The Saint Francois Mountains, viewed here from Knob Lick Mountain, are the geologic core of the Ozarks. Knob Lick is an unincorporated community in southern St Francois County Missouri.

The Ozarks and its primary physiographic regions.

Elevation map of the Ozarks. Click to enlarge.

The Ozarks (also referred to as Ozarks Mountain Country, the Ozark Mountains or the Ozark Plateau) are a physiographic, geologic, and cultural highland region of the central United States. Physical geography (also known as geosystems or physiography) is one of the three major subfields of Geography. Geology (from Greek γη gê, "earth" and λόγος Logos, "speech" lit Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It covers much of the south half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwest and North central Arkansas. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. The region also extends westward into northeast Oklahoma and extreme southeast Kansas. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American "

Although sometimes referred to as the Ozark Mountains, the region is a high and deeply dissected plateau. A dissected plateau is a Plateau area that has been uplifted then severely eroded so that the relief is sharp Geologically, the area is a broad dome around the Saint Francois Mountains. The Saint Francois Mountains, a range located in southeast Missouri, is an outcrop of Precambrian Igneous rock mountains rising over the Ozark The Ozark Highlands area, covering nearly 47,000 square miles (122,000 km²), is by far the most extensive mountainous region between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. Together, the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains form an area known as the U.S. Interior Highlands, and are sometimes referred to collectively. The Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range located in west central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. The US Interior Highlands is a mountainous region spanning eastern Oklahoma, western and northern Arkansas, southern Missouri, and the extreme southeast For example, the ecoregion called Ozark Mountain Forests includes the Ouachita Mountains, although the Arkansas River valley and the Ouachitas, both south of the Boston Mountains, are not usually considered part of the Ozarks. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " The Ozark Mountain Forests is a Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Ecoregion of the central United States delineated by the World Wide Fund for The Boston Mountains area is a high and deeply Dissected plateau located in northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

Origin of the name

Etymology of the name is a subject of speculation.

"Ozarks" probably derives from a phonetic English spelling of the French abbreviation "aux Arks", short for "aux Arkansas" ("toward Arkansas"),^[1] originally referring to the trading post at Arkansas Post, located in wooded Arkansas Delta lowland area above the confluence of the White River into the Mississippi River. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A trading post is a place where the trading of goods takes place Arkansas Post National Memorial, located about 8 miles (13 km southeast of Gillett Arkansas, commemorates key events that occurred on site and in the vicinity the first semi-permanent The Arkansas Delta is one of the natural regions of the state of Arkansas. The White River is a 722 mile (1162 km long River that flows through the U The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to ^[2][3][4] "Arkansas" seems to be the French version of what the Illinois tribe (further up the Mississippi) called the Quapaw, who lived in eastern Arkansas in the area of the trading post. The Illiniwek (also known as the Illini, Illinois Confederacy) were a group of six Native American Tribes in the upper Mississippi River The Quapaw people are a tribe of Native Americans who historically resided on the west side of the Mississippi River in what is now the state of Arkansas "Ozarks" is a toponym believed derived as a linguistic corruption of "aux Arkansas" in the decades prior to the French and Indian War. Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology. The French and Indian War (1754&ndash1763 was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War. Eventually, the term came to refer to all Ozark Plateau drainage into the Arkansas and Missouri Rivers.

Other possible derivations include "aux arcs" meaning "toward the arches"^[5] in reference to the dozens of natural bridges formed by erosion and collapsed caves in the Ozark region. "Natural Bridges" redirects here for the US National Monument see Natural Bridges National Monument. These include Clifty Hollow Natural Bridge (actually a series of arches) in Missouri,^[6] and Alum Cove in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. The Ozark-St Francis National Forest is located in the State of Arkansas. It is even suggested "aux arcs" is an abbreviation of "aux arcs-en-ciel", French for "toward the rainbows" which are a common sight in the mountainous regions. After the Louisiana Purchase, American travelers in the region referred to various features of the upland areas using the term "Ozark", such as "Ozark Mountains" and "Ozark forests. For the film see Louisiana Purchase (film. The Louisiana Purchase (French Vente de la Louisiane "Louisiana Sale" " By the early 20th century, "The Ozarks" had become a generic term. ^[7][8]

