Minnesota
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{{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,<br/>Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Gopher State<!-- DO NOT ADD "State of Hockey" HERE; SEE TALK PAGE ARCHIVE 5 --> |
Motto = [[L'Étoile du Nord]] (French: The Star of the North) |
BorderingStates = [[Iowa]], [[North Dakota]], </br>[[South Dakota]], [[Wisconsin]]|
Capital = [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]] |
LargestCity = [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]] |
LargestCounty = [[St. Louis County, Minnesota|St. Louis County]] |
LargestMetro = [[Minneapolis-Saint Paul]] |
Demonym = Minnesotan |
Governor = [[Tim Pawlenty]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]) |
Lieutenant Governor = [[Carol Molnau]] (R) |
Senators = [[Norm Coleman]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])<br />[[Amy Klobuchar]] ([[Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party|DFL]])|
PostalAbbreviation = MN |
AreaRank = 12<sup>th</sup> |
TotalAreaUS = 87,014|
TotalArea = 225,365 |
LandAreaUS = 79,682 |
LandArea = 206,375 |
WaterAreaUS = 7,332|
WaterArea = 18,990 |
PCWater = 8.4 |
PopRank = 21<sup>st</sup> |
2000Pop = 4,919,479 |
DensityRank = 31<sup>st</sup> |
2000DensityUS = 61.80|
2000Density = 23.86 |
MedianHouseholdIncome = $55,914 |
IncomeRank = 5<sup>th</sup> |
AdmittanceOrder = 32<sup>nd</sup> |
AdmittanceDate = [[May 11]], [[1858]] |
TimeZone = [[Central Standard Time Zone|Central]]: [[UTC]]-6/[[Daylight saving time|-5]] |
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)|Eagle Mountain]]<ref name=usgs>{{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}}</ref> |
HighestElevUS = 2,301 |
HighestElev = 701 |
MeanElevUS = 1,198 |
MeanElev = 365 |
LowestPoint = [[Lake Superior]]<ref name=usgs/> |
LowestElevUS = 602 |
LowestElev = 183 |
ISOCode = US-MN |
Website = www.state.mn.us
}}
[[Image:MinnesotaWelcomesYou2007.JPG|thumb|right|Minnesota welcome sign]]
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'''Minnesota''' ({{audio|en-us-Minnesota.ogg|Pronunciation}}: {{IPAlink-en|ˌmɪnɨˈsoʊtə}}<ref name = AHDEL/>) is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern region]] of the [[United States]]. The 12th-largest state by area in the U.S., it is the 21<sup>st</sup> 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 32<sup>nd</sup> state on [[May 11]], [[1858]]. The state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes"; 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 variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.
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|Greater Minnesota]]" or "Outstate Minnesota", consists of western [[prairie]]s now given over to intensive [[agriculture]]; eastern [[Deciduous|deciduous forests]], also heavily [[farmed]] and settled; and the less populated northern [[Taiga|boreal forest]]. The state's image of being populated by [[White American|white]]s of [[Nordic]] and [[Germans|German]] descent has some truth, but diversity is increasing; substantial influxes of [[African American|African]], [[Asian American|Asian]], and [[Hispanics in the United States|Latin America]]n immigrants have joined the descendants of [[European American|European]] immigrants and of the original [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] inhabitants.
The state is known for its [[moderate]]-to- [[progressivism|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.
<!--References go in sections below, not in intro.-->
==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''.<ref name = mnhs-name>{{cite web | title = Minnesota State | publisher = Minnesota Historical--~~~~ Society | url = http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/otheritem.cfm?PlaceNameID=2007&BookCodeID=67&County=0&SendingPage=Results.cfm | accessdate = 2008-04-26}}</ref><ref name =AHDEL>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Minnesota Minnesota]. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Retrieved on [[2008-04-26]].</ref> [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] demonstrated the name to early settlers by dropping milk into water and calling it ''mnisota''.<ref name = mnhs-name /> Many locations in the state have similar names, such as [[Minnehaha Falls]] ("waterfall"), [[Minneiska, Minnesota|Minneiska]] ("white water"), [[Lake Minnetonka|Minnetonka]] ("big water"), [[Minnetrista, Minnesota|Minnetrista]] ("crooked water"), and [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]], which is a combination of ''mni'' and ''polis'', the Greek word for "city."<ref>
{{cite web | title = Minnehaha Creek | publisher = Minnesota Historical Society | url = http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/Waterway.cfm?PlaceNameID=2002&BookCodeID=9&County=27&SendingPage=Results.cfm | accessdate = 2008-04-26 }}</ref>
==Geography==
[[Image:National-atlas-minnesota.png|thumb|right|Minnesota, showing roads and major bodies of water]]
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|contiguous states]] lying north of the [[49th parallel north|49<sup>th</sup> Parallel]]. 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|Canadian]] [[province]]s of [[Ontario]] and [[Manitoba]] are north. With 87,014 square miles (225,365 km²), or approximately 2.25% of the United States,<ref>
{{cite web | title = Facts and figures | publisher = infoplease.com | url = http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0859662.html | date = 2007 |accessdate = 2008-04-09}}</ref> Minnesota is the 12<sup>th</sup> largest state.<ref>{{cite web| title = Land and Water Area of States, 2000| publisher = Information Please| date = 2007| url = http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108355.html | accessdate = 2008-04-09}}</ref>
===Geology and terrain===
{{main|Geology of Minnesota}}
{{seealso|List of lakes in Minnesota|List of Minnesota rivers}}
[[Image:StLouisRiver JayCooke.JPG|thumb|left|Tilted beds of the Middle [[Precambrian]] Thompson Formation in [[Jay Cooke State Park]].<ref name = MNGeog>{{cite book | last = Ojakangas | first = Richard W. | coauthors = Charles L. Matsch | others = Illus. Dan Breedy | title = Minnesota's Geology | year = 1982 | publisher = University of Minnesota Press | location= Minneapolis, Minnesota | id = ISBN 0-8166-0953-5 }}</ref>]]
Minnesota contains some of the oldest rocks found on earth, [[gneiss]]es some 3.6 billion years old, or 80% as old as the planet.<ref name = MNGeog /><ref name=USGS>{{cite web | title = Geologic Time: Age of the Earth | publisher = United States Geological Survey | date = [[October 9]] [[1997]] | url = http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html | accessdate = 2008-04-09 }}</ref> About 2.7 billion years ago, [[basalt]]ic [[lava]] poured out of cracks in the floor of the primordial [[ocean]]; the remains of this [[volcano|volcanic]] rock formed the [[Canadian Shield]] in northeast Minnesota.<ref name = MNGeog /><ref name="Compass">{{cite book | last = Breining | first = Greg | title = Compass American Guides: Minnesota, 3rd Edition | edition = 3rd |publisher = [[Fodor's|Compass American Guides]] | year = 2005 | month = December | id = ISBN 1-4000-1484-0 }}</ref> 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.<ref name = MNGeog />
In [[Glacial history of Minnesota|more recent times]], massive ice sheets at least one kilometer thick ravaged the landscape of the state and sculpted its current terrain.<ref name = MNGeog /> The [[Wisconsin glaciation]] left 12,000 years ago.<ref name = MNGeog /> 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|Driftless Zone]] for its absence of glacial drift.<ref>{{cite web | title = Natural history - Minnesota's geology | publisher = Minnesota DNR | url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/naturalhistory.html | date = 2008 | accessdate = 2008-04-09 }}</ref> 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|Red River]] valley.<ref name = MNGeog /> Minnesota is geologically quiet today; it experiences [[earthquake]]s infrequently, and most of them are minor.<ref>{{cite web | title = Table Showing Minnesota Earthquakes | publisher = University of Minnesota, Morris | url = http://www.mrs.umn.edu/earthquakes/MNeqchart.html | accessdate = 2008-04-09 }}</ref>
[[Image:Lake Superior North Shore.jpg|thumb|right|[[Palisade Head]] on [[Lake Superior]] formed from a [[Precambrian]] [[rhyolitic]] [[lava]] flow.<ref name = MNGeog />]]
The state's high point is [[Eagle Mountain (Minnesota)|Eagle Mountain]] 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]].<ref>{{cite web | title = 118 km SW of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada | work = Topographic map | publisher = U.S.G.S via terraserver.microsoft.com | date = 1964-07-01 | url = http://terraserver-usa.com/map.aspx?t=2&s=16&lon=-90.56700164&lat=47.79184974&w=600&h=400&opt=0&f=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial&fs=8&fc=ffffff99 | accessdate = 2008-04-09 }}</ref><ref name="Compass"/> Notwithstanding dramatic local differences in elevation, much of the state is a gently rolling [[peneplain]].<ref name = MNGeog />
Two [[continental divide]]s meet in the northeastern part of Minnesota in rural [[Hibbing, Minnesota|Hibbing]], forming a triple [[Drainage basin|watershed]]. [[Precipitation (meteorology)|Precipitation]] can follow the [[Mississippi River]] south to the [[Gulf of Mexico]], the [[Saint Lawrence Seaway|St. Lawrence Seaway]] east to the [[Atlantic Ocean]], or the [[Canada Hudson Bay drainage|Hudson Bay watershed]] to the [[Arctic Ocean]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Continental Divides in North Dakota and North America | publisher = National Atlas | date = 2007-10-02 | url = http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/geology/a_continentalDiv.html | accessdate = 2008-04-09 }}</ref>
