Geologically, the Ozarks are an uplifted and heavily eroded plateau that covers northwest Oklahoma, northern Arkansas, the southeast corner of Kansas and the southern half of Missouri. Culturally and geologically, the southern corner of Illinois is also included by some ???
The plateau is made up of four subdivisions: the Boston Mountains, the Springfield Plateau, the Salem Plateau and the St. Francois Mountains.
Fayetteville lies on the boundary separating the rugged Boston Mountains to the east and south from the more level and fertile Springfield Plateau to the west and north.
Historically, the Ozarks have been the home to Indigenous populations for around 12,000 years. During the historic period, the Osage Nation, the Quapaw Nation, the Delaware Tribe and the Cherokee Nation have all lived within the broader Ozarks.