| State of Minnesota | |
| Coordinates | 46°N, 94°W |
| General | |
| Surface | 225,365 km² (8.4% water) |
| Inhabitants | 5,344,861 (25.9 inhabitant/km²) |
| Capital city | Saint Paul |
| Politics | |
| Governor | Tim Walz (DFL) |
| Other | |
| Time zone | Central Standard Time (UTC−6) |
| Joined | May 11, 1858 |
| Nickname | North Star State |
| Website | mn.gov |
Minnesota is one of the states of the United States. The standard abbreviation for the “North Star State”, as it is nicknamed, is MN. The capital is Saint Paul, and the largest city is Minneapolis. These cities abut each other, on opposite sides of the Mississippi, and are referred to as the Twin Cities.
History
Before Europeans colonized present-day Minnesota, it was populated by Native American tribes such as the Ojibwe and the Sioux. The name Minnesota means “sky-colored water”.
Until the mid- 18th century, France controlled the area, then the United Kingdom. On March 3, 1849, Minnesota officially became a so-called territory, which also included the territory of the later states of North and South Dakota. The eastern half of the territory formally became a state of the United States on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd. During the American Civil War, it sided with the Union.
Geography and Climate
The state of Minnesota covers 225,365 km², of which 206,375 km² is land. The state is in the Central time zone.
According to JIBIN123.COM, Minnesota borders Canada to the north, the states of North Dakota and South Dakota to the west, Wisconsin to the east, and Iowa to the south. The northernmost point of the United States, not counting Alaska, is on Minnesota’s Northwest Angle Peninsula . Northern Itasca State Park is where the long Mississippi River originates, which forms part of the Wisconsin border. Furthermore, Minnesota has much larger and smaller lakes, according to some sources more than 15,000. The northeast of the state is located on Lake Upper. Minnesota is quite flat. The highest point is the peak of Eagle Mountain (701 m).
The state is known for its harsh climate. On February 2, 1996, at Tower -51 °C was measured, while in the summers of 1917 and 1936 46 °C was reached. There are many Indian reservations, especially in the north of the state.
Administrative division
According to COUNTRYAAH, Minnesota is divided into 87 counties.
| County | Inhabitants 1 July, 2007 |
County Seat | Inhabitants 1 July, 2007 |
| Aitkin | 15.910 | Aitkin | 1979 |
| Anoka | 326.252 | Anoka | 17.261 |
| Becker | 31.964 | Detroit Lakes | 8030 |
| Beltrami | 43.609 | Bemidji | 13.419 |
| Benton | 39.504 | Foley | 2381 |
| Big Stone | 5385 | Ortonville | 1980 |
| Blue Earth | 59.802 | Mankato | 35.881 |
| Brown | 26.013 | New Ulm | 13.158 |
| Carlton | 33.893 | Carlton | 771 |
| Carver | 88.459 | Chaska | 23.947 |
| Cass | 28.723 | Walker | 1145 |
| Chippewa | 12.465 | Montevideo | 5212 |
| Chisago | 50.128 | Center City | 599 |
| Clay | 54.835 | Moorhead | 35.329 |
| Clearwater | 8245 | Bagley | 1282 |
| Cook | 5398 | Grand Marais | 1420 |
| Cottonwood | 11.349 | Windom | 4223 |
| Crow Wing | 61.648 | Brainerd | 13.724 |
| Dakota | 390.478 | Hastings | 21.661 |
| Dodge | 19.552 | Mantorville | 1149 |
| Douglas | 36.075 | Alexandria | 11.187 |
| Faribault | 14.869 | Blue Earth | 3300 |
| Fillmore | 21.037 | Preston | 1343 |
| Freeborn | 31.257 | Albert Lea | 17.552 |
| Goodhue | 45.839 | Red Wing | 15.703 |
| Grant | 6021 | Elbow Lake | 1194 |
| Hennepin | 1.136.599 | Minneapolis | 377.392 |
| Houston | 19.515 | Caledonia | 2861 |
| Hubbard | 18.781 | Park Rapids | 3578 |
| Isanti | 38.921 | Cambridge | 7613 |
| Itasca | 44.542 | Grand Rapids | 8725 |
| Jackson | 10.883 | Jackson | 3350 |
| Kanabec | 16.090 | Mora | 3430 |
| Kandiyohi | 40.784 | Willmar | 17.860 |
| Kittson | 4505 | Hallock | 1026 |
| Koochiching | 13.459 | International Falls | 6039 |
| Lac qui Parle | 7258 | Madison | 1583 |
