Minnesota

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Minnesota shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Minnesota offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Minnesota at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Minnesota? Wrong! If the Minnesota is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Minnesota then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Minnesota? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Minnesota and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Minnesota wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Minnesota then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Minnesota site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Minnesota, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Minnesota, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{US state |Name = Minnesota | Fullname = State of Minnesota | Flag = Flag of Minnesota.svg | Flaglink = [Flag of Minnesota | Seal = Minnesota state seal.png | Map = Map of USA MN.svg | Nickname = North Star State,The Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Gopher State| Motto = [L'Étoile du Nord (French: The Star of the North)| Capital = [Saint Paul, Minnesota | LargestCity = [Minneapolis, Minnesota | Governor = [Tim Pawlenty ([Republican Party (United States)) | Senators = [Norm Coleman ([Republican Party (United States))
[Amy Klobuchar ([Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party)| PostalAbbreviation = MN | AreaRank = 12th | TotalAreaUS = 87,014| TotalArea = 225,365 | LandAreaUS = 79,682 | LandArea = 206,375 | WaterAreaUS = 7,332| WaterArea = 18,990 | PCWater = 8.4 | PopRank = 21st | 2000Pop = 4,919,479 | DensityRank = 31st | 2000DensityUS = 61.80| 2000Density = 23.86 | MedianHouseholdIncome = $55,914 | IncomeRank = 5th | AdmittanceOrder = 32nd | AdmittanceDate = May 11, [ | TimeZone = [Central Standard Time Zone: [UTC-6/[Daylight saving time | Latitude = 43° 30′ N to 49° 23′ N | Longitude = 89° 29′ W to 97° 14′ W | WidthUS = 250| Width = 400 | LengthUS = 400 | Length = 645 | HighestPoint = [Eagle Mountain (Minnesota){{cite web| year = 2005 | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessdate = 2006-11-06--> | HighestElevUS = 2,301 | HighestElev = 701 | MeanElevUS = 1,198 | MeanElev = 365 | LowestPoint = [Lake Superior | LowestElevUS = 602 | LowestElev = 183 | ISOCode = US-MN | Website = www.state.mn.us --> (IPA chart for English: ) is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The 12th-largest state by area in the U.S., it is the 21st most populous, with just over five million residents. 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. The state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", and those lakes and the other waters for which the state is named, together with state and national forests and parks, offer residents and tourists a vigorous outdoor lifestyle.

Nearly 60% of Minnesota's residents live in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area known as the Twin Cities, the center of transportation, business, and industry, and home to an internationally known arts community. The remainder of the state, often referred to as "Regions of Minnesota" or "Outstate Minnesota", consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture; eastern Deciduous, also heavily farmed and settled; and the less-populated northern Taiga. While the state's residents are primarily White American and of Northern European ancestry, substantial influxes of African American, Asian American, and Hispanics in the United Statesn immigrants have joined the descendants of European American immigrants and of the original Native Americans in the United States inhabitants.

The extremes of the climate contrast with the moderation of Minnesota’s people. The state is known for its moderate-to-progressivism politics and social policies, its civic involvement, and high voter turnout. It ranks among the healthiest states by a number of measures, and has one of the most highly educated and literate populations.

Etymology The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota language name for the Minnesota River: Mnisota. The root Mni (also spelled mini or minne) means "water". Mnisota can be translated as sky-tinted water or somewhat clouded water. Native Americans in the United States demonstrated the name to early settlers by dropping milk into water and calling it mnisota. Many locations in the state have similar names, such as Minnehaha Falls ("waterfall", not "laughing waters" as is commonly thought), Minneiska, Minnesota ("white water"), Lake Minnetonka ("big water"), Minnetrista, Minnesota ("crooked water"), and Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is a combination of mni and polis, the Greek word for "city."

Geography Minnesota is the northernmost state outside of Alaska; its isolated Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods is the only part of the 48 Continental United States lying north of the 49th parallel north. Minnesota is in the U.S. region known as the Upper Midwest. The state shares a Lake Superior water border with Michigan and Wisconsin on the northeast; the remainder of the eastern border is with Wisconsin. Iowa is to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota are west, and the Canada provinces of Ontario and Manitoba are north. With 87,014 square miles (225,365 km²), or approximately 2.25% of the United States, Minnesota is the 12th largest state.

Geology and terrain Thompson Formation in Jay Cooke State Park.

Minnesota contains some of the oldest rocks found on earth, gneisses some 3.6 billion years old, or 80% as old as the planet. About 2.7 billion years ago, basaltic lava poured out of cracks in the floor of the primordial ocean; the remains of this volcano rock formed the Canadian Shield in northeast Minnesota. 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.

