Minnesota State Guide

Minnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest state in the U.S., and the 21st most populous with over five million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the 32nd state in 1858. Its image as a primarily white, Northern European, and Lutheran state still has some truth, but it is changing, with substantial influxes of African, Asian, and Hispanic immigrants joining the descendants of European immigrants and Native American descendants of the original inhabitants.

Nearly three out of five Minnesota residents live in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the center of transportion, business, and industry, and home to an internationally-known arts community. The remainder of the state, often referred to as Greater Minnesota, consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture, eastern deciduous forests, also heavily farmed and settled, and the less-populated northern boreal forest. The state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", and those lakes and the other waters for which the state is named, together with state and national forests and parks offer residents and tourists a vigorous outdoor lifestyle.

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

Minnesota State Guide - Origin of the Name

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

Minnesota State Guide - Geography

Minnesota is the northernmost state except for Alaska; its Northwest Angle is the only part of the 48 contiguous states lying north of the 49th Parallel. Minnesota is in the sub-region known as the Upper Midwest. The state borders Wisconsin on the east, and shares a water border in Lake Superior with Michigan. Iowa is to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota are west, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba are north. With 87,014 square miles (225,365 km²), or approximately 2.25% of the United States, Minnesota is the 12th largest state, and second largest among the Midwestern states.

Minnesota State Guide - Geology and Terrain

The geology of Minnesota began 2.7 billion years ago, when the first pieces of volcanic rock that would later form the state began to rise up out of an ancient ocean. This rock still remains today as the Canadian Shield. For the last billion years Minnesota's landscape has been relatively quiet following a period of volcanic activity 1.1 billion years ago. During this quiet period there has been no volcanism, no new mountains have formed, and there has been little earthquake activity. In the intervening millennia Precambrian seas and recent periods of glaciation have taken once mountainous Minnesota and flattened it out. The roots of these mountains with the action of the seas formed the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. Massive glaciers at least 1,000 meters thick have ravaged the landscape beginning 600,000 years ago. The last of the four major glaciations, the Wisconsin glaciation left Minnesota 12,000 years ago. The extent of these glaciers reached all of Minnesota except the far southeast and southwest portions. The southeastern area is known as the Driftless Zone. It is characterized by low rolling hills and streams that cut into the bedrock. The glaciers left their remains across the whole state with most areas having 15 meters or more of glacial till. As the last glaciers retreated, gigantic Lake Agassiz formed in northwest Minnesota; its outflow carved the valley of the Minnesota River and its lake-bottom created the fertile lands of the Red River valley.

The action of a billion years of glaciation and erosion have left Minnesota a relatively flat state. The state's high point is Eagle Mountain at 2,301 ft (701 m), only 13 miles from the low of 602 ft (183 m) at the shore of Lake Superior. Two continental divides meet in the northeastern part of Minnesota, creating three watersheds. Rain falling in the state can follow the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico, the St. Lawrence Seaway east to the Atlantic Ocean, or the Hudson Bay watershed to the Arctic Ocean.

The state's nickname, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, is no exaggeration, as there are 11,842 lakes over 10 acres in size. The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest (962,700 acres) and deepest (1,290 feet) body of water in the state. Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that traverse a total of 69,000 miles. The Mississippi River begins a 680 mile journey through Minnesota from its headwaters at Lake Itasca. It is joined at Fort Snelling by the Minnesota River, and in the southeast by many trout streams. The Red River, in the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz, drains the northwest part of the state northward toward Canada's Hudson Bay.

Minnesota State Guide - Flora and Fauna

Three of the biomes of North America converge in Minnesota: the Great Plains of the west, the Big Woods deciduous forest of the southeast, and the Northern Boreal forest of the Canadian Shield. The northern coniferous forests are a vast wilderness of pine and spruce forests mixed with patchy stands of birch and poplar. Much of Minnesota's northern forest was logged, leaving only a few patches of old growth forest today such as in the Chippewa National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, but regrowth keeps about one third of the state forested, though logging continues. While loss of habitat has created troubles for native animals such as the pine marten, elk, buffalo, cougar, woodland caribou, and bobcat, the state contains the nation's largest population of timber wolves outside Alaska and supports healthy populations of black bear, moose and whitetail deer. Located on the Mississippi Flyway, the state hosts migratory waterfowl such as geese and ducks, as well as game birds such as grouse, pheasants, and turkeys. The state also has bird of prey species including the bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, and snowy owl. Minnesota's lakes teem with the sport fish of the region including walleye, bass, muskellunge, and northern pike. The streams in the southeast are populated with brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout.

Minnesota State Guide - Climate

Minnesota endures temperature extremes characteristic of its continental climate; with cold winters and hot summers, together the record high and low span 174 degrees. Meteorological events include rain, snow, hail, blizzards, polar fronts, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and high-velocity straight-line winds. The growing season varies from 90 days per year in the Iron Range to 160 days in southeast Minnesota near the Mississippi River, and mean average temperatures range from 36oF to 49oF. Dewpoints range from about 6oF to 70oF. Annual average precipitation ranges from 19 inches to 35 inches, and droughts occur every 10 to 50 years, depending on location.

Minnesota State Guide - History

Before European settlement, Minnesota was populated by the Anishinaabe, the Sioux, and other Native Americans. European presence began with the arrival of French fur traders in the 1600s. During this century, the Ojibwe Indians migrated westward to Minnesota, and this caused tensions with the Sioux. Explorers such as Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, Father Louis Hennepin, Jonathan Carver, Henry Schoolcraft, and Joseph Nicollet, among others, mapped out the state.

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

The soldiers built a grist mill and a sawmill at Saint Anthony Falls, and as industry later sprung up around the falls, the city of Minneapolis grew up around it. Meanwhile, squatters, government officials, and tourists had settled in the vicinity of the fort. In 1839, the Army forced them to move downriver, and they settled in an area that became St. Paul. Minnesota Territory was formed on March 3, 1849. By 1858, thousands of people had come to build farms and cut timber, and Minnesota became the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858.

Treaties with the Sioux and Ojibwe gradually forced them off their land and onto smaller reservations. As conditions became less favorable for the Sioux, tensions rose, and the Sioux Uprising of 1862 resulted. The result of the six-week war was the execution of 38 Indians, the largest mass execution in United States history, and the exile of most of the rest of the Sioux to the Crow Creek Reservation in Nebraska.

The early economy of Minnesota was based on logging and farming. The sawmills at Saint Anthony Falls, as well as logging centers like Marine on St. Croix, Stillwater, and Winona processed a large amount of lumber. These cities were well-situated on rivers that were ideal for transportation. Later, Saint Anthony Falls was tapped to provide power for flour mills. Innovations by Minneapolis millers led to the production of Minnesota "patent" flour, widely regarded as the finest bread flour of its time. By 1900, Minnesota mills, led by Pillsbury and the Washburn-Crosby Company (a forerunner of General Mills), were grinding 14.1% of the nation's grain.

Minnesota became established as an iron mining state with the discovery of iron in the Vermilion Range and the Mesabi Range in the 1880s, followed by the discovery of iron in the Cuyuna Range in the early 1900s. The iron was shipped by rail to Two Harbors and Duluth, then loaded onto ships and transported eastward through the Great Lakes.

As a result of industrial development and the rise of manufacturing, the population gradually shifted from rural areas to cities during the early 1900s. Nevertheless, farming remained strong throughout the state. During the years of the Great Depression, the Minnesota economy was hit hard, resulting in lower prices paid to farmers, layoffs among iron miners, and various instances of labor unrest. On top of that, western Minnesota and the Dakotas were hit by drought from 1931 through 1935. New Deal programs provided some economic turnaround. The Civilian Conservation Corps and other programs around the state established jobs for Indians on their own reservations. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 provided a self-government mechanism for the Indian tribes. This had the effect of providing more of a voice within the state and promoting more respect for tribal customs, as religious ceremonies and native languages were no longer suppressed.

After World War II, the pace of industrial development quickened. Technological developments increased productivity on farms, such as automation of feedlots for hogs and cattle, machine milking at dairy farms, and raising chickens in large buildings. Planting became more specialized with hybridization of corn and wheat, and mechanical equipment such as tractors and combines became the norm. University of Minnesota professor Norman Borlaug contributed to this knowledge as part of the Green Revolution. During this time, suburban development accelerated as a result of postwar housing demand, convenient transportation, and increased mobility to more specialized jobs.

Minnesota became a center of technology after the war. Engineering Research Associates was formed in 1946 to develop computers for the United States Navy. It later merged with Remington Rand, and then became Sperry Rand. William Norris left Sperry in 1957 to form Control Data Corporation (CDC). Cray Research was formed when Seymour Cray left CDC to form his own company. Medical device maker Medtronic also got its start in the Twin Cities in 1949.