| Lake | 10.741 | Two Harbors | 3356 |
| Lake of the Woods | 4095 | Baudette | 952 |
| Le Sueur | 28.034 | Le Center | 2298 |
| Lincoln | 5877 | Ivanhoe | 595 |
| Lyon | 24.695 | Marshall | 12.500 |
| McLeod | 37.220 | Glencoe | 5586 |
| Mahnomen | 5129 | Mahnomen | 1185 |
| Marshall | 9618 | Warren | 1571 |
| Martin | 20.462 | Fairmont | 10.251 |
| Meeker | 23.211 | Litchfield | 6594 |
| Mille Lacs | 26.354 | Milaca | 3016 |
| Morrison | 32.733 | Little Falls | 8133 |
| Mower | 38.040 | Austin | 22.947 |
| Murray | 8511 | Slayton | 1864 |
| Nicollet | 31.680 | St. Peter | 10.839 |
| Nobles | 20.128 | Worthington | 10.919 |
| Norman | 6685 | Ada | 1481 |
| Olmsted | 139.747 | Rochester | 99.121 |
| Otter Tail | 57.031 | Fergus Falls | 13.697 |
| Pennington | 13.756 | Thief River Falls | 8477 |
| Pine | 28.164 | Pine City | 3311 |
| Pipestone | 9305 | Pipestone | 4095 |
| Polk | 30.708 | Crookston | 7727 |
| Pope | 11.065 | Glenwood | 2532 |
| Ramsey | 499.891 | St. Paul | 277.251 |
| Red Lake | 4118 | Red Lake Falls | 1515 |
| Redwood | 15.519 | Redwood Falls | 5095 |
| Renville | 16.132 | Olivia | 2401 |
| Rice | 61.955 | Faribault | 21.953 |
| Rock | 9498 | Luverne | 4449 |
| Roseau | 15.946 | Roseau | 2773 |
| St. Louis | 196.694 | Duluth | 84.397 |
| Scott | 126.642 | Shakopee | 33.460 |
| Sherburne | 86.287 | Elk River | 22.756 |
| Sibley | 15.007 | Gaylord | 2136 |
| Stearns | 146.051 | St. Cloud | 66.503 |
| Steele | 36.378 | Owatonna | 24.719 |
| Stevens | 9624 | Morris | 4969 |
| Swift | 11.192 | Benson | 3081 |
| Todd | 24.029 | Long Prairie | 2840 |
| Traverse | 3712 | Wheaton | 1447 |
| Wabasha | 21.783 | Wabasha | 2527 |
| Wadena | 13.382 | Wadena | 3983 |
| Waseca | 19.528 | Waseca | 9505 |
| Washington | 226.475 | Stillwater | 17.764 |
| Watonwan | 11.022 | St. James | 4344 |
| Wilkin | 6418 | Breckenridge | 3259 |
| Winona | 49.802 | Winona | 26.726 |
| Wright | 117.372 | Buffalo | 14.058 |
| Yellow Medicine | 10.128 | Granite Falls | 2890 |
Politics
The executive branch of the state is headed by a governor, who is directly elected by the voters in the state. The 2018 gubernatorial election was won by Tim Walz of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. He took office as governor of Minnesota in January 2019.
The parliament consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives, just like at the federal American level. The state is divided into 67 districts each containing about 60,000 people. Each district elects one senator and two representatives to the House. Senators are elected for a four-year term, representatives for two years.
The last Republican presidential candidate to win in Minnesota was Richard Nixon in 1972. In subsequent elections, the state has consistently supported the Democratic presidential candidate. Despite this uniquely long uninterrupted streak, Minnesota is not known for being solidly Democratic. Hillary Clinton, for example, won only a narrow victory over Donald Trump in 2016.
Demographics
Minnesota had 4,919,479 inhabitants (22 per km²), of which approximately 70% of the population lives in urban areas. Relatively many of them are descended from German and Scandinavian immigrants.
The main cities are the neighboring cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, located west and east of the Mississippi respectively and known by the nickname Twin Cities. About 60% of Minnesota’s population lives in the metropolitan area of these two cities.
Minneapolis and Saint Paul are the only cities in Minnesota with more than 100,000 residents. There are fifteen cities with 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, the largest of which are Rochester and Duluth.
Economy
The gross product of the state in 2001 was $188 billion. Well-known companies from the state are 3M (Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing) and Honeywell, but also NWA, Northwest Airlines.
