The Missouri River is a river is the wester United States. It is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is longer than the Mississippi River and it is the longest river in North America.
Geography
Most of the Missouri River flows across the Great Plains, one of the driest areas in N.A. The Missouri’s source is in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. It flows east in Montana, south of the Canadian border. When it flows into North Dakota, it starts going south. It enters South Dakota. Then it flows through Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas.
In Kansas City, Missouri, the river turns east and flows into the state of Missouri. It goes across Missouri and joins the Mississippi near St. Louis, Missouri.
The Missouri has a lot of tributaries, such as the Yellowstone River, the Platte River, and the Kansas River.
History
The Missouri River was very important to Native Americans who lived on the Great Plains. It was also and still is very important in the history of the U.S.A. it was used as the route for the Lewis and Clark Expedition which lasted from 1804 to 1806. In the 1800’s, the Missouri was important in North American fur trade. It was also important for transporting army supplies and troops as well as regular transportation and trade when the West was settled.
Quick facts
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Nickname: |
Big Muddy |
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Length: |
2,341 miles |
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Source: |
Brower’s Spring |
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Countries: |
USA and Canada |