Minnesota State Guide - Population

From less than 6,100 in 1850, the population to grew to over 1.75 million in 1900. For the next six decades the population grew 15% per decade, reaching 3.41 million in 1960. Growth thereafter slowed, rising 11% to 3.8 million in 1970, and 9% average over the next three decades to 4.91 million in the 2000 census. As of 2005 the population was estimated to be 5,132,799 by the U.S Census Bureau, and 5,205,091 by the State Demographer. The rate of increase and age and gender distributions approximate the national average, but Minnesota's minorities, although growing, form a significantly smaller proportion than in the nation as a whole. The center of population of Minnesota is located in Hennepin County, in the city of Rogers.

Minnesota State Guide - Economy

The state's economy has transformed in the past 200 years from one based on raw materials to one based on finished products and services. Perhaps the most significant characteristic of the economy is its diversity, which closely matches that of the nation as a whole. The economy of Minnesota produced 234 billion dollars of gross domestic product in 2005. Minnesota had 36 companies in the top 1000 U.S. publicly-traded companies by revenue in 2006. This includes such diverse companies as Target, UnitedHealth Group, 3M, Medtronic, General Mills, U.S. Bancorp, and Best Buy. The Per capita personal income in 2004 was $36,184, 8th in the nation. The median household income in 2005 was approximately $52,024, ranking eleventh in the nation.

Industry and commerce

Minnesota's earliest industries were fur trading and agriculture; the city of Minneapolis was built around the flour mills clumped around St. Anthony Falls. Agriculture is still a major part of the economy even though only a small percentage of the population, less than 1%, are employed in the farming industry. The state is still the U.S.'s largest producer of sugar beets, sweet corn, and green peas for processing, and farm-raised turkeys. Forestry, another early industry, remains strong with logging, pulpwood processing, forest products manufacturing, and paper production. Minnesota was famous for its soft-ore iron mines which produced a significant portion of the world's iron ore for over a century. Although the high-grade ore is now depleted, taconite mining remains strong using processes developed locally to save the industry. In 2004 the state produced 75% of the usable iron ore in the country. The port of Duluth was created by the mining boom and today continues to be an important shipping port for ore, coal, and agricultural products. The largest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America, is located in Bloomington. The state also has strong technology and biomedical industries.

Energy use and production

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

State taxes

Minnesota has a slightly progressive income tax structure, with three brackets of state income tax rates, 5.35%, 7.05% and 7.85%. The sales tax in Minnesota for most items is 6.5%, however the state does not charge sales tax on clothing, prescription medications, some services, or food items for home consumption. Municipalities may be allowed by the State Legislature to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 0.5% additional sales and use tax, downtown liquor tax of 3%, downtown restaurant tax of 3%, entertainment tax of 3% and lodging tax of 3% in Minneapolis. The cities of St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth and St. Cloud have similar taxes. Excise taxes are levied on alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel. The state also imposes a use tax on items purchased elsewhere but used within Minnesota. Owners of real property in Minnesota also pay property tax to their county, municipality, school district, and special taxing districts.

Minnesota State Guide - Education

One of the first acts of the Minnesota Legislature when it opened in 1858 was the creation of a normal school at Winona. Since then, Minnesota has remained among the ten strongest states in the United States in education in most surveys. It ranks 13th on the 2006–2007 Morgan Quitno Smartest State Award and first on the percentage of its residents with a high school diploma or higher. Minnesota ranks 5th in the nation in high school graduation, with an 84% graduation rate. While Minnesota has steered clear of movements in education such as school vouchers and the teaching of intelligent design, it is home to one of the first charter schools.

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

University of Minnesota system

* University of Minnesota Crookston (Crookston)
* University of Minnesota Duluth (Duluth)
* University of Minnesota, Morris (Morris)
* University of Minnesota, Rochester (Rochester)
* University of Minnesota Twin Cities (Minneapolis, Saint Paul)

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

* Bemidji State University (Bemidji)
* Metropolitan State University (St. Paul, Minneapolis)
* Minnesota State University, Mankato (Mankato)
* Minnesota State University Moorhead (Moorhead)
* St. Cloud State University (St. Cloud)
* Southwest Minnesota State University (Marshall)
* Winona State University (Winona, Rochester)

Minnesota State Guide - Health

The University of Minnesota Medical School is a highly-rated teaching institution which has made a number of significant breakthroughs in treatment, and its research activities significantly contribute to the state's growing biotechnology industry. The Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned medical practice, is based in Rochester. Mayo and the University are partners in the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, a state-funded program which conducts research projects in cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart health, obesity, and other areas.

