minnesota, iowa and wisconsin mississippi river trail

Minnesota

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the U.S. state of Minnesota. For the river, see Minnesota River. For other uses, see Minnesota (disambiguation).

State of Minnesota
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Land of 10,000 Lakes; North Star State; The Gopher State
Motto(s): L'Étoile du Nord (French: The Star of the North)
Demonym	Minnesotan
Capital	Saint Paul
Largest city	Minneapolis
Largest metro	Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Area	Ranked 12th
- Total	86,939 sq mi (225,181 km2)
- Width	c. 200–350 miles (c. 320–560 km)
- Length	c. 400 miles (c. 640 km)
- % water	8.4
- Latitude	43° 30′ N to 49° 23′ N
- Longitude	89° 29′ W to 97° 14′ W
Population	Ranked 21st
- Total	5,420,380 (2013 est)[1]
- Density	67.1/sq mi  (25.9/km2) Ranked 31st
- Median household income	$58,906[2] (9th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Eagle Mountain[3][4] 2,302 ft (701 m)
- Mean	1,200 ft  (370 m)
- Lowest point	Lake Superior[3][4] 601 ft (183 m)
Before statehood	Minnesota Territory
Admission to Union	May 11, 1858 (32nd)
Governor	Mark Dayton (DFL)
Lieutenant Governor	Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL)
Legislature	Minnesota Legislature
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Amy Klobuchar (DFL) Al Franken (DFL)
U.S. House delegation	5 Democrats, 3 Republicans (list)
Time zone	Central: UTC −6/−5
Abbreviations	MN, Minn. US-MN
Website	mn.gov

Minnesota ⁱ/mɪnɨˈsoʊtə/^[5] is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the 32nd state on May 11, 1858. Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the state's name comes from a Dakota word for "clear water".^[6]
Minnesota is the 12th biggest in size and the 21st most populous of the U.S. States. Nearly 60% of its residents live in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area (known as the "Twin Cities"), the center of transportation, business, industry, education, and government and home to an internationally known arts community. The remainder of the state consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture; deciduous forests in the southeast, now cleared, farmed and settled; and the less populated North Woods, used for mining, forestry, and recreation.
Minnesota is known for its relatively mixed social and political orientations and its high rate of civic participation and voter turnout. It ranks among the healthiest states, and has a highly literate population. The large majority of residents are of Scandinavian and German descent. The state is known as a center of Scandinavian American culture. In recent decades, substantial influxes of Asian, African, and Latin American immigrants have joined the descendants of European settlers and the original Dakota, Ojibwe, and Ho-Chunk inhabitants.

Contents

 [hide] 

• 1 Etymology
• 2 Geography
  • 2.1 Geology and terrain
  • 2.2 Flora and fauna
  • 2.3 Climate
  • 2.4 Protected lands
• 3 History
• 4 Cities and towns
• 5 Demographics
  • 5.1 Population
  • 5.2 Race and ancestry
  • 5.3 Religion
• 6 Economy
  • 6.1 Industry and commerce
  • 6.2 Energy use and production
  • 6.3 State taxes
• 7 Culture
  • 7.1 Fine and performing arts
  • 7.2 Literature
  • 7.3 Entertainment
  • 7.4 Popular culture
• 8 Health
• 9 Education
• 10 Transportation
• 11 Law and government
  • 11.1 Executive
  • 11.2 Legislature
  • 11.3 Judiciary
  • 11.4 Regional
  • 11.5 Federal
• 12 Politics
• 13 Media
• 14 Sports and recreation
  • 14.1 Organized sports
  • 14.2 Outdoor recreation
• 15 State symbols
• 16 See also
• 17 References
• 18 External links

Etymology[edit]

The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the Minnesota River: Mnisota. The root mni (also spelled mini or minne) means "water." Mnisota can be translated as clear water or clouded water depending on pronunciation.^[5][7] Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers by dropping milk into water and calling it mnisota.^[7] Many places in the state have similar names, such as Minnehaha Falls ("laughing water" (waterfall)), Minneiska ("white water"), Minneota ("much water"), Minnetonka ("big water"), Minnetrista ("crooked water"), and Minneapolis, a combination of mni and polis, the Greek word for "city."^[8]

Geography[edit]

Minnesota, showing roads and major bodies of water

Minnesota is the northernmost U.S. state apart from Alaska; its isolated Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods is the only part of the 48 contiguous states lying north of the 49th parallel. The state is part of the U.S. region known as the Upper Midwest and part of North America's Great Lakes Region. It shares a Lake Superior water border with Michigan and a land and water border with Wisconsin to the east. Iowa is to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota are to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba are to the north. With 86,943 square miles (225,180 km²),^[9] or approximately 2.25% of the United States,^[10] Minnesota is the 12th-largest state.^[11]

Geology and terrain[edit]

Main article: Geology of Minnesota

See also: List of lakes in Minnesota and List of Minnesota rivers

Tilted beds of the Middle Precambrian Thompson Formation in Jay Cooke State Park^[12]

Minnesota contains some of the oldest rocks found on earth, gneisses some 3.6 billion years old, or 80% as old as the planet.^[12][13] About 2.7 billion years ago, basaltic lava poured out of cracks in the floor of the primordial ocean; the remains of this volcanic rock formed the Canadian Shield in northeast Minnesota.^[12][14] The roots of these volcanic mountains and the action of Precambrian seas formed the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. Following a period of volcanism 1.1 billion years ago, Minnesota's geological activity has been more subdued, with no volcanism or mountain formation, but with repeated incursions of the sea, which left behind multiple strata of sedimentary rock.^[12]
In more recent times, massive ice sheets at least one kilometer thick ravaged the landscape of the state and sculpted its current terrain.^[12] The Wisconsin glaciation left 12,000 years ago.^[12] These glaciers covered all of Minnesota except the far southeast, an area characterized by steep hills and streams that cut into the bedrock. This area is known as the Driftless Zone for its absence of glacial drift.^[15] Much of the remainder of the state outside of the northeast has 50 feet (15 m) or more of glacial till left behind as the last glaciers retreated. Gigantic Lake Agassiz formed in the northwest 13,000 years ago. Its bed created the fertile Red River valley, and its outflow, glacial River Warren, carved the valley of the Minnesota River and the Upper Mississippi downstream from Fort Snelling.^[12] Minnesota is geologically quiet today; it experiences earthquakes infrequently, and most of them are minor.^[16]

Palisade Head on Lake Superior formed from a Precambrian rhyolitic lava flow.^[12]

The state's high point is Eagle Mountain at 2,301 feet (701 m), which is only 13 miles (21 km) away from the low of 601 feet (183 m) at the shore of Lake Superior.^[14][17] Notwithstanding dramatic local differences in elevation, much of the state is a gently rolling peneplain.^[12]
Two major drainage divides meet in the northeastern part of Minnesota in rural Hibbing, forming a triple watershed. Precipitation can follow the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Saint Lawrence Seaway east to the Atlantic Ocean, or the Hudson Bay watershed to the Arctic Ocean.^[18]
The state's nickname, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, is no exaggeration; there are 11,842 Minnesota lakes over 10 acres (0.040 km²) in size.^[19] The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest at 962,700 acres (3,896 km²) and deepest (at 1,290 ft (390 m)) body of water in the state.^[19] Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for 69,000 miles (111,000 km).^[19] The Mississippi River begins its journey from its headwaters at Lake Itasca and crosses the Iowa border 680 miles (1,090 km) downstream.^[19] It is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling, by the St. Croix River near Hastings, by the Chippewa River at Wabasha, and by many smaller streams. The Red River, in the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz, drains the northwest part of the state northward toward Canada's Hudson Bay. Approximately 10.6 million acres (42,900 km²) of wetlands are contained within Minnesota's borders, the most of any state except Alaska.^[20]

Flora and fauna[edit]

Main article: Ecology of Minnesota

A groundhog in Minneapolis, along the banks of the Mississippi River

Minnesota has four ecological provinces: Prairie Parkland in the southwestern and western parts of the state, the Eastern Broadleaf Forest (Big Woods) in the southeast, extending in a narrowing strip to the northwestern part of the state, where it transitions into Tallgrass Aspen Parkland, and the northern Laurentian Mixed Forest, a transitional forest between the northern boreal forest and broadleaf forests to the south.^[21] These northern forests are a vast wilderness of pine and spruce trees mixed with patchy stands of birch and poplar.
Much of Minnesota's northern forest underwent logging at some time, leaving only a few patches of old growth forest today in areas such as in the Chippewa National Forest and the Superior National Forest where the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has some 400,000 acres (161,874 ha) of unlogged land.^[22] Although logging continues, regrowth and replanting keeps about one third of the state forested.^[23] Nearly all of Minnesota's prairies and oak savannas have been fragmented by farming, grazing, logging, and suburban development.^[24]
While loss of habitat has affected native animals such as the pine marten, elk, woodland caribou, and bison,^[25] others like whitetail deer and bobcat thrive. The state has the nation's largest population of timber wolves outside Alaska,^[26] and supports healthy populations of black bear and moose. Located on the Mississippi Flyway, Minnesota hosts migratory waterfowl such as geese and ducks, and game birds such as grouse, pheasants, and turkeys. It is home to birds of prey including the largest number of breeding pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states as of 2007,^[27] red-tailed hawk, and snowy owl. The lakes teem with sport fish such as walleye, bass, muskellunge, and northern pike, and streams in the southeast and northeast are populated by brook, brown, and rainbow trout.

