Minnesota

Minnesota
State
Country	United States
Admitted to the Union	May 11, 1858 (32nd)
Capital	Saint Paul
Largest city	Minneapolis
Government
• Governor	Tim Pawlenty (R)
• Upper house	{{{Upperhouse}}}
• Lower house	{{{Lowerhouse}}}
U.S. senators	Mark Dayton (D) outgoing Norm Coleman (R) Amy Klobuchar (D) Senator elect
Population
• Total	4,919,479
• Density	61.80/sq mi (23.86/km2)
• Median household income	$55,914
• Income rank	5th
Language
Latitude	43°34'N to 49°23'50.26"N
Longitude	89°34'W to 97°12'W

Minnesota welcome sign

Minnesota (IPA: [ˌmɪnəˈsoʊtə]) () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12^th largest state in the U.S., and the 21^st most populous, with over five million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the 32^nd state in 1858. While the state's residents have been primarily white, Northern European, and Lutheran, substantial influxes of African, Asian, and Hispanic immigrants have joined the descendants of European immigrants and Native American descendants of its original inhabitants.

Nearly three out of five Minnesota residents live in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, which is the center of transportation, business, and industry, and home to an internationally known arts community. The remainder of the state, often referred to as Greater Minnesota, consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture; eastern deciduous forests, also heavily farmed and settled; and the less-populated northern boreal forest. 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.

The extremes of the climate contrast with the moderation of Minnesota’s people. The state is known for its moderate-to-progressive 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.

Origin of the name

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

Geography

Minnesota, showing roads and major bodies of water

Minnesota is the northernmost state except for Alaska; its Northwest Angle is the only part of the 48 contiguous states lying north of the 49^th Parallel. Minnesota is in the U.S. region known as the Upper Midwest. The state shares a Lake Superior water border with Michigan 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 Canadian 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 12^th largest state, and is the second-largest of the Midwestern states.

Geology and terrain

Main article: Geology of Minnesota

Tilted beds of the Middle Precambrian Thompson Formation in Jay Cooke State Park

2.7 billion years ago, the first pieces of volcanic rock that would form the land of Minnesota began to rise out of an ancient ocean. Today, the remains of this rock forms the Canadian Shield in north-east Minnesota. Following a period of volcanism 1.1 billion years ago, Minnesota's geological activity has been relatively quiet. During this billion-year quiet period there has been no volcanism, little earthquake activity, and no new mountains have formed. The roots of these volcanic mountains and the action of Precambrian seas formed the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. These seas began the flattening of Minnesota which continued with glaciation beginning 600,000 years ago. Massive glaciers at least one kilometer thick ravaged the landscape of Minnesota and created its current terrain. The last of four major glaciations, the Wisconsin glaciation, left Minnesota 12,000 years ago. The extent of these glaciers reached all of Minnesota except the far southeast and southwest. This untouched southeastern area is known as the Driftless Zone, and is characterized by rolling hills and streams that cut into the bedrock. The glaciers left their remains across the entire state as they retreated, with most areas having 50 feet (15 m) or more of glacial till. As the last glaciers retreated, gigantic Lake Agassiz formed in the northwest; the lake's outflow carved the valley of the Minnesota River, and its bottom created the fertile lands of the Red River valley.

Cliffs on the North Shore of Lake Superior

The state's high point is Eagle Mountain at 2,301 ft (701 m), which is only 13 miles away from the low of 602 ft (183 m) at the shore of Lake Superior. Two continental divides meet in the northeastern part of Minnesota, forming three watersheds. Precipitation can follow the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico; the St. Lawrence Seaway east to the Atlantic Ocean; or the Hudson Bay watershed to the Arctic Ocean.

The state's nickname, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, is not an exaggeration; there are 11,842 lakes over 10 acres in size. The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest (962,700 acres) and deepest (1,290 feet) body of water in the state. Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for 69,000 miles. The Mississippi River begins a 680-mile journey through Minnesota from its headwaters at Lake Itasca. It is joined at Fort Snelling by the Minnesota River, by the St. Croix River near Hastings, by the Chippewa River at Wabasha, and in the southeast by many small streams. The Red River, in the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz, drains the northwest part of the state northward toward Canada's Hudson Bay.

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

Flora and fauna

A groundhog seen in Minneapolis

Three of North America's biomes converge in Minnesota: the Great Plains of the west, the Big Woods deciduous forest of the southeast, and the northern boreal forest of the Canadian Shield. 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 small patches of old growth forest today, such as in the Superior National Forest, the Chippewa National Forest, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Regrowth keeps about one third of the state forested, though logging continues. While loss of habitat has affected some native animals, such as the pine marten, elk, buffalo, cougar, woodland caribou, and bobcat, the state contains the nation's largest population of timber wolves outside Alaska, and supports healthy populations of black bear, moose and whitetail deer. Located on the Mississippi Flyway, the state hosts migratory waterfowl such as geese and ducks, and game birds such as grouse, pheasants, and turkeys. The state is home to birds of prey, including the bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, and snowy owl. Its lakes teem with the sport fish of the region: walleye, bass, muskellunge, and northern pike. The streams in the southeast are populated by brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout.

See also: Category:Fauna of Minnesota and Category:Flora of Minnesota

Climate

Main article: Climate of Minnesota

A summertime view of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus

Minnesota endures temperature extremes characteristic of its continental climate; with cold winters and hot summers, the record high and low span 174 degrees. Meteorological events include rain, snow, hail, blizzards, polar fronts, tornadoes, thunderstorms, 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 mean average temperatures range from 36°F to 49°F. Dewpoints range from about 6°F to 70°F. Depending on location, average annual precipitation ranges from 19 inches to 35 inches, and droughts occur every 10 to 50 years.

Protected lands

File:Img 0748.jpg

Pose Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Minnesota is home to a wide variety of open, public spaces and park lands. Minnesota's first state park, Itasca State Park, was established in 1891, and is the official source of the Mississippi River. Today Minnesota has 71 state parks. The state has two national forests, the Chippewa National Forest and the Superior National Forest. Inside the Superior National Forest, on the northeastern border of the state, lies the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which encompasses over a million acres and 1000 lakes. There are 53 state forests and numerous other wildlife preserves and regional parks. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages these lands.

See also: Category:Parks in Minnesota

History

Main article: History of Minnesota

Map of Minnesota Territory 1849–1858

Before European settlement, Minnesota was populated by the Anishinaabe, the Sioux, and other Native Americans. The first Europeans were French fur traders who arrived in the 1600s. Late in the 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.

In 1805, Zebulon Pike acquired land at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. The construction of Fort Snelling followed, between 1819 and 1825.

The soldiers built a grist mill and a sawmill at Saint Anthony Falls, and as industry later sprung up around the falls, the city of Minneapolis grew up around it. 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 Territory was formed on March 3, 1849. By 1858, thousands of people had come to build farms and cut timber, and Minnesota became the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858.

Treaties between whites and the Sioux and Ojibwe gradually forced the natives off their lands and onto smaller reservations. As conditions deteriorated for the Sioux, tensions rose, leading to the Sioux Uprising of 1862. The result of the six-week war was the execution of 38 Indians—the largest mass execution in United States history—and the exile of most of the rest of the Sioux to the Crow Creek Reservation in Nebraska.

Fort Snelling played a pivotal role in Minnesota's history and in the development of the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

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. Later, Saint Anthony Falls was tapped to provide power for flour mills. Innovations by Minneapolis millers led to the production of Minnesota "patent" flour, widely regarded as the finest bread flour of its time. By 1900, Minnesota mills, led by Pillsbury 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 and the Mesabi Range in the 1880s, then in the Cuyuna Range in the early 1900s. The iron was shipped by rail to Two Harbors and Duluth, 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 throughout the state. During the Great Depression, Minnesota's economy was hard-hit, 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 jobs for Indians on their reservations. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 provided a mechanism of self-government for the Indian tribes. 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 productivity on farms, 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. During this time, 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 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

National Farmers Bank in Owatonna by Louis Sullivan

The capital city of Minnesota is Saint Paul, located in the east-central part of the state along the banks of the Mississippi River. 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 16^th 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 Greater Minnesota or Outstate Minnesota.

Minnesota has 16 cities with populations above fifty thousand (based on 2005 estimates). In descending order by population, they are Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Eagan, St. Cloud, Coon Rapids, Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Woodbury, Blaine, Lakeville, and Minnetonka. Of these, 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 and Scott doubled between 1980 and 2000, while 40 of the state's 87 counties lost residents over the same decades.

See also: List of cities in Minnesota, List of townships in Minnesota, and Category:Minnesota counties

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Minnesota

A map of Minnesota's population density.

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 2005, the state's residents were estimated at 5,132,799 by the U.S Census Bureau, and 5,205,091 by the State Demographer. 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, in the city of Rogers.

Race and ancestry

Over 75% of Minnesota's residents are of Western European descent, with the largest reported ancestries being German (37.3%), Norwegian (17.0%), Irish (12.2%), and Swedish (10.0%). As of 2004, 6.1% of residents were foreign-born, compared to 12% 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 Hmongs, Somalis, Vietnamese, Indians, Middle Easterners, and emigrants from the former Soviet bloc.

The Cathedral of St. Paul in the city of St. Paul.

The state's racial composition in 2005 was:

• 86.3% White (non-Hispanic);
• 4.1% Black (non-Hispanic);
• 3.6% Hispanic, a category that includes people of many races;
• 3.4% Asian/Pacific Islander;
• 1.1% Native American/Alaskan Native;
• 1.5% mixed race;
• 1.8% other races.

Religion

A 2001 survey indicated that 25% of Minnesota's population was Roman Catholic, and 24% was Lutheran. Other religious groups represented were Baptists at 5%, Methodists at 4%, and Presbyterians, Assembly of God, and Church of God at 2% each. Christians with unstated or other denominational affiliations including other Protestants totalled 13%, bringing the total Christian population to 77%. Non-Christian religions—including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism—represented 3% of the population. Fourteen percent of respondents answered "no religion" on the survey, and 6% refused to answer.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Minnesota

Phelps Mill in Otter Tail County

Once 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. The economy of Minnesota had a gross domestic product of $234 billion in 2005. Thirty-six of the United States' top 1,000 publicly traded companies (by revenue in 2006) are headquartered in Minnesota., including Target, UnitedHealth Group, 3M, Medtronic, General Mills, U.S. Bancorp, and Best Buy. The largest privately owned U.S. company, Cargill, is headquartered in Minnetonka. The per capita income in 2004 was $36,184, the eighth-highest in the nation. The median household income in 2005 was $52,024, ranking eleventh in the U.S.

Industry and commerce

The IDS Tower, designed by Philip Johnson and Minnesota's tallest building, 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 clumped around St. Anthony Falls. Agriculture is still a major part of the economy, even though less than 1% of the population are employed in the farming industry. The state is the U.S.'s largest producer of sugar beets, sweet corn, and green peas for processing, and farm-raised turkeys. Forestry, another early industry, remains strong, including logging, pulpwood processing, forest products manufacturing, and paper production. Minnesota was famous for its soft-ore iron 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 remains viable, 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, and it continues to be an important shipping port for 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, the Mall of America, is located in Bloomington.

Energy use and production

The state produces ethanol fuel, and a 10% mix of ethanol (E10) has been mandated since 1997, making Minnesota the first state with such a mandate. A 20% ethanol mix (E20) will be mandated in 2013. Minnesota has nearly 300 gas stations supplying E85 fuel. A 2% biodiesel blend has also been required in diesel fuel since 2005. Electricity-producing wind turbines have become popular, particularly in the windy southwest region on the Buffalo Ridge. As of November 2006, the state is the country's fourth-largest producer of wind power, with 812 megawatts installed and another 82 megawatts planned.

See also: Common ethanol fuel mixtures and Wind power

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%. 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 state legislature may allow municipalities to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 0.5% supplemental sales tax in Minneapolis. The cities of St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth and St. Cloud have similar taxes. Excise taxes 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

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts' original building, 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 theatrical, 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; in 2000, 2.3 million theater tickets were sold. The Minneapolis 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 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, and more gently and affectionately satirized by Garrison Keillor in his tales of Lake Wobegon. St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of the the social insecurities and aspirations of the young city in stories such as Winter Dreams and The Ice Palace (published in Flappers and Philosophers).

Entertainment

First Avenue nightclub, the heart of Minnesota's music community.

Main article: Music of Minnesota

Minnesotan musicians of many genres have been popular over the yearss, including harmony singers The Andrews Sisters, folk musician Bob Dylan, pop songwriters Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, rock star Prince, and Semisonic, an alternative rock group. Minnesota has also produced the cult favorites Hüsker Dü, The Replacements, and Atmosphere.

Minnesota and Wisconsin have contributed significantly to comedy in its different forms. Ole and Lena jokes can't be fully appreciated unless delivered in the accent of Scandinavian Americans. Garrison Keillor is known around the country for resurrecting the old-style radio comedy with A Prairie Home Companion, which has aired since the 1970s. 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. Joel and Ethan Coen have produced many films featuring dark comedy, and others brought the offbeat cult shows Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Let's Bowl to national cable from the Twin Cities.

Popular culture

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 a distinctive Upper Midwestern accent 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. The radio show A Prairie Home Companion and the book How to Talk Minnesotan lampoon 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. Although the fair covers a wide swath of culture, including fine art, science, agriculture, food preparation, 4H 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 dozens of varieties of food on a stick (such as Hot Dog on a Stick). On a smaller scale, these same attractions are offered at Minnesota's numerous county fairs.

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

Health and education

Health

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Minnesota's high rate of participation in outdoor activities contributes to its number one rank in the percentage of residents engaging in regular physical exercise. The state has been ranked second in three crucial indices: low infant mortality, long life expectancies, and death rate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 91.3% of Minnesotans have health insurance coverage, higher than 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.

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 which has made a number of breakthroughs in treatment, and its research activities significantly contribute to the state's growing biotechnology industry. The 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 which conducts research projects in cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart health, obesity, and other areas.

Education

The Richardsonian Romanesque 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. Since then, Minnesota has remained among the ten strongest states in the United States in education in most surveys. It ranks 13^th on the 2006–2007 Morgan Quitno Smartest State Award and first on the percentage of its residents with a high school diploma or higher. Minnesota ranks 5^th in the nation in high school graduation, with an 84% graduation rate. While Minnesota has steered clear of movements in education such as school vouchers and the teaching of intelligent design, it is home to one of the first charter schools.

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

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

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Minnesota

The Aerial Lift Bridge at Duluth

Transportation in Minnesota is overseen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Principal transportation corridors radiate out from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and Duluth. 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 at the southern edge of the state. In 2006 a Constitutional Amendment was passed in the state, requiring sales and use taxes levied on motor vehicles to be dedicated to transportation, specifying at least 40% toward public transit. There are nearly two dozen rail corridors within the State, most of which go to or through Minneapolis-St. Paul or Duluth. There is water transportation along the Mississippi River system and from Lake Superior ports.

A Hiawatha Line vehicle in Minneapolis

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

Amtrak's Empire Builder runs through Minnesota, making stops at Midway Station in St. Paul and five other stations. Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound, 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 in 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, currently Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, whose 1st term began 6 January, 2003, and who was narrowly re-elected in 2006. The current lieutenant governor of Minnesota is Carol Molnau. Molnau also currently serves as 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 government agencies in the state, called commissioners. The other constitutional offices are secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor.

See also: List of Governors of Minnesota and Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2006

Minnesota State Capitol building in Saint Paul designed by Cass Gilbert

Legislative

The Minnesota Legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate and the 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 gained 19 house seats, giving them control of the Minnesota House of Representatives by 85-49. The Minnesota 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 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 discretionary appeals from the Court of Appeals; it also has original jurisdiction over election disputes.

Two specialized courts within administrative agencies have been established, the Tax Court which deals with non-criminal tax cases, and the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals.

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 Dakota communities in Minnesota. These communities govern themselves independently.

Federal

Minnesota's two U.S. senators are Norm Coleman and Mark Dayton. The state has eight congressional districts; they are represented by Gil Gutknecht (1st district), John Kline (2nd), Jim Ramstad (3rd), Betty McCollum (4th), Martin Sabo (5th), Mark Kennedy (6th), Collin Peterson (7th), and James Oberstar (8th).

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 based in St. Louis, Missouri and St. Paul.

See also: Minnesota United States Senate election, 2006 and United States House elections, 2006 § Minnesota

Politics

Main article: Politics of Minnesota

Hubert Humphrey

Minnesota is known for a politically active citizenry, with populism being a longstanding force among the state's political parties. Minnesota has consistently high voter turnout; in the 2004 U.S. presidential election 77.2% of eligible Minnesotans voted, the highest of any U.S. state (with a national average of 60.93%), due in part to its liberal voter registration laws. Previously unregistered voters can register on election day, at their polls, with evidence of residency.

Hubert Humphrey brought national attention to the state following his address at the 1948 Democratic National Convention and Eugene McCarthy's anti-war stance and popularity prior to the 1968 Democratic National Convention likely convinced Lyndon Johnson to drop out of the race. Minnesotans have voted for Democratic presidential candidates ever since 1976, longer than any other state, but in the 108^th and 109^th congresses, Minnesota's congressional delegation was split with 4 Democratic and 4 Republican members of congress and the state's senate seats have also generally been split since the early 1990s. See United States Congressional Delegations from Minnesota.

In the 2006 mid-term 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 DFLer Amy Klobuchar to the U.S. Senate, and increased the Democratic U.S. House caucus by one.

The state has had active third party movements. The Reform Party was able to elect the former mayor of Brooklyn Park, and former professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura to the governorship in 1998. The state's Green Party has elected city council members and other local office-holders in Duluth, Minneapolis and Winona, and has made strong runs for state legislature during the past two election cycles. In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader received just over 5% of the presidential votes cast, gaining Major Party status for the Green Party of Minnesota. The Independence Party has also received sufficient support to receive major party status.

See also: List of political parties in Minnesota, United States Congressional Delegations from Minnesota, Minnesota Congressional Districts, and Category:Minnesota elections

Media

KSTP Studios

The Twin Cities area is the 15^th largest media market in the United States as ranked by Nielsen Media Research. The state's other top 210 media markets are Fargo-Moorhead (118^th), Duluth-Superior (137^th), Rochester-Mason City-Austin (152^nd), and Mankato (200^th).

Broadcast television in Minnesota, and the Upper Midwest, started on April 27, 1948 when KSTP-TV began broadcasting. Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation 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 all over Minnesota.

The Twin Cities metro area has the state's two largest newspapers: the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Other weekly and monthly publications (most of which are fully supported by advertising) are also available. The most prominent of these is City Pages, the alternative weekly, with 2002 newcomer The Rake offering competition in the form of a free monthly.

Two of the largest public radio networks are based in Minnesota, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and Public Radio International (PRI). MPR has the largest audience of any regional public radio network in the nation, broadcasting on 37 radio stations, while PRI provides more than 400 hours of programming to affiliates across the United States each week.

Sports and Recreation

Organized sports

A faceoff between the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux and the Saint Cloud State University Huskies during the 2006 WCHA Final Five at the Xcel Energy Center

Main article: Sports in Minnesota

Minnesota is home to professional men's teams in all major sports. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is home to the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League and to the Minnesota Twins of the American League, winners of the 1987 and 1991 World Series. The Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association play in the Target Center. The National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild has sold out over 230 consecutive games in St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

Minor league baseball is represented both by major league sponsored teams and independent teams such as the popular St. Paul Saints.