Minnesota ranks first in the percentage of residents engaging in regular physical exercise, and second in three crucial indices: low infant mortality, long life expectancies, and death rate per 100,000. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 91.3% of Minnesotans have health insurance coverage, higher than any other state. These and other measures have led one group to rank Minnesota as the healthiest state in the nation, and another to rank it fourth.

Minnesota State Guide - Law and Government

As in the federal government of the United States, power in Minnesota is divided into three main branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.

Executive

The executive branch is headed by the governor, currently Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, whose 1st term began 6 January 2003, and who was narrowly re-elected in 2006. The current lieutenant governor of Minnesota is Carol Molnau. Molnau also currently serves as the head of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Both the governor and lieutenant governor have four-year terms. The governor has a cabinet consisting of the leaders of various government agencies in the state, called commissioners. The other constitutional offices are secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor.

Legislative

The Minnesota Legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The state has 67 districts, each covering about 60,000 people. Each district has one senator and two representatives (each district being divided into A and B sections). Senators serve for four years and representatives for two years. In the November 2006 election, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party gained 19 house seats, giving them control of the Minnesota House of Representatives by 85-49. The Minnesota Senate is also controlled by the DFL, who in 2006 gained 6 seats to expand their majority to 44-23.

Judicial

Minnesota's court system has three levels. Most cases start in the district courts, which are courts of general jurisdiction. There are 272 district court judges in ten judicial districts. Appeals from the trial courts and challenges to certain governmental decisions are heard by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, consisting sixteen judges who typically sit in three-judge panels. The seven-justice Minnesota Supreme Court hears all appeals from the Tax Court, the Worker's Compensation Court, first-degree murder convictions, and discretionary appeals from the Court of Appeals; it also has original jurisdiction over election disputes.

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

Regional government

Below the city and county levels of government found in the United States, Minnesota has other entities that provide governmental oversight and planning. Some actions in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are coordinated by the Metropolitan Council, and many lakes and rivers are overseen by watershed districts and soil and water conservation districts.

There are seven Anishinaabe reservations and four Dakota communities in Minnesota. These communities govern themselves independently.

Federal representation

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

Federal court cases are heard in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, which holds court in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and Fergus Falls. Appeals are heard by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals based in St. Louis, Missouri and St. Paul.

Minnesota State Guide - Politics

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

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

In the 2006 mid-term election, Democrats were elected to all state offices except for governor and lieutenant governor, where Republicans Tim Pawlenty and Carol Molnau narrowly won reelection. The DFL also posted double-digit gains in both houses of the legislature, elected DFLer Amy Klobuchar to the U.S. Senate, and increased the Democratic U.S. House caucus by one.

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

Minnesota State Guide - Media

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

Broadcast television in Minnesota, and the Upper Midwest, started on April 27, 1948 when KSTP-TV began broadcasting. Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation which owns KSTP is now the only locally owned television company in Minnesota. There are currently 39 analog broadcast stations and 23 digital channels broadcast all over Minnesota.

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

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

Minnesota State Guide - Sports

Minnesota is home to nine professional sports teams, including teams in all four major professional leagues. Minnesota's professional baseball team, the Minnesota Twins, plays in the American League of Major League Baseball. The franchise began in 1901 as the Washington Senators and moved to Minnesota in 1961. Since moving to Minnesota they have won two championships, the 1987 and 1991 World Series. The Minnesota Vikings professional football team plays in the National Football League. They joined the league in 1961 as an expansion team and have appeared in four Super Bowls, but have yet to win the championship. The Twins and the Vikings both play home games in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Minnesota Wild is Minnesota's professional hockey team. The Wild joined the National Hockey League in 2000 as an expansion team. The Wild play their home games at the Xcel Energy Center, and as of October 2006 all 230 games that they have played in that building have been sold out. The Dallas Stars played in Minnesota from 1967 to 1993 as the Minnesota North Stars. The Minnesota Timberwolves play in the National Basketball Association and have a similar story. The Timberwolves were an expansion team in 1989. The Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA played as the Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 to 1960 before moving to Los Angeles.

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

In addition to professional sports teams there are also minor league teams. Minor league baseball is represented both by major league sponsored teams and independent teams such as the popular St. Paul Saints.

The state Colleges also compete athletically. The University of Minnesota (U of M) Minneapolis competes entirely in NCAA Division I sports. Several U of M satellite colleges and colleges in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System compete in the Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association. There are five NCAA Division II colleges represented by the North Central Conference in Minnesota, and thirteen NCAA Division III colleges represented by the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Article Source: Wikipedia