In more recent times, massive ice sheets at least one kilometer thick ravaged the landscape of the state and sculpted its current terrain. The Wisconsin glaciation left 12,000 years ago. 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 Coulee Region for its absence of glacial drift. 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. 13,000 years ago gigantic Lake Agassiz formed in the northwest; the lake's outflow, the glacial River Warren, carved the valley of the Minnesota River, and its bottom created the fertile lands of the Red River of the North valley. Minnesota is geologically quiet today; it experiences earthquakes infrequently, and most of them are minor.

on Lake Superior formed from a Precambrian rhyolitic lava flow.The state's high point is Eagle Mountain (Minnesota) at 2,301 feet (701 m), which is only 13 miles (20.9 km) away from the low of 602 feet (183 m) at the shore of Lake Superior. Notwithstanding dramatic local differences in elevation, much of the state is a gently rolling peneplain.

Two continental divides meet in the northeastern part of Minnesota in rural Hibbing, Minnesota, forming a triple Drainage basin. Precipitation (meteorology) can follow the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Saint Lawrence Seaway east to the Atlantic Ocean, or the Canada Hudson Bay drainage to the Arctic Ocean.

The state's nickname, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, is no exaggeration; there are 11,842 lakes over 10 acres in size. The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest at 962,700 acres (3,896 km²) and deepest (at 1,290 ft, 393 m) body of water in the state. Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for 69,000 miles (111,000 km). The Mississippi River begins its journey from its headwaters at Lake Itasca and crosses the Iowa border downstream. It is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, by the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota) near Hastings, Minnesota, by the Chippewa River (Wisconsin) at Wabasha, MN, and by many smaller streams. The Red River of the North, 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.

Flora and fauna seen in Minneapolis, along the banks of the Mississippi River Three of North America's biomes converge in Minnesota: prairie in the southwestern and western parts of the state, the Big Woods deciduous forest of the southeast and east-central, and the northern Taiga. The northern coniferous forests are a vast wilderness of pine and spruce trees mixed with patchy stands of birch and poplar. Much of Minnesota's northern forest has been logged, 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 (1,600 km²) of unlogged land. Although logging continues, regrowth keeps about one third of the state forested.While loss of habitat has affected native animals such as the American marten, elk, and American bison,Bison disappeared in the mid 1800s; the last bison was reported in southwest Minnesota in 1879. As referenced in whitetail deer and bobcat thrive. The state has the nation's largest population of wolf outside Alaska,

and supports healthy populations of American 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 bird of prey including the bald eagle, red-tailed Hawk, and snowy owl. The lakes teem with the sport fish such as walleye, bass (fish), muskellunge, and Northern Pike, and streams in the southeast are populated by brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout.

Climate campus Minnesota endures Minnesota weather extremes characteristic of its continental climate; with cold winters and hot summers, the record high and low span 174 degrees Fahrenheit (96.6 °C). Meteorological events include rain, snow, hail, blizzards, polar fronts, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and high-velocity Downburst. The growing season varies from 90 days per year in the Iron Range to 160 days in southeast Minnesota near the Mississippi River, and mean average temperatures range from 36 °F (2 °C) to 49 °F (9 °C). Average summer dewpoints range from about 58 °F (14.4 °C) in the south to about 48 °F (8.9 °C) in the north. Depending on location, average annual precipitation ranges from 19 in (48.3 cm) to 35 in (88.9 cm), and droughts occur every 10 to 50 years.

Protected lands Minnesota is home to a variety of wilderness, park, and other open spaces. Minnesota's first state park, Itasca State Park, was established in 1891, and is the Source (river or stream) of the Mississippi River. Today Minnesota has List of Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, List of Minnesota 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 National Forest 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 state's only national park.

History 1849–1858Before European settlement, Minnesota was populated by the Anishinaabe, the Sioux, and other Native Americans in the United States. The first Europeans were French people fur traders who arrived in the 1600s. Late that century, the Ojibwe Indians migrated westward to Minnesota, causing tensions with the Sioux. 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 a 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. In 1805, Zebulon Pike bargained with Native Americans to acquire land at the Confluence (geography) of the Minnesota River and Mississippi River rivers. The construction of Fort Snelling followed between 1819 and 1825. 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, Minnesota later grew. Meanwhile, squatters, government officials, and tourists had settled in the vicinity of the fort. In 1839, the Army forced them to move downriver, and they settled in the area that became St. Paul, Minnesota. Minnesota Territory was formed on March 3, 1849. Thousands of people had come to build farms and cut timber, and Minnesota became the List of U.S. states by date of statehood on May 11, 1858.