Climate[edit]

Main article: Climate of Minnesota

Minnesota experiences temperature extremes characteristic of its continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. The record high and low span is 174 degrees Fahrenheit (96°C) (from −60 °F (−51 °C) at Tower on February 2, 1996 to 114 °F (46 °C) at Moorhead on July 6, 1936).^[28] Meteorological events include rain, snow, blizzards, thunderstorms, hail, derechos, tornadoes, and high-velocity straight-line winds. The growing season varies from 90 days per year in the Iron Range to 160 days in southeast Minnesota near the Mississippi River, and average temperatures range from 37 to 49 °F (3 to 9 °C).^[29] Average summer dew points range from about 58 °F (14 °C) in the south to about 48 °F (9 °C) in the north.^[29][30] Average annual precipitation ranges from 19 to 35 inches (48 to 89 cm), and droughts occur every 10 to 50 years.^[29]

Protected lands[edit]

Pose Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Minnesota's first state park, Itasca State Park, was established in 1891, and is the source of the Mississippi River.^[31] Today Minnesota has 72 state parks and recreation areas, 58 state forests covering about four million acres (16,000 km²), and numerous state wildlife preserves, all managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. There are 5.5 million acres (22,000 km²) in the Chippewa and Superior National Forests. The Superior National Forest in the northeast contains the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which encompasses over a million acres (4,000 km²) and a thousand lakes. To its west is Voyageurs National Park. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA), is a 72-mile-long (116 km) corridor along the Mississippi River through the Minneapolis–St. Paul Metropolitan Area connecting a variety of sites of historic, cultural, and geologic interest.^[32]

History[edit]

Main article: History of Minnesota

Map of Minnesota Territory 1849–1858

Before European settlement of North America, Minnesota was populated by the Dakota people. As Europeans settled the east coast, Native American movement away from them caused migration of the Anishinaabe and other Native Americans into the Minnesota area. The first Europeans in the area were French fur traders who arrived in the 17th century. Late that century, Anishinaabe, also known as Ojibwe Indians migrated westward to Minnesota, causing tensions with the Dakota people.^[33] Explorers such as Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, Father Louis Hennepin, Jonathan Carver, Henry Schoolcraft, and Joseph Nicollet, among others, mapped out the state.
The portion of the state east of the Mississippi River became part of the United States at the end of the American Revolutionary War, when the Second Treaty of Paris was signed. Land west of the Mississippi River was acquired with the Louisiana Purchase, although a portion of the Red River Valley was disputed until the Treaty of 1818.^[34] In 1805, Zebulon Pike bargained with Native Americans to acquire land at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. The construction of Fort Snelling followed between 1819 and 1825.^[35] Its soldiers built a grist mill and a sawmill at Saint Anthony Falls, the first of the water-powered industries around which the city of Minneapolis later grew. Meanwhile, squatters, government officials, and tourists had settled near the fort. In 1839, the Army forced them to move downriver and they settled in the area that became St. Paul.^[36] Minnesota Territory was formed on March 3, 1849. Thousands of people had come to build farms and cut timber, and Minnesota became the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858.

Settlers escaping the Dakota War of 1862

Treaties between European settlers and the Dakota and Ojibwe gradually forced the natives off their lands and on to smaller reservations. As conditions deteriorated for the Dakota, tensions rose, leading to the Dakota War of 1862.^[37] The result of the six-week war was the execution of 38 Dakota — the largest mass execution in United States history — and the exile of most of the rest of the Dakota to the Crow Creek Reservation in Dakota Territory.^[34] As many as 800 white settlers died during the war.^[38]
Logging and farming were mainstays of Minnesota's early economy. The sawmills at Saint Anthony Falls, and logging centers like Marine on St. Croix, Stillwater, and Winona, processed high volumes of lumber. These cities were situated on rivers that were ideal for transportation.^[34] Later, Saint Anthony Falls was tapped to provide power for flour mills. Innovations by Minneapolis millers led to the production of Minnesota "patent" flour, which commanded almost double the price of "bakers" or "clear" flour, which it replaced.^[39] By 1900, Minnesota mills, led by Pillsbury, Northwestern and the Washburn-Crosby Company (a forerunner of General Mills), were grinding 14.1% of the nation's grain.^[40]

Phelps Mill in Otter Tail County

The state's iron-mining industry was established with the discovery of iron in the Vermilion Range and the Mesabi Range in the 1880s, and in the Cuyuna Range in the early 20th century. The ore was shipped by rail to Duluth and Two Harbors, then loaded onto ships and transported eastward over the Great Lakes.^[34]
Industrial development and the rise of manufacturing caused the population to shift gradually from rural areas to cities during the early 20th century. Nevertheless, farming remained prevalent. Minnesota's economy was hard-hit by the Great Depression, resulting in lower prices for farmers, layoffs among iron miners, and labor unrest. Compounding the adversity, western Minnesota and the Dakotas were hit by drought from 1931 to 1935. New Deal programs provided some economic turnaround. The Civilian Conservation Corps and other programs around the state established some jobs for Indians on their reservations, and the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 provided the tribes with a mechanism of self-government. This provided natives a greater voice within the state, and promoted more respect for tribal customs because religious ceremonies and native languages were no longer suppressed.^[35]
After World War II, industrial development quickened. New technology increased farm productivity through automation of feedlots for hogs and cattle, machine milking at dairy farms, and raising chickens in large buildings. Planting became more specialized with hybridization of corn and wheat, and the use of farm machinery such as tractors and combines became the norm. University of Minnesota professor Norman Borlaug contributed to these developments as part of the Green Revolution.^[35] Suburban development accelerated due to increased postwar housing demand and convenient transportation. Increased mobility, in turn, enabled more specialized jobs.^[35]
Minnesota became a center of technology after World War II. Engineering Research Associates was formed in 1946 to develop computers for the United States Navy. It later merged with Remington Rand, and then became Sperry Rand. William Norris left Sperry in 1957 to form Control Data Corporation (CDC).^[41] Cray Research was formed when Seymour Cray left CDC to form his own company. Medical device maker Medtronic also started business in the Twin Cities in 1949.

Cities and towns[edit]

See also: List of cities in Minnesota and List of townships in Minnesota

National Farmers Bank in Owatonna by Louis Sullivan

Saint Paul, located in east-central Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi River, has been Minnesota's capital city since 1849, first as capital of the Territory of Minnesota, and then as state capital since 1858.
Saint Paul is adjacent to Minnesota's most populous city, Minneapolis; they and their suburbs are known collectively as the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States and home to about 60% of the state's population.^[42][43] The remainder of the state is known as "Greater Minnesota" or "Outstate Minnesota".
The state has 17 cities with populations above 50,000 (as of the 2010 census). In descending order of population, they are Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Saint Cloud, Woodbury, Eagan, Maple Grove, Coon Rapids, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Blaine and Lakeville.^[43] Of these only Rochester, Duluth, and Saint Cloud are outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Minnesota's population continues to grow, primarily in the urban centers. The populations of metropolitan Sherburne and Scott counties doubled between 1980 and 2000, while 40 of the state's 87 counties lost residents over the same period.^[44]

Demographics[edit]

Main article: Demographics of Minnesota

Population[edit]

Minnesota's population distribution

From fewer than 6,100 people in 1850, Minnesota's population grew to over 1.7 million by 1900. Each of the next six decades saw a 15% increase in population, reaching 3.4 million in 1960. Growth then slowed, rising 11% to 3.8 million in 1970, and an average of 9% over the next three decades to 4.9 million in the 2000 Census.^[44] The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Minnesota was 5,379,139 on July 1, 2012, a 1.4% increase since the 2010 United States Census.^[1] The rate of population change along with age and gender distributions approximate the national average. The center of population of Minnesota is located in Hennepin County, in the city of Rogers.^[45]

Race and ancestry[edit]

The state's estimated racial composition in the 2011 American Census Bureau was:^[46]

• White American: 86.9% (Non-Hispanic Whites 83.1%, White Hispanic 3.8%)
• African American: 5.4%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: 1.1%
• Asian: 4.0%
• Pacific Islander: 0.0%
• Other races: 2.4%
• Multiracial: 1.8%

Hispanics or Latinos (of any race) made up 4.7% of the population.
In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Minnesota's population as 98.2% white.^[47] In 2011, non-Hispanic whites were involved in 72.3% of all the births.^[48] Minnesota's growing minority groups, however, still form a smaller percentage of the population than in the nation as a whole.^[49]
The principal ancestries of Minnesota's residents in 2010 were surveyed to be the following:^[50]

