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Des Moines (pronounced in English, in French) is the capital of and the most populous city in the State of Iowa, United States. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, owing its name to the Des Moines River (French: Rivière Des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks"), until it was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857.[1] It is also the county seat of Polk County. The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 92nd in terms of population in the United States according to 2006 estimates with 604,626 residents according to United States Census Bureau.[2]