WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28: IOWA ADMITTED

Profile America — Friday, December 28th.  One of the states that figured prominently in the recent presidential election — Iowa — became the 29th state to join the Union on this date in 1846.  The name "Iowa" is derived from an American Indian word meaning "the beautiful land," and it's thought that the nickname "the Hawkeye State" is in honor of the famous Indian chief, Black Hawk.  Iowa has long been an agricultural powerhouse and is the nation's leading producer of corn and soybeans, as well as hogs and eggs.  When Iowa became a state, it had a population of less than 200,000.  Today, it is home to just over 3 million people.  You can find more facts about America's people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 603
Historical Statistics of the United States:  Colonial Times to 1970, p. 27
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 16

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau