Wisconsin (State)

State of Wisconsin
Coordinates 44°30’N, 89°30’W
General
Surface 169,790 km²
(17.1% water)
Inhabitants 5,711,767
(40.6 inhabitant/km²)
Capital city Madison
Politics
Governor Tony Evers (D)
Other
Time zone Central Standard Time (UTC−6)
Joined May 29, 1848
Nickname Badger State
ISO 3166-2 US-WI
Website wisconsin.gov

Wisconsin is one of the states of the United States. The standard abbreviation for the “Badger State,” as its nickname goes, is WI. The capital is Madison and the largest city is Milwaukee. The state’s name is derived from the Wisconsin River , which flows through the state.

History

Before Europeans colonized present-day Wisconsin, it was inhabited by various Native American peoples. Until the 18th century, the area was in French hands, who lost it to the English. The name is derived via French from a Myamia word that would mean “this river meanders through red stone”, a reference to the red sandstone cliffs of the Wisconsin Dells.

Wisconsin also originally included an area that was added to Michigan in 1835 and is now known as the Upper Peninsula.

Wisconsin formally became the 30th state of the United States on May 29, 1848. It was part of the Union during the American Civil War . Later in the decade, Germans, Poles, Norwegians, Irish, Dutch, Belgians, Swiss, and other Europeans immigrated to Wisconsin. These immigrants were seeking better economic opportunities, and in some cases fleeing political oppression.

Dutch and Belgians

A group of Catholic Dutchmen, consisting mainly of poor smallholder farmers from North Brabant and Limburg, left for the state of Wisconsin, where they settled in Little Chute and Green Bay, among other places. A large group of Belgians and Dutchmen also settled in the state, including in Brown County and Kewaunee County. Some place names (such as Belgium and Namur) keep the memory of this alive.

Every year there is a Holland festival in Cedar Grove.

Geography

The state of Wisconsin covers 169,790 km², of which 140,787 km² is land. The state is located in the Central time zone. Wisconsin borders Michigan to the north, Minnesota and Iowa to the west, and Illinois to the south.

According to JIBIN123.COM, Wisconsin is located on two of the Great Lakes: Lake Upper and Lake Michigan. The western border is largely formed by the St. Croix River and the Mississippi. The Wisconsin flowing into the Mississippi flows through the state. Wisconsin also has many lakes, of which Lake Winnebago is the largest.

The state is quite flat; the highest point is the summit of Timms Hill (595 m).

Climate

The southernmost part of Wisconsin has a humid continental climate with hot summers and the colder north is classified as a humid continental climate with warm summers. The highest temperature ever recorded was in Wisconsin Dells, on July 13, 1936, where the temperature reached a maximum of 46°C (114°F). The lowest temperature was recorded in Couderay, Wisconsin. Temperatures there dropped to -48°C (-55°F) on both February 2 and 4, 1996.

Average Minimum and Maximum Temperatures for Wisconsin Cities by Month [°F (°C)]
City Jan Feb mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Green Bay 25/10(−4/−12) 29/13(−2/−11) 40/23(5/−5) 55/35(13/1) 67/45(19/7) 76/55(25/13) 81/59(27/15) 79/58(26/14) 71/49(22/10) 58/38(14/4) 43/28(6/−2) 30/15(−1/−9)
Hurley 19/0(−7/−18) 26/4(-4/−16) 36/16(2/+9) 49/29(9/-2) 65/41(18/5) 73/50(23/10) 76/56(25/15) 75/54(24/12) 65/46(18/8) 53/35(12/2) 36/22(2/-6) 24/8(-5/−14)
La Crosse 26/6(−3/−14) 32/13(0/−11) 45/24(7/−4) 60/37(16/3) 77/49(22/9) 81/58(27/14) 85/63(29/17) 82/61(28/16) 74/52(23/22) 61/40(16/4) 44/27(7/−3) 30/14(−1/−10)
Madison 27/11(−3/−12) 32/15(0/−9) 44/25(7/−4) 58/36(14/2) 69/46(21/8) 79/56(26/13) 82/61(28/16) 80/59(27/15) 73/50(23/10) 60/39(15/3) 45/28(7/−2) 31/16(−1/−9)
Milwaukee 29/16(−2/−9) 33/19(0/−7) 42/28(6/−2) 54/37(12/3) 65/47(18/8) 75/57(24/14) 80/64(27/18) 79/63(26/17) 17/88(22/13) 59/43(15/6) 46/32(8/0) 33/20(0/−7)
Superior 21/2(−6/−17) 26/6(-3/−14) 35/17(2/−8) 46/29(8/-2) 56/38(13/3) 66/47(19/8) 75/56(24/13) 74/57(23/14) 65/47(18/8) 52/36(11/2) 38/23(3/−5) 25/9(−4/−13)

Demography and Economics

Wisconsin had a population of 5,363,675 (32 per km²). More than 40% is of German descent.

The largest city in Wisconsin is Milwaukee. Other cities include the capital Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha, Racine, Appleton, Oshkosh, and Eau Claire.

The gross product of the state in 2001 was $177 billion.

Wisconsin is an agricultural state and the largest cheese producer in the United States. Due to the great importance of the cheese industry, the state is sometimes referred to as “America’s dairyland”

Administrative division

According to COUNTRYAAH, Wisconsin is divided into 72 counties.

County Inhabitants
1 July, 2007
County Seat Inhabitants
1 July, 2007
Adams 20.675 Friendship 743
Ashland 16.296 Ashland 8064
Barron 45.606 Barron 3158
Bayfield 15.039 Washburn 2105
Brown 243.132 Green Bay 100.781
Buffalo 13.812 Alma 894
Burnett 16.321 Siren 831
Calumet 44.323 Chilton 3611
Chippewa 60.402 Chippewa Falls 13.319
Clark 33.490 Neillsville 2574
Columbia 55.280 Portage 9802
Crawford 16.998 Prairie du Chien 5768
Dane 476.785 Madison 228.775
Dodge 87.786 Juneau 2596
Door 27.811 Sturgeon Bay 8975
Douglas 43.721 Superior 26.625
Dunn 42.329 Menomonie 15.421
Eau Claire 97.406 Eau Claire 64.980
Florence 4768 Florence
Fond du Lac 99.124 Fond du Lac 42.063
Forest 9807 Crandon 1864
Grant 48.792 Lancaster 3869
Green 35.727 Monroe 10.512
Green Lake 18.735 Green Lake 1138
Iowa 23.561 Dodgeville 4502
Iron 6307 Hurley 1586
Jackson 19.856 Black River Falls 3457
Jefferson 80.213 Jefferson 7792
Juneau 26.548 Mauston 4264
Kenosha 162.921 Kenosha 96.265
Kewaunee 20.533 Kewaunee 2813
La Crosse 111.411 La Crosse 50.719
Lafayette 15.819 Darlington 2257
Langlade 20.302 Antigo 8088
Lincoln 29.659 Merrill 9649
Manitowoc 80.928 Manitowoc 33.033
Marathon 129.958 Wausau 38.054
Marinette 42.571 Marinette 10.759
Marquette 14.982 Montello 1445
Menominee 4616 Keshena 1394
Milwaukee 951.252 Milwaukee 602.191
Monroe 43.112 Sparta 8971
Oconto 37.466 Oconto 4610
Oneida 36.243 Rhinelander 7687
Outagamie 173.703 Appleton 70.017
Ozaukee 85.602 Port Washington 11.020
Pepin 7383 Durand 1879
Pierce 39.577 Ellsworth 3116
Polk 44.265 Balsam Lake 1041
Portage 68.272 Stevens Point 24.849
Price 14.465 Phillips 1483
Racine 195.099 Racine 78.805
Richland 18.142 Richland Center 5077
Rock 159.623 Janesville 63.012
Rusk 14.655 Ladysmith 3525
Sauk 58.477 Baraboo 11.049
Sawyer 17.088 Hayward 2285
Shawano 41.072 Shawano 8630
Sheboygan 114.504 Sheboygan 48.130
St. Croix 81.131 Hudson 12.049
Taylor 19.312 Medford 4050
Trempealeau 27.815 Whitehall 1608
Vernon 29.014 Viroqua 4327
Vilas 22.083 Eagle River 1542
Walworth 100.800 Elkhorn 9077
Washburn 16.682 Shell Lake 1308
Washington 128.211 West Bend 29.778
Waukesha 379.333 Waukesha 66.762
Waupaca 52.045 Waupaca 5849
Waushara 24.766 Wautoma 2068
Winnebago 162.154 Oshkosh 64.592
Wood 73.944 Wisconsin Rapids 17.493

 

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 Tony Evers of the Democratic Party. He took office as governor of Wisconsin in January 2019.

The legislature consists of the Wisconsin State Assembly (lower house) with 99 members and the Wisconsin Senate (upper house) with 33 members.

Transport

The state of Wisconsin is served by several regional airports. The state also boasts an extensive highway network consisting of eight interstate highways.

Amtrak, the US national rail operator, serves the state with two different train services: Hiawatha (7 times a day between Milwaukee and Chicago) and the “empire builder” (1 time a day in each direction between Seattle/Portland – Chicago)

Born

  • Jeffrey Dahmer (1960-1994), serial killer
  • Joseph Detmer (1983), all-rounder

In popular media

The American TV series “That 70’s Show” is set in Wisconsin. The characters live in the fictional town “Point place”. The “Happy Days” series was also set in Wisconsin, Milwaukee, to be precise.

Flag of Wisconsin