Treaties between whites and the Dakota and Ojibwe gradually forced the natives off their lands and onto smaller reservations. As conditions deteriorated for the Dakota, tensions rose, leading to the Dakota War of 1862. 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 Nebraska.
played a pivotal role in Minnesota's history and in the development of the cities of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Logging and farming were mainstays of Minnesota's early economy. The sawmills at Saint Anthony Falls, and logging centers like Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, Stillwater, Minnesota, and Winona, Minnesota, processed high volumes of lumber. These cities were situated on rivers that were ideal for transportation. Later, Saint Anthony Falls was tapped to provide power for gristmill. 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. By 1900, Minnesota mills, led by Pillsbury Company and the Washburn-Crosby Company (a forerunner of General Mills), were grinding 14.1% of the nation's grain.

The state's iron-mining industry was established with the discovery of iron in the Vermilion Range (Minnesota) and the Mesabi Range in the 1880s, and in the Cuyuna Range in the early 1900s. The ore was shipped by rail to Two Harbors, Minnesota and Duluth, Minnesota, then loaded onto ships and transported eastward over the Great Lakes.

Industrial development and the rise of manufacturing caused the population to shift gradually from rural areas to cities during the early 1900s. 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.

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 Combine harvester became the norm. University of Minnesota professor Norman Borlaug contributed to these developments as part of the Green Revolution. Suburban development accelerated due to increased postwar housing demand and convenient transportation. Increased mobility, in turn, enabled more specialized jobs.

Minnesota became a center of technology after the war. 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). Cray 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 in Owatonna, Minnesota by Louis SullivanSaint Paul, Minnesota, located in east-central Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi River, has been Minnesota's List of capitals in the United States 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, Minnesota; they and their suburbs are known collectively as the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, the 16th largest metropolitan area in the United States and home to about 60% of the state's population (as of April 2005). The remainder of the state is known as "Regions of Minnesota" or "Outstate Minnesota".

Minnesota has 17 cities with populations above fifty thousand (based on 2005 estimates). In descending order they are Minneapolis, Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, Bloomington, Minnesota, Plymouth, Minnesota, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Eagan, Minnesota, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, St. Cloud, Minnesota, Burnsville, Minnesota, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Maple Grove, Minnesota, Woodbury, Minnesota, Blaine, Minnesota, Lakeville, Minnesota, and Minnetonka, Minnesota. Of these listed, only Rochester, Duluth, and St. Cloud are outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Minnesota's population continues to grow, primarily in the urban centers. The populations of metropolitan Sherburne County, Minnesota and Scott County, Minnesota doubled between 1980 and 2000, while 40 of the state's 87 counties lost residents over the same decades.

Demographics .

Population From fewer than 6,100 people in 1850, Minnesota's population grew to over 1.75 million by 1900. Each of the next six decades saw a 15% rise in population, reaching 3.41 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 4.91 million in the 2000 census. As of July 1, 2006, the state's population was estimated at 5,167,101 by the U.S. Census Bureau. The rate of population change, and age and gender distributions, approximate the national average. Minnesota's growing minority groups, however, still form a significantly smaller proportion of the population than in the nation as a whole. The center of population of Minnesota is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, in the city of Rogers, Minnesota.

Race and ancestry Over 75% of Minnesota's residents are of Western European descent, with the largest reported ancestries being German people (39%), Norwegian people (17.2%), Irish people (11.9%), and Swedish people (9.6%). As of 2005, 6.3% of residents were foreign-born, compared to 12.4% for the nation. The state has had the reputation of being relatively homogeneous, but that is changing. The Hispanic population of Minnesota is increasing rapidly, and recent immigrants have come from all over the world, including Hmong people, Somali people, Vietnamese people, Indians and emigrants from the former Soviet bloc.

style Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota) in the city of St. Paul.The state's racial composition in 2005 was:

86.3% White (people) (non-Hispanic);
4.1% Black people (non-Hispanic);
3.6% Hispanic, a category that includes people of many races;
3.4% Asian people/Pacific Islander;
1.1% Native Americans in the United States/Alaskan Native;
1.5% Multiracial;
1.8% other races.

Religion A 2001 survey indicated that 25% of Minnesota's population was Roman Catholicism in the United States, and 24% was Lutheranism. Other religious groups represented were Baptists (5%), Methodists (4%), Presbyterians (2%), the Assembly of God (2%), and the Church of God (2%). Christians with unstated or other denominational affiliations, including other Mainline Protestant, totaled 13%, bringing the total Christian population to 77%. Non-Christian religions, such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, together represented 3% of the population. Fourteen percent of respondents answered "no religion" on the survey, and 6% refused to answer.

