Polk County

County of central Florida, USA, bounded to the east by the Kissimmee River and Lake Kissimmee; area 4,722 sq km/1,823 sq mi; population (1990) 405,400. Its seat is Bartow. The terrain is hilly, and sprinkled with hundreds of small lakes. Tourism is the mainstay of the county's economy, particularly in its central, most populated section; towns in this area include Lakeland, Winter Haven, and Lake Wales. The northern region is swampy and sparsely populated. Many small residential communities have been established in the south. Polk County is also agricultural, cultivating and processing citrus fruit, strawberries, and vegetables, and raising cattle and poultry. Rich in phosphates, it also produces fertilizer.

Polk County

County of central Iowa, USA; area 1,507 km/582 sq mi; population (1990) 327,100. It is drained by the Des Moines River; the large Saylorville Reservoir lies in the northwest. Des Moines is the county seat. Polk is by far the most populous and urbanized county in the state, containing the cities of Des Moines, with its suburbs, and Ankeny. The northern and eastern areas are agricultural. It was organized as a county from 1846, and named after the 11th US president, James Polk.