The state's nickname, ''The Land of 10,000 Lakes,'' is no exaggeration; there are 11,842 lakes over 10 [[acre]]s (.04 km²) in size.<ref name=dnr>{{cite web | title = Lakes, rivers & wetlands | work = MN Facts | publisher = Minnesota DNR | date = 2003 | url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/faq/mnfacts/water.html | date = 2008 | accessdate = 2008-04-09 }}</ref> The Minnesota portion of [[Lake Superior]] is the largest at 962,700 acres (3,896 km²) and deepest (at {{convert|1290|ft|m|abbr=on}}) body of water in the state.<ref name=dnr /> Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for 69,000 miles (111,000 km).<ref name=dnr /> The [[Mississippi River]] begins its journey from its [[headwaters]] at [[Lake Itasca]] and crosses the [[Iowa]] border {{mi to km|680|precision=0}} downstream.<ref name=dnr /> It is joined by the [[Minnesota River]] at [[Fort Snelling, Minnesota|Fort Snelling]], by the [[St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)|St. Croix River]] near [[Hastings, Minnesota|Hastings]], by the [[Chippewa River (Wisconsin)|Chippewa River]] at [[Wabasha, MN|Wabasha]], and by many smaller streams. The [[Red River of the North|Red River]], in the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz, drains the northwest part of the state northward toward Canada's [[Hudson Bay]]. Approximately 10.6 million acres (42,900 km²) of wetlands are contained within Minnesota's borders, the most of any state except Alaska.<ref name=weatheralmanac>{{cite book | last = Seeley | middle = W. | first = Mark | title = Minnesota Weather Almanac | publisher = [[Minnesota Historical Society]] press | year = 2006 | id = ISBN 0-87351-554-4}}</ref>
===Flora and fauna===
{{main|Ecology of Minnesota}}
[[Image:Groundhog-Standing2.jpg|thumb|left|A [[groundhog]] seen in [[Minneapolis]], along the banks of the [[Mississippi River]]]]
Minnesota has four ecological provinces: [[prairie|''Prairie Parkland'']] in the southwestern and western parts of the state, the [[Temperate deciduous forest|''Eastern Broadleaf Forest'']] ([[Big Woods]]) in the southeast, extending in a narrowing strip to the northwestern part of the state, where it transitions into ''Tallgrass Aspen Parklands'', and the northern [[North Woods|''Laurentian Mixed Forest'']], a transitional forest between the northern [[Taiga|boreal forest]] and broadleaf forests to the south.<ref>[http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/ecs/province.pdf Ecological Provinces], ''Ecological Classification System'', [[Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]] (1999). Retrieved on [[2008-05-03]].</ref> These northern forests are a vast wilderness of [[pine]] and [[spruce]] trees mixed with patchy stands of [[birch]] and [[poplar]]. Much of Minnesota's northern forest 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.<ref name="Heinselman">{{cite book | title = The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem | last = Heinselman | first = Miron | publisher = University of Minnesota Press | location = Minneapolis, Minnesota | date = 1996 |id = ISBN 0-8166-2805-X }}</ref> Although logging continues, regrowth keeps about one third of the state forested.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bewer | first = Tim | title = Moon Handbooks Minnesota | publisher = Avalon Travel Publishing | year = 2004 | edition = First edition | id = ISBN 1-56691-482-5}}</ref> Nearly all of Minnesota's prairies and oak savannas have been destroyed or fragmented because of farming, grazing, logging, and suburban development.<ref>{{cite web | title = Upper Midwest forest-savanna transition (NA0415) | work = Terrestrial Ecoregions | publisher = [[World Wildlife Fund]] | date = 2001 | url = http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/na/na0415_full.html | accessdate = 2008-04-14}}</ref>
While loss of habitat has affected native animals such as the [[American marten|pine marten]], [[elk]], and [[American bison|bison]],<ref>Bison disappeared in the mid 1800s; the last bison was reported in southwest Minnesota in 1879. {{cite book|title=Big Game in Minnesota, Technical Bulletin, no. 9|last=Moyle|first=J. B.|publisher=Minnesota Department of Conservation, Division of Game and Fish, Section of Research and Planning|year=1965|pages=p. 172}} As referenced in {{cite book|title=Southwestern Minnesota Archaeology|last=Anfinson|first=Scott F.|publisher=[[Minnesota Historical Society]]|location=St. Paul, Minnesota|year=1997|isbn=0-87351-355-X|pages=p. 20}}</ref> others like [[whitetail deer]] and [[bobcat]] thrive. The state has the nation's largest population of [[wolf|timber wolves]] outside Alaska,<ref>[http://www.fws.gov/home/feature/2007/gray_wolf_factsheet.pdf Gray Wolf Factsheet], [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]] (January 2007). Retrieved on [[2008-05-03]].</ref> and supports healthy populations of [[American black bear|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|birds of prey]] including the [[bald eagle]], [[red-tailed Hawk|red-tailed hawk]], and [[snowy owl]]. The lakes teem with the sport fish such as [[walleye]], [[bass (fish)|bass]], [[muskellunge]], and [[Northern Pike|northern pike]], and streams in the southeast are populated by [[brook trout|brook]], [[brown trout|brown]], and [[rainbow trout]].
===Climate===
[[Image:Northrupmall.jpg|thumb|right|A springtime view of the [[University of Minnesota|University of Minnesota, Twin Cities]] campus]]
{{main|Climate of Minnesota}}
Minnesota endures [[List of Minnesota weather records|temperature extremes]] characteristic of its [[continental climate]]; with cold winters and hot summers, the record high and low span 174 degrees [[Fahrenheit]] (96.6 °C).<ref name = extremes>{{cite web | title = Minnesota climate extremes | publisher = University of Minnesota | url = http://climate.umn.edu/doc/historical/extremes.htm | accessdate = 2008-05-03 }}</ref> Meteorological events include [[rain]], [[snow]], [[blizzard]]s, [[thunderstorm]]s, [[hail]], [[derecho]]s, [[tornado]]es, and high-velocity [[Downburst|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 (2 °C) to 49 °F (9 °C).<ref name=noaa>{{cite web | authorlink = www.ncdc.noaa.gov | title = Climate of Minnesota | publisher = National Weather Service Forecast Office | url = http://www5.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim60/states/Clim_MN_01.pdf| accessdate = 2008-05-03}}</ref> Average summer [[dew point]]s range from about 58 °F (14.4 °C) in the south to about 48 °F (8.9 °C) in the north.<ref name=noaa/><ref>{{cite web | title = 104 Years of Twin Cities Dew Point Temperature Records: 1902–2006 | publisher = Minnesota Climatology Office | date = [[March 7]] [[2006]] | url = http://climate.umn.edu/doc/twin_cities/mspdewpoint.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-06 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=noaa/>
===Protected lands===
[[Image:Pose lake Minnesota.jpg|thumb|right|Pose Lake in the [[Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness]]]]
Minnesota's first state park, [[Itasca State Park]], was established in 1891, and is the [[Source (river or stream)|source]] of the Mississippi River.<ref>{{cite web | title = Itasca State Park | publisher = Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/itasca/narrative.html | accessdate = 2008-05-03 }}</ref> Today Minnesota has [[List of Minnesota state parks|72 state parks]] and recreation areas, [[List of Minnesota state forests|58 state forests]] covering about four million acres (16,000 km²), and numerous state wildlife preserves, all managed by the [[Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]]. There are 5.5 million acres (22,000 km²) in the [[Chippewa National Forest|Chippewa]] and [[Superior National Forest]]s. The Superior National Forest in the northeast contains the [[Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness]], which encompasses over a million acres (4,000 km²) and a thousand lakes. To its west is [[Voyageurs National Park]]. The [[Mississippi National River and Recreation Area]] (MNRRA), is a {{convert|72|mi|km|0}} long corridor along the Mississippi River through the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area connecting a variety of sites of historic, cultural, and geologic interest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Places To Go|url=http://www.nps.gov/miss/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm|publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior|accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref>
==History==
{{main|History of Minnesota}}
[[Image:Minnesotaterritory.PNG|thumb|left|Map of [[Minnesota Territory]] 1849–1858]]
Before European settlement, Minnesota was populated by the [[Anishinaabe]], the [[Sioux|Dakota]], and other [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. The first [[Europe]]ans were [[French people|French]] [[fur trade]]rs that arrived in the 1600s. Late that century, the [[Ojibwe]] Indians migrated westward to Minnesota, causing tensions with the Sioux.<ref name="timepieces">{{cite web | title = TimePieces | url = http://events.mnhs.org/TimePieces/timeline.cfm | publisher = Minnesota Historical Society | accessdate=2006-09-19}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="Lass"/> In 1805, [[Zebulon Pike]] bargained with Native Americans to acquire land at the [[Confluence (geography)|confluence]] of the [[Minnesota River|Minnesota]] and [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] rivers. The construction of [[Fort Snelling]] followed between 1819 and 1825.<ref name="Gilman">{{cite book | title = The Story of Minnesota's Past | last = Gilman | first = Rhoda R. | publisher = Minnesota Historical Society Press | location = St. Paul, Minnesota | date = [[1991-07-01]] | id = ISBN 0-87351-267-7 }}</ref> 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|Minneapolis]] later grew. Meanwhile, squatters, government officials, and tourists had settled near the fort. In 1839, the Army forced them to move downriver, and they settled in the area that became [[St. Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]].<ref name="hfs">{{cite web | url = http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/hfs/history.html | title = Historic Fort Snelling | publisher = Minnesota Historical Society Press | accessdate = 2006-07-06}}</ref> [[Minnesota Territory]] was formed on [[March 3]], [[1849]]. Thousands of people had come to build [[farm]]s and cut [[timber]], and Minnesota became the [[List of U.S. states by date of statehood|32nd U.S. state]] on [[May 11]], [[1858]].
