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State of Minnesota
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Flag Of Minnesota
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North Star State, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Gopher State
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Saint Paul
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None
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Minneapolis
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Tim Pawlenty (R)
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"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/Norm_Coleman" class="copylinks">Norm Coleman (R)
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MN
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12<sup>th</sup>
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87,014
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225,365
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79,682
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206,375
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7,332
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18,990
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84
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21<sup>st</sup>
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4,919,479
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31<sup>st</sup>
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6180
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2386
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32<sup>nd</sup>
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May 11 , 1858
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-6/ -5
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43°34'N to 49°23'5026"N
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89°34'W to 97°12'W
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250
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400
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400
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645
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Eagle Mountain &mdash2,301
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701
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1,198
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365
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600
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183
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US-MN
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is a
Midwestern State of the
United States . It joined the United States as the 32nd state on
May 11 ,
1858 , shortly before the
Civil War .
Minnesota is the northernmost of the lower 48
Contiguous States (
Alaska reaches significantly farther north). It reaches to 49° 23' 04" north latitude, due to a small piece of the state known as the
Northwest Angle . It is bordered on the east by
Lake Superior and
Wisconsin , on the south by
Iowa , on the west by
North Dakota and
South Dakota , and on the north by the
Canadian Provinces of
Ontario and
Manitoba . Minnesota is the 12th largest state by land area (second largest among the
Midwestern states), covering 87,014 square miles (225,365 km&
2), or approximately 2.25% of the United States . Minnesota is included in the sub-region of the Midwest known as the
Upper Midwest
The state's average elevation is 1,200 feet (366 m), with a high point at
Eagle Mountain (2,301 ft or 701 m) and a low at the surface of Lake Superior (602 ft or 183 m). Aside from a few very minor
Earthquake s, Minnesota is one of the most geologically stable regions in the country. The biggest earthquake in the last century occurred near
Morris in
1975 and rated between 4.6 and 4.8 in
Magnitude .
Two
Continental Divide s meet in the northwestern part of Minnesota, creating three watersheds. Rain falling in the state can follow the Mississippi south to the
Gulf Of Mexico , the
St. Lawrence Seaway east to the
Atlantic Ocean , or North America's northern watershed to the
Arctic Ocean .
Minnesota sits where three of the great of the west, the Eastern
Deciduous Forest , and the Northern
Boreal Forest of Canada. Traversing the state from southwest to northeast, one goes through the three different ecological regions.
Minnesota is famous for its lakes and is known as ''The Land of 10,000 Lakes'' even though it has in excess of 15,000, depending on the source of the count.The Minnesota portion of
Lake Superior is the largest body of water in the state.
Much of the state is flat, having been eroded during repeated glacial periods (most recently the
Wisconsin Glacier ). However, the extreme southeastern portion of the state is part of the
Driftless Zone , which was not glaciated, and it is here that Lake Pepin and the rugged high bluffs of the
Mississippi River are found.
Temperatures can reach extremes in Minnesota. The northern part of the state is famously cold in winter, with a record low of -60 °F (-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 114 °F (45.5 °C) was reached in both
1917 and
1936 . The average temperature in January (the coldest month) is 11.2 °F (-11.5 °C), and the average in the warmest month, July, is 73.1 °F (22.8 °C); averages are cooler in the north and warmer in the south. The average annual precipitation is 28.32
Inch es (719 mm), with a snowfall figure of 49.6 inches (126 cm).
Minnesota is home to many areas of park land, to the
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness , as well as a number of state and county parks, most notably
Itasca State Park , the official source of the
Mississippi River .
Areas under the management of the
National Park Service include:
The most significant and
Saint Paul , along with multiple "rings" of
Suburb s. The remainder of the state is generically referred to as
Greater Minnesota .
''Main article:
History Of Minnesota ''
Prior to
Europe an colonization, the Minnesota region was primarily inhabited by the
Native American tribes of
Ojibwa (Chippewa, Anishinaabe) 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. The
Economy was chiefly based on
Hunter-gatherer activities.
