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Des Moines
(də mo̵in′)
- river in Iowa, flowing southeast into the Mississippi: c. 325 mi (523 km)
- capital of Iowa, in the central part: pop. 199,000
Origin: Fr, lit., of the monks
See Des Moines in American Heritage Dictionary 4
The capital and largest city of Iowa, in the south-central part of the state on the Des Moines River. Fort Des Moines was built on the site in 1843, and the surrounding settlement became a city in 1851. It was chosen as state capital in 1857. Population: 194,000.
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