[[Image:Fort Snelling Round Tower.JPG|thumb|right|[[Fort Snelling]] played a pivotal role in Minnesota's history and in the development of the cities of [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]] and [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]].]]
[[Image:Phelpsmill ottertailcounty.jpg|thumb|right|[[Phelps Mill]] in [[Otter Tail County, Minnesota|Otter Tail County]]]]
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]].<ref name="Lass">{{cite book | last = Lass | first = William E. | title = Minnesota: A History | edition = 2nd | publisher = W.W. Norton & Company | location=New York, NY | year=1998 | origyear=1977 | id=ISBN 0-393-04628-1}}</ref>
<br clear="left"/>
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|Marine on St. Croix]], [[Stillwater, Minnesota|Stillwater]], and [[Winona, Minnesota|Winona]], processed high volumes of lumber. These cities were situated on rivers that were ideal for transportation.<ref name="Lass"/> Later, Saint Anthony Falls was tapped to provide power for [[gristmill|flour mills]]. Innovations by Minneapolis millers led to the production of Minnesota "patent" flour, which commanded almost double the price of "bakers" or "clear" flour, which it replaced.<ref>{{cite web| last =Hazen| first =Theodore R.| title =New Process Milling of 1850–70| publisher =Pond Lily Mill Restorations| url =http://www.angelfire.com/journal/millrestoration/newprocess.html| accessdate = 2007-05-11}}</ref> By 1900, Minnesota mills, led by [[Pillsbury Company|Pillsbury]] and the Washburn-Crosby Company (a forerunner of [[General Mills]]), were grinding 14.1% of the nation's grain.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Danbom, David B. | year = 2003 | month = Spring | title = Flour Power: The Significance of Flour Milling at the Falls | journal = [http://shop.mnhs.org/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=66&bhcp=1 Minnesota History] | volume = 58 | issue = 5 | pages = 271–285 }}</ref>
The state's [[iron]]-mining industry was established with the discovery of iron in the [[Vermilion Range (Minnesota)|Vermilion Range]] and the [[Mesabi Range]] in the 1880s, and in the [[Cuyuna Range]] in the early 1900s. The ore was shipped by rail to [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth]] and [[Two Harbors, Minnesota|Two Harbors]], then loaded onto ships and transported eastward over the [[Great Lakes]].<ref name="Lass"/>
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.<ref name="Gilman"/>
After [[World War II]], industrial development quickened. New technology increased farm productivity through automation of [[feedlot]]s for hogs and cattle, machine milking at dairy farms, and raising chickens in large buildings. Planting became more specialized with [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]]ization of corn and wheat, and the use of farm machinery such as [[tractor]]s and [[Combine harvester|combines]] became the norm. [[University of Minnesota]] professor [[Norman Borlaug]] contributed to these developments as part of the [[Green Revolution]].<ref name="Gilman"/> [[Suburb]]an development accelerated due to increased postwar housing demand and convenient transportation. Increased mobility, in turn, enabled more specialized jobs.<ref name="Gilman"/>
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).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hagley.lib.de.us/2015.htm | title = Engineering Research Associates Records 1946–1959 | publisher = Hagley Museum and Library | accessdate = 2006-11-26}}</ref> [[Cray|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.
On [[August 1]], [[2007]], Minnesota had the international spotlight cast on it when the [[I-35W Mississippi River bridge|I-35W bridge]] spanning the Mississippi river collapsed, killing 13.
==Cities and towns==
{{seealso|List of cities in Minnesota|List of townships in Minnesota}}
[[Image:OwatonnaBank.JPG|thumb|right|[[National Farmers Bank]] in [[Owatonna, Minnesota|Owatonna]] by [[Louis Sullivan]]]]
[[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]], located in east-central Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi River, has been Minnesota's [[List of capitals in the United States|capital city]] since 1849, first as capital of the [[Territory of Minnesota]], and then as state capital since 1858.
Saint Paul is adjacent to Minnesota's most populous city, [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]]; they and their suburbs are known collectively as the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul|Twin Cities]] [[metropolitan area]], the 13<sup>th</sup> largest metropolitan area in the United States and home to about 60% of the state's population (as of April 2005).<ref>{{cite web | title = Population in Metropolitan Statistical Areas Ranked by 2000 Census | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau | url = http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t29/tab03a.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref><ref name = popest>{{cite web | title = Population Estimates | publisher = Minnesota Demographic Center | url = http://www.demography.state.mn.us/estimates.html | accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref> The remainder of the state is known as "[[Regions of Minnesota|Greater Minnesota]]" or "Outstate Minnesota".
Minnesota has 17 cities with populations above fifty thousand (based on 2005 estimates). In descending order they are [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]], [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]], [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester]], [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth]], [[Bloomington, Minnesota|Bloomington]], [[Plymouth, Minnesota|Plymouth]], [[Brooklyn Park, Minnesota|Brooklyn Park]], [[Eagan, Minnesota|Eagan]], [[Coon Rapids, Minnesota|Coon Rapids]], [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]], [[Burnsville, Minnesota|Burnsville]], [[Eden Prairie, Minnesota|Eden Prairie]], [[Maple Grove, Minnesota|Maple Grove]], [[Woodbury, Minnesota|Woodbury]], [[Blaine, Minnesota|Blaine]], [[Lakeville, Minnesota|Lakeville]], and [[Minnetonka, Minnesota|Minnetonka]].<ref name = popest/> Of these listed, only Rochester, Duluth, and St. Cloud are outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Minnesota has only 3 cities that have a population over 100,000. In descending order they are Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Rochester.
of those listed only Rochester is located outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Minnesota's population continues to grow, primarily in the urban centers. The populations of metropolitan [[Sherburne County, Minnesota|Sherburne]] and [[Scott County, Minnesota|Scott Counties]] doubled between 1980 and 2000, while 40 of the state's 87 counties lost residents over the same decades.<ref name = EIA>{{cite web | title = Environmental Information Report, App. D Socioeconomic Information | publisher = Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | date = [[2003-05-30]] | url = http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/reports/eir-appendix-e.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref>
==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Minnesota}}
[[Image:Minnesota population map cropped.png|thumb|left|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.<ref name = EIA /> As of [[July 1]], [[2007]], the state's population was estimated at 5,197,621 by the U.S. Census Bureau.<ref>{{cite web| title = Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 (NST-EST2007-01) | publisher = Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau| date = [[December 27]], [[2007]] | url = http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html| accessdate = 2008-02-12}}</ref> 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.<ref name="quickfacts">{{cite web | url= http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/27000.html | title = Minnesota QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau | accessdate = 2006-11-26}}</ref> The [[center of population]] of Minnesota is located in [[Hennepin County, Minnesota|Hennepin County]], in the city of [[Rogers, Minnesota|Rogers]].<ref>{{cite web| title = statecenters | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau | date = 2000 | url = http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt | accessdate = 2006-11-21}}</ref>
===Race and ancestry===
Over 75% of Minnesota's residents are of [[Western European]] descent, with the largest reported ancestries being [[German people|German]] (38%), [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]] (17%), [[Irish people|Irish]] (12%), and [[Swedish people|Swedish]] (10%).<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US27&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_DP2&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on|date=2006|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey|accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> As of 2006, 6.6% of residents were foreign-born, compared to 12.5% for the nation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=04000US27&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010|date=2006|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey|accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> The state has had the reputation of being relatively homogeneous, but that is changing. The Hispanic population of Minnesota is increasing rapidly,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.demography.state.mn.us/DownloadFiles/PopulationProjectionsRaceHispanicOrigin.pdf | title = Minnesota Population Projections by Race and Hispanic Origin| publisher = Minnesota Department of Administration | date = 2004 | format = PDF | accessdate = 2006-08-14}}</ref> and recent [[immigrant]]s have come from all over the world, including [[Hmong people|Hmong]],<ref>
{{cite web | url = http://www.mla.org/map_data_states&lang_id=722&mode=lang_tops | title = Modern Language Ass'n List of Hmong Language speakers by State using 2000 census data | publisher = Modern Language Association | date = 2004 | accessdate = 2007-03-28}}</ref> [[Somali people|Somalis]], [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]], [[India]]ns and emigrants from the former [[Soviet bloc]].