Geographic subdivisions

The Ozarks consist of four primary physiographic sections—the Springfield Plateau, the Salem Plateau, the Saint Francois Mountains, and the Boston Mountains. The physiographic regions of the world are a means of defining the Earth's landforms into distinct regions based upon Nevin Fenneman 's classic three-tiered approach of divisions The Saint Francois Mountains, a range located in southeast Missouri, is an outcrop of Precambrian Igneous rock mountains rising over the Ozark The Boston Mountains area is a high and deeply Dissected plateau located in northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Topography is mostly gently rolling, except in the Boston Mountains, along the escarpments separating the Springfield and Salem Plateaus, and the Saint Francois Range where it is rugged. Karst features such as springs, sinkholes, and caves are common in the limestones of the Springfield Plateau and abundant in the dolostone bedrock of the Salem Plateau and Boston Mountains. Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or Cenote, is a natural depression A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Dolostone is a sedimentary Carbonate rock that contains a high percentage of the Mineral Dolomite. Missouri is known as "The Cave State" with over 6000 recorded caves (second to Tennessee); the majority of these caves are found in the Ozark counties. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. ^[9] The Ozark Plateaus aquifer system effects groundwater movement in all areas except the igneous core of the St. Francois Mountains. ^[10][11][12] Geographic features unique to the Ozarks, particularly in Missouri, include limestone and dolomite glades—grasses and forbs in shallow soil on exposed bedrock in sloping, otherwise heavily forested areas. A glade is an open area within a woodland Glades are a lot like Prairies but offer little or no soil for trees to grow on A herbaceous plant (or in botanical use a Herb) is a Plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of Forbs are Herbaceous Flowering plants that are not Graminoids ( grasses, sedges and rushes) ^[13][14]

The Boston Mountains are the highest section of the Ozarks. Summits can reach elevations of just over 2,560 feet (780 m) with valleys 500 to 1,550 feet (472 m) deep (150 m to 450 m). Turner Ward Knob (TWK) is the highest named peak. Located in western Newton County, Arkansas, its elevation is 2,463 feet (751 m). Newton County is a County located in the US state of Arkansas. Nearby, five unnamed peaks have elevations at or slightly above 2,560 feet (780 m).

The Saint Francois Mountain Range rises above the Ozark Plateau and is the geological core of the highland dome. The Saint Francois Mountains, a range located in southeast Missouri, is an outcrop of Precambrian Igneous rock mountains rising over the Ozark The igneous and volcanic rocks of the Saint Francois Mountains are the remains of a Precambrian mountain range. Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current The core of the range existed as an island in the Paleozoic seas. The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life" Reef complexes occur in the sedimentary layers surrounding this ancient island. In nautical terminology a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water (six fathoms or less at low water These flanking reefs were points of concentration for later ore-bearing fluids which formed the rich lead-zinc ores that have been and continue to be mined in the area. An ore is a volume of rock containing components or Minerals in a mode of occurrence that renders it valuable for mining Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body The igneous and volcanic rocks extend at depth under the relatively thin veneer of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and form the basal crust of the entire region. Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) ^[15]

Regional economy of the Ozarks

Traditional economic activity

Sly Mill, a grist and saw mill on Spring River in the Springfield Plateau, ca. Note for the Spring River located in south-central Missouri and north-central Arkansas see Spring River (Arkansas. 1860.

The Ozarks contain ore deposits of lead, zinc, iron, and barite. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Baryte ( Ba[[Sulfur S]] O 4 is a Mineral consisting of Barium sulfate. Many of these deposits have been depleted by historic mining activities, but much remains and is currently being mined in the lead belt of south-central Missouri. The Lead Belt is a Lead mining district in the southeastern part of Missouri. Historically the lead belt around the Saint Francois Mountains and the Tri-state district lead-zinc mining area around Joplin, Missouri, have been very important sources of metals. Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the U Mining practices common in the early 20th century left significant undermining and heavy metal contamination in topsoil and groundwater in the Tri-state district. ^[16][17]

Much of the area supports beef cattle ranching, and dairy farming is common across the area. Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep Dairy farms are usually cooperative affairs, with small farms selling to a corporate wholesaler who packages product under a common brand for retail sales. Oil exploration and extraction also takes place in the Oklahoma portion of the Ozarks, as well as in the east half of the Boston Mountains in Arkansas. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Logging of both softwood and hardwood timber species on both private land and in the National Forests has long been an important economic activity. Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or "National forest" redirects here for the National Forest in England see National Forest England; for those in Brazil see List of Brazilian National Forests