• 37.9% German
• 32.1% from the Nordic countries; (16.8% Norwegian, 9.5% Swedish, 4.7% Finnish, Danish, Icelandic, Faroese and Karelian)
• 11.7% Irish
• 6.3% English
• 5.1% Polish
• 4.2% French
• 3.7% Czech

Ancestries claimed by less than 3% of the population include American, Italian, and Dutch, each between 2 and 3%; Sub-Saharan African and East African, Scottish, French Canadian, Scotch-Irish and Mexican, each between 1 and 1.9%; and less than 1% each for Russian, Welsh, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Swiss, Arab, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Greek, Slovak, Lithuanian, Portuguese, and West Indian.^[51]

The French Renaissance style Cathedral of St. Paul in the city of St. Paul

Religion[edit]

The majority of Minnesotans are Protestants, including a significant Lutheran contingent, owing to the state's largely Northern European ethnic makeup, but Roman Catholics (of largely German, Irish, and Slavic descent) make up the largest single Christian denomination. A 2010 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life showed that 32.0% of Minnesotans were affiliated with Mainline Protestant traditions, 21.0% were Evangelical Protestants, 28.0% were Roman Catholic, 1.0% each were Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Black Protestant, and smaller amounts were of other faiths, with 13.0% unaffiliated.^[52] According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, the denominations with the most adherents in 2010 were the Roman Catholic Church with 1,150,367; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 737,537; and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod with 182,439.^[53] This is broadly consistent with the results of the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey, which also gives detailed percentages for many individual denominations.^[54] Although Christianity is dominant, there is a long history of non-Christian faiths. Ashkenazi Jewish pioneers set up Saint Paul's first synagogue in 1856.^[55] Eckankar's headquarters are located in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Economy[edit]

Main article: Economy of Minnesota

See also: List of Minnesota locations by per capita income

Once primarily a producer of raw materials, Minnesota's economy has transformed to emphasize finished products and services. Perhaps the most significant characteristic of the economy is its diversity; the relative outputs of its business sectors closely match the United States as a whole.^[56] The economy of Minnesota had a gross domestic product of $262 billion in 2008.^[57] In 2008, thirty-three of the United States' top 1,000 publicly traded companies (by revenue) were headquartered in Minnesota,^[58] including Target, UnitedHealth Group, 3M, Medtronic, General Mills, U.S. Bancorp, Ameriprise, Hormel, Land O' Lakes, SuperValu, Best Buy and Valspar. Private companies based in Minnesota include Cargill, the largest privately owned company in the United States,^[59] and Carlson Companies, the parent company of Radisson Hotels.^[60]
The per capita personal income in 2008 was $42,772, the tenth-highest in the nation.^[61] The three-year median household income from 2002 to 2004 was $55,914, ranking fifth in the U.S. and first among the 36 states not on the Atlantic coast.^[62]
As of November 2013, the state's unemployment rate is 4.8%.^[63]

Industry and commerce[edit]

The IDS Tower, designed by Philip Johnson, is the state's tallest building,^[64] reflecting César Pelli’s Art Deco-style Wells Fargo Center

Minnesota's earliest industries were fur trading and agriculture; the city of Minneapolis grew around the flour mills powered by St. Anthony Falls. Although less than 1% of the population is employed in the agricultural sector,^[65] it remains a major part of the state's economy, ranking 6th in the nation in the value of products sold.^[66] The state is the U.S.'s largest producer of sugar beets, sweet corn, and green peas for processing, and farm-raised turkeys. Minnesota is also a large producer of corn and soybeans.^[67] Minnesota has the most food cooperatives per capita in America.^[68] Forestry remains strong, including logging, pulpwood processing and paper production, and forest products manufacturing. Minnesota was famous for its soft-ore mines, which produced a significant portion of the world's iron ore for over a century. Although the high-grade ore is now depleted, taconite mining continues, using processes developed locally to save the industry. In 2004, the state produced 75% of the country's usable iron ore.^[67] The mining boom created the port of Duluth which continues to be important for shipping ore, coal, and agricultural products. The manufacturing sector now includes technology and biomedical firms in addition to the older food processors and heavy industry. The nation's first indoor shopping mall was Edina's Southdale Center and its largest is Bloomington's Mall of America.
Minnesota is one of 42 U.S. states with its own lottery; its games include Powerball, Mega Millions, Hot Lotto (all three multi-state), Northstar Cash and Gopher 5.

Energy use and production[edit]

The state produces ethanol fuel and is the first to mandate its use, a 10% mix (E10).^[69] In 2005 there were more than 310 service stations supplying E85 fuel, comprising 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.^[70] A 2% biodiesel blend has been required in diesel fuel since 2005. As of December 2006 the state was the country's fourth-largest producer of wind power, with 895 megawatts installed and another 200 megawatts planned, much of it on the windy Buffalo Ridge in the southwest part of the state.^[71]

State taxes[edit]

Minnesota has a progressive income tax structure; the four brackets of state income tax rates are 5.35%, 7.05%, 7.85% and 9.85%.^[72] As of 2008, Minnesota was ranked 12th in the nation in per capita total state and local taxes.^[73] In 2008, Minnesotans paid 10.2% of their income in state and local taxes; the US average was 9.7%.^[73] The state sales tax in Minnesota is 6.875%, but there is no sales tax on clothing, prescription drug medications, some services, or food items for home consumption.^[74] The state legislature may allow municipalities to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 0.5% supplemental sales tax in Minneapolis.^[75] Excise taxes are levied on alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel. The state imposes a use tax on items purchased elsewhere but used within Minnesota.^[74] Owners of real property in Minnesota pay property tax to their county, municipality, school district, and special taxing districts.

Culture[edit]

Main article: Culture of Minnesota

Fine and performing arts[edit]

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts' Beaux-Arts north facade, designed by McKim, Mead, and White.

Minnesota's leading fine art museums include the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Walker Art Center, the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, and the The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA). All are located in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra are prominent full-time professional musical ensembles that perform concerts and offer educational programs to the Twin Cities' community. The world-renowned Guthrie Theater moved into a new Minneapolis facility in 2006, boasting three stages and overlooking the Mississippi River. Attendance at theatrical, musical, and comedy events in the area is strong. In the United States, the Twin Cities' number of theater seats per capita ranks behind only New York City;^[76] with some 2.3 million theater tickets sold annually.^[77] The Minnesota Fringe Festival is an annual celebration of theatre, dance, improvisation, puppetry, kids' shows, visual art, and musicals. The summer festival consists of over 800 performances over 11 days in Minneapolis, and is the largest non-juried performing arts festival in the United States.^[78]

Literature[edit]

The rigors and rewards of pioneer life on the prairie are the subject of Giants in the Earth by Ole Rolvaag and of the Little House series of children's books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Small-town life is portrayed grimly by Sinclair Lewis in the novel Main Street, and more gently and affectionately by Garrison Keillor in his tales of Lake Wobegon. St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald writes of the social insecurities and aspirations of the young city in stories such as Winter Dreams and The Ice Palace (published in Flappers and Philosophers). Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha was inspired by Minnesota and names many of the state's places and bodies of water.

Entertainment[edit]

Main article: Music of Minnesota

First Avenue nightclub, the heart of Minnesota's music community.^[14]

Minnesotan musicians of many genres include rock star Prince, harmony singers The Andrews Sisters, rockabilly star Eddie Cochran, folk musician Bob Dylan, surf band The Trashmen, garage rock band The Castaways, heavy metal bassist David Ellefson, pop songwriters Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, indie rock artists Jonny Lang and Soul Asylum, independent hip-hop labels Rhymesayers Entertainment and Doomtree and cult favorites such as Hüsker Dü and The Replacements.
Minnesotans have made significant contributions to comedy, theater, and film. Ole and Lena jokes are best appreciated when delivered in the accent of Scandinavian Americans. Garrison Keillor is known around the country for resurrecting old-style radio comedy with A Prairie Home Companion, which has aired since the 1970s.^[14] Local television had the satirical show The Bedtime Nooz in the 1960s, while area natives Lizz Winstead and Craig Kilborn helped create the increasingly influential Daily Show decades later. Actors from the state include Eddie Albert, Judy Garland, Jessica Lange, Seann William Scott, Josh Hartnett, Jessica Biel, Vince Vaughn, Rachael Leigh Cook, Steve Zahn, Kevin Sorbo, Cedric Yarbrough and Winona Ryder. Joel and Ethan Coen, Terry Gilliam and Mike Todd contributed to the art of film, and others brought the offbeat cult shows Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Let's Bowl to national cable from the Twin Cities.
The PBS Saint Paul, MN station-Twin Cities Public Television-also created a weekly arts series, MN Original, which showcases the diverse culture and arts scene in Minnesota.