[[Image:CathedralofStPaul.jpg|thumb|right|The [[French Renaissance architecture|French Renaissance]] style [[Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota)|Cathedral of St. Paul]] in the city of St. Paul.]]
The state's racial composition in 2006 was:<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US27&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_DP5&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on|date=2006|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey|accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref>
*87.3% [[White (people)|White]] (non-Hispanic);
*4.4% [[Black people|Black]] (non-Hispanic);
*3.8% [[Hispanic]], a category that includes people of many races;
*3.4% [[Asian people|Asian]]/Pacific Islander;
*1% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]/Alaskan Native;
*1.6% [[Multiracial|mixed race]];
*1.6% other races.
===Religion===
Although [[Christianity]] dominates the religious persuasion of residents, there is a long history of non-Christian faith. [[Germany|German]]-[[Jewish]] pioneers formed Saint Paul's first [[synagogue]] in 1856,<ref name=Gilman>{{cite book| last =Gilman| first =Rhonda R.| title =The Story of Minnesota's Past| publisher =Minnesota Historical Society Press| date =1989| location =Saint Paul, Minnesota| pages =99| isbn =0-87351-267-7}}</ref> and there are now appreciable numbers of adherents to Islam, Buddhism, and other traditions. But Protestantism is adhered to by the majority of Minnesotans, and Roman Catholics are the largest single denomination. A 2008 survey by the [[Pew Research Center|Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life]] showed that 32% of Minnesotans were affiliated with [[Mainline Protestant|Protestant]] traditions, 21% with Evangelical Protestants, 28% with [[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholic]], 1% each with Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, and Black Protestant traditions, smaller amounts for other faiths, and 13% unaffiliated.<ref>{{cite web | title = Religious Composition of Minnesota | work = Maps, U.S. Religious Landscape Survey | publisher = [[Pew Research Center]] | date = 2008-02-25 | url = http://religions.pewforum.org/maps | accessdate = 2008-02-26 }}</ref> This is broadly consistent with the results of the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey, which also gives detail on percentages of many individual denominations.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm | title=American Religious Identification Survey | work=Exhibit 15 | publisher = The Graduate Center, City University of New York | accessdate = 2006-11-24}}</ref>
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Minnesota}}
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.<ref>{{cite web | title = Environmental Information Report, App. D Socioeconomic Information | date = [[2003-05-30]]
| url = http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/reports/eir-appendix-e.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2006-11-19 }}</ref> The economy of Minnesota had a [[gross domestic product]] of $234 billion in 2005.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> Thirty-six of the United States' top 1,000 publicly traded companies (by revenue in 2006) are headquartered in Minnesota,<ref>{{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}}</ref> including [[Target Corporation|Target]], [[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|Wayzata]].<ref>{{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 }}</ref> Minnesota's state budget is currently facing a $935 million deficit.<ref>[http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/02/28/1039/debt_now_debt_later_minnesotas_declining_economy_wreaks_havoc_on_state_budget Debt now, debt later: Minnesota's declining economy wreaks havoc on state budget]</ref><ref>[http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/16073292.html State faces 935 million questions on deficit]</ref>
The [[per capita income]] in 2005 was $37,290, the tenth-highest in the nation.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> White families earned more income than the national average but among the population under age 18, more than 20% of Asians and Hispanics, more than 40% of African Americans and more than 40% of Native American girls in Minnesota lived in poverty.<ref name=Status>{{cite web|title=Status of Girls in Minnesota|url=http://www.wfmn.org/PDFs/StatusOfGirlsInMN_FullReportFINAL.pdf|format=PDF|publisher=Women's Foundation of Minnesota and the Institute for Women's Policy Research|date=April 2008|accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref>
===Industry and commerce===
[[Image:IDS reflecting Wells Fargo.jpg|right|thumb|The [[IDS Tower]], designed by [[Philip Johnson]] and the state's second tallest building, reflecting [[César Pelli|César Pelli's]] [[Art Deco]]-style [[Wells Fargo Center (Minneapolis)|Wells Fargo Center]]]]
Minnesota's earliest industries were fur trading and agriculture; the city of Minneapolis grew around the [[gristmill|flour mills]] powered by [[St. Anthony Falls]]. Although less than 1% of the population is employed in the agricultural sector,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US27&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP3&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-_lang=en&-_sse=on | title=Minnesota - DP-3. Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics: 2000 | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau | accessdate = 2006-11-26}}</ref> it remains a major part of the state's economy, ranking 6<sup>th</sup> in the nation in the value of products sold.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census02/profiles/mn/cp99027.PDF | title=Census of Agriculture, Minnesota State Profile | publisher = U.S. Department of Agriculture | accessdate = 2006-12-03}}</ref> The state is the U.S.'s largest producer of [[sugar beets]], [[sweet corn]], and [[green peas]] for processing, and farm-raised [[turkeys]].<ref name=resources>{{cite web | url = http://www.deed.state.mn.us/whymn/resources.htm | title = Wealth of Resources | publisher = Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development | accessdate = 2006-11-26}}</ref> [[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.<ref name=resources /> The mining boom created the port of [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth]] which continues to be important for shipping ore, coal, and agricultural products. The manufacturing sector now includes technology and [[biomedical]] firms in addition to the older food processors and heavy industry. The nation's first indoor [[shopping mall]] was [[Edina, Minnesota|Edina's]] [[Southdale Center]] and its largest is [[Bloomington, Minnesota|Bloomington's]] [[Mall of America]].
Minnesota is one of 42 [[U.S. state]]s with its own [[lottery]]; its games include [[Powerball]], [[Hot Lotto]] (both [[Multi-State Lottery Association|multi-state]]), and [[Gopher 5]].