The majority of the Ozarks is forested; oak-hickory is the predominant type; cedars are common, with stands of pine often seen in the southern range. Juniperus virginiana ( Eastern Redcedar, Red Cedar, Eastern Juniper, Red Juniper, Pencil Cedar) is a species of There are three main subgenera of '''''Pinus''''', the subgenus Strobus ( White pines or soft pines the subgenus Ducampopinus ( Less than a quarter of the region has been cleared for pasture and cropland. ^[18] Forests that were heavily logged during the early to mid-20th century have recovered. However, deforestation contributed through erosion to increased gravel bars along Ozark waterways in logged areas; stream channels have become wider and shallower and deepwater fish habitat has been lost. ^[11]

The numerous rivers and streams of the region saw hundreds of water powered timber and grist mills. ^[19] Mills were important centers of culture and commerce; dispersed widely throughout the region, mills served local needs, often thriving within a few miles of another facility. Few Ozark mills relied on inefficient water wheels for power; most utilized a dam, millrace, and water driven turbine. ^[20]

During the New Deal-era, the Civilian Conservation Corps employed hundreds in the construction of nearly 400 fire lookouts throughout the Ozarks at 121 known sites in Arkansas and 257 in Missouri. Of those lookouts, about half remain, and many of them in use by the Forest Service.

Growth industries

Big Spring in the Missouri Ozarks is one of the largest in the United States, discharging 276 million gallons of water per day into the Current River. The Current River forms in the southeastern portion of the Ozarks of Missouri and becomes a 7th order stream as it flows southeasterly out of the Ozarks into northeastern

Tourism is the growth industry of the Ozarks as evidenced by the growth of the Branson, Missouri, entertainment center. Branson is a city in Stone and Taney counties in the US state of Missouri. The Corps of Engineers lakes that were created by damming the White River beginning in 1911 with Lake Taneycomo have provided a large tourist, boating and fishing economy along the Missouri-Arkansas border. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel The White River is a 722 mile (1162 km long River that flows through the U Lake Taneycomo is a man-made lake or Reservoir on the White River in the Ozark Mountains of Taney County Missouri. All told, six lakes were created by the construction of dams in the White River basin from 1911 through 1960. White River lakes include Lake Sequoyah,^[21] a small recreational fishing lake east of Fayetteville, Arkansas, formed in 1961; Sequoyah is the uppermost impoundment on the White River. Fayetteville is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States, and is home to the University of Arkansas. Below Sequoyah (northeast of Fayetteville) is Beaver Lake, formed in 1960. Beaver Lake is a man-made Lake in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas and is formed by a Dam across the White River. The White River continues its northeasterly flow into Table Rock Lake (1958) in Missouri, which feeds directly into Taneycomo, where the river now zigzags southeasterly again into Arkansas forming Bull Shoals Lake along the Arkansas-Missouri line. Table Rock Lake is a man-made lake or Reservoir in The Ozarks of southern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. A zigzag is a Pattern made up of small corners at variable angles though constant within the zigzag tracing a path between two Parallel lines; it can be described Bull Shoals Lake is a man-made Lake in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. Completed in 1952, Bull Shoals is the furthest downstream lake on the White River proper. Lake Norfork formed by damming the North Fork River, a tributary of the White River, in 1941. Norfork Dam is a large Dam in northern Arkansas. It dams North Fork River and creates Norfork Lake. The North Fork River is a tributary of the White River, into which it flows near Norfork Arkansas.

The Lake of the Ozarks, Pomme de Terre Lake, and Truman Lake in the northern Ozarks were formed by damming the Osage River and its tributary the Pomme de Terre River in 1931, 1961 and 1979 respectively. The Lake of the Ozarks is a large man-made Reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of The Ozarks in central Missouri Pomme de Terre Lake is located in South-West Missouri at the confluence of Lindley creek and the Pomme de Terre River (for which it is named Ht-lakemapjpg|thumb|A Map and Brochure showing the shape and location of the lake]]The Harry S The Osage River is a tributary of the Missouri River, 360 mi (579 km long in central Missouri in the United States. The Pomme de Terre River (pronounced puhm duh TAHR) is a Tributary of the Osage River, 113 mi (182 km long in southwestern Missouri in the Grand Lake in Northeast Oklahoma was built in 1940. Grand Lake O' the Cherokees is situated in Northeast Oklahoma, nestled in the Foothills of the Ozark Mountain Range. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Stockton Lake was formed by damming the Sac River near the city of Stockton, Missouri in 1969; via a pipeline it supplements the water supply of Springfield in nearby Greene County. Stockton Lake is located in southeastern Cedar County, northeastern Dade County, and southwestern Polk County Missouri. The Sac River is a River in southwest Missouri. It is 107 miles (172 km long with headwaters in Lawrence and Greene counties the Springfield is a city in Christian and Greene Counties in the U Greene County is a County located in the US state of Missouri. Most of the dams were built with a dual prerogative of flood control and generating hydropower. Hydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is derived from the Force or Energy of moving water which may

