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MINNESOTA - USA
Minnesota is the 32nd state of the United States,
having joined the Union on May 11, 1858. Its name is from the Dakota
people's name for the Minnesota River, mini sota, variously translated "smoky-white
water" or "sky-tinted water". The state's name is abbreviated Minn. or MN.
Minnesota, along with neighboring states North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa,
and Wisconsin, form a region called the "Upper Midwest," a subsection of the
Midwestern United States.
The USS Minnesota was named in honor of this state, as was the SS Gopher
State.
History
History prior to joining the United States
Originally inhabited by Native Americans, in particular the Ojibwe (Chippewa,
Anishinaabe) and Dakota, although the Ho-Chunk also had a presence in the
southeastern part of the state.
Economy originally consisted of hunter-gather lifemode, which changed over
time as Europeans settled in the area and further exploited the state's
natural resources.
First European visitors were, according to local tradition, Swedish and
Norwegian Vikings, in the 14th century, as testified by the controversial
Kensington Runestone.
First European settlement was the area now known as the city of Stillwater,
on the St. Croix River.
Fort Snelling, located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and the
Mississippi River, was one of the earliest U.S. military presences in the
state. It is now a historic site.
Joins the U.S.
Minnesota was designated a territory on March 3, 1849, but that territory
was not coextensive with the present state, since the territory included
what later became the territory of Dakota, and later still became the states
of North Dakota and South Dakota. The eastern half of the territory of
Minnesota became the present state of Minnesota—the 32nd state—on May 11,
1858.
Law and Government
Executive. The current governor—Tim Pawlenty, a Republican—started his term
on January 6, 2003. The full list of governors, and the dates they took
office, is available at List of Governors of Minnesota.
Legislature. Minnesota has a bicameral legislature (Senate and House). 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). Senators serve for four years, and representatives serve for two years.
As of July 2004, the state House of Representatives is controlled by the
Republican Party, with the state Senate being controlled by the DFL. As of
July 5, 2004, there is one Independence Party legislator, former Republican
State Senator Sheila Kiscaden (IP-Rochester).
Judiciary. The state court system has three levels:
Trial courts. The state is split into 10 judicial districts, with 257 judges.
Most state cases start in the trial courts.
Minnesota Court of Appeals. This body hears appeals on cases tried in the
trial courts. There are 16 judges, who divide into three-judge panels to
hear appeals in courts across the state.
Minnesota Supreme Court. The seven justices on the Supreme Court hear
appeals from the Court of Appeals, the Tax Court, and the Worker's
Compensation Court. The court automatically reviews first-degree murder
convictions, and settles disuputes over legislative elections.
The state has two special courts created by state law as executive-branch
agencies:
The Tax Court deals with non-criminal tax cases across the state. It has
three judges appointed by the governor to six-year terms, following approval
from the state Senate
The Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals deals with cases involving worker
injuries referred to it on appeal, or transferred from district court. It
has five judges appointed by the governor to six-year terms, following
approval from the state Senate
Federal cases are heard in the federal district courts in Minneapolis, St.
Paul, or Duluth. Minnesota is part of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals,
which is located in St. Paul. Appeals beyond this level go to the U.S.
Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
In addition to the standard city and county levels of government found in
the United States, Minnesota also has other entities that provide
governmental oversight. 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.
List of political parties in Minnesota
Constitution
A hyperlinked text of the State's Constitution is available at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/preamble.htm.
The full text, without internal links, can also be viewed at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/mncon.htm.
Geography
Minnesota covers 79,610 square miles (2.25% of the United States). It is
famous for its lakes, having in excess of 15,000, depending on the source of
the count. Much of the state is flat, having been eroded during repeated
glacial periods (most recently the Wisconsin Glacier). The Minnesota portion
of Lake Superior is the largest body of water in the state.
Minnesota is home to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), as
well as a number of state and county parks, most notably Itasca State Park,
the source of the Mississippi River.
After its rivers and lakes, Minnesota's most prominent physical feature is
the Iron Range This is a range of low mountains that run across the northern
part of the state. It is called the Iron Range because when discovered, it
had some of the largest deposits of iron ore in the country. Although the
high-grade iron ore was mostly mined out during World War II, taconite is
still mined across the Iron Range.
It is bordered on the north by Canada (Manitoba and Ontario), on the east by
Wisconsin and Lake Superior, on the south by Iowa, and on the west by North
Dakota and South Dakota. It is the northernmost of the 48 contiguous states
(Alaska reaches significantly farther north), reaching to 49° 23' 4" north
latitude, due to a small piece of the state known as the Northwest Angle.
The capital is St. Paul, which sits on the opposite bank of the Mississippi
River to the largest city, Minneapolis, (together known as the Twin Cities).
Other prominent cities include Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato, Rochester (home
of the world-famous Mayo Clinic), and Bloomington.
The state's average elevation is 1,200 feet, with a high point at Eagle
Mountain (2,301 feet) and a low at the surface of Lake Superior (602 feet)
The state is famously cold in the winters, with a record low of -60°F
measured at Tower, MN on February 2, 1996. Surprisingly, due to the flows of
the jet stream, parts of Alaska often see relatively warm temperatures when
Minnesota is experiencing extreme cold. As part of the Great Plains region,
however, it also experiences warm summers, with a record high of 114°F
reached in 1917 and 1936. The average temperature in January (the coldest
month) is 11.2°F, and the average in the warmest month of July is 73.1°F.
The average annual precipitation is 28.32 inches, with a snowfall figure of
49.6 inches.