Economy in Otter Tail County, MinnesotaOnce primarily a producer of raw materials, Minnesota's economy has transformed in the last 200 years 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.{{cite web | title = Environmental Information Report, App. D Socioeconomic Information | date = 2003-05-30 of $234 billion in 2005.{{cite web | title = Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State | publisher = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis | date = [2006-10-26 | url = http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/GSPNewsRelease.htm | accessdate = 2006-11-13 --> Thirty-six of the United States' top 1,000 publicly traded companies (by revenue in 2006) are headquartered in Minnesota,{{cite web | url = http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/states/M.html | title=FORTUNE 500 2006: States | publisher=CNN Money | accessdate = 2006-11-14--> including [Target Corporation, [UnitedHealth Group, [3M, [Medtronic, [General Mills, [U.S. Bancorp, and [Best Buy. The second-largest privately owned U.S. company, [Cargill, is headquartered in [Wayzata, Minnesota.{{cite web| author= Hoover's via Yahoo! Finance | title= Cargill, Incorporated Company Profile | url= http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/40/40079.html | date= 2007 | accessdate= 2007-05-31 --> The [per capita income in 2005 was $37,290, the tenth-highest in the nation.{{cite web | title = Regional Economic Accounts | publisher = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis | url = http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/bearfacts/stateaction.cfm?fips=27000&yearin=2005 | accessdate = 2007-05-12 --> The three-year [median household income from 2002-2004 was $55,914, ranking fifth in the U.S. and first among the 36 states not on the Atlantic coast.{{cite web | url=http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/income04/statemhi.html | title=United States and States - R2001. Median Household Income | publisher=U.S. Census Bureau | accessdate = 2007-08-05-->

Industry and commerce , designed by Philip Johnson and the state's second tallest building, reflecting César Pelli Art Deco-style Wells Fargo Center (Minneapolis). Minnesota's earliest industries were fur trading and agriculture; the city of Minneapolis grew around the gristmill powered by St. Anthony Falls. Although less than 1% of the population is employed in the agricultural sector, it remains a major part of the state's economy, ranking 6th in the nation in the value of products sold. The state is the U.S.'s largest producer of sugar beets, sweet corn, and green peas for processing, and farm-raised turkeys. 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. The mining boom created the port of Duluth, Minnesota 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, Minnesota Southdale Center and its largest is Bloomington, Minnesota Mall of America.

Energy use and production The state produces ethanol fuel and is the first to mandate its use, a 10% mix (E10 fuel) since 1997, and a 20% mix (E20) in 2013. There are more than 310 service stations supplying E85 fuel. 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.

State taxes Minnesota has a slightly progressive income tax structure; the three brackets of state income tax rates are 5.35%, 7.05% and 7.85%. Minnesota is ranked as the 6th highest in the nation for per capita total state taxes. The sales tax in Minnesota is 6.5%, but there is no sales tax on clothing, prescription medications, some services, or food items for home consumption. The Minnesota Legislature may allow municipalities to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 0.5% supplemental sales tax in Minneapolis. Excise are levied on alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel. The state imposes a use tax on items purchased elsewhere but used within Minnesota. Owners of real property in Minnesota pay property tax to their county, municipality, school district, and special taxing districts.

Culture Fine and performing arts ' Beaux-Arts architecture north facade, designed by McKim, Mead, and White. The Twin Cities area is considered the artistic capital of the Upper Midwest. Its major fine art museums include the Weisman Art Museum, the Walker Art Center, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra are full-time professional musical ensembles that perform concerts and offer educational programs to the community. Attendance at theatre, musical, and comedy events in the area is strong, which may be attributed to the cold winters, the large population of post-secondary students, and a generally vibrant economy. The Guthrie Theater moved into a new building in 2006, boasting three stages and overlooking the Mississippi River. In the U.S., the Twin Cities' number of theater seats per capita ranks behind only New York City; with some 2.3 million theater tickets sold annually. The Minneapolis Fringe theatre is an annual celebration of theatre, dance, improvisation, puppetry, kids' shows, visual art, and musicals. The summer festival consists of over 800 performances in 11 days, and is the largest non-juried performing arts festival in the United States.

Literature The rigors and rewards of pioneer life on the prairie were 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 was savaged by Sinclair Lewis in the novel Main Street (novel), and more gently and affectionately satirized by Garrison Keillor in his tales of Lake Wobegon. St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote 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 famous epic poem The Song of Hiawatha was inspired by Minnesota and many places and bodies of water in the state are named in the poem.

Entertainment nightclub, the heart of Minnesota's music community.Page 190Minnesotan musicians of many genres include soul star Prince (musician), harmony singers The Andrews Sisters, rockabilly star Eddie Cochran, folk musician Bob Dylan, pop songwriters Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Johnny Lang, and Soul Asylum. Minnesota has also produced cult favorites such as Hüsker Dü and The Replacements.Page 190

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.Page 21 Local television had the satire show The Bedtime Nooz in the 1960s, while area natives Lizz Winstead and Craig Kilborn helped create the increasingly influential The Daily Show decades later. Actors from the state include Eddie Albert, Judy Garland, Jessica Lange, Winona Ryder, Vince Vaughn, Josh Hartnett Jessica Biel,Melissa Peterman, and Johnny Lang. Joel and Ethan Coen, Terry Gilliam and Mike Todd contributed to the art of film, and others brought the offbeat cult television Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Let's Bowl to national cable television from the Twin Cities.