===Energy use and production===
The state produces [[ethanol fuel]] and is the first to mandate its use, a 10% mix ([[E10 fuel|E10]]) since 1997,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=1905 | publisher = Ethanol Producer Magazine | title= Ethanol Producer Magazine|accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref> and a 20% mix (E20) in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.minnesotavotes.org/2005-SF-4 |title= 2005 Senate Bill 4 (Ethanol Mandate Increase) | publisher = Minnesota Votes | accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref> There are more than 310 service stations supplying [[E85]] fuel.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/content.do?subchannel=-536881511&programid=536907776&sc3=null&sc2=-536888997&id=-536881350&agency=Commerce |title= The complete list of Minnesota E85 fuel Sites | publisher = Minnesota Department of Commerce | accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref> 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 [[megawatt]]s installed and another 200 megawatts planned, much of it on the windy [[Buffalo Ridge]] in the southwest part of the state.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.awea.org/projects |title= Wind Energy Projects Throughout the United States of America| publisher = [http://www.awea.org/ The American Wind Energy Association] | accessdate=2007-05-07}}</ref>
===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%.<ref>{{cite web | title = Minnesota income tax rates for 2005/2006 | publisher = Minnesota Department of Revenue | url = http://www.taxes.state.mn.us/individ/residency_and_filing_status/filing_requirments_for_individuals/inctxrates.shtml | accessdate = 2006-11-26}}</ref> Minnesota is ranked as the 6th highest in the nation for per capita total state taxes.<ref>{{cite web | title = States Ranked by Total State Taxes and Per Capita Amount: 2005 | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau | accessdate = 2007-03-31 | url = http://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/05staxrank.html}}</ref> The [[sales tax]] in Minnesota is 6.5%, but there is no sales tax on [[clothing]], [[prescription]] [[medications]], some [[Service (economics)|service]]s, or [[food]] items for home consumption.<ref name = salestax>{{Citation | title = Minnesota Sales and Use Tax Instruction Book | place = | publisher = Minnesota Department of Revenue | date = December 2007 | url = http://taxes.state.mn.us/taxes/sales/instructions/st_bk07.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2008-02-24 }}.</ref> The [[Minnesota Legislature|state legislature]] may allow municipalities to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 0.5% supplemental sales tax in Minneapolis.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://taxes.state.mn.us/taxes/sales/publications/fact_sheets_by_name/content/BAT_1100111.pdf |publisher = Minnesota Department of Revenue | title= Local Sales Tax and Use |accessdate=2006-11-26 |format= PDF}}</ref> [[Excise|Excise taxes]] are levied on alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel. The state imposes a [[use tax]] on items purchased elsewhere but used within Minnesota.<ref name = salestax/> Owners of [[real property]] in Minnesota pay [[property tax]] to their county, municipality, school district, and special taxing districts.<br clear="left">
==Culture==
===Fine and performing arts===
[[Image:Mpls arts.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Minneapolis Institute of Arts]]' [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] north facade, designed by [[McKim, Mead, and White]].]] Minnesota's 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 ensemble]]s that perform concerts and offer educational programs to the community. Attendance at [[theatre|theatrical]], [[music]]al, 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.{{Fact|date=September 2007}} 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]];<ref>{{cite web | title=Gopher Express |work= Coffman Info Desk |publisher= Regents of the University of Minnesota |date= [[2006-10-12]] | url= http://www.skyway.umn.edu/gopherexpresswest/explore.php?PHPSESSID=f65d1b639e4cae622e89d4f98605c590 | accessdate=2007-05-06}}</ref> with some 2.3 million theater tickets sold annually.<ref name = Royce>{{cite news | last = Royce | first = Graydon Royce | title = New Guthrie casts a huge shadow over theater scene | publisher = Minneapolis Star-Tribune via SavetheGuthrie.org | date = [[2006-04-01]] | url = http://www.savetheguthrie.org/news/royce040106.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-06 }}</ref> The [[Minnesota Fringe Festival]] is an annual celebration of [[theatre]], [[dance]], [[improvisation]], [[puppetry]], kids' shows, [[visual art]], and musicals. The summer festival consists of over 800 performances over 11 days in Minneapolis, and is the largest non-juried performing arts festival in the United States.<ref>{{cite web| title = How to fringe| work = Fresh Art Delivered Daily| publisher = Minnesota Fringe Festival| date = 2006 | url = http://www.fringefestival.org/new.cfm| accessdate = 2006-11-22}}</ref>
===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|''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)|''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 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===
[[Image:First Avenue nightclub.jpg|thumb|left|[[First Avenue]] nightclub, the heart of Minnesota's music community.<ref name=Compass>Page 190</ref>]]
{{main|Music of Minnesota}}
<!--This section should mention only widely-known artists of lasting significance, as demonstrated by independent third-party sources. Please do not add the names of your favorite musicians or actors.-->
Minnesotan musicians of many genres include soul star [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], harmony singers [[The Andrews Sisters]], [[rockabilly]] star [[Eddie Cochran]], folk musician [[Bob Dylan]], garage rock band [[The Castaways]], pop songwriters [[Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis]], [[Jonny Lang]], and [[Soul Asylum]]. Minnesota has also produced cult favorites such as [[Hüsker Dü]] and [[The Replacements]].<ref name=Compass>Page 190</ref>
Minnesotans have made significant contributions to comedy, theater, and film. [[Ole and Lena]] jokes are best appreciated when delivered in the accent of [[Scandinavia]]n 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.<ref name=Compass>Page 21</ref> Local [[television]] had the [[satire|satirical]] show ''The Bedtime Nooz'' in the 1960s, while area natives [[Lizz Winstead]] and [[Craig Kilborn]] helped create the increasingly influential ''[[The Daily Show|Daily Show]]'' decades later. Actors from the state include [[Eddie Albert]], [[Judy Garland]], [[Jessica Lange]], and [[Winona Ryder]]. [[Joel and Ethan Coen]], [[Terry Gilliam]] and [[Mike Todd]] contributed to the art of [[film]], and others brought the offbeat [[cult television|cult shows]] ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' and ''[[Let's Bowl]]'' to national [[cable television|cable]] from the Twin Cities.
===Popular culture===
{{main article|Culture of Minnesota}}
[[Image:MNfiddles.jpg|thumb|right|A youth [[fiddle]] performance at the [[Minnesota State Fair]].]] [[Stereotype|Stereotypical]] 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|Upper Midwestern accent]] sprinkled with Scandinavian-sounding words such as ''[[uff da]]''. <!-- You sure this isn't just what you've seen from Rose's character on <i>Golden Girls</i>? --> [[Potluck]]s, usually with a variety of [[hotdish]] casseroles, are popular at community functions, especially church activities. Minnesota's Scandinavian heritage makes [[lutefisk]] a traditional holiday dish. Movies like ''[[Fargo (film)|Fargo]]'',''[[Untamed Heart]]'', ''[[Juno]]'', ''[[Drop Dead Gorgeous (film)|Drop Dead Gorgeous]]'', ''[[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.<ref>{{cite web| title=Minnesota State Fair| publisher = Minnesota State Fair|url = http://www.mnstatefair.org/| accessdate = 2006-11-22}}</ref> The fair covers the variety of life in Minnesota, including [[fine art]], [[science]], [[agriculture]], food preparation, [[4H]] displays, music, [[midway (fair)|the midway]], and corporate merchandising. It is known for its displays of [[seed art]], [[butter]] sculptures of [[Princess Kay of the Milky Way|dairy princesses]], the birthing barn, and dozens of varieties of food on a stick, such as [[Pronto Pup]]s, [[Cheese curds#Fried cheese curds|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|Aquatennial]] and Mill City Music Festival, [[Moondance Jam]] in Walker, and [[Detroit Lakes, Minnesota|Detroit Lakes']] [[10,000 Lakes Festival]] and [[WE Fest]].
==Health and education==
===Health===
[[Image:MayoMedicalCentersign2006-05-14.JPG|thumb|left|The Mayo Clinic in Rochester.]]
The people of Minnesota have a high rate of participation in outdoor activities; the state is ranked first in the percentage of residents who engage in regular exercise.<ref>{{cite web | title = Statemaster Health Statistics Physical Exercise by State | publisher = Statemaster | date = 2002 | url = http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_phy_exe-health-physical-exercise | accessdate = 2006-08-16}}</ref> Minnesotans have the nation's lowest premature death rate, third-lowest [[infant mortality]] rate,<ref>{{cite web | title = America's Health Rankings 2006 | publisher = United Health Foundation | date = 2006 | url = http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/ahr2006/survey2006.asp | accessdate = 2006-12-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Statemaster Health Statistics > Death Rate per 100,000| publisher = Statemaster | url = http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_dea_rat_per_100-death-rate-per-100-000 | accessdate = 2006-08-16}}</ref> and the second-longest life expectancies.<ref>{{cite web | title = Explore Minnesota Living | publisher = Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development | url = http://www.deed.state.mn.us/publications/MNLiving.pdf | accessdate = 2006-08-16}}</ref> According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 91% of Minnesotans have health insurance, more than in any other state.<ref>{{cite web| authorlink = ask.census.gov| title = The Percentage of People Without Health Insurance Coverage by State Using 2- and 3-year Averages: 2003 to 2005| work = Health Insurance Coverage: 2005| publisher = U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division| date = [[2006-08-29]] | url = http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthin05/hi05t10.pdf| format = pdf| format = PDF | accessdate = 2006-11-24}}</ref> These and other measures have led one group to rank Minnesota as the second-healthiest state in the nation, and another to rank it fourth.<ref>{{cite web | author = Collins, Bob | title = Too much eating, drinking drops Minnesota in health ratings | url = http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/11/05/healthsurvey/ | publisher = Minnesota Public Radio | http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/11/05/healthsurvey/ | date = 2007-11-05 | accessdate = 2007-11-05 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Health Statistics Health Index by state | publisher = Statemaster | url = http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_hea_ind-health-index | accessdate = 2006-08-16}}</ref>