The creation of the lakes significantly altered the Ozark landscape and impacted traditional Ozark culture through displacement. Prior to the impoundments, communities, farms and mills concentrated along the river valleys and numerous streams for drinking water and power. Many farm roads, river fords and even railways were lost when the lakes came, disrupting rural travel and commerce. Prior to damming, the White and Osage River basins were similar to the current conditions of the Buffalo, Elk, Current, and Eleven Point Rivers.

The Buffalo National River was created by an Act of Congress in 1972 as the Nation's first National River administered by the National Park Service. BuffaloRiverjpg|250px|thumb|Buffalo River from river trail overlook near Steel Creek in the Boston Mountains In Missouri, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways,^[22] was established in 1964 along the Current and Jacks Fork River; while not officially a "national river," it is the first US national park based on a river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a National park in The Ozarks area of south central Missouri and in the United States. The Current River forms in the southeastern portion of the Ozarks of Missouri and becomes a 7th order stream as it flows southeasterly out of the Ozarks into northeastern Jacks Fork River is one of three rivers in Missouri that are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways system The Eleven Point River is included in the National Wild and Scenic Riverways System. The Eleven Point River is in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, United States. These river parks annually draw a combined 1. 5 million recreational tourists to the least populated counties in Arkansas and Missouri. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee

Missouri Ozark rivers include the Gasconade, Big Piney and Niangua Rivers in the north central region. The Gasconade River is a Tributary of the Missouri River, about 265 mi (425 km long in south-central and central Missouri in the United States The Meramac River and its tributaries Huzzah and Courtois Creeks are found in the northeastern Ozarks. The Black and St. Francis Rivers mark the eastern crescent of the Ozarks. The Black River is a Tributary of the White River, about 300 mi (480 km long, in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas in the The Saint Francis River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River, about 470 mi (760 km long in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas The James, Spring, and North Fork Rivers are in south central Missouri. The James River is a river in southern Missouri. Its source is near the town of Diggins in Webster County. Note For the Spring River in southwest Missouri see Spring River (Missouri. The North Fork River is a tributary of the White River, into which it flows near Norfork Arkansas. Forming the West central border of the Ozarks from Missouri through Kansas and into Oklahoma are Spring River and its tributary Center Creek. Note for the Spring River located in south-central Missouri and north-central Arkansas see Spring River (Arkansas. Grand Falls, Missouri's largest natural waterfall, a chert outcropping, includes bluffs and glades on Shoal Creek south of Joplin. Chert (ˈtʃɝt is a fine-grained Silica -rich Microcrystalline, Cryptocrystalline or Microfibrous Sedimentary rock that may contain A glade is an open area within a woodland Glades are a lot like Prairies but offer little or no soil for trees to grow on All these river systems see heavy recreational use in season, including the Elk River in Southwest Missouri and its tributary Big Sugar Creek. The Elk River is a short Tributary of the Neosho River, 80 mi (129 km long in southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma in the United Big Sugar Creek is a Waterway of 40-50 miles in length in the Ozark Mountains of southwest Missouri.

Big Sugar Creek in Southwest Missouri. Big Sugar Creek is a Waterway of 40-50 miles in length in the Ozark Mountains of southwest Missouri.

Ozark rivers and streams are typically clear water, with baseflows sustained by many seeps and springs, and flow through forests along limestone bluffs. Gravel bars are common along shallow banks, while deep holes are found along bluffs. ^[23] Except during periods of heavy rain or snowmelt – when water levels rise quite rapidly – their level of difficulty is suitable for most canoeing and tubing.

Fish hatcheries are common due to the abundance of springs and waterways. The Neosho National Fish Hatchery was built in 1888; it was the first Federal hatchery. This List of National Fish Hatcheries in the United States includes the 70 National Fish Hatcheries that are administered as components of the National Fish Hatchery System The Missouri Department of Conservation operates numerous warm and cold water hatcheries and trout parks;^[24] private hatcheries such as Rockbridge^[25] are common. Rockbridge is an unincorporated community in northern Ozark County Missouri.

