Minnesota: The North Star State

Minnesota: The North Star State book cover — ENCYCLOPÆDIA Britannica DISCOVER AMERICA Minnesota The North Star State CHICAGO LONDON NEW DELHI PARIS SEOUL SYDNEY TAIPEI TOKYO

Minnesota: The North Star State — page 1 — 4 MINNESOTA INTRODUCTION Minnesota is famous for its many lakes One of the state’s nicknames is Land of 10,000 Lakes but there are actually more than 12,000 With so many lakes fishing and canoeing are popular recreational sports Along Minnesota’s lakeshores are a variety of cottages beaches tourist camps and resorts In addition to its lakes the state’s plentiful resources include its rivers forests minerals and fertile soil These resources have allowed a diverse economy to evolve there over many years Fur trapping flour milling and lumbering were early industries to develop in Minnesota Iron-ore mining has been vital to the northern part of the state Today food processing particularly of corn and dairy products and other manufacturing contribute greatly to the state’s wealth Minnesota is one of 13 states that share a border with Canada It is also the 12th largest state Minnesota is 358 miles wide at its widest point and 406 miles long Minneapolis windsurfers need not travel far to enjoy this water sport The city has 22 natural lakes within its limits Many Minnesotans learn to fish at a young age Minnesota has a few nicknames It is called the Gopher State and the Bread and Butter State but it is officially known as the North Star State The state flag features a wreath surrounding the state seal Three dates appear on the wreath 1819 for when Fort Snelling was founded 1858 for when Minnesota joined the Union and 1893 for when the flag was adopted The state name comes from a Dakota word meaning cloudy or sky colored water The name refers to the Minnesota River

Minnesota: The North Star State — page 2 — INTRODUCTION 5 Minnesota is in the north-central United States and lies near to the center of North America Manitoba and Ontario in Canada are its neighbors to the north North Dakota and South Dakota are to the west Iowa is to the south and Wisconsin and Lake Superior are to the east Most people travel to Minnesota by air or road A network of highways totaling 12,000 miles crisscrosses the state The state also boasts 10 commercial airports The largest airport in Minnesota is the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport which serves more than 30 million travelers each year The natural landscape of Minnesota is etched in valleys prairies wilderness areas high bluffs rocky shores and of course its thousands and thousands of lakes One small part of Minnesota extends farther north than any other state in the country except Alaska Minnesota’s nickname the North Star State is a translation of the French motto on the state seal The Minneapolis St Paul International Airport typically has about a half million takeoffs and landings each year The highest point in Minnesota is Eagle Mountain at 2,301 feet It is located in the northeastern part of the state and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful parks on the planet Superior National Forest and its Boundary Water Canoe Wilderness Area are natural tourist attractions Greyhound Lines a company that provides bus transportation between cities began operation in Minnesota in 1914 The first route took miners from Hibbing to several nearby iron mines Minnesota Location Map Capital Saint Paul Interstate highways Scale 0 0 35 56 70 Mi 113 Km Population 4,919,479 Size 86,943 square miles Highest peak Eagle Mountain 2,301 feet

1

PAGE 1 OF 29

The only kids' eBook subscription service that offers thousands of high-quality books from well known publishers like HarperCollins, National Geographic and others.

JavaScript Required

Whoops! We're sorry but Epic doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Check your web browser's settings to make sure it's enabled.