Popular culture[edit]

See also: List of television shows and movies in Minnesota

A youth fiddle performance at the Minnesota State Fair

Stereotypical Minnesotan traits include manners known as "Minnesota nice", Lutheranism, a strong sense of community and shared culture, and their distinctive brand of North Central American English sprinkled with Scandinavian expressions such as uff da. Potlucks, usually with a variety of hotdishes, are popular at community functions, especially church activities. Minnesota's Scandinavian heritage makes lutefisk a traditional holiday dish. Movies like Fargo, The Mighty Ducks, Juno, Young Adult, A Serious Man, Drop Dead Gorgeous, New in Town, Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men; the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Golden Girls, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, and Coach; the radio show A Prairie Home Companion; and the book How to Talk Minnesotan lampoon and celebrate Minnesotan culture, speech and mannerisms.
The Minnesota State Fair, advertised as The Great Minnesota Get-Together, is an icon of state culture. In a state of 5.4 million people, there were almost 1.8 million visitors to the fair in 2009, breaking the previous record set in 2001.^[79] The fair covers the variety of Minnesotan life, including fine art, science, agriculture, food preparation, 4-H displays, music, the midway, and corporate merchandising. It is known for its displays of seed art, butter sculptures of dairy princesses, the birthing barn, and the "fattest pig" competition. One can also find dozens of varieties of food on a stick, such as Pronto Pups, cheese curds, and deep-fried candy bars. On a smaller scale, many of these attractions are offered at numerous county fairs.
Other large annual festivals include the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Minneapolis's Aquatennial and Mill City Music Festival, Moondance Jam in Walker, Sonshine Christian music festival in Willmar, the Judy Garland Festival in Grand Rapids, Eelpout Festival on Leech Lake, and WE Fest in Detroit Lakes.

Health[edit]

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

The people of Minnesota have a high rate of participation in outdoor activities; the state is ranked first in the percentage of residents who engage in regular exercise.^[80]
Minnesotans have low rates of premature death, infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, and occupational fatalities,^[81][82] long life expectancies,^[83] and a high rate of health insurance.^[81][84] These and other measures have led two groups to rank Minnesota as the healthiest state in the nation, but in one of these rankings Minnesota descended from first to sixth in the nation between 2005 and 2009, due to low levels of public health funding and prevalence of binge drinking.^[81][85]
On October 1, 2007 Minnesota became the seventeenth state to enact a statewide smoking ban in restaurants and bars with the enactment of Freedom to Breathe Act.^[86]
Medical care is provided by a comprehensive network of hospitals and clinics, headed by two institutions with international reputations. The University of Minnesota Medical School is a highly rated teaching institution that has made a number of breakthroughs in treatment, and its research activities contribute significantly to the state's growing biotechnology industry.^[87] Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned medical practice, is based in Rochester. Mayo and the University are partners in the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, a state-funded program that conducts research into cancer, Alzheimer's disease, heart health, obesity, and other areas.^[88]

Education[edit]

See also: List of colleges and universities in Minnesota, List of high schools in Minnesota and List of school districts in Minnesota

The Richardsonian Romanesque Pillsbury Hall (1889) is one of the oldest buildings on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus.

One of the Minnesota Legislature's first acts when it opened in 1858 was the creation of a normal school in Winona. A commitment to education has contributed to a literate and well-educated population;^[89] the state ranked 13th on the 2006–07 Morgan Quitno Smartest State Award, and is first in the percentage of residents with at least a high school diploma.^[90][91] But while more than 90% of high school seniors graduated in 2006, about 6% of white, 28% of African American, 30% of Asian American and more than 34% of Hispanic and Native American students dropped out of school.^[92] In 2007 Minnesota students earned the highest average score in the nation on the ACT exam.^[93] While Minnesota has chosen not to implement school vouchers,^[94] it is home to the first charter school.^[95]
The state supports a network of public universities and colleges, including 32 institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, and five major campuses of the University of Minnesota. It is also home to more than 20 private colleges and universities, six of which rank among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News & World Report.^[96]

Transportation[edit]

Main article: Transportation in Minnesota

The Aerial Lift Bridge at Duluth

Transportation in Minnesota is overseen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT for short and used in the local news media). Principal transportation corridors radiate from the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area and Duluth. The major Interstate highways are I-35, I-90, and I-94, with I-35 and I-94 passing through the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area, and I-90 going east-west along the southern edge of the state.^[97] In 2006, a constitutional amendment was passed that required sales and use taxes on motor vehicles to fund transportation, with at least 40% dedicated to public transit.^[98] There are nearly two dozen rail corridors in Minnesota, most of which go through Minneapolis–St. Paul or Duluth.^[99] There is water transportation along the Mississippi River system and from the ports of Lake Superior.^[100]

A METRO Blue Line vehicle in Minneapolis

Minnesota's principal airport is Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP), a major passenger and freight hub for Delta Air Lines and Sun Country Airlines. Most other domestic carriers serve the airport. Large commercial jet service is provided at Duluth and Rochester, with scheduled commuter service to six smaller cities via Delta Connection carriers Comair, Mesaba Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Compass Airlines' and Pinnacle Airlines.^[101][102]
Amtrak's daily Empire Builder (Chicago–Seattle/Portland) train runs through Minnesota, calling at the Saint Paul Union Depot and five other stations.^[103] Intercity bus providers include Jefferson Lines, Greyhound, and Megabus. Local public transit is provided by bus networks in the larger cities and by two rail lines: The Northstar Line commuter rail service runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis, and the Blue Line electrified light rail service runs from the Northstar's terminus (Target Field) to the MSP Airport through Bloomington to the Mall of America.

Law and government[edit]

As with the federal government of the United States, power in Minnesota is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.^[104]

Executive[edit]

Main article: Governor of Minnesota

The executive branch is headed by the governor. Governor Mark Dayton, a Democrat, took office on January 3, 2011, to become the first Democratic Governor to hold the seat in two decades. The governor has a cabinet consisting of the leaders of various state government agencies, called commissioners. The other elected constitutional offices are secretary of state, attorney general, and state auditor.

Legislature[edit]

Main article: Minnesota Legislature

The Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, designed by Cass Gilbert.

The Minnesota Legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The state has sixty-seven districts, each covering about sixty thousand people. Each district has one senator and two representatives (each district being divided into A and B sections). Senators serve for four years and representatives for two years. In the November 2010 election, the Minnesota Republican Party gained twenty-five house seats, giving them control of the House of Representatives by a 72-62 margin.^[105] The 2010 election also saw Minnesota voters elect a Republican majority in the Senate for the first time since 1972. In 2012, the Democrats regained the House of Representatives by a margin of 73-61, picking up 11 seats; the Democrats also regained the Minnesota Senate.

Judiciary[edit]

Minnesota's court system has three levels. Most cases start in the district courts, which are courts of general jurisdiction. There are 279 district court judgeships in ten judicial districts. Appeals from the trial courts and challenges to certain governmental decisions are heard by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, consisting of nineteen judges who typically sit in three-judge panels. The seven-justice Minnesota Supreme Court hears all appeals from the Tax Court, the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, first-degree murder convictions, and discretionary appeals from the Court of Appeals; it also has original jurisdiction over election disputes.^[106]
Two specialized courts within administrative agencies have been established: the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, and the Tax Court, which deals with non-criminal tax cases.

Regional[edit]

In addition to the city and county levels of government found in the United States, Minnesota has other entities that provide governmental oversight and planning. Some actions in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are coordinated by the Metropolitan Council, and many lakes and rivers are overseen by watershed districts and soil and water conservation districts.
There are seven Anishinaabe reservations and four Dakota self-governing communities in Minnesota.^[107]

Federal[edit]

Minnesota's United States senators are Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Democrat Al Franken. The outcome of the 2008 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota was contested until June 30 the next year; when the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of Franken, Republican Norm Coleman conceded defeat, and the vacant seat was filled by Franken.^[108] The state has eight congressional districts; they are represented by Tim Walz (1st district; DFL), John Kline (2nd; R), Erik Paulsen (3rd; R), Betty McCollum (4th; DFL), Keith Ellison (5th; DFL), Michele Bachmann (6th; R), Collin Peterson (7th; DFL), and Rick Nolan (8th; DFL).
Federal court cases are heard in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, which holds court in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and Fergus Falls. Appeals are heard by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in St. Louis, Missouri and routinely also hears cases in St. Paul.