On [[1 October]] [[2007]], Minnesota became the 17th state to enact a statewide smoking ban in restaurants and bars with the enactment of [[Freedom to Breathe Act]] of 2007.<ref>{{cite web | title = Put 'Em Out: Minnesota Smoking Ban Kicks In Monday | publisher = WCCO | url = http://wcco.com/health/local_story_272145441.html | date = [[29 September]] [[2007]] | accessdate = 2007-10-01}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web | title = University of Minnesota Medical Milestones | publisher = University of Minnesota Medical School | date = 2002 | url = http://www.med.umn.edu/faculty/handbook/info/home.html | accessdate = 2006-08-14 }}</ref> The [[Mayo Clinic]], a world-renowned medical practice, is based in [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester]]. Mayo and the University are partners in the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, a state-funded program that conducts research into [[cancer]], [[Alzheimer’s disease]], [[Coronary heart disease|heart health]], [[obesity]], and other areas.<ref>{{cite web | title = Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics | publisher = University of Minnesota Medical School | date = 2002 | url = http://www.minnesotapartnership.info/ | accessdate = 2006-08-14 }}</ref>
===Education===
{{see also|List of colleges and universities in Minnesota|List of high schools in Minnesota|List of school districts in Minnesota}}
[[Image:Pillsbury Hall.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Richardsonian Romanesque]] Pillsbury Hall (1889) is one of the oldest buildings 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|Winona]]. More recently, the state ranked 13<sup>th</sup> on the 2006–2007 [[Morgan Quitno]] Smartest State Award, and is first in the percentage of residents with at least a high school diploma.<ref>{{cite web | title = Smartest State Award | publisher = Morgan Quitno Press | url = http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank.htm | accessdate = 2006-07-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = High school diploma or higher, by percentage by state | publisher = Statemaster.com | date = 2004 | url = http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_hig_sch_dip_or_hig_by_per-high-school-diploma-higher-percentage | accessdate = 2006-08-16 }}</ref> More than 90% of high school seniors graduated in 2006, but about 6% of white, 28% of African American, 30% of Asian American and more than 34% of Hispanic and Native American students dropped out of school.<ref name=Status /> Minnesota students earn the highest average score in the nation on the [[ACT (examination)|ACT exam]].<ref>{{cite web| title =Minnesota's Class of 2007 leads the nation in ACT scores| publisher =Multimedia Holdings Corporation| date =2007| url =http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=262186| accessdate = 2007-08-15}}</ref> While Minnesota has chosen not to implement [[school voucher]]s,<ref name = vouchers>{{Citation | last = Hallman | first = Charles | author-link = | title = School vouchers: Who stands to gain at what cost? | newspaper = Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder | date = [[2007-03-14]] | url = http://spokesman-recorder.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=76873&sID=4}}</ref> it is home to the first [[charter school]].<ref name = Charter>{{cite web | title = Charter Schools | publisher = Minnesota Department of Education | date = 2007 | url = http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Academic_Excellence/School_Choice/Public_School_Choice/Charter_Schools/index.html | accessdate = 2007-05-06 }}</ref>
The state supports a network of public [[University|universities]] and colleges, currently 32 institutions in the [[Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System]], and five major campuses of the [[University of Minnesota system|University of Minnesota]]. It is also home to more than 20 private colleges and universities, four of which rank among the top 100 [[liberal arts]] colleges, according to [[U.S. News & World Report|U.S. News and World Report]].<ref>{{cite news | title = America's Best Colleges 2008: Liberal Arts Colleges: Top Schools | publisher = USNews.com | date = 2007 | url = http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1libartco_brief.php | accessdate = 2007-11-25 }}</ref>
==Transportation==
{{Main|Transportation in Minnesota}}
[[Image:Duluth canal.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Aerial Lift Bridge]] at [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth]]]]
Transportation 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|Interstate highways]] are [[Interstate 35|I-35]], [[Interstate 90|I-90]], and [[Interstate 94|I-94]], with I-35 and I-94 passing through the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, and I-90 going east-west along the southern edge of the state.<ref>{{cite map
|publisher = [[Minnesota Department of Transportation]]
|title = 2007—2008 Official Highway Map
|url = http://www.dot.state.mn.us/statemap/pdf/MNmap.pdf
|accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web| title = Transportation amendment update| publisher = Minnesota Department of Transportation| date = 2006| url = http://www.dot.state.mn.us/information/mvst/index.html| accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> There are nearly two dozen [[rail transport|rail]] corridors in Minnesota, most of which go through Minneapolis-St. Paul or Duluth.<ref>{{cite map | publisher = [[Minnesota Department of Transportation]] | title = Minnesota Rail System | date = 2007 | url = http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ofrw/maps/RailLines20070806_1.pdf | accessdate = 2007-04-07}}</ref> There is water transportation along the [[Mississippi River]] system and from the ports of [[Lake Superior]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Minnesota Ports and Waterways | publisher = [[Minnesota Department of Transportation]] | url = http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ofrw/waterways.html | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref>
[[Image:Hiawatha LRV.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Hiawatha Line]] vehicle in Minneapolis]]
Minnesota'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]]. Most other domestic carriers serve the airport. Large commercial jet service is provided at Duluth and Rochester, with scheduled commuter service to six smaller cities via Northwest Airlines subsidiary [[Mesaba Airlines]].<ref name = MNDOTcommair>{{cite web | title = Airports with Scheduled Air Service | work = Commercial Service Airports | publisher = Minnesota Department of Transportation | date = 2008 | url = http://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/avoffice/commaviation.html | accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref><ref name = Mesabamap>{{cite web | title = Route Map | work = | publisher = Mesaba Airlines | url = http://www.mesaba.com/documents/Routemap.jpg | accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref>
[[Amtrak|Amtrak's]] [[Empire Builder]] runs through Minnesota, making stops at [[Midway (Amtrak station)|Midway Station]] in St. Paul and five other stations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321887&ssid=135|title=Amtrak - Routes - Northwest|publisher=Amtrak | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> Intercity bus service is provided by [[Greyhound Bus Lines|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 with the federal government of the United States, power in Minnesota is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.<ref>{{cite web | title = Minnesota Government | url = http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/content.do?id=-8494&agency=NorthStar | publisher = State of Minnesota | accessdate = 2006-10-20 }} </ref>
===Executive===
{{seealso|List of Governors of Minnesota|Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2006}}
The executive branch is headed by the [[Governor of Minnesota|governor]]. The current governor is [[Tim Pawlenty]], a [[Republican Party of Minnesota|Republican]] whose first term began [[January 6]], [[2003]], and who was narrowly re-elected in 2006. The current [[List of Lieutenant Governors of Minnesota|Lieutenant Governor]] of Minnesota is [[Carol Molnau]], who was also the head of the [[Minnesota Department of Transportation]] until the Senate refused to confirm her appointment in February 2008.<ref>{{cite web | title = Gov. Looks For New MnDOT Head after Molnau Out | url = http://wcco.com/local/carol.molnau.job.2.664858.html | publisher = Kare11 News | accessdate = 2008-03-04 }} </ref> 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|secretary of state]], [[Minnesota Attorney General|attorney general]], and [[Minnesota State Auditor|state auditor]].
[[Image:Minnesota State Capitol.jpg|thumb|The [[Minnesota State Capitol]] in Saint Paul, designed by [[Cass Gilbert]].]]
===Legislative===
The [[Minnesota Legislature]] is a [[bicameral]] body consisting of the [[Minnesota Senate|Senate]] and the [[Minnesota House of Representatives|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. In early 2008, the DFL picked up an additional seat in a special election to expand their majority to 45–22. The DFL now controls a [[veto]]-proof majority in the Senate.
===Judicial===
Minnesota's court system has three levels. Most cases start in the [[district court]]s, 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|discretionary appeals]] from the Court of Appeals; it also has [[original jurisdiction]] over election disputes.<ref>{{cite web | title = Minnesota Supreme Court | publisher = Court Information Office, State of Minnesota | url = http://www.courts.state.mn.us/documents/CIO/otherResources/SupremeCourt.doc | format = doc | accessdate = 2006-10-19 }} </ref>
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 district]]s and [[soil and water conservation district]]s.
There are seven [[Anishinaabe]] reservations and four [[Santee Sioux|Dakota]] communities in Minnesota. These communities are self-governing.<ref>{{cite web | title = Tribal Government | publisher = Minnesota North Star | url = http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/content.do?subchannel=-536888182&id=-8494&agency=NorthStar | accessdate = 2006-10-20 }} </ref>
===Federal===
{{seealso|Minnesota United States Senate election, 2006|United States House elections, 2006#Minnesota}}
Minnesota's two [[United States senator]]s are Republican [[Norm Coleman]] and Democrat [[Amy Klobuchar]]. The state has eight [[Minnesota Congressional Districts|congressional districts]]; they are represented by [[Tim Walz]] ([[Minnesota's 1st congressional district|1st district]]), [[John Kline (politician)|John Kline]] ([[Minnesota's 2nd congressional district|2nd]]), [[Jim Ramstad]] ([[Minnesota's 3rd congressional district|3rd]]), [[Betty McCollum]] ([[Minnesota's 4th congressional district|4th]]), [[Keith Ellison (politician)|Keith Ellison]] ([[Minnesota's 5th congressional district|5th]]), [[Michele Bachmann]] ([[Minnesota's 6th congressional district|6th]]), [[Collin Peterson]] ([[Minnesota's 7th congressional district|7th]]), and [[James Oberstar]] ([[Minnesota's 8th congressional district|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.
