Minnesota State Facts, Symbols and History

Minnesota Fast Facts

Capital: Saint Paul (popularity). 277.251 (2008 est.)

Minnesota Population: 5,379,139 ( 2012 est.) (21st)

Minnesota Quarter: The second quarter, released in 2005, honors Minnesota and is 32nd in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program.Minnesota was admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, becoming our Nation’s 32nd state. Nicknamed “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” the Minnesota quarter features a tree-lined lake with two people fishing, a dork on the water, and a textured outline of the state surrounding its moniker.The coin bears the inscriptions “Minnesota”, and “1858”.

Language: English, others

Largest Cities: (by population) Minneapolis, Paul, Duluth, Rochester, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park

Name: The origin of the name Minnesota is based on an Indian Dakota word meaning “sky-colored water”.

Statehood: May 11, 1858 (32nd state)

Minnesota symbols

• Animal: Nothing
• Bird: common dork
• Flag of Minnesota
• Flower: pink and white showy lady’s slipper
• Motto: “L’Etoile du Nord” (Star of the North)
• Nicknames: (most used) North Star State; Land of 10,000 Lakes
• Song: “Hail! Minnesota”
• State seal
• Wood: Norwegian pine

Minnesota is a state in the Midwest of the United States, one of the so-called states of the Northwest Center. Population 5,420,380 (2013 data). The capital is Saint Paul. The largest city is Minneapolis. Other major cities: Bloomington, Duluth, Rochester, Brooklyn Park. See cities and towns in Minnesota.

Official nicknames are North Star State, Gopher State, Land of 10,000 Lakes, Bread and Butter State.

The area of Minnesota is 225.365 thousand square meters. km (12th place among the states), of which 8.4% is on the water surface. In the north and northeast, Minnesota borders on the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, from which the state is separated in places by lakes Lesnoe, Superior, and others, as well as the Rainy and Pidgin rivers. Minnesota borders Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and South Dakota and North Dakota to the west.

• AbbreviationFinder: Demonstrates how the two-letter acronym of MN stands for Minnesota and a list of frequently used abbreviations related to the state of Minnesota.

The northern part of Minnesota is located on the crystalline Laurentian Shield, with rocky ridges and deep lakes (about 15,000 lakes in total) associated with its outcrops. To the northwest and west are prairies. Central and southern parts of Minnesota lie on a flat plain. About a third of the territory is covered with forests. Humid temperate continental climate. There are more than 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, which is reflected in one of the state’s official nicknames.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the Chippewa (Ojibwa), Dakota and Winnebago Indian tribes lived in Minnesota.

Presumably the first Europeans to set foot on these lands were the Vikings back in the 12th century, but their presence left few traces. In modern times, the first Europeans to explore the territory of Minnesota were the French, in particular the expeditions of Samuel de Champlain, Daniel Duluth (the city of Duluth is named after him) and Robert de Lasalle. In 1679 Duluth declared the province part of the French Empire. In 1763, the territory was ceded to Great Britain in accordance with the Treaty of Paris.

The area of what is now Minnesota east of the Mississippi became part of the United States after the Revolutionary War, while another area to the west became part of the United States as a result of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

On March 3, 1849, the Territory of Minnesota separated from Iowa, which at first included a significant part of modern North and South Dakota. On May 11, 1858, Minnesota was admitted to the Union, becoming the 32nd state of the country. The state constitution was adopted in 1858.

During the Civil War, there was no fighting in Minnesota. Representatives of the state fought in the army of northerners.

At the end of XIX – beginning of XX centuries. The state experienced rapid economic development. In 1915, the steel mills of the United States Steel Corporation were opened in Duluth. Maritime shipping also developed thanks to navigation along the St. Lawrence River.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state’s GDP in 2003 was $211 billion. Minnesota is an industrial state. The twin cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) host the headquarters of many large corporations, including 3M. The Mesabi iron ore region provides more than half of the US iron ore production.

The discovery of the Saint Lawrence Deep Waterway made Duluth an international seaport. Sand, gravel and stone are mined.

In the 20th century, industries such as mechanical engineering, printing, food processing and woodworking developed, and in recent decades, the production of computer technology.

Agriculture is also well developed in Minnesota, although farmers make up only about 2% of the population. The main agricultural crops are soybeans, corn, seeded grasses, and wheat. There is also dairy farming.