviations used for this state are MO US-MO. Additional information and the official website of the state is found at www.mo.gov.

Short Description
Missouri (i/mɨˈzʊəri/) is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 21st most extensive and the 18th most populous of the 50 United States. Missouri comprises 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis. The four largest urban areas are St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. Missouri's capital is Jefferson City. The land that is now Missouri was acquired from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase and became known as the Missouri Territory. Part of the Territory was admitted into the union as the 24th state on August 10, 1821.

Missouri mirrors the demographic, economic and political makeup of the nation (in general) with a mix of urban and rural culture. It has long been considered a political bellwether state. With the exceptions of 1956 and 2008, Missouri's results in U.S. presidential elections have accurately predicted the next President of the United States in every election since 1904. It has both Midwestern and Southern cultural influences, reflecting its history as a border state. It is also a transition between the Eastern and Western United States, as St. Louis is often called the 'western-most Eastern city' and Kansas City the 'eastern-most Western city.' Missouri's geography is highly varied. The northern part of the state lies in dissected till plains while the southern part lies in the Ozark Mountains (a dissected plateau), with the Missouri River dividing the two. The confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers is located near St. Louis. The starting points of the Pony Express Trail and Oregon Trail were both in Missouri. The mean center of United States population as of the 2010 Census is at the town of Plato in Texas County, Missouri.

The state is named for the Missouri River, which was named after the Siouan-language tribe. They were called the ouemessourita (wimihsoorita), meaning 'those who have dugout canoes', by the Miami-Illinois language speakers. The Illini were the first natives encountered by Europeans in the region and they adopted the name of the Missouri from them.