Minnesota: North Star State

By now you know Minnesota and Minneapolis due to the intervention of ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement). But do you know the State of Minnesota? Minnesota is one of the fifty states of the USA. 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 lie adjacent to each other, on opposite sides of the Mississippi, and are called the Twin Cities.

Minnesota

History

Before Europeans colonized present-day Minnesota, it was inhabited by Native American tribes such as the Ojibwe and the Sioux. The name Minnesota means “sky-colored water.” France occupied the area until the mid-18th century, followed by Great Britain. Between 1820 and 1930, approximately 1,3 million Swedes, at the time a third of the population, emigrated to North America. Many of them ended up in Minnesota. On March 3 1849 Minnesota officially became a so-called territory, which, however, also included the territory of the later states of North and South Dakota. The eastern half of the territory formally became the 32nd state of the United States on May 11, 1858. During the American Civil War, it sided with the Union. On March 3, 1949, in Saint Paul, the capital of Minnesota, a stamp issued in honor of the centenary of Minnesota as a territory of the United States. The stamp depicts a pioneer heading west and an ox cart on the Red River. The Red River ox cart, a two-wheeled cart made entirely of wood and pulled by oxen, was often made of buffalo tendons due to the shortage of nails at the border. Fur hunters and pioneers exploring the western borders of Canada and the US in the mid-nineteenth century used these carts. The Red River Ox Cart Trail ran from fur hunting posts such as Pembina and St. Joseph in the Red River Valley to St. Paul in Minnesota. Merchants transported furs to St. Paul and returned with supplies. The creaking sound of their wooden axles was characteristic. Deputy Third Assistant Postmaster General Robert E. Fellers spoke at the ceremony marking the first day. He remarked: “The 100th anniversary of Minnesota as a territory is an important event in the history of our country. The greatest honor the Postal Department can bestow to commemorate this event is the issuance of a commemorative stamp.”

A large part of what is now Minnesota was part of the vast French possession of Louisiana, which the United States purchased in 1803. After various territorial reorganizations, the Minnesota Territory became in 1858 admitted to the Union as the 32nd state. Minnesota’s official motto, L’Étoile du Nord (“Star of the North”), is the only state motto in French. This phrase was adopted shortly after joining the Union and reflects both the early French explorers and the state’s position as the northernmost state in the contiguous United States.

The flag of the state of Minnesota was in 1957 redesigned in preparation for the centenary of the state in 1958. As part of broader efforts to commemorate 100 years of “State,” the legislature saw an opportunity to modernize the appearance of the flag and improve its practical usability. The original design of the flag, with a white front and a blue back, was expensive to produce and frayed quickly in strong winds. To address these problems, the new version was given a uniform design with a blue field on both sides, allowing for a more durable single-layer construction that was also more cost-effective to produce.

Since the late 20th century, Minnesota's economy has diversified away from traditional industries such as agriculture and resource extraction toward services, finance, and healthcare. Minnesota ranks high compared to the national average for life expectancy, healthcare, and education, and above average for per capita income. Minnesota has 11 federally recognized Native American reservations (seven Ojibwe, four Dakota), and its culture, demographics, and religious landscape reflect Scandinavian and German influences. This heritage continues to influence the state's racial demographics, making it one of the least diverse states in the country. However, in recent decades, Minnesota has become more multicultural due to both increased internal migration and immigration from Latin America, Asia, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East. The state has the largest Somali community among Americans and the second-largest Hmong community in the country.  

Geography and climate

The state of Minnesota covers 225.365 km², of which 206.375 km² is land. The state is located in the Central Time Zone.

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, excluding Alaska, lies on the Northwest Angle peninsula, which belongs to Minnesota. The long river originates in the northern Itasca State Park. Mississippi, which forms part of the border with Wisconsin. Furthermore, Minnesota has many larger and smaller lakes, according to some sources more than 15.000. The northeastern part of the state lies on Lake Superior. Minnesota is relatively flat. The highest point is the summit of Eagle Mountain (701 m). Minnesota is known for its harsh climate. On February 2, 1996, -51 °C was recorded near the town of Tower, while temperatures of 46 °C were reached in the summers of 1917 and 1936. Many Native American reservations are located, particularly in the north of the state.  

Tourism

Explore America and discover people, places, art, and history connected to Minnesota in the collections of the Smithsonian. Minnesota, also known as the “Land of 10.000 Lakes,” proudly embraces winter with beloved leisure activities such as ice fishing and ice hockey. [/ One_half] [one_half_last]         Minnesota has produced many notable writers; Sinclair Lewis was the first American to win a Nobel Prize for Literature. Other prominent writers from the state include Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of Little House on the Prairie, feminist thinker Dr. Kate Millet, and novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. Minnesota is also the birthplace of cartoonist Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip. Peanuts, with the beloved characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, the only musician to have received the Nobel Prize for Literature, comes from Duluth. In Paisley Park, the extraordinary musical talents of Prince Rodgers Nelson are immortalized. In the late fifties, the twin cities of Minneapolis and began Saint Paul to be known as an important center for medical technology. The area, later named “Medical Alley,” continues to innovate in the fields of medical technology and patient care. Minnesota’s innovative power has also led to the invention of Scotch tape, the Toastmaster – the first electric pop-up toaster – and the original Bundt Pan.  

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Minnesota State: https://mn.gov/portal/ Minnesota tourism: https://www.exploreminnesota.com/