Professional women's sports include the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association, the Minnesota Vixen of the Women's Professional Football League, and the Minnesota Whitecaps of the National Women's Hockey League.

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Eveleth, on the Iron Range. The United States won the Olympic gold medal for Hockey in 1980 coached by Minnesota native Herb Brooks with eleven of the twenty players on the roster from Minnesota beating the long dominant USSR team in what is known as the Miracle on Ice.

The University of Minnesota (U of M) Minneapolis competes entirely in NCAA Division I sports. Several U of M satellite colleges and colleges in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System compete in the Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association. There are ten NCAA Division II colleges represented by the North Central Conference and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in Minnesota, and sixteen NCAA Division III colleges represented by the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.

Grandma's Marathon is run every summer along the scenic North Shore of Lake Superior, and the Twin Cities Marathon winds around the lakes and along the Mississippi River during the peak of Fall color season.

Outdoor recreation

Fishing in Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis

Minnesotans participate in physical activity at a high level, and many of those activites are outdoors. The strong interest of Minnesotans in environmentalism has been attributed to the popularity of these pursuits.

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 Minnesotans. Activities include watersports such as waterskiing, which originated in the state, boating, canoeing, and fishing. More than 36% of Minnesotans fish, second only to Alaska.

Fishing does not stop when the lakes freeze; ice fishing has been around since the arrival of early Scandinavian immigrants. Faced with a long and harsh winter, Minnesotans have learned to embrace it, by ice skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

Minnesota's state and national forests and 71 state parks are used year-round for hunting, camping, and hiking. There is a growing network of urban and rural bike trails which also serve as cross-country ski trails during snowcover; there are also separate dedicated trails for snowmobiling and hiking.

State symbols

Main article: Lists of U.S. state insignia

The Common Loon

Minnesota's state symbols represent its history, diverse landscapes, and its people's love of the outdoors. The Common Loon, as state bird, is Minnesota's best-known symbol. Its distinctive cry is heard during the summer months in the northern part of the state, and on occasion the loon can be found as far south as the lakes of Minneapolis.

State symbols:

• State bird: Common Loon
• State butterfly: Monarch
• State drink: Milk
• State fish: Walleye
• State flower: Pink and White Showy Lady Slipper
• State fruit: Honeycrisp apple, which was developed at the University of Minnesota.
• State gemstone: Lake Superior agate
• State grain: Wild rice
• Territory Motto (actual): Quo sursum velo videre ("I cover to see what is above" is the closest translation)
• Territory Motto (intended): Quae sursum volo videre ("I wish to see what is beyond")
• State motto: L'Étoile du Nord ("Star of the North")
• State muffin: Blueberry, which was adopted as part of a school project on how a bill becomes law.
• State mushroom: Morel
• State photograph: Grace
• State song: "Hail! Minnesota"
• State tree: Norway Pine
• Nicknames:
  • "Land of 10,000 Lakes"
  • "North Star State"
  • "Gopher State"
  • "Land of Sky-Blue Waters"
  • "Bread and Butter State"

External links

Government

• State of Minnesota Official site
• Minnesota State Legislature
• Minnesota Judicial Branch
• Hyperlinked state constitution
• Full text of state constitution

Tourism & recreation

• Explore Minnesota Official Tourism site
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Minnesota DNR Outdoor Activites
• Minnesota Zoo
• Science Museum of Minnesota

Culture & history

• Minnesota Historical Society
• Minnesota history timeline
• Minnesota Historical Society's online timeline
• A History of Minneapolis: Early History: Resources
• Minnesota Historical Society
• Minnesota Place Names
• Forests, Fields, and the Falls: Connecting Minnesota

Maps and Demographics

• Minnesota Demographics Facts
• Minnesota State Highway Map
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
• John R. Borchert Map Library
• Minnesota Geological Survey

United States