Economy
State income
The average state income in Minnesota in 1999 was $30,742 (according to the
State Demographic Center—the Northeast Midwest Institute gives the figure as
$30,793). This compares to a national average of $28,546. The average
household income in 1999 was approximately $48,000, ranking eighth in the
nation (U.S. Census Bureau). The county averages range from $17,369 (Todd
County) to $42,313 (Hennepin County, a portion of the Metro area). In
general, salaries are lowest in more rural areas, particularly in the
northwest portion of the state.
Major industries/products
The Twin Cities are home to a diverse range of major businesses, including
3M Co. (formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.), Northwest Airlines,
Target Corporation (including Target Stores and Mervyn's), U.S. Bancorp,
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (formerly Lutheran Brotherhood), Medtronic,
Cray Computers, Imation, and a regional headquarters of Wells Fargo & Co.
The city of Rochester is the headquarters of the Mayo Clinic, and has a
significant manufacturing presence in International Business Machines. The
largest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America, is located
in Bloomington.
A large proportion of the state's economy is still agricultural.
Additionally, northern Minnesota is a source for iron ore and wood products,
though these are both declining industries. A fair amount of ethanol alcohol
fuel is produced in the state, and a 10% mix of ethanol into consumer
gasoline has been mandated since 1997 (as of 2004, Minnesota is the only U.S.
state with such a mandate). If production capacity meets the need, 2%
biodiesel will be required in diesel fuel in 2005. Many farmers also now
operate windmills to produce electricity, particularly in the windy
southwest region.
State Taxes
Minnesota is regarded as a high-tax state by some. It has an income and
sales tax, as well as levying taxes on a common range of goods such as
tobacco, gasoline, and alcohol. The state does not charge sales tax on
clothing, services (massages, haircuts, auto work, etc), or non-prepared
food items.
Minnesota businesses and individuals paid an average of 11.8% of their
income in state and local taxes in 1998, down from 12.7% in 1996 (Minnesota
Department of Revenue). The Gross State Product was just under $173 billion
in 1999 (Northeast Midwest Institute), with approximately $17.5 billion in
exports in 2000
Retail sales per capita were $10,260 in 1997, higher than the U.S. average
of $9,190 (U.S. Census Bureau).
Demographics
The state population, as of 2002, is 5,019,720 (1.74% of the nation), with a
growth rate of 12.4% in the last 10 years (compared to 13.1% for the nation).
88.2% of the state is white (excluding Hispanic/Latino), 3.5% Black/African
American, 2.9% Hispanic/Latino, 2.9% Asian. Minnesotans traditionally count
themselves as of Nordic descent (approximately 1.5 million people claim
Danish, Finnish, Norwegian or Swedish ancestry), though more families
originated in Germany (approximately 2 million). More modern immigrant
communities include the third-largest Hmong population in the United States
(from the Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam region), and a large presence from Somalia.
The population distribution by age is (Northeast Midwest Institute):
0-18 - 1,361,616 (27.7%)
19-34 - 1,068,850 (21.7%)
35-64 - 1,894,747 (38.6%)
65+ - 594,266 (12.1%)
Religious makeup of state
Minnesotans are largely Catholic and mainline Protestant. The largest
Protestant body in the state is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
In recent years, new immigrants have added to the religious mix in Minnesota.
There are now mosques throughout the state, as well as Buddhist temples and
Hindu mandirs.
Education
Colleges and universities
Alfred Adler Institute
American Lutheran Theological Seminary
Association Free Lutheran Bible School and Seminary
Augsburg College
Bethany Lutheran College
Bethel College and Seminary
Capella University
Carleton College
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
College of St. Catherine
College of St. Scholastica
College of Visual Arts
Concordia College, Moorhead
Concordia University, Saint Paul
Crown College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Hamline University
Luther Seminary
Macalester College
Martin Luther College
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC)
Minnesota Bible College
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU)
Bemidji State University
Minnesota State University Mankato
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Metropolitan State University
Southwest Minnesota State University
St. Cloud State University
Winona State University
North Central University
Northwestern College
Oak Hills Christian College
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
St. Olaf College
University Center Rochester
University of Minnesota System
University of Minnesota Crookston
University of Minnesota Duluth
University of Minnesota Morris
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Saint Thomas
Walden University
William Mitchell College of Law
Professional sports teams
Minnesota Vikings, National Football League
Minnesota Twins, Major League Baseball
Minnesota Timberwolves, National Basketball Association
Minnesota Lynx, Women's National Basketball Association
Minnesota Wild, National Hockey League
Minnesota Thunder, A-League Soccer
St. Paul Saints, minor league baseball
Miscellaneous information
Symbols and emblems
State Bird - Loon
State Butterfly - Monarch
State Drink - Milk
State Fish - Walleye
State Flower - Pink and White Showy Lady Slipper
State Gemstone - Lake Superior Agate
State Grain - Wild rice
Territory Motto (intended) - Quae sursum volo videre (“I wish to see what is
beyond”)
Territory Motto (actual) - Quo sursum velo videre (“I cover to see what is
above” is the closest translation)
State Motto - L'Étoile du Nord (“Star of the North”)
State Muffin - Blueberry (adopted as part of a school project on how a bill
becomes law)
State Mushroom - Morel (sponge mushroom; honeycomb morel)
State Picture - Grace
State Song - "Hail! Minnesota"
State Tree - Red Pine
Nicknames - Gopher State; North Star State; Land of 10,000 Lakes
Early explorers
Michel Aco
Father Louis Hennepin
Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut
Zebulon Pike
Henry Schoolcraft
Joseph Nicollet
Father Jacques Marquette
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