The Driftless Area is an area of about 20,000 square miles in southwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Iowa which was by-passed by the continental glaciers. As a result, the topography is less flat and more rugged than that usually associated with the Middle West. The Area in Wisconsin parallels the Mississippi River to the Illinois state line in a band 60 to 80 miles wide. About halfway a lobe extends farther northeast into Wisconsin. In Iowa the Area also parallels the Mississippi River from the Minnesota state line to about Dubuque in a band approximately 20 miles wide. Small portions of southeast Minnesota and northwest Illinois are also included in the Area. One of the periods of glaciation was also termed the Wisconsin glaciation. ... State nickname: The Hawkeye State Other U.S. States Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Governor Thomas Vilsack Official languages English Area 145,743 km² (26th)  - Land 144,701 km²  - Water 1,042 km² (0. ... Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner. ... Topography, a term in geography, has come to refer to the lay of the land, or the physiogeographic characteristics of land in terms of elevation, slope, and orientation. ... Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin Lake Itasca Mouth Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich Official languages English Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ... State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ...

Other than rugged topography, the Driftless Area has no one single unity of landscape. In the north there is a " North Woods" visual appearance. The Dells of the Wisconsin River are a unique, specially formed scenic attraction in their own right. In southwestern Wisconsin there is a more pastoral, semi-wooded landscape with many prosperous farms and gentle rural by-ways. The portion of the Mississippi River that flows through the Area is noted for its high bluffs and dramatic river scenery. In Iowa the Driftless Area takes the appearance of low, rugged hills covered with pine woods, a landscape not usually associated with that state. In Illinois the Driftless Area contains the highest point in that state. Dells of the Wisconsin River The Dells of the Wisconsin River (used in the singular, and also called the Wisconsin Dells) is a 5 mi (8 km) gorge on the Wisconsin River in southern Wisconsin in the United States noted for its particular scenic beauty, in particular for its unique... Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin Lake Itasca Mouth Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ...

An interesting connection with the landscape of the Driftless Area is Taliesin (studio), the home of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who advocated organic integration of a structure with its natural surroundings. Taliesin itself is built from local limestone and set on the brow of a rugged hill for the specific purpose of emphasizing its ties to the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin. Information on Taliesin, the Welsh bard, is located on another page. ... Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was one of the most prominent architects of the first half of the 20th century. ...

In the past the Driftless Area was noted for its many lead and zinc mines; in fact, the state seal of Wisconsin shows a miner in honor of that historic era. Today, however, there are no metallic mines in this region. General Name, Symbol, Number Lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Poor metals Group, Period, Block 14(IVA), 6 , p Density, Hardness 11340 kg/m3, 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Density, Hardness 7140 kg/m3, 2. ...

Agriculture, where it can be done, tends toward dairying. In southwestern Wisconsin this specialty is combined with the characteristic feedlot system of the Corn Belt, and beef cattle plus specialty crops are raised there . Some ethnic communities have concentrated across the land in the Driftless Area, such as Swiss- and Czech-Americans. In Wisconsin the Driftless Area is the original source of the Swiss cheese industry in the USA ( although most of the Wisconsin cheese industry is concentrated elsewhere in state outside the Driftless Area). Categories: US geography stubs | Belt regions of the United States ... Cubes of Emmental Swiss cheese Swiss cheese is the generic name, in the United States, for several related varieties of cheese, originally made in Switzerland. ...

The Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge has been established in this region for the purpose of preserving a rare snail and rare flower that have made this region a specialized ecological niche for themselves. The Refuge is located in several dispersed sites among the states that make up the Driftless Area. National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. ...

The principal settlements in the Driftless Area are La Crosse, Baraboo, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; Galena, Illinois; and Winona, Minnesota. Dubuque, Iowa, Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Rochester, Minnesota are on the edges of the Area. It is noted that most of these places are on large rivers, suggesting the comparative difficulty of overland travel across the rugged topography for the early settlers. La Crosse is a city located in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. ... Baraboo is a city located in Sauk County, Wisconsin. ... Prairie du Chien is the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin. ... Downtown Galena Galena is a city located in Jo Daviess County, Illinois. ... Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city located in Winona County, Minnesota. ... Downtown Dubuque and the Riverfront Dubuque is a city located in Dubuque County, Iowa. ... Eau Claire is a city located in west-central Wisconsin. ... Rochester is a city located in Olmsted County, Minnesota. ...