The Ozarks is a mountain range in southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and southeastern Kansas, covering 47,000 square miles. The mountains received their name from the French phrase aux Arcs, a phrase dating back to French Louisiana which referred to the plateau's drainage into the Arkansas River (in addition to the Mississippi River). The Ozarks contain deposits of lead, zinc, iron, and barite, and the region supported beef cattle ranching, dairy farming, petroleum exploration and extraction, and logging. During the 21st century, the Ozarks became home to a thriving tourism industry. The Ozarks' Baptist and Methodist heritage, similar to that of Appalachia, contributed to the region's socially conservative and individualistic political character.
Gallery[]