Popular culture performance at the Minnesota State Fair. Stereotype Minnesotan traits include manners known as "Minnesota nice," Lutheranism, a strong sense of community and shared culture, and a distinctive American English regional differences#Midwest sprinkled with Scandinavian-sounding words such as uff da. Potlucks, usually with a variety of hotdish casseroles, are popular at community functions, especially church activities. Minnesota's Norwegian and Scandinavian heritage makes lutefisk a traditional holiday dish. Movies like Fargo (film), Drop Dead Gorgeous (film), Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men, 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 5.1 million people, there were nearly 1.7 million visitors to the fair in 2006. The fair covers the variety of life in Minnesota, including fine art, science, agriculture, food preparation, 4H displays, music, midway (fair), and corporate merchandising. It is known for its displays of seed art, butter sculptures of Princess Kay of the Milky Way, the birthing barn, and dozens of varieties of food on a stick, such as Pronto Pups, Cheese curds#Fried cheese curds, and deep fried candy bars. On a smaller scale, these attractions are also offered at the state's many county fairs.

Other large annual festivals include the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, Minneapolis' Minneapolis Aquatennial and Mill City Music Festival, Moondance Jam in Walker, and Detroit Lakes, Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Festival and WE Fest.

Health and education Health 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. Minnesotans have the nation's lowest premature death rate, third-lowest infant mortality rate, and the second-longest life expectancies. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 91% of Minnesotans have health insurance, more than in any other state. These and other measures have led one group to rank Minnesota as the healthiest state in the nation, and another to rank it fourth. On 1 October 2007, Minnesota became the 17th state to enact a statewide smoking ban in restaurants and bars.

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. The Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned medical practice, is based in Rochester, Minnesota. 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, Coronary heart disease, obesity, and other areas.

Education Pillsbury Hall is the second-oldest building on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus.One of the first acts of the Minnesota Legislature when it opened in 1858 was the creation of a normal school at Winona, Minnesota. More recently, the state ranked 13th on the 2006–2007 Morgan Quitno Smartest State Award, and is first in the percentage of residents with at least a high school diploma. With an 84% graduation rate, Minnesota ranks 5th in the nation in high school graduation and Minnesota students earn the highest average score in the nation on the ACT (examination). While Minnesota has chosen not to implement school vouchers, it is home to the first charter school.

The state supports a network of public University and colleges, currently comprised of 32 institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, and five major campuses of the University of Minnesota system. It is also home to more than 20 private colleges and universities, six of which rank among the top 100 liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Transportation at Duluth, MinnesotaTransportation in Minnesota is overseen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Principal transportation corridors radiate from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and Duluth. The major Interstate Highway System are Interstate 35, Interstate 90, and Interstate 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. 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. There are nearly two dozen rail transport corridors in Minnesota, most of which go through Minneapolis-St. Paul or Duluth. There is water transportation along the Mississippi River system and from the ports of Lake Superior.

vehicle in MinneapolisMinnesota's principal airport is Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the headquarters and major passenger and freight hub for Northwest Airlines and Sun Country Airlines. The airport is served by most other domestic carriers. Large commercial jet service is provided at Duluth and Rochester, with scheduled commuter service to six smaller cities via Northwest Airlines subsidiary Mesaba Airlines.

Amtrak Empire Builder runs through Minnesota, making stops at Midway (Amtrak station) in St. Paul and five other stations. It is the descendant of the famous line of the same name run by the Great Northern Railway (U.S.), which was built by the tycoon James J. Hill and ran from St. Paul, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington. Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound Bus Lines, Jefferson Lines, and Coach USA. Public transit in Minnesota is currently limited to bus systems in the larger cities and the Hiawatha Line light rail corridor in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

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

Executive The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Minnesota. The current governor is Tim Pawlenty, a Republican Party of Minnesota whose first term began January 6, 2003, and who was narrowly re-elected in 2006. The current List of Lieutenant Governors of Minnesota of Minnesota is Carol Molnau, who is also the head of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The offices of governor and lieutenant governor have four-year terms. The governor has a cabinet consisting of the leaders of various state government agencies, called commissioners. The other elected constitutional offices are List of secretaries of state of Minnesota, Minnesota Attorney General, and Minnesota State Auditor.

in Saint Paul, designed by Cass Gilbert.

Legislative The Minnesota Legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the Minnesota Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives. The state has 67 districts, each covering about 60,000 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 2006 election, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) gained 19 house seats, giving them control of the House of Representatives by 85–49. The Senate is also controlled by the DFL, who in 2006 gained 6 seats to expand their majority to 44–23.