According to local tradition, the first European visitors were
Swedish and
Norwegian Viking s in the
14th Century . The evidence for this is largely based on the controversial
Kensington Runestone , which many historians consider to be an elaborate
Hoax .
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.
Fort Snelling , built at the
Confluence of the
Minnesota and
Mississippi rivers, was one of the earliest
U.S. Military presences in the state. It is now a historic site.
Noted European explorers of Minnesota:
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, the fledgling states having been granted all of the land east of the
Mississippi River . This included what would become modern-day Saint Paul (but only part of Minneapolis), including 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. At the time it was erroneously believed that the Mississippi River ran well into modern
Canada , making some earlier agreements flawed. Parts of northern Minnesota were considered to be in
Ruperts Land . The exact definition of the boundary was not addressed until the
Anglo-American Convention Of 1818 , which set the border at the 49th parallel west of the
Lake Of The Woods (except for a small chunk of land now dubbed the
Northwest Angle ). Border disputes east of the Lake of the Woods continued until the
Webster-Ashburton Treaty of
1842 .
Throughout the first half of the 19th century, the north eastern portion of the state was a part of the
Northwest Territory , then the
Illinois Territory , then the
Michigan Territory , and finally the
Wisconsin Territory . The west and south areas of the state were not formally organized until
1838 , when they became part of the
Iowa Territory .
Upon statehood of
Wisconsin and
Iowa the
Minnesota Territory was carved out of the remaining land and established on
March 3 ,
1849 . Unlike the boundaries of modern day Minnesota, the areas western border extended far into present day
North Dakota and
South Dakota ; all the way to the
Missouri River .
The eastern half of the Minnesota Territory became the country's 32nd state on
May 11 ,
1858 . The remaining western part fell unorganized until its incorporation into the
Dakota Territory on
March 2 ,
1861 .
As of 2005, Minnesota has an estimated population of 5,132,799, which is an increase of 36,253, or 0.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 213,307, or 4.3%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 161,252 people (that is 358,012 births minus 196,760 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 54,032 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 70,800 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 16,768 people.
As of 2004, 6.1% of Minnesota residents are foreign-born (compared to 11.1% for the nation).
Most of the state's population is centered in the
Twin Cities metropolitan area.
The racial makeup of the state:
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%).
More recent immigrant communities include the third-largest
Hmong population in the United States (from the
Laos /
Thailand /
Vietnam region) and the second largest urban center of Hmong population in the world (concentrated in St. Paul), and a large community of
Somali refugees.
The population distribution by age is (Northeast Midwest Institute):
- 0-18 - 1,361,616 (27.7%)
- 19-34 - 1,068,850 (21.7%)
- 35-64 - 1,894,747 (38.6%)
- 65+ - 594,266 (12.1%)
Most Minnesotans (Nearly 6 in 10) are
Protestant s (mostly
Mainline Protestant ), although there is also a moderate-sized
Roman Catholic community (about one-fourth of the state population). The largest
Protestant denomination in the state is
Lutheranism .
In recent years, new immigrants have added new religions to Minnesota, and there are now
Islamic Mosques ,
Buddhist Temple s, and
Hindu Mandir s in the state (mainly in the
Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area); however, the number of Minnesotans who adhere to non-Christian religions is still low.
Religious affiliations in Minnesota:
.]]
The
Bureau Of Economic Analysis estimates that Minnesota's total state product in 2003 was $211 billion. Per capita personal income in 2004 was $34,861, 8
th in the nation. The average household income in 1999 was approximately $48,000, ranking eighth in the nation (
U.S. Census Bureau ). The county averages range from $17,369 (
Todd County ) to $42,313 (
Hennepin County , a portion of the Metro area). In general, salaries are lowest in more rural areas, particularly in the northwest portion of the state.
The state is a major
Food producer for the country and has a number of
Natural Resources that have been greatly exploited in the last two centuries.
The
Twin Cities are home to a diverse range of major businesses, including
Cargill ,
3M Co. (formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.),
Northwest Airlines ,
Target Corporation ,