Politics[edit]

Main article: Politics of Minnesota

See also: List of political parties in Minnesota, United States congressional delegations from Minnesota, Minnesota's congressional districts and Political party strength in Minnesota

Election results from statewide races^[109]

Year	Office	GOP	DFL	Others
2012	President	45.1%	52.8%	2.1%
	Senator	30.6%	65.3%	4.1%
2010	Governor	43.2%	43.7%	13.1%
2008	President	43.8%	54.1%	2.1%
	Senator	42.0%	42.0%	16.0%
2006	Governor	46.7%	45.7%	7.6%
	Senator	37.9%	58.1%	4.0%
2004	President	47.6%	51.1%	1.3%
2002	Governor	44.4%	33.5%	22.1%
	Senator	49.5%	47.3%	1.0%
2000	President	45.5%	47.9%	6.6%
	Senator	43.3%	48.8%	7.9%
1998	Governor	34.3%	28.1%	37.6%
1996	President	35.0%	51.1%	13.9%
	Senator	41.3%	50.3%	8.4%
1994	Governor	63.3%	34.1%	2.6%
	Senator	49.1%	44.1%	6.8%
1992	President	31.9%	43.5%	24.6%

Minnesota is known for a politically active citizenry, and populism has been a longstanding force among the state's political parties.^[110][111] Minnesota has a consistently high voter turnout (due in part to its liberal voter registration laws) with virtually no evidence of unlawful voting.^[112] In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, 78.2% of eligible Minnesotans voted—the highest percentage of any U.S. state—versus the national average of 61.2%.^[113] Previously unregistered voters can register on election day at their polls with evidence of residency.^[114]
Hubert Humphrey brought national attention to the state with his address at the 1948 Democratic National Convention. Eugene McCarthy's anti-war stance and popularity in the 1968 New Hampshire primary likely convinced Lyndon B. Johnson to drop out of the presidential election. Minnesotans have consistently cast their Electoral College votes for Democratic presidential candidates since 1976, longer than any other state. Minnesota is the only state in the nation that did not vote for Ronald Reagan in either of his presidential runs. Minnesota has gone to the Democratic Party in every presidential election since 1960, with the exception of 1972, when it was carried by Richard Nixon and the Republican Party.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties have major party status in Minnesota, but its state-level "Democratic" party is actually a separate party, officially known as the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). Formed out of a 1944 alliance of the Minnesota Democratic and Farmer-Labor parties, and its distinction from the national Democratic Party, while still official, is now but a technicality.
The state has had active third party movements. The Reform Party, now the Independence Party, was able to elect former mayor of Brooklyn Park and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura to the governorship in 1998. The Independence Party has received enough support to keep major party status. The Green Party, while no longer having major party status, has a large presence in municipal government,^[115] notably in Minneapolis and Duluth, where it competes directly with the DFL party for local offices. Official "Major party" status in Minnesota (which grants state funding for elections) is reserved to parties whose candidates receive 5% or more of the vote in any statewide election (e.g., Governor, Secretary of State, U.S. President).
The state's U.S. Senate seats have generally been split since the early 1990s, and in the 108th and 109th Congresses, Minnesota's congressional delegation was split, with four representatives and one senator from each party. In the 2006 midterm election, Democrats were elected to all state offices except for governor and lieutenant governor, where Republicans Tim Pawlenty and Carol Molnau narrowly won reelection. The DFL also posted double-digit gains in both houses of the legislature, elected Amy Klobuchar to the U.S. Senate, and increased the party's U.S. House caucus by one. Keith Ellison (DFL) was elected as the first African American U.S. Representative from Minnesota as well as the first Muslim elected to Congress nationwide.^[116] In 2008 DFLer and former comedian and radio talk show host Al Franken beat incumbent Republican Norm Coleman in the United States Senate race by 312 votes out of 3 million cast.
In the election of 2010, Republicans took control of both chambers of the Minnesota legislature for the first time in 38 years, and with Mark Dayton's election the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party took the governor's office for the first time in 20 years. Two years later, the DFL regained control of both houses, and with Governor Dayton in office, the party has same-party control of both the legislative and executive branches for the first time since 1990. In 2013, Minnesota became the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States.^[117]

Media[edit]

KSTP studios

The Twin Cities area is the fifteenth largest media market in the United States as ranked by Nielsen Media Research. The state's other top markets are Fargo–Moorhead (118th nationally), Duluth–Superior (137th), Rochester–Mason City–Austin (152nd), and Mankato (200th).^[118]
Broadcast television in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest started on April 27, 1948, when KSTP-TV began broadcasting.^[119] Hubbard Broadcasting, which owns KSTP, is now the only locally owned television company in Minnesota. There are currently 39 analog broadcast stations and 23 digital channels broadcast over Minnesota.
The four largest daily newspapers are the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, the Pioneer Press in Saint Paul, the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth and the Post-Bulletin in Rochester. The Minnesota Daily is the largest student-run newspaper in the U.S.^[120] Sites offering daily news on the Web include The UpTake, MinnPost, the Twin Cities Daily Planet, business news site Finance and Commerce (web site) and Washington D.C.-based Minnesota Independent. Weeklies including City Pages and monthly publications such as Minnesota Monthly are available.
Two of the largest public radio networks, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and Public Radio International (PRI), are based in the state. MPR has the largest audience of any regional public radio network in the nation, broadcasting on 37 radio stations.^[121] PRI weekly provides more than 400 hours of programming to almost 800 affiliates.^[122] The state's oldest radio station, KUOM-AM, was launched in 1922 and is among the 10 –oldest radio stations in the United States. The University of Minnesota-owned station is still on the air, and since 1993 broadcasts a college rock format.

Sports and recreation[edit]

Organized sports[edit]

Main article: Sports in Minnesota

The University of North Dakota and St. Cloud State University during the WCHA Final Five at the Xcel Energy Center.

Minnesota has professional men's teams in all major sports. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was home to the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League through the 2013 season; it is being torn down and a new stadium will be constructed. The Dome also hosted the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball, winners of the 1987 and 1991 World Series, until 2010, when they began playing at Target Field. The Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association play in the Target Center. The National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild play in St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center and reached 300 consecutive sold-out games on January 16, 2008.^[123]
Minnesota also has minor-league professional sports. Minnesota United FC replaced the United Soccer League Minnesota Thunder in 2010 and plays at the National Sports Center in Blaine.^[124] The Minnesota Swarm play at the Xcel Energy Center and play in the NLL (National Lacrosse League) Minor league baseball is represented both by major league-sponsored teams and independent teams such as the St. Paul Saints.
Professional women's sports include the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association, winners of the 2011 and 2013 WNBA Championships, the Minnesota Lightning of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the Minnesota Vixen of the Independent Women's Football League, the Minnesota Valkyrie of the Legends Football League, and the Minnesota Whitecaps of the National Women's Hockey League.
The Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school competing in either the Big Ten Conference or the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Four additional schools in the state compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey: the University of Minnesota Duluth; Minnesota State University, Mankato; St. Cloud State University and Bemidji State University. There are nine NCAA Division II colleges in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and nineteen NCAA Division III colleges in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.^[125][126]
Winter Olympic Games medallists from the state include twelve of the twenty members of the gold medal 1980 ice hockey team (coached by Minnesota native Herb Brooks) and the bronze medallist U.S. men's curling team in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Swimmer Tom Malchow won an Olympic gold medal in the 2000 Summer games and a silver medal in 1996.
Grandma's Marathon is run every summer along the scenic North Shore of Lake Superior, and the Twin Cities Marathon winds around lakes and the Mississippi River during the peak of the fall color season. Farther north, Eveleth is the location of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Outdoor recreation[edit]

Fishing in Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis

Minnesotans participate in high levels of physical activity,^[127] and many of these activities are outdoors. The strong interest of Minnesotans in environmentalism has been attributed to the popularity of these pursuits.^[128]
In the warmer months, these activities often involve water. Weekend and longer trips to family cabins on Minnesota's numerous lakes are a way of life for many residents. Activities include water sports such as water skiing, which originated in the state,^[129] boating, canoeing, and fishing. More than 36% of Minnesotans fish, second only to Alaska.^[130]
Fishing does not cease when the lakes freeze; ice fishing has been around since the arrival of early Scandinavian immigrants.^[131] Minnesotans have learned to embrace their long, harsh winters in ice sports such as skating, hockey, curling, and broomball, and snow sports such as cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.^[132]
State and national forests and the seventy-two state parks are used year-round for hunting, camping, and hiking. There are almost 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of snowmobile trails statewide.^[133] Minnesota has more miles of bike trails than any other state,^[134] and a growing network of hiking trails, including the 235-mile (378 km) Superior Hiking Trail in the northeast.^[135] Many hiking and bike trails are used for cross-country skiing during the winter.