==Politics==
<!-- BEFORE ADDING TO THIS SECTION, PLEASE READ THIS. This page is a general article about the State of Minnesota. It is already longer than what is recommended. Please do not add detail on particular politicians or elections here. Instead, consider adding it on the individual articles on politicians, elections, or the page entitled Politics in Minnesota. -->
{{main|Politics of Minnesota}}
[[Image:H Humphrey.jpg|thumb|[[Hubert H. Humphrey]]]]
Minnesota is known for a politically active citizenry, and [[populism]] has been a longstanding force among the state's [[political party|political parties]]. Minnesota has a consistently high [[voter turnout]], due in part to its liberal [[voter registration]] laws, with virtually no evidence of voter fraud.<ref>Huefner, Steven F., Daniel P Tokaji, and Edward B. Foley (2007), [http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/joyce/book.pdf ‘’From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems of Five Midwestern States’’], The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, p. [http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/joyce/chapter7_137-159.pdf 137]. ISBN 978-0-9801400-0-2.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004 U.S. presidential election]], 77.2% of eligible Minnesotans voted—the most of any U.S. state—versus the national average of 60.93%.<ref>{{cite web | title = 2004 Voting-Age and Voting-Eligible Population Estimates and Voter Turnout | publisher = United States Elections Project | url = http://elections.gmu.edu/Voter_Turnout_2004.htm | accessdate = 2006-06-22 }}</ref> Previously unregistered voters can register on [[Election Day (United States)|election day]] at their [[Polling place|polls]] with evidence of residency.
[[Hubert Humphrey]] brought national attention to the state with his address at the [[1948 Democratic National Convention]]. [[Eugene McCarthy]]'s anti-war stance and popularity in the 1968 [[New Hampshire Primary]] likely convinced [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] to drop out of the [[United States presidential election, 1968|presidential election]]. Minnesotans have consistently cast their Electoral College votes for Democratic presidential candidates since 1976, longer than any other state. Minnesota is the only state in the nation that did not vote for [[Ronald Reagan]] in either of his presidential runs.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties have major party status in Minnesota, but its state-level "Democratic" party is actually a separate party, officially known as the [[Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party]] (DFL). Formed out of a 1944 alliance of the Minnesota Democratic and [[Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party|Farmer-Labor]] parties, the DFL now serves as a de-facto proxy to the federal [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], and its distinction from the Democratic Party, while still official, is now a functional technicality.
The state has had active third party movements. The [[Reform Party of the United States|Reform Party]], now the [[Independence Party of Minnesota|Independence Party]], was able to elect former mayor of [[Brooklyn Park, Minnesota|Brooklyn Park]] and [[professional wrestler]] [[Jesse Ventura]] to the [[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1998|governorship in 1998]]. The [[Independence Party of Minnesota|Independence Party]] has received enough support to keep major party status. The [[Green Party of Minnesota|Green Party]], while no longer having major party status, has a large presence in municipal government,<ref name = GrnOffHldrs>{{cite web | title = Office Holders | publisher = Green Party of Minnesota | url = http://www.mngreens.org/officeholders.php | accessdate = 2007-04-18 }}</ref> notably in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]] and [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth]], where it competes directly with the DFL party for local offices. Official "Major party" status in Minnesota (which grants state funding for elections) is reserved to parties, which receive 5% or more of the state's general vote in the U.S. Presidential election. Status is revised every four years.
Senator [[Norm Coleman]] (R-MN) was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, defeating former Vice President and former U.S. Senator [[Walter Mondale]] (D-MN), who entered the race as the Democratic candidate after Senator [[Paul Wellstone]] died in a plane crash on October 25, 2002. Before his election to the U.S. Senate, Senator Coleman was the mayor of [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]] from 1994 to 2002 and served 17 years with the Minnesota Attorney General Office, holding the positions of Chief Prosecutor and Solicitor General of the State of Minnesota. In 1996, after becoming increasingly frustrated with the Democratic Party, Coleman joined the Republican Party, which more closely matched his values. In his 1997 mayoral campaign for re-election as a Republican, Coleman received 59 percent of the vote.
The state's [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats have generally been split since the early 1990s, and in the [[108th United States Congress|108<sup>th</sup>]] and [[109th United States Congress|109<sup>th</sup>]] Congresses, Minnesota's congressional delegation was split, with four representatives and one senator from each party. 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 re-election. The DFL also posted double-digit gains in both houses of the legislature, elected [[Amy Klobuchar]] to the U.S. Senate, and increased the party's U.S. House caucus by one. [[Keith Ellison (politician)|Keith Ellison]] [[Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party|(DFL)]] was elected as the first [[African American]] U.S. Representative from Minnesota as well as the first [[Muslim]] elected to Congress nationwide. <ref>{{cite news | title = Minnesota Democrat becomes first Muslim to win seat in Congress| publisher = International Herald Tribune | work = Associated Press | date = [[2006-11-07]] | url = http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/08/america/NA_POL_US_Election_Muslim.php | accessdate = 2006-12-11}}</ref>
: {{seealso|List of political parties in Minnesota|United States Congressional Delegations from Minnesota|Minnesota Congressional Districts}}
==Media==
[[Image:KSTP studios.jpg|thumb|right|[[KSTP|KSTP Transmitter Station]]]]
The Twin Cities area is the 15<sup>th</sup> largest [[media market]] in the United States as ranked by [[Nielsen Media Research]]. The state's other top markets are [[Fargo-Moorhead]] (118<sup>th</sup> nationally), [[Twin Ports|Duluth-Superior]] (137<sup>th</sup>), Rochester-Mason City-Austin (152<sup>nd</sup>), and [[Mankato, Minnesota|Mankato]]
(200<sup>th</sup>).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://web.archive.org/web/20060517010320/http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html |title= 210 Designated Market Areas - 03-04| publisher = Nielsen Media | accessdate=2006-11-26 }}</ref>
[[Terrestrial television|Broadcast television]] in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest started on [[April 27]], [[1948]], when [[KSTP-TV]] began broadcasting.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S278.shtml?cat=14 |title= 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS History | publisher = kstp.com | accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref> [[Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation]], which owns KSTP, is now the only locally owned television company in Minnesota. There are currently [[List of television stations in Minnesota (by channel number)|39 analog]] broadcast stations and 23 [[Digital television|digital]] channels broadcast over Minnesota.
The four largest daily newspapers are the ''[[Star Tribune]]'' in Minneapolis, the ''[[St. Paul Pioneer Press|Pioneer Press]]'' in Saint Paul, the ''[[Duluth News Tribune]]'' in Duluth and ''[[Minnesota Daily|The Minnesota Daily]]'', the largest student-run newspaper in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|title=Daily Board of Directors|url=http://www.mndaily.com/board.php|publisher=The Minnesota Daily|accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> Sites offering daily news on the Web include ''[[MinnPost.com|MinnPost]]'', the Twin Cities ''Daily Planet'' and Washington D.C.-based ''[[Minnesota Independent]]''. Weeklies including ''[[City Pages]]'' and monthly publications such as ''Minnesota Monthly'' are also available.
Two of the largest [[public radio]] networks, [[Minnesota Public Radio]] (MPR) and [[Public Radio International]] (PRI), are based in the state. MPR has the largest audience of any regional public radio network in the nation, broadcasting on 37 radio stations.<ref>{{cite web | title = About MPR | publisher = Minnesota Public Radio | url = http://minnesota.publicradio.org/about/mpr/ | accessdate = 2006-08-17 }} </ref> PRI weekly provides more than 400 hours of programming to almost 800 affiliates.<ref>{{cite web | title = PRI factsheet | url = http://www.pri.org/InPRI_FactSheet.html | publisher = Public Radio International | accessdate = 2007-05-07 }} </ref> The state's oldest radio station, [[KUOM]]-AM, was launched in 1922 and is among the 10 [[oldest radio station]]s in the [[United States]]. The [[University of Minnesota]]-owned station is still on the air, and since 1993 broadcasts a [[campus radio|college rock]] format.
==Sports and recreation==
===Organized sports===
[[Image:2006 WCHA Final Five.jpg|thumb|left|A [[faceoff]] between the [[University of North Dakota]] [[North Dakota Fighting Sioux|Fighting Sioux]] and the [[Saint Cloud State University]] Huskies during the [[Western Collegiate Hockey Association|WCHA]] Final Five at the [[Xcel Energy Center]].]]
