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Minnesota
Minnesota is in the north central United States near the geographic center of North America, and is 575 kilometers west of Chicago, borders Lake Superior and is the starting point of the Mississippi River. Minnesota gets its name from the Native American (Sioux) word minisota, meaning "water that reflects the sky."
The state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but Minnesota actually has more than 11,000 natural lakes over 10 acres in size and over 6,000 rivers and streams. With more than 144,500 kilometers of shoreline, Minnesota has more shoreline than the states of California, Florida and Hawaii combined.
Minnesota is also known as the "North Star State," a translation of the French inscription on the state seal, L'Etoile du Nord.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are Minnesota's largest cities and are often referred to collectedly as the "Twin Cities" since they border each other. The Twin Cities metropolitan area including suburbs is the United States' sixteenth largest metropolitan area according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than half of Minnesota's population lives in the Twin Cities area.
Although at least 75 percent of Minnesota's residents are of Western European descent (primarily German, Norwegian, Irish or Swedish), the last two decades have seen a substantial shift. The Hispanic population has increased dramatically and a significant number of immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa (Somali), Southeast Asia (Hmong and Vietnamese), India, and the former Soviet bloc now consider Minnesota home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 6.3 percent of Minnesota residents were foreign-born in 2005, compared to 12.4 percent for the nation as a whole.
History
Minnesota was populated by Dakota and Ojibwe (also called Chippewa or Anishinabe) Indians when the first French explorers, fur traders and missionaries arrived in the late 1600s.
The eastern portion of Minnesota was acquired by the United States from Great Britain after the Revolutionary War and the western portion was purchased from France through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. In 1818, Britain ceded the northern portion of Minnesota that borders Canada.
In the 1830s, the first European settlers arrived from the East Coast. Minnesota became a United States territory in 1849 and a state on May 11, 1858.
Business Industry
By the mid-1800s, the Minnesota economy began to tap into the natural resources of the state. Logging and farming were spurred on by the arrival of the railroads, bringing in new immigrant workers and allowing goods to be more easily transported to and from the state. Iron mining soon added to the economic development. Minnesota produces most of the iron ore mined in the United States and is a leading agricultural producer of sugar beets, sweet corn, peas, wild rice, canola, soybeans, spring wheat, corn, oats, dry beans and flax. Minnesota is also a top producer of livestock (turkeys, hogs and milk cows) and dairy products.
The Minnesota economy has transformed over the last century from one based almost exclusively on agriculture and mining to a service and product-oriented economy. In addition to food products, Minnesota's manufacturers produce heath care and medial equipment, high technology such as electronic and computer equipment and scientific instruments, and forest products such as wood and paper. The state is also a leader in the finance and insurance industry and the printing and publishing industry.
Many well-known companies began in Minnesota, including 3M, Imation, Best Buy, Medtronic, General Mills and Pillsbury. Minnesota is home to numerous corporate headquarters that span a variety of industries, including (but not limited to):
Industry |
Business |
| Agricultural | Cargill |
| Banking | TCF Bank, U.S. Bancorp |
| Food Processing | General Mills, Hormel Foods, Land O' Lakes |
| Insurance | Minnesota Mutual, Travelers, UnitedHealth Group |
| Healthcare | Mayo Foundation |
| Manufacturing | 3M |
| Medical Technology | Guidant Corporation, Medtronic, St. Jude Medical |
| Retail | Best Buy, Target Corporation |
| Technology | ADC Telecommunications, Alliant Tech Systems, Imation |
| Transportation | Northwest Airlines |
Graduate Education in Minnesota
Minnesota is home to more than 150 public and private higher education institutions serving more than 350,000 students each year. Thirty-six of these institutions award graduate degrees. In fall 2005, roughly 8,700 foreign students enrolled at Minnesota postsecondary institutions. Of these, 3,000 were enrolled in graduate school with most attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, the state's leading academic research institution.
List of Minnesota institutions by degree granted:
Recreation in Minnesota
Visitors to Minnesota often enjoy outdoor activities on the state's many lakes and in state parks, both in the summer and winter months. Minnesota has numerous professional sports teams as well as athletic events scheduled throughout the year that promote an active lifestyle.
Minnesota, especially the Twin Cities, has become a regional center for a diverse selection of performing arts venues and cultural institutions including the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Minnesota is also home to various zoos and aquariums, including the Como Zoo and Conservatory, Great Lakes Aquarium, Lake Superior Zoo, Minnesota Zoological Gardens and Underwater Adventures Aquarium.