State symbols[edit]

Main article: Lists of U.S. state insignia

The Common Loon's distinctive cry is heard during the summer months on lakes throughout the state.^[136]

Minnesota's state symbols:^[137]

• State bird: Common Loon
• State butterfly: Monarch
• State drink: Milk
• State fish: Walleye
• State flower: Pink and white lady slipper
• State fruit: Honeycrisp apple
• State gemstone: Lake Superior agate
• State grain: Wild rice
• State motto: L'Étoile du Nord ("The Star of the North")
• State muffin: Blueberry
• State mushroom: Morel
• State photograph: Grace
• State song: "Hail! Minnesota"
• State sport: Ice hockey
• State tree: Red Pine also known as Norway Pine
• Nicknames:
  • "Land of 10,000 Lakes"
  • "North Star State"
  • "Gopher State"
  • "Land of Sky-Blue Waters"
  • "Bread and Butter State" (A reference to the grain and dairy products Minnesota produces)

See also[edit]

	United States portal
	Minnesota portal

• Outline of Minnesota – organized list of topics about Minnesota
• Index of Minnesota-related articles

References[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012" (CSV). 2012 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. December 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2012. 
2. Jump up ^ http://www.cnbc.com/id/101065816/page/3
3. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
4. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
5. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Mnisota" Dakota Dictionary Online. 2010. https://filemaker.cla.umn.edu/dakota/browserecord.php?-action=browse&-recid=1630 (September 7, 2013).
6. Jump up ^ "Mnisota" Dakota Dictionary Online. 2010. https://filemaker.cla.umn.edu/dakota/browserecord.php?-action=browse&-recid=1630 (September 7, 2013).
7. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Minnesota State". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved April 26, 2008. 
8. Jump up ^ "Minnehaha Creek". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved April 26, 2008. 
9. Jump up ^ "Just the Facts". Minnesota North Star (official state government site).  Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
10. Jump up ^ "Facts and figures". infoplease.com. 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2008. 
11. Jump up ^ "Land and Water Area of States, 2000". Information Please. 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2008. 
12. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b c d e f g h i} Ojakangas, Richard W.; Charles L. Matsch (1982). Minnesota's Geology. Illus. Dan Breedy. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-0953-5.  Cite uses deprecated parameters (help)
13. Jump up ^ "Geologic Time: Age of the Earth". United States Geological Survey. October 9, 1997. Retrieved April 9, 2008. 
14. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b c d} Breining, Greg (December 2005). Compass American Guides: Minnesota, 3rd Edition (3rd ed.). Compass American Guides. ISBN 1-4000-1484-0. 
15. Jump up ^ "Natural history - Minnesota's geology". Minnesota DNR. 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2008. 
16. Jump up ^ "Table Showing Minnesota Earthquakes". University of Minnesota, Morris. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2008. 
17. Jump up ^ "118 km (73 mi) SW of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada". Topographic map. U.S.G.S via terraserver.microsoft.com. July 1, 1964. Retrieved April 13, 2010. 
18. Jump up ^ "Continental Divides in North Dakota and North America". National Atlas. October 2, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2008. 
19. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b c d} "Lakes, rivers & wetlands". MN Facts. Minnesota DNR. 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2008. 
20. Jump up ^ Seeley, Mark W. (2006). Minnesota Weather Almanac. Minnesota Historical Society press. ISBN 0-87351-554-4. 
21. Jump up ^ Ecological Provinces, Ecological Classification System, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (1999). Retrieved on May 3, 2008.
22. Jump up ^ Heinselman, Miron (1996). The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-2805-X. 
23. Jump up ^ Bewer, Tim (2004). Moon Handbooks Minnesota (First ed.). Avalon Travel Publishing. ISBN 1-56691-482-5. 
24. Jump up ^ "Upper Midwest forest-savanna transition (NA0415)". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. 2001. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved September 3, 2012.  (archived from original June 11, 2008).
25. Jump up ^ Bison disappeared in the mid 19th century; the last bison was reported in southwest Minnesota in 1879. Moyle, J. B. (1965). Big Game in Minnesota, Technical Bulletin, no. 9. Minnesota Department of Conservation, Division of Game and Fish, Section of Research and Planning. p. 172.  As referenced in Anfinson, Scott F. (1997). Southwestern Minnesota Archaeology. St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society. p. 20. ISBN 0-87351-355-X. 
26. Jump up ^ Gray Wolf Factsheet, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (January 2007). Retrieved on May 3, 2008.
27. Jump up ^ Population report
28. Jump up ^ "Minnesota climate extremes". University of Minnesota. Retrieved May 3, 2008. 
29. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b c} "Climate of Minnesota" (PDF). National Weather Service Forecast Office. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2008. 
30. Jump up ^ "104 Years of Twin Cities Dew Point Temperature Records: 1902–2006". Minnesota Climatology Office. March 7, 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2008. 
31. Jump up ^ "Itasca State Park". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved May 3, 2008. 
32. Jump up ^ "Places To Go". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 3, 2008. 
33. Jump up ^ "TimePieces". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved September 19, 2006. 
34. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b c d} Lass, William E. (1998) [1977]. Minnesota: A History (2nd ed.). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-04628-1. 
35. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b c d} Gilman, Rhoda R. (July 1, 1991). The Story of Minnesota's Past. St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87351-267-7. 
36. Jump up ^ "Historic Fort Snelling". Minnesota Historical Society Press. Retrieved July 6, 2006. 
37. Jump up ^ Kunnen-Jones, Marianne (August 21, 2002). "Anniversary Volume Gives New Voice To Pioneer Accounts of Sioux Uprising". University of Cincinnati. Retrieved June 6, 2007. 
38. Jump up ^ Steil, Mark and Tim Post. Hundreds of settlers killed in attacks. Minnesota Public Radio. September 26, 2002.
39. Jump up ^ Hazen, Theodore R. "New Process Milling of 1850–70". Pond Lily Mill Restorations. Retrieved May 11, 2007. 
40. Jump up ^ Danbom, David B. (Spring 2003). "Flour Power: The Significance of Flour Milling at the Falls". Minnesota History 58 (5): 271–285. 
41. Jump up ^ "Engineering Research Associates Records 1946–1959". Hagley Museum and Library. Retrieved November 26, 2006. 
42. Jump up ^ "Table 20. Large Metropolitan Statistical Areas—Population: 1990 to 2010" (PDF). Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 13, 2013. 
43. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Population Estimates". Minnesota Demographic Center. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
44. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Environmental Information Report, App. D Socioeconomic Information" (PDF). Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. May 30, 2003. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
45. Jump up ^ "statecenters". U.S. Census Bureau. 2000. Retrieved November 21, 2006. 
46. Jump up ^ Fact Sheet, 2011 American Census Bureau Estimates, Retrieved on March 18, 2010.
47. Jump up ^ "Minnesota - Race and Hispanic Origin: 1850 to 1990". U.S. Census Bureau. 
48. Jump up ^ Exner, Rich (June 3, 2012). "Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot". The Plain Dealer. 
49. Jump up ^ "Minnesota QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Retrieved November 26, 2006. 
50. Jump up ^ Minnesota Selected Social Characteristics in the United States, 2008 American Community Survey 1–year Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2010.
51. Jump up ^ Selected Social Characteristics in the United States: 2005-2007, Minnesota, U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
52. Jump up ^ "Religious Composition of Minnesota". Maps, U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Pew Research Center. 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2010. 
53. Jump up ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". www.thearda.com. Retrieved December 16, 2013. 
54. Jump up ^ "American Religious Identification Survey". Exhibit 15. The Graduate Center, City University of New York. Retrieved November 24, 2006. 
55. Jump up ^ Gilman, Rhonda R. (1989). The Story of Minnesota's Past. Saint Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 99. ISBN 0-87351-267-7. 
56. Jump up ^ "Environmental Information Report, App. D Socioeconomic Information" (PDF). US, MN. May 30, 2003. Retrieved November 19, 2006. 
57. Jump up ^ "Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State". US: Bureau of Economic Analysis. October 26, 2006. Retrieved November 13, 2006. 
58. Jump up ^ "States". Fortune 500. CNN Money. 2006. Retrieved March 25, 2009. 
59. Jump up ^ Forbes (2008). "Largest US Private Cos". Retrieved January 25, 2009. 
60. Jump up ^ "Our Brands". Carlson Companies. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2010. 
61. Jump up ^ "State Personal Income 2008" (PDF). US: Bureau of Economic Analysis. Retrieved July 4, 2009. 
62. Jump up ^ "United States and States – R2001. Median Household Income". US: Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 5, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2007. 
63. Jump up ^ Kimball, Joseph ‘Joe’ (January 17, 2013), "Minnesota unemployment rate down to 5.5%; 9,100 jobs added", MinnPost, retrieved July 12, 2013 .
64. Jump up ^ Coleman, Nick (March 24, 2008). "Capella Tower sports a cap, but it can't topple the IDS". Star Tribune. Retrieved November 19, 2009. 
65. Jump up ^ "Minnesota – DP-3. Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics: 2000". US: Census Bureau. Retrieved November 26, 2006. 
66. Jump up ^ "Census of Agriculture, Minnesota State Profile" (PDF). US: Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on October 1, 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2006. 
67. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Wealth of Resources". Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Retrieved November 26, 2006. 
68. Jump up ^ "The Co-Op Advantage". Minnesota Monthly (Greenspring). August 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012. 
69. Jump up ^ "Hawaii to meet E10 mandate with imported ethanol". Ethanol Producer Magazine. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
70. Jump up ^ "The complete list of Minnesota E85 fuel Sites". Minnesota Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on November 24, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2006. 
71. Jump up ^ "Wind Energy Projects Throughout the United States of America". The American Wind Energy Association. Archived from the original on April 6, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2007. 
72. Jump up ^ "Minnesota Income Tax Rates and Brackets: Income Tax Rates for 2013". MN: Department of Revenue. Retrieved August 28, 2013. 
73. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Minnesota's State and Local Tax Burden 1977-2008". The Tax Foundation. Retrieved June 6, 2010. 
74. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} "Sales and Use Tax Instruction Book" (PDF). MN: Department of Revenue. July 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2010. 
75. Jump up ^ "Local Sales Tax and Use" (PDF). MN: Department of Revenue. Archived from the original on October 9, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2006. 
76. Jump up ^ "Gopher Express". Coffman Info Desk. Regents of the University of Minnesota. October 12, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2007. 
77. Jump up ^ Royce, Graydon Royce (April 1, 2006). "New Guthrie casts a huge shadow over theater scene". Minneapolis Star-Tribune via SavetheGuthrie.org. Archived from the original on May 18, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2007. 
78. Jump up ^ "How to fringe". Fresh Art Delivered Daily. Minnesota Fringe Festival. 2006. Archived from the original on November 14, 2006. Retrieved November 22, 2006. 
79. Jump up ^ "Minnesota State Fair". Minnesota State Fair. Retrieved September 10, 2009. 
80. Jump up ^ "Statemaster Health Statistics Physical Exercise by State". Statemaster. 2002. Retrieved August 16, 2006. 
81. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b c} "America's Health Rankings 2009". United Health Foundation. 2009. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
82. Jump up ^ "Statemaster Health Statistics > Death Rate per 100,000". Statemaster. Retrieved August 16, 2006. 
83. Jump up ^ "Explore Minnesota Living" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Retrieved August 16, 2006. 
84. Jump up ^ "The Percentage of People Without Health Insurance Coverage by State Using 2- and 3-year Averages: 2003 to 2005" (PDF). Health Insurance Coverage: 2005. U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. August 29, 2006. Archived from the original on October 6, 2006. Retrieved November 24, 2006. 
85. Jump up ^ "Health Statistics Health Index by state". Statemaster. Retrieved August 16, 2006. 
86. Jump up ^ "Put 'Em Out: Minnesota Smoking Ban Kicks In Monday". WCCO. September 30, 2007. Archived from the original on December 27, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
87. Jump up ^ "University of Minnesota Medical Milestones". University of Minnesota Medical School. 2002. Retrieved August 14, 2006. 
88. Jump up ^ "Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics". University of Minnesota Medical School. 2002. Retrieved August 14, 2006. 
89. Jump up ^ Table 228: Educational Attainment by State, U.S. Bureau of the Census, showing Minnesota with a 91% high school graduation rate in 2006, the second-highest in the nation. Retrieved October 12, 1020.
90. Jump up ^ "Smartest State Award". Morgan Quitno Press. Retrieved July 24, 2006. 
91. Jump up ^ "High school diploma or higher, by percentage by state". Statemaster.com. 2004. Retrieved August 16, 2006. 
92. Jump up ^ "Status of Girls in Minnesota" (PDF). Women's Foundation of Minnesota and the Institute for Women's Policy Research. April 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008. 
93. Jump up ^ "Minnesota's Class of 2007 leads the nation in ACT scores". Multimedia Holdings Corporation. 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2007. 
94. Jump up ^ Hallman, Charles (March 14, 2007). "School vouchers: Who stands to gain at what cost?". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. 
95. Jump up ^ "Charter Schools". Minnesota Department of Education. 2007. Archived from the original on February 22, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2007. 
96. Jump up ^ "Best Colleges 2009: Liberal Arts Rankings". USNews.com. 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2009. 
97. Jump up ^ Minnesota Department of Transportation (PDF). 2007–2008 Official Highway Map (Map). http://www.dot.state.mn.us/statemap/pdf/MNmap.pdf. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
98. Jump up ^ "Transportation amendment update". Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2006. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
99. Jump up ^ Minnesota Department of Transportation (2007) (PDF). Minnesota Rail System (Map). http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ofrw/maps/RailLines20070806_1.pdf. Retrieved April 7, 2007.
100. Jump up ^ "Minnesota Ports and Waterways". Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
101. Jump up ^ "Airports with Scheduled Air Service". Commercial Service Airports. Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
102. Jump up ^ "Route Map". Mesaba Airlines. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
103. Jump up ^ "Amtrak Train and Bus Stations in the Midwest". Amtrak. Retrieved January 21, 2013. 
104. Jump up ^ "Minnesota Government". State of Minnesota. Retrieved October 20, 2006. 
105. Jump up ^ 2011 House Profile Minnesota House of Representatives. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
106. Jump up ^ "Minnesota Supreme Court" (doc). Court Information Office, State of Minnesota. Retrieved October 19, 2006. 
107. Jump up ^ "Tribal Government". Minnesota North Star.  Missing or empty |url= (help)
108. Jump up ^ Davey, Monica; Hulse, Carl (June 30, 2009). "After 8 Months, Franken Wins Senate Seat in Minnesota". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2009. 
109. Jump up ^ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections
110. Jump up ^ Leigh Pomeroy (2007). "Populism Is Alive and Well in Southern Minnesota". Minnesota Monitor. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2008. 
111. Jump up ^ Grayson, Katharine (September 18, 2006). "Study: Minnesota tops nation in voter turnout". Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2008. 
112. Jump up ^ Huefner, Steven F., Daniel P Tokaji, and Edward B. Foley (2007), From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems of Five Midwestern States, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, p. 137. ISBN 978-0-9801400-0-2.
113. Jump up ^ Michael P. McDonald. "2008 Unofficial Voter Turnout". United States Elections Project, George Mason University. Retrieved November 20, 2008. 
114. Jump up ^ https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=201.061&year=2011 Minn. Stat. § 201.061, subd. 3
115. Jump up ^ "Office Holders". Green Party of Minnesota. Archived from the original on January 7, 2007. Retrieved April 18, 2007. 
116. Jump up ^ "Minnesota Democrat becomes first Muslim to win seat in Congress". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. November 7, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2006. 
117. Jump up ^ Wilson, Conrad (May 15, 2013). "Same-sex marriage bill signed; thousands cheer at Capitol". Minnesota Public Radio. 
118. Jump up ^ "210 Designated Market Areas - 03-04". Nielsen Media. Archived from the original on May 17, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2006. 
119. Jump up ^ "5 EYEWITNESS NEWS History". kstp.com. Retrieved March 28, 2007. 
120. Jump up ^ "Daily Board of Directors". The Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2008. 
121. Jump up ^ "About MPR". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved August 17, 2006. 
122. Jump up ^ "PRI factsheet". Public Radio International. Retrieved May 7, 2007. 
123. Jump up ^ "Recap, Flames 3, Wild 2, SO". Minnesota Wild. January 17, 2008. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
124. Jump up ^ Quarstad, Brian (January 7, 2010). "National Sports Center Announces New Professional Soccer Team". Inside Minnesota Soccer. Retrieved April 29, 2010. 
125. Jump up ^ "NCAA Members By Division". NCAA. Retrieved April 13, 2009. 
126. Jump up ^ "Upper Midwest Athletic Conference - History". Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Retrieved April 13, 2009. 
127. Jump up ^ "Statemaster Health Statistics Physical Exercise by State". Statemaster. 2002. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
128. Jump up ^ "Green Hunters: Minnesota DNR". Fish & Wildlife Today. Archived from the original on February 1, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
129. Jump up ^ "Water Skiing History". ABC of Skiing. MaxLifestyle.net "Go Skiing like Max!". 2006. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
130. Jump up ^ "Managing for Results" (PDF). Minnesota DNR. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
131. Jump up ^ Benjamin, Robert W. (July 15, 2006). "Ice Fishing can be a very exciting experience". Buzzle.com. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
132. Jump up ^ "Turning Snow into Sport". Explore Minnesota Experiences. Minnesota Department of Tourism. Archived from the original on April 1, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
133. Jump up ^ "Snowmobiling Minnesota". Minnesota Department of Tourism. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
134. Jump up ^ "Take to the Trails! Explore Minnesota Biking". Minnesota Department of Tourism. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. 
135. Jump up ^ "Superior Hiking Trail". Minnesota Department of Tourism. Retrieved December 2, 2006. 
136. Jump up ^ "All About Birds". Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2003. Retrieved October 24, 2006. 
137. Jump up ^ "Minnesota State Symbols". Minnesota State Legislature. Retrieved April 28, 2008. 

