Minnesota – ipl Stately Knowledge: Facts about the United States

Minnesota

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AbbreviationMN
Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations
CapitalSt. Paul
Population5,303,925
Source: 2010 Demographic Profile — U.S. Census Bureau
GovernorMark Dayton (Democrat, to January 2019)
Entered the UnionMay 11, 1858
as the 32nd state
MottoFatti L’Etoile du Nord (The North Star)
NicknameThe North Star State, The Gopher State, The Land of 10,000 Lakes
FlowerShowy lady’s slipper
BirdCommon loon (also known as Great Northern Diver)
SongHail Minnesota
Professional Sports TeamsMinnesota Timberwolves (Basketball); Minnesota Vikings (Football); Minnesota Twins (Baseball); Minnesota Wild (Hockey); Minnesota Lynx (Women’s Basketball)
(sports listing policy)
Origin of NameFrom a Dakota Indian word meaning “sky-tinted water”
Historical SitesBoundary Waters Canoe Area, Voyageurs National Park, North Shore Drive
Points of InterestMinnesota Zoological Gardens and the state’s more than 10,000 lakes
Bordering StatesMinnesota borders Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the nation of Canada.
FlagMinnesota's flag

Follow these links to read articles about Minnesota from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

Official State Links

Other State Links

  • 50states.com: Minnesota
    http://www.50states.com/minnesot.htm
    The site provides a wealth of information about Minnesota. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
  • Things To Do in Minnesota
    http://www.thingstodo.com/states/MN/index.htm
    ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Minnesota’s entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state’s interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
  • Roadside America: Minnesota Attractions
    http://www.roadsideamerica.com/location/mn
    Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions.
  • FedStats: MapStat: United States: Minnesota
    http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/27000.html
    Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on “economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more” in Minnesota.
  • The Minnesota state tree is the Red (or Norway) pine, state fish is the Walleye, and the state mushroom is the Morel.
  • Some of the leading products produced by Minnesota farmers are corn, wheat, rye, alfalfa, sugar beets, butter, eggs, milk, potatoes, green peas, barley, soy beans, oats, and livestock.
  • Rochester,Minnesota, is the home of the internationally famous Mayo Clinic, known for its achievements in the field of medicine.

Some Famous People from this State

  • Bob Dylan (1941 – ), songwriter and singer whose songs of protest made him a hero to the civil-rights and student movements of the 1960s.
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 – 1940), novelist, known for the novelsThe Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night.
  • Judy Garland (1922 – 1969), actress and singer.
  • Hubert H. Humphrey (1911 – 1978), U. S. senator and vice president of the U. S. (1965 – 1969); Democratic candidate for president, 1968.
  • Sinclair Lewis (1885 – 1951), author, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature; wrote novels such as Babbitt, Elmer Gantry, and Main Street.
  • Charles H. Mayo (1865 – 1939), and William J. Mayo(1861 – 1939), physicians who founded the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
  • Walter Frederick Mondale (1928 – ), 42d vice-president of the United States (1977 – 1980); Democratic candidate for president of the United States in 1984.
  • John S. Pillsbury (1828 – 1901), a leader in flour milling, he helped found the family company in Minneapolis in 1872; three-time Republican governor of Minnesota (1876 – 1882).