Judicial Minnesota's court system has three levels. Most cases start in the district courts, which are courts of general jurisdiction. There are 272 district court judges 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 sixteen judges who typically sit in three-judge panels. The seven-justice Minnesota Supreme Court hears all appeals from the Tax Court, the Worker's Compensation Court, first-degree murder convictions, and Certiorari#State courts from the Court of Appeals; it also has original jurisdiction over election disputes.

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 Below 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 Santee Sioux communities in Minnesota. These communities are self-governing.

Federal Minnesota's two United States senators are Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Amy Klobuchar. The state has eight Minnesota Congressional Districts; they are represented by Tim Walz (Minnesota's 1st congressional district), John Kline (politician) ( {{US state |Name = Minnesota | Fullname = State of Minnesota | Flag = Flag of Minnesota.svg | Flaglink = [Flag of Minnesota | Seal = Minnesota state seal.png | Map = Map of USA MN.svg | Nickname = North Star State,The Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Gopher State| Motto = [L'Étoile du Nord (French: The Star of the North)| Capital = [Saint Paul, Minnesota | LargestCity = [Minneapolis, Minnesota | Governor = [Tim Pawlenty ([Republican Party (United States)) | Senators = [Norm Coleman ([Republican Party (United States))
[Amy Klobuchar ([Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party)| PostalAbbreviation = MN | AreaRank = 12th | TotalAreaUS = 87,014| TotalArea = 225,365 | LandAreaUS = 79,682 | LandArea = 206,375 | WaterAreaUS = 7,332| WaterArea = 18,990 | PCWater = 8.4 | PopRank = 21st | 2000Pop = 4,919,479 | DensityRank = 31st | 2000DensityUS = 61.80| 2000Density = 23.86 | MedianHouseholdIncome = $55,914 | IncomeRank = 5th | AdmittanceOrder = 32nd | AdmittanceDate = May 11, [ | TimeZone = [Central Standard Time Zone: [UTC-6/[Daylight saving time | Latitude = 43° 30′ N to 49° 23′ N | Longitude = 89° 29′ W to 97° 14′ W | WidthUS = 250| Width = 400 | LengthUS = 400 | Length = 645 | HighestPoint = [Eagle Mountain (Minnesota){{cite web| year = 2005 | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessdate = 2006-11-06--> | HighestElevUS = 2,301 | HighestElev = 701 | MeanElevUS = 1,198 | MeanElev = 365 | LowestPoint = [Lake Superior | LowestElevUS = 602 | LowestElev = 183 | ISOCode = US-MN | Website = www.state.mn.us --> (IPA chart for English: ) is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The 12th-largest state by area in the U.S., it is the 21st most populous, with just over five million residents. 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. The state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", and those lakes and the other waters for which the state is named, together with state and national forests and parks, offer residents and tourists a vigorous outdoor lifestyle.

Nearly 60% of Minnesota's residents live in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area known as the Twin Cities, the center of transportation, business, and industry, and home to an internationally known arts community. The remainder of the state, often referred to as "Regions of Minnesota" or "Outstate Minnesota", consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture; eastern Deciduous, also heavily farmed and settled; and the less-populated northern Taiga. While the state's residents are primarily White American and of Northern European ancestry, substantial influxes of African American, Asian American, and Hispanics in the United Statesn immigrants have joined the descendants of European American immigrants and of the original Native Americans in the United States inhabitants.

The extremes of the climate contrast with the moderation of Minnesota’s people. The state is known for its moderate-to-progressivism politics and social policies, its civic involvement, and high voter turnout. It ranks among the healthiest states by a number of measures, and has one of the most highly educated and literate populations.

Etymology The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota language name for the Minnesota River: Mnisota. The root Mni (also spelled mini or minne) means "water". Mnisota can be translated as sky-tinted water or somewhat clouded water. Native Americans in the United States demonstrated the name to early settlers by dropping milk into water and calling it mnisota. Many locations in the state have similar names, such as Minnehaha Falls ("waterfall", not "laughing waters" as is commonly thought), Minneiska, Minnesota ("white water"), Lake Minnetonka ("big water"), Minnetrista, Minnesota ("crooked water"), and Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is a combination of mni and polis, the Greek word for "city."

Geography Minnesota is the northernmost state outside of Alaska; its isolated Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods is the only part of the 48 Continental United States lying north of the 49th parallel north. Minnesota is in the U.S. region known as the Upper Midwest. The state shares a Lake Superior water border with Michigan and Wisconsin on the northeast; the remainder of the eastern border is with Wisconsin. Iowa is to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota are west, and the Canada provinces of Ontario and Manitoba are north. With 87,014 square miles (225,365 km²), or approximately 2.25% of the United States, Minnesota is the 12th largest state.