In addition to tourism, poultry farming and food processing are significant industries throughout the region. Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or The Tyson Foods corporation and ConAgra Foods each operates numerous poultry farms and processing plants throughout the Ozarks. Tyson Foods Inc ( is an American Multinational corporation based in Springdale Arkansas, that operates in the Food Industry ConAgra Foods Inc ( is one of North America 's largest packaged foods companies Schreiber Foods, the largest privately held cheese company in the world, sees operations throughout southern Missouri. Schreiber Foods Inc, is the world's second largest cheese producer The term privately held company refers to ownership of a business company in two different ways first referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations and second Stillwell foods has frozen vegetable and other food processing centers in eastern Oklahoma. Commercial farms and processing operations are known to raise levels of chemical and biological contaminants in Ozark streams, threatening water supplies and endangered native species. ^{[26][27][28][29]}

The trucking industry is important to the regional economy with national carriers based there including J. B. Hunt and Prime, Inc. Springfield remains an operational hub for BNSF Railway. The trucking industry (also referred to as the transportation or logistics industry is the Transport and Distribution of commercial and industrial JB Hunt Transport Services Inc ( is a Trucking and transportation company that was founded by Johnnie Bryan Hunt, and based in the Northwest Arkansas Prime Inc is a trucking company which was founded in 1970 and is currently headquartered in Springfield Missouri. Logging and timber industries are also significant in the Ozark economy with operations ranging from small family run sawmills to large commercial concerns. Fortune 500 companies such as Wal-Mart and Leggett & Platt were founded and are based in the Ozarks. Please do not add the complete list of fortune 500 companies The list is copyrighted by Fortune which makes money by selling the content Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores Leggett & Platt (L&P ( is a Fortune 500 diversified Manufacturer that conceives designs and produces a broad variety of engineered components and products that

Ozark culture

Ozark also refers to a region of people with a distinct culture, architecture, and dialect shared by the people who live on the plateau. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of Traditional Ozark culture is a mixture of cultures, similar to that of Appalachia and the Upland South and also having some commonalities with the Midwest. Appalachia is a term used to describe a region in the eastern United States that stretches from southern New York state to northern Alabama, The terms Upper South and Upland South refer to the northern part of the Southern United States, in contrast to the Lower South or Deep South. Early settlers in Missouri were American, followed in the 1840s and 1850s by Irish and German immigrants. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Much of the Ozark population is of German and Scots-Irish descent, often including some Native American ancestry, and Ozark families tend to have lived in the area since the 19th century. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Scotch-Irish (the historically common term in North America) or Scots-Irish refers to inhabitants of the United States and by some of Canada Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States ^[30]

Ozark religion, like that of Appalachia, was predominantly Baptist and Methodist during periods of early settlement; it tends to be conservative, or individualistic, with Assemblies of God, Southern Baptists, and other Protestant Pentecostal denominations present. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Social conservatism is a political or moral ideology that affirms the government's role in encouraging or enforcing traditional values or behaviors in the belief that these are what Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination with over 283413 churches and outstations The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism The 1970s saw communes established in rural counties; the Ozarks are also home to some sects unique to the area. Catholicism is rare outside of the cities, a few communities settled by German Catholics and those areas (mostly Washington County) of original French settlement. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Washington County is a County located in the US state of Missouri.