{{main|Sports in Minnesota}}
Minnesota has 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 [[Major League Baseball]], winners of the [[1987 World Series|1987]] and [[1991 World Series]]. A [[Twins Ballpark|new park]] is currently being constructed on the west side of downtown Minneapolis, which will be the home of the [[Minnesota Twins]] once completed. The [[Minnesota Timberwolves]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] play in the [[Target Center]]. The [[National Hockey League|National Hockey League's]] [[Minnesota Wild]] team reached 300 consecutive sold-out games in St. Paul's [[Xcel Energy Center]] on [[January 16]], [[2008]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Recap, Flames 3, Wild 2, SO | publisher = Minnesota Wild | date = [[2008-01-17]] | url = http://wild.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=Recap&gameNumber=688&season=20072008&gameType=2 | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref>
[[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 Twin Cities campus of the [[University of Minnesota]] is a National Collegiate Athletic Association ([[NCAA]]) [[Division I]] school, with [[Minnesota Golden Gophers|sports teams]] competing in either the [[Big Ten Conference]] or the [[Western Collegiate Hockey Association]]. Four additional schools in the state compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey: the [[University of Minnesota Duluth]], [[St. Cloud State University]], [[Bemidji State University]], and [[Minnesota State University Mankato]]. 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]].<ref>{{cite web| title = NCAA Members by State| publisher = NCAA| url = http://www.ncaa.org/conferences/schools_by_state.html| accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref>
[[Winter Olympic Games]] medalists from the state include eleven of the twenty members of the [[gold medal]] [[Miracle on Ice|1980 ice hockey team]] (coached by Minnesota native [[Herb Brooks]]) and the bronze medalist [[Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics#Men's|U.S. men's]] [[curling]] team in the [[2006 Winter Olympics]]. Swimmer [[Tom Malchow]] won an Olympic gold medal in the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Summer games]] and a silver medal in [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]].
[[Grandma's Marathon]] is run every summer along the scenic [[North Shore (Lake Superior)|North Shore of Lake Superior]], and the [[Twin Cities Marathon]] winds around lakes and the Mississippi River during the peak of the [[Color change in leaves|fall color season]].
<!-- This section is intended to be an overview. Please add to [[Sports in Minnesota]] if you want to detail things out. -->
===Outdoor recreation===
[[Image:Lake Calhoun MN.jpg|thumb|right|Fishing in [[Lake Calhoun]] in Minneapolis.]]
Minnesotans participate in high levels of physical activity,<ref>{{cite web | title = Statemaster Health Statistics Physical Exercise by State | publisher = Statemaster | date = 2002 | url = http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_phy_exe-health-physical-exercise | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> and many of these activities are outdoors. The strong interest of Minnesotans in [[environmentalism]] has been attributed to the popularity of these pursuits.<ref>{{cite web | title = Green Hunters: Minnesota DNR | publisher = Fish & Wildlife Today | url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fwt/back_issues/september97/message.html | accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref>
In the warmer months, these activities often involve water. Weekend and longer trips to family [[cottage|cabin]]s on Minnesota's numerous lakes are a way of life for many residents. Activities include [[water sports]] such as [[water skiing]], which originated in the state,<ref>{{cite web| title = Water Skiing History| work = ABC of Skiing| publisher = MaxLifestyle.net "Go Skiing like Max!" | date = 2006| url = http://www.abc-of-skiing.com/water-skiing/history.asp| accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> [[boating]], [[canoeing]], and [[fishing]]. More than 36% of Minnesotans fish, second only to Alaska.<ref>{{cite web | title = Managing for Results | publisher = Minnesota DNR | url = http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/budget/budgetpres0303.pdf | accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref>
Fishing does not cease when the lakes freeze; [[ice fishing]] has been around since the arrival of early [[Scandinavia]]n immigrants.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Benjamin
| first = Robert W.
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Ice Fishing can be a very exciting experience
| work =
| publisher = Buzzle.com
| date = 2006-07-15
| url = http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/7-15-2006-102438.asp
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref> Minnesotans have learned to embrace their long, harsh winters in ice sports such as [[ice skating|skating]], [[Ice hockey|hockey]], [[curling]], and [[broomball]], and snow sports such as [[cross-country skiing]], [[snowshoe]]ing, and [[Snowmobile|snowmobiling]].<ref>{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =Turning Snow into Sport
| work =Explore Minnesota Experiences
| publisher =Minnesota Department of Tourism
| date =
| url = http://www.exploreminnesota.com/experiences/outdoors/snow/index.aspx
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = 2008-04-07 }}</ref>
State and national [[forest]]s and the [[List of Minnesota state parks|72 state parks]] are used year-round for [[hunting]], [[camping]], and [[hiking]]. There are almost {{convert|20000|mi|km}} of snowmobile trails statewide.<ref>{{cite web| title = Snowmobiling Minnesota| publisher = Minnesota Department of Tourism | url = http://www.exploreminnesota.com/story.aspx?EntityId=19499| accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> Minnesota has more miles of [[bike trail]]s than any other state,<ref>{{cite web| title = Take to the Trails! Explore Minnesota Biking| publisher = Minnesota Department of Tourism | url = http://www.exploreminnesota.com/experiences/outdoors/biking/index.aspx| accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> and a growing network of [[trail|hiking trails]], including the {{convert|235|mi|km|sing=on}} [[Superior Hiking Trail]] in the northeast.<ref>{{cite web| title = Superior Hiking Trail| publisher = Minnesota Department of Tourism | url = http://www.exploreminnesota.com/listing.aspx?EntityID=7727 | accessdate = 2006-12-02}}</ref> Many hiking and bike trails are used for cross-country skiing during the winter.
==State symbols==
{{main|Lists of U.S. state insignia}}
[[Image:Great northern diver.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Great Northern Diver|Common Loon]]'s 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.<ref>{{cite web | title = All About Birds | publisher = Cornell Lab of Ornithology | date = 2003 | url = http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Common_Loon_dtl.html | accessdate = 2006-10-24 }}</ref>]]
Minnesota's state symbols:<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/Symbols.asp |title= Minnesota State Symbols| publisher = Minnesota State Legislature | accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref>
*State bird: [[Great Northern Diver|Common Loon]]
*State butterfly: [[Monarch butterfly|Monarch]]
*State drink: [[Milk]]
*State fish: [[Walleye]]
*State flower: [[Showy lady slipper|Pink and white lady slipper]]
*State fruit: [[Honeycrisp|Honeycrisp apple]]
*State gemstone: [[Lake Superior agate]]
*State grain: [[Wild rice]]
*State motto: [[L'Étoile du Nord]] ("The [[Star]] of the North")
*State muffin: [[Blueberry muffin|Blueberry]]
*State mushroom: [[Morel]]
*State photograph: [[Grace (photograph)|Grace]]
*State song: "[[Hail! Minnesota]]"
*State tree: [[Red Pine]] also known as Norway Pine
*Nicknames:
**"Land of 10,000 Lakes"
**"North Star State"
**"Gopher State"
**"Land of Sky-Blue Waters"
**"Bread and Butter State"
<!-- DO NOT ADD "State of Hockey" HERE. It is a trademark of the Minnesota Wild. SEE TALK PAGE ARCHIVE 5 -->
==See also==
*[[List of Minnesota-related topics]]
{{portal|Minnesota|Flag of Minnesota.svg|left=yes}}
{{clear}}
<!-- Please place links to all topics directly related to the State of Minnesota in the [[List of Minnesota-related topics]] -->
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Minnesota}}
'''Government'''
*[http://www.state.mn.us State of Minnesota Official site]
*[http://www.leg.state.mn.us/ Minnesota State Legislature]
*[http://www.courts.state.mn.us/ Minnesota Judicial Branch]
*[http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/preamble.htm Hyperlinked state constitution]
*[http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/mncon.htm Full text of state constitution]
*[http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=MN Energy Data & Statistics for Minnesota- From the U.S. Department of Energy]
'''Tourism & recreation'''
*[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]
*[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/outdoor_activities/index.html Minnesota DNR Outdoor Activities]
*[http://www.exploreminnesota.com/ Explore Minnesota]
'''Culture & history'''
*[http://www.mnhs.org Minnesota Historical Society]
*[http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/history/mnstatehistory/timeline.html Minnesota history timeline]
*[http://events.mnhs.org/timepieces/timeline.cfm Minnesota Historical Society's online timeline]
*[http://www.mplib.org/history/ehresources.asp A History of Minneapolis: Early History: Resources]
*[http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/ Minnesota Place Names]
*[http://discovery.mnhs.org/ConnectingMN Forests, Fields, and the Falls: Connecting Minnesota]
'''Maps and Demographics'''
*[http://www.demography.state.mn.us/ Minnesota State Demographic Center]
*[http://www.lmhscscorecard.com/sc/brief.cgi?s=3 Minnesota Health and Demographic Data]
*[http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=MN USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Minnesota]
*[http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/MN.HTM Minnesota Demographics Facts]
*[http://www.dot.state.mn.us/statemap/ Minnesota State Highway Map]
*[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/minnesota.html Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection]
*[http://www-map.lib.umn.edu/ John R. Borchert Map Library]
*[http://www.geo.umn.edu/mgs/ Minnesota Geological Survey]
{{-}}
{{Minnesota|expand}}
{{United States}}
{{US Midwest}}
{{featured article}}
{{coor title d|46|N|94|W|region:US-MN_type:state}}
[[Category:Minnesota|*]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:Midwestern United States|Minnesota]]
[[Category:1858 establishments]]
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