External links[edit]

Find more about Minnesota at Wikipedia's sister projects
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Media from Commons
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks
	Learning resources from Wikiversity

• Minnesota at DMOZ

Government

• State of Minnesota Official site

Tourism & recreation

• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Minnesota travel guide from Wikivoyage

Culture & history

• Minnesota Historical Society
• Minnesota Place Names

Maps and Demographics

• Minnesota State Demographic Center
• Minnesota State Highway Map
• Geographic data related to Minnesota at OpenStreetMap

[hide] v t e  State of Minnesota Saint Paul (capital) Topics Outline Index Cities Climate Colleges and universities Congressional districts Ecology Geography Geology Governors High schools Historical Congressional delegations Historical Landmarks History Lakes Movies and television Music People Political parties Rivers School districts Scouting State fair State parks Territory Townships Transportation Visitor attractions Society Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Politics Sports Regions Arrowhead Boundary Waters Buffalo Ridge Central Coteau des Prairies Driftless Area Iron Range Minnesota River Valley North Shore Northwest Angle North Woods Pipestone Red River Valley Southeast Twin Cities metropolitan area Largest cities pop. over 25,000 Andover Apple Valley Blaine Bloomington Brooklyn Center Brooklyn Park Burnsville Coon Rapids Cottage Grove Duluth Eagan Eden Prairie Edina Fridley Inver Grove Heights Lakeville Mankato Maple Grove Maplewood Minneapolis Minnetonka Moorhead Oakdale Owatonna Plymouth Richfield Rochester Roseville St. Cloud St. Louis Park Saint Paul Savage Shakopee Shoreview Winona Woodbury Counties Aitkin Anoka Becker Beltrami Benton Big Stone Blue Earth Brown Carlton Carver Cass Chippewa Chisago Clay Clearwater Cook Cottonwood Crow Wing Dakota Dodge Douglas Faribault Fillmore Freeborn Goodhue Grant Hennepin Houston Hubbard Isanti Itasca Jackson Kanabec Kandiyohi Kittson Koochiching Lac qui Parle Lake Lake of the Woods Le Sueur Lincoln Lyon Mahnomen Marshall Martin McLeod Meeker Mille Lacs Morrison Mower Murray Nicollet Nobles Norman Olmsted Otter Tail Pennington Pine Pipestone Polk Pope Ramsey Red Lake Redwood Renville Rice Rock Roseau Saint Louis Scott Sherburne Sibley Stearns Steele Stevens Swift Todd Traverse Wabasha Wadena Waseca Washington Watonwan Wilkin Winona Wright Yellow Medicine

[show] v t e Political divisions of the United States States Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Federal district Washington, D.C. Insular areas American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands Outlying islands Baker Island Howland Island Jarvis Island Johnston Atoll Kingman Reef Midway Atoll Navassa Island Palmyra Atoll Wake Island Indian reservations List of Indian reservations largest

[show] v t e United States topics History Timeline Pre-Columbian era Colonial era Thirteen Colonies Military history Continental Congress American Revolution War American frontier Federalist Era War of 1812 Territorial acquisitions Territorial evolution Mexican–American War Civil War Reconstruction Era Indian Wars Gilded Age Progressive Era African-American Civil Rights Movement (1896–1954) Spanish–American War Imperialism World War I Roaring Twenties Great Depression World War II Home front Cold War Korean War Space Race African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954–68) Feminist Movement Vietnam War Post-Cold War (1991–present) War on Terror War in Afghanistan Iraq War Timeline of modern American conservatism By topic Demographic Discoveries Economic Debt ceiling Inventions before 1890 1890–1945 1946–91 after 1991 Military Postal Technological and industrial Geography Cities, towns, and villages Counties Extreme points Islands Mountains Peaks Appalachian Rocky National Park System Regions West Coast East Coast Great Plains Mid-Atlantic Midwestern New England Northwestern Northeastern Southwestern Southeastern Western Eastern Northern Southern Pacific Rivers Colorado Columbia Mississippi Missouri Ohio Rio Grande States Territory Water supply and sanitation Politics Federal Executive President Executive Office Cabinet / Executive departments Civil service Independent agencies Law enforcement Public policy Legislature Congress Senate Vice President President pro tem House of Representatives Speaker Judiciary Supreme Court Federal judiciary Courts of appeals District courts Law Constitution Federalism Preemption Separation of powers Bill of Rights Civil liberties Code of Federal Regulations Federal Reporter United States Code United States Reports Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Defense Intelligence Agency National Security Agency Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniformed Armed Forces Air Force Army Marine Corps Navy National Guard Coast Guard NOAA Corps Public Health Service Corps Administrative divisions Elections Electoral College Foreign policy Foreign relations Ideologies Local governments Parties Democratic Party Republican Party Third parties 51st state Political status of Puerto Rico Red states and blue states Purple America Scandals State governments Uncle Sam Economy Economic issues Agriculture Banking Communications Companies by state Dollar (currency) Energy Federal Budget Federal Reserve System Financial position Insurance Labor unions Mining Public debt Social welfare programs Taxation Tourism Trade Transportation Unemployment Wall Street Society Culture Architecture Art Cinema Crime Cuisine Dance Demographics Education Family structure Fashion Flag Folklore Health care Health insurance Incarceration Languages American English Spanish French German Literature Media Music Names People Philosophy Public holidays Radio Religion Sports Television Theater Social class Affluence American Dream Educational attainment Homelessness Homeownership Household income Income inequality Middle class Personal income Poverty Professional and working class conflict Standard of living Smoking Wealth Issues Abortion Affirmative action Anti-Americanism Capital punishment Criticism Discrimination Drug policy Energy policy Environmental movement Exceptionalism Gun politics Health care reform Human rights Immigration Illegal Immigration International rankings LGBT rights Same-sex marriage Nationalism Obesity Racism Separation of church and state Terrorism Outline Index Book Category Portal WikiProject

Coordinates: 46°N 94°W / 46°N 94°W / 46; -94

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minnesota&oldid=607803316"

Categories:

• Minnesota
• States and territories established in 1858
• States of the United States
• Dakota toponyms
• Midwestern United States

Hidden categories:

• Pages containing cite templates with deprecated parameters
• Pages using web citations with no URL
• Use mdy dates from October 2013
• Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages
• Articles including recorded pronunciations
• Articles with DMOZ links
• Coordinates on Wikidata
• Featured articles

Navigation menu

Personal tools

• Thunderlane125
• 1
• Talk
• Sandbox
• Preferences
• Beta
• Watchlist
• Contributions
• Log out

Namespaces

• Article
• Talk

Variants

Views

• Read
• Edit
• View history
• Watch

Actions

Search

Navigation

• Main page
• Contents
• Featured content
• Current events
• Random article
• Donate to Wikipedia
• Wikimedia Shop

Interaction

• Help
• About Wikipedia
• Community portal
• Recent changes
• Contact page

Tools

• What links here
• Related changes
• Upload file
• Special pages
• Permanent link
• Page information
• Data item
• Cite this page

Print/export

• Create a book
• Download as PDF
• Printable version

Languages

• Afrikaans
• አማርኛ
• Ænglisc
• العربية
• Aragonés
• ܐܪܡܝܐ
• Arpetan
• Asturianu
• Avañe'ẽ
• Aymar aru
• Azərbaycanca
• বাংলা
• Bân-lâm-gú
• Беларуская
• Беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎
• Bikol Central
• Bislama
• Български
• Boarisch
• Bosanski
• Brezhoneg
• Català
• Чӑвашла
• Čeština
• Corsu
• Cymraeg
• Dansk
• Deutsch
• Diné bizaad
• Eesti
• Ελληνικά
• Español
• Esperanto
• Euskara
• فارسی
• Fiji Hindi
• Føroyskt
• Français
• Frysk
• Gaeilge
• Gaelg
• Gagauz
• Gàidhlig
• Galego
• 客家語/Hak-kâ-ngî
• Хальмг
• 한국어
• Hawai`i
• Հայերեն
• हिन्दी
• Hrvatski
• Ido
• Igbo
• Ilokano
• বিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরী
• Bahasa Indonesia
• Interlingua
• Interlingue
• ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ/inuktitut
• Iñupiak
• Ирон
• Íslenska
• Italiano
• עברית
• Basa Jawa
• Kapampangan
• ქართული
• Kernowek
• Kiswahili
• Kreyòl ayisyen
• Kurdî
• Кырык мары
• Ladino
• Latina
• Latviešu
• Lietuvių
• Ligure
• Limburgs
• Lumbaart
• Magyar
• Македонски
• Malagasy
• മലയാളം
• Māori
• मराठी
• مصرى
• مازِرونی
• Bahasa Melayu
• Монгол
• မြန်မာဘာသာ
• Nāhuatl
• Nederlands
• नेपाली
• नेपाल भाषा
• 日本語
• Нохчийн
• Nordfriisk
• Norsk bokmål
• Norsk nynorsk
• Occitan
• Олык марий
• Oʻzbekcha
• ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
• پنجابی
• Piemontèis
• Plattdüütsch
• Polski
• Português
• Română
• Rumantsch
• Runa Simi
• Русский
• Sámegiella
• Scots
• Seeltersk
• Shqip
• Sicilianu
• Simple English
• Slovenčina
• Slovenščina
• Soomaaliga
• کوردی
• Српски / srpski
• Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
• Suomi
• Svenska
• Tagalog
• தமிழ்
• Taqbaylit
• Татарча/tatarça
• తెలుగు
• ไทย
• Türkçe
• Українська
• اردو
• ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche
• Tiếng Việt
• Volapük
• Winaray
• ייִדיש
• Yorùbá
• 粵語
• Zazaki
• Žemaitėška
• 中文

Edit links

• This page was last modified on 9 May 2014 at 17:55.
• Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

• Privacy policy
• About Wikipedia
• Disclaimers
• Contact Wikipedia
• Developers
• Mobile view

• 
•