Wild strawberries

Persimmon flower

Homesteads in rural areas tend to be isolated instead of being clustered into villages. Fragaria vesca, commonly known as Woodland Strawberry occurs naturally throughout the Northern Hemisphere. This article refers to the edible fruit For the British construction company see Persimmon plc; for the racehorse see Persimmon (horse. Early settlers relied on hunting, fishing and trapping, as well as foraging to supplement their diets and incomes. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. The activity of animal trapping has two separate but related meanings Foraging theory is a branch of Behavioral ecology that studies the foraging behavior of animals in response to the environment in which the animal lives Today hunting and fishing for recreation are common activities and an important part of the tourist industry. Foraging for mushrooms, especially morels and puffballs, and for medicinal native plant species, including St. John's Wort and ginseng, is common, and is financially supported by established buyers in the area. A mushroom is the fleshy Spore -bearing Fruiting body of a Fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source A puffball is a member of any of a number of groups of fungus in the division Basidiomycota. St John's wort (pronounced) used alone refers to the species Hypericum perforatum, also known as Tipton's Weed or Klamath weed, but with qualifiers is Panax quinquefolius, commonly known as American Ginseng and often by its Chinese name Huaqishen ( Jyutping: faa1kei4sam1) Other forages include poke and watercress, persimmons, numerous wild berries including blackberries, raspberries, mulberries, wild cherries and wild strawberries, and many wild nuts such as black walnut, hickory and even acorns. For the Hawaiian fish salad see Poke (food. The pokeweeds, also known as poke, pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot, Watercresses ( Nasturtium officinale, N microphyllum; formerly Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, R This article refers to the edible fruit For the British construction company see Persimmon plc; for the racehorse see Persimmon (horse. The BlackBerry is a Wireless Handheld device introduced in 1999 as a two-way pager The raspberry (plural raspberries) is the edible Fruit of a multitude of plant species in the subgenus Idaeobatus of the genus Rubus The Wild Cherry or Sweet Cherry ( Prunus avium) is a species of cherry, native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia Fragaria vesca, commonly known as Woodland Strawberry occurs naturally throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Nut is a general term for the large dry oily Seeds or Fruit of some Plants. Juglans nigra, commonly known as black walnut or American walnut, is a tree Species native to eastern North America. Trees in the genus Carya (from Ancient Greek κάρυον " Nut " are commonly known as Hickory. The acorn is the nut of the Oak tree (genera Quercus, Lithocarpus and Cyclobalanopsis, in the ^[31] Edible wild legumes, wild grasses and wildflowers are plentiful, and beekeeping is common. A legume is a Plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae or a Fruit of these specific plants Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include A wildflower (or wild flower) is a Flower that grows wild meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted Beekeeping (or apiculture, from Latin apis, Bee) is the maintenance of Honey bee colonies commonly in Hives

Ozark culture is widely referenced in print and broadcast media. Where the Red Fern Grows and the Shepherd of the Hills are books that take place in the Ozarks. Where the Red Fern Grows is a children's novel written by American author Wilson Rawls about a boy who acquires and trains two Redbone Coonhound hunting The Shepherd of the Hills is a book written in 1907 by author Harold Bell Wright. Ozark Jubilee, the first national country music television show, originated in Springfield in 1955; under a variety of names, it aired nationally on ABC through 1960. Ozark Jubilee (later called Country Music Jubilee and Jubilee USA) was a Country music Variety show on American Springfield is a city in Christian and Greene Counties in the U The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Examples of interpretations of traditional Ozark culture include the two major family theme parks in the region, Silver Dollar City and the now defunct Dogpatch U.S.A., and the resort entertainment complex at Branson. Silver Dollar City is a Theme park in the state of Missouri. Opened in 1960 the park is located between Branson and Branson West Missouri on Dogpatch USA is a defunct theme park located on State Highway 7 between the cities of Harrison and Jasper in the state of Arkansas

Traditional Ozark culture includes stories and tunes passed orally between generations through community music parties and other informal gatherings. Square dances were an important social avenue throughout the Ozarks into the 20th century. Square dances sprung up wherever people concentrated around mills and timber camps, and in geographically isolated communities; many of these saw their own local dance tunes and variations develop. Of all the traditional musicians in the Ozarks, the fiddler holds a distinct place in both the community and folklore. Community fiddlers revered for carrying local tunes; regionally, traveling fiddlers brought new tunes and entertainment, even while many viewed their arrival as a threat to morality. ^[32][33]

Historians such as Vance Randolph collected Ozark folklore and lyrics in volumes such as the national bestseller Pissing in the Snow and Other Ozark Folktales (University of Illinois Press, 1976), and Ozark Folksongs (University of Missouri Press, 1980), a four-volume anthology of regional songs and ballads. Vance Randolph ( February 23, 1892 - November 1, 1980) was a famous folklorist who studied the folklore of the Ozarks in The University of Missouri Press, founded in 1958 is a University press that is part of the University of Missouri System. ^[34] Ozark anecdotes from the oral tradition are bawdy more often than not, full of wild embellishments on everyday themes.

Boston Mountains in the Arkansas Ozarks.

See also

• Green Country
• Arkansas River
• Buffalo National River
• United States physiographic regions
• List of U.S. multistate regions
• Ozark National Scenic Riverways
• Ozark Trail
• Ozark Highlands Trail
• Irish Wilderness
• Cookson Hills
• Vance Randolph
• USS Ozark (1863)
• USS Ozark (BM-7)
• USS Ozark (LSV-2)
• Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project

References

External links

• Bryant Creek Watershed Atlas
• Missouri Conservation Ozarks Guide
• Natural Divisions of Arkansas
• Ozark Mountain Forests Ecoregion
• Ozark National Scenic Riverways
• Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Springdale, Arkansas