Geology and terrain Thompson Formation in Jay Cooke State Park.

Minnesota contains some of the oldest rocks found on earth, gneisses some 3.6 billion years old, or 80% as old as the planet. About 2.7 billion years ago, basaltic lava poured out of cracks in the floor of the primordial ocean; the remains of this volcano rock formed the Canadian Shield in northeast Minnesota. 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.

In more recent times, massive ice sheets at least one kilometer thick ravaged the landscape of the state and sculpted its current terrain. The Wisconsin glaciation left 12,000 years ago. 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 Coulee Region for its absence of glacial drift. 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. 13,000 years ago gigantic Lake Agassiz formed in the northwest; the lake's outflow, the glacial River Warren, carved the valley of the Minnesota River, and its bottom created the fertile lands of the Red River of the North valley. Minnesota is geologically quiet today; it experiences earthquakes infrequently, and most of them are minor.

on Lake Superior formed from a Precambrian rhyolitic lava flow.The state's high point is Eagle Mountain (Minnesota) at 2,301 feet (701 m), which is only 13 miles (20.9 km) away from the low of 602 feet (183 m) at the shore of Lake Superior. Notwithstanding dramatic local differences in elevation, much of the state is a gently rolling peneplain.

Two continental divides meet in the northeastern part of Minnesota in rural Hibbing, Minnesota, forming a triple Drainage basin. Precipitation (meteorology) can follow the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Saint Lawrence Seaway east to the Atlantic Ocean, or the Canada Hudson Bay drainage to the Arctic Ocean.

The state's nickname, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, is no exaggeration; there are 11,842 lakes over 10 acres in size. The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest at 962,700 acres (3,896 km²) and deepest (at 1,290 ft, 393 m) body of water in the state. Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for 69,000 miles (111,000 km). The Mississippi River begins its journey from its headwaters at Lake Itasca and crosses the Iowa border downstream. It is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, by the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota) near Hastings, Minnesota, by the Chippewa River (Wisconsin) at Wabasha, MN, and by many smaller streams. The Red River of the North, 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.

Flora and fauna seen in Minneapolis, along the banks of the Mississippi River Three of North America's biomes converge in Minnesota: prairie in the southwestern and western parts of the state, the Big Woods deciduous forest of the southeast and east-central, and the northern Taiga. The northern coniferous forests are a vast wilderness of pine and spruce trees mixed with patchy stands of birch and poplar. Much of Minnesota's northern forest has been logged, 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 (1,600 km²) of unlogged land. Although logging continues, regrowth keeps about one third of the state forested.While loss of habitat has affected native animals such as the American marten, elk, and American bison,Bison disappeared in the mid 1800s; the last bison was reported in southwest Minnesota in 1879. As referenced in whitetail deer and bobcat thrive. The state has the nation's largest population of wolf outside Alaska,

and supports healthy populations of American 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 bird of prey including the bald eagle, red-tailed Hawk, and snowy owl. The lakes teem with the sport fish such as walleye, bass (fish), muskellunge, and Northern Pike, and streams in the southeast are populated by brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout.

Climate campus Minnesota endures Minnesota weather extremes characteristic of its continental climate; with cold winters and hot summers, the record high and low span 174 degrees Fahrenheit (96.6 °C). Meteorological events include rain, snow, hail, blizzards, polar fronts, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and high-velocity Downburst. The growing season varies from 90 days per year in the Iron Range to 160 days in southeast Minnesota near the Mississippi River, and mean average temperatures range from 36 °F (2 °C) to 49 °F (9 °C). Average summer dewpoints range from about 58 °F (14.4 °C) in the south to about 48 °F (8.9 °C) in the north. Depending on location, average annual precipitation ranges from 19 in (48.3 cm) to 35 in (88.9 cm), and droughts occur every 10 to 50 years.

Protected lands Minnesota is home to a variety of wilderness, park, and other open spaces. Minnesota's first state park, Itasca State Park, was established in 1891, and is the Source (river or stream) of the Mississippi River. Today Minnesota has List of Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, List of Minnesota 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 National Forest 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 state's only national park.

History 1849–1858Before European settlement, Minnesota was populated by the Anishinaabe, the Sioux, and other Native Americans in the United States. The first Europeans were French people fur traders who arrived in the 1600s. Late that century, the Ojibwe Indians migrated westward to Minnesota, causing tensions with the Sioux. 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 a 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. In 1805, Zebulon Pike bargained with Native Americans to acquire land at the Confluence (geography) of the Minnesota River and Mississippi River rivers. The construction of Fort Snelling followed between 1819 and 1825. 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, Minnesota later grew. Meanwhile, squatters, government officials, and tourists had settled in the vicinity of the fort. In 1839, the Army forced them to move downriver, and they settled in the area that became St. Paul, Minnesota. Minnesota Territory was formed on March 3, 1849. Thousands of people had come to build farms and cut timber, and Minnesota became the List of U.S. states by date of statehood on May 11, 1858.

