Minnesota Details

Minnesota is a state situated in the Midwestern region of the United States. It has a land area of 86,943 sq miles and is said to be the 12th largest state in the country. Its population is estimated to be around 5.2 million. Minnesota is derived from a Dakota Indian word which means ‘sky-tinted water’. It became the 32nd member of the union in May 11, 1858.

This state was claimed for by Louis XIV by Daniel Greysolon, Sieur Duluth. It was later acquired by the US via the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

Minnesota is teeming in natural resources. It produces 75% of the entire nation’s iron ore. Its farms yield large quantities of corn, wheat, rye, alfalfa and sugar beets. This state also provides butter, eggs, milk, potatoes, green peas, barley, soybeans, oats and livestock. Aside from agricultural products, Minnesota also produce non-electrical machinery, fabricated metals, flour-mill products, plastics, electronic computers, scientific instruments and processed foods. This state is also a leader in printing and paper-product industries.

The capital of Minnesota is St.Paul, the nation’s biggest publisher of calendars and law books. Minneapolis is the trade center of the Midwest and is cited as the world’s largest super-computer and grain distributor. Minneapolis and St. Paul are referred o as Twin Cities and are the nation’s third-largest trucking center. Other notable cities in Minnesota include Duluth which has the nation’s largest inland harbor and Rochester, home of the world-famous medical center named Mayo Clinic.

Major attractions in Minnesota include the St. Paul Winter Carnival; the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre, the Institute of Arts, Walker Art Center, and Minnehaha Park, in Minneapolis; Boundary Waters Canoe Area; Voyageurs National Park; North Shore Drive; the Minnesota Zoological Gardens; and the state’s more than 10,000 lakes.