Minnesota

Nedanstående innehåll är skapat av Mimers Brunns besökare. Kommentera arbete

History
The state got its name from the Dakota people''''s name for the Minnesota River, mini sota meaning "smoky-white water" or "sky-tinted water."

Early history
Prior to European colonization, the Minnesota region was primarily inhabited by the Native American tribes of Ojibwa and Dakota, with some Winnebago presence in the southeastern part of the region. The Cheyenne and Gros Ventre tribes were present in the region prior to the arrival of the Ojibwa and Dakota tribes.

European exploration
According to local tradition, the first European visitors were Swedish and Norwegian Vikings in the 14th century. The evidence for this is largely based on the controversial Kensington Rune stone. It suggests that Scandinavian explorers reached the middle of North America in the 14th century but many people don’t believe it. The earliest European settlement may have been near what is now Stillwater, on the St. Croix River, though many histories focus on the military settlement that took place farther west.

Minnesota Territory
Part of what would become Minnesota was granted to the United States by the Second Treaty of Paris at the end of the American Revolution in 1783. This included what today is y Saint Paul and the northeast, north-central and east-central portions of the state. Most of the state, however, was purchased from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The northern border between Minnesota and British North America was for a long time disputed. The exact definition of the boundary was not addressed until the Anglo-American Convention of 1818.



Historical populations



1850 6,077
1860 172,023
1870 439,706
1880 780,773
1890 1,310,283
1900 1,751,394
1910 2,075,708
1920 2,387,125
1930 2,563,953
1940 2,792,300
1950 2,982,483
1960 3,413,864
1970 3,804,971
1980 4,075,970
1990 4,375,099
2000 4,919,479
2004 5,100,958



Race and ancestry
The racial makeup of the state:
• 88.2% White
• 3.5% Black
• 2.9% Hispanic
• 2.9% Asian
• 1.1% Native American
• 1.4% Mixed race

According to the 2002 U.S. Census, the largest reported ancestries are German (36.7%), Norwegian (17.2%), Irish (11.2%), and Swedish (9.9%).

Geography

The state is bordered on the north by Canada on the east by Wisconsin and Lake Superior; on the south by Iowa; and on the west by North Dakota and South Dakota. In addition, Minnesota shares a water boundary with Michigan. The only state farther north than Minnesota is Alaska.
Minnesota covers 206,190 km2. It is famous for its lakes, having in excess of 15,000, depending on the source of the count. Much of the state is flat, having been eroded during repeated glacial periods. The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest body of water in the state.
Minnesota is the second largest state by land area in the Midwestern United States and is in the sub-region known as the Upper Midwest.
Minnesota is home to a number of state and county parks, most notably Itasca State Park, the official source of the Mississippi River.

Important cities and towns

The capital is Saint Paul, which sits on the Mississippi River next to Minnesota''''s largest city, Minneapolis.
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the surrounding area is the most highly populated area in Minnesota and the 15th-largest metropolitan area in the United States as of the 2000 census. Minneapolis is the largest city in the state, and St. Paul is the second largest and also the capital of Minnesota.The area is often referred to as "The Cities", both within Minnesota and even in the bordering states of Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas. Areas of Minnesota outside of the Twin Cities are collectively referred to as "Greater Minnesota" or "Outstate." Today, the two cities directly border each other, although this was not always true. The downtown districts are about 16 km apart.
Other prominent cities include Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato, Rochester, Bloomington . Rapidly growing suburban areas include: Maple Grove, Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, and Woodbury.

Religion
Most Minnesotans are Protestants although there is also a moderate-sized Roman Catholic community. In recent years, new immigrants have added new religions to Minnesota, and there are now Islamic mosques, Buddhist temples, and Hindu mandirs in the state, however, the number of Minnesotans who adhere to non-Christian religions is still very low. Only 1 % of the population is non chirstian

Religious affiliations in Minnesota:
•Christian – 84%
Protestant – 58%
oLutheran – 26%
oBaptist – 5%
oMethodist – 4%
oPresbyterian – 3%
oOther Protestant – 20%
Roman Catholic – 25%
Other Christian – 1%
•Other religions – 1%
•Not religious/Agnostic – 15%

Climate

Temperatures can reach extremes in Minnesota. The northern part of the state is famously cold in winter, with a record low of -51 °C measured at Tower, MN on February 2, 1996. Surprisingly, due to the flows of the jet stream, parts of Alaska often see relatively warm temperatures when Minnesota is experiencing extreme cold. Additionally, as part of the Great Plains region, the state also experiences warm summers. A record high of 45.5 °C was reached in both 1917 and 1936. The average temperature in January is -11.5 °C, and the average in the warmest month, July, is22.8 °C; averages are cooler in the north and warmer in the south. The average annual precipitation is 719 mm, with a snowfall figure of 126 cm.

Culture

Stereotypical Minnesotan traits include "Minnesota nice," "hot dish which is a Minnesotan term for casserole, lutefisk, very close family ties, Minnesota''''s rather unique form of Upper Midwest American English which is very much influenced by the Scandinavian languages and a distinctive type of upper Midwestern accent
Outdoor activities are major parts of the lives of many Minnesotans, including hunting and fishing. Unique activities include ice fishing, which the early Scandinavian immigrants brought from their countries.

State symbols

• State bird – Common Loon
• State butterfly – Monarch
• State drink – Milk
• State fish – Walleye
• State flower – Pink and White Sho...