Treaties between whites and the Dakota and Ojibwe gradually forced the natives off their lands and onto smaller reservations. As conditions deteriorated for the Dakota, tensions rose, leading to the Dakota War of 1862. 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 Nebraska.
played a pivotal role in Minnesota's history and in the development of the cities of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Logging and farming were mainstays of Minnesota's early economy. The sawmills at Saint Anthony Falls, and logging centers like Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, Stillwater, Minnesota, and Winona, Minnesota, processed high volumes of lumber. These cities were situated on rivers that were ideal for transportation. Later, Saint Anthony Falls was tapped to provide power for gristmill. 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. By 1900, Minnesota mills, led by Pillsbury Company and the Washburn-Crosby Company (a forerunner of General Mills), were grinding 14.1% of the nation's grain.

The state's iron-mining industry was established with the discovery of iron in the Vermilion Range (Minnesota) and the Mesabi Range in the 1880s, and in the Cuyuna Range in the early 1900s. The ore was shipped by rail to Two Harbors, Minnesota and Duluth, Minnesota, then loaded onto ships and transported eastward over the Great Lakes.

Industrial development and the rise of manufacturing caused the population to shift gradually from rural areas to cities during the early 1900s. 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.

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 Combine harvester became the norm. University of Minnesota professor Norman Borlaug contributed to these developments as part of the Green Revolution. Suburban development accelerated due to increased postwar housing demand and convenient transportation. Increased mobility, in turn, enabled more specialized jobs.

Minnesota became a center of technology after the war. 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). Cray 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 in Owatonna, Minnesota by Louis SullivanSaint Paul, Minnesota, located in east-central Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi River, has been Minnesota's List of capitals in the United States 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, Minnesota; they and their suburbs are known collectively as the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, the 16th largest metropolitan area in the United States and home to about 60% of the state's population (as of April 2005). The remainder of the state is known as "Regions of Minnesota" or "Outstate Minnesota".

Minnesota has 17 cities with populations above fifty thousand (based on 2005 estimates). In descending order they are Minneapolis, Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, Bloomington, Minnesota, Plymouth, Minnesota, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Eagan, Minnesota, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, St. Cloud, Minnesota, Burnsville, Minnesota, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Maple Grove, Minnesota, Woodbury, Minnesota, Blaine, Minnesota, Lakeville, Minnesota, and Minnetonka, Minnesota. Of these listed, only Rochester, Duluth, and St. Cloud are outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Minnesota's population continues to grow, primarily in the urban centers. The populations of metropolitan Sherburne County, Minnesota and Scott County, Minnesota doubled between 1980 and 2000, while 40 of the state's 87 counties lost residents over the same decades.

Demographics .

Population From fewer than 6,100 people in 1850, Minnesota's population grew to over 1.75 million by 1900. Each of the next six decades saw a 15% rise in population, reaching 3.41 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 4.91 million in the 2000 census. As of July 1, 2006, the state's population was estimated at 5,167,101 by the U.S. Census Bureau. The rate of population change, and age and gender distributions, approximate the national average. Minnesota's growing minority groups, however, still form a significantly smaller proportion of the population than in the nation as a whole. The center of population of Minnesota is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, in the city of Rogers, Minnesota.

Race and ancestry Over 75% of Minnesota's residents are of Western European descent, with the largest reported ancestries being German people (39%), Norwegian people (17.2%), Irish people (11.9%), and Swedish people (9.6%). As of 2005, 6.3% of residents were foreign-born, compared to 12.4% for the nation. The state has had the reputation of being relatively homogeneous, but that is changing. The Hispanic population of Minnesota is increasing rapidly, and recent immigrants have come from all over the world, including Hmong people, Somali people, Vietnamese people, Indians and emigrants from the former Soviet bloc.

style Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota) in the city of St. Paul.The state's racial composition in 2005 was:

86.3% White (people) (non-Hispanic);
4.1% Black people (non-Hispanic);
3.6% Hispanic, a category that includes people of many races;
3.4% Asian people/Pacific Islander;
1.1% Native Americans in the United States/Alaskan Native;
1.5% Multiracial;
1.8% other races.

Minnesota - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Minnesota (/ˌmɪnɨˈsoʊtə/ (help · info) or /ˌmɪnɨˈsoʊɾə/) [3] is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth-largest state by area in the U.S ...

University of Minnesota from FOLDOC
University of Minnesota < body, education > The home of Gopher. http://umn.edu/. Address: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. (1995-01-30) Try this search on Wikipedia, OneLook, Google

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