9781422286067

8

Central Mississippi River Basin: Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri

1972 has been protected from devel- opment or the construction of hydro- electric dams by the National Park Service. The Arkansas delta region is locat- ed east of the Ozarks and along the Mississippi River. Most of this region is low and flat, with fertile soil and swampy bayous. A broad plateau called Crowley’s Ridge rises between 200 and 550 feet (61 and 170 m) above the delta lowlands. This forma- tion is 150 miles (240 km) long and

Arkansas delta , and the southeast. Northwest Arkansas includes the southern half of the Ozark Mountain range. Much of this area is covered with oak and hickory trees. The Ozark National Forest covers 1.2 million acres (490,000 hectares), and includes Arkansas’s highest point, Mount Magazine, and two nearby peaks, Mount Nebo and Petit Jean Mountain. The Arkansas River runs through this region, as does the Buffalo National River, which since

Words to Understand in This Chapter

civil rights movement— an extended effort, conducted largely during the 1950s and 1960s, to secure for African Americans the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to all citizens. delta— a triangular tract of sediment deposited at the mouth of a river. nomadic— people who roam from place to place frequently, without establishing permanent settlements. plateau— an area of relatively flat land that is raised sharply above adjacent land on at least one side. poll tax— a sum of money that must be paid in order to be eligible to vote. secede— to withdraw from a political union. segregation— the practice of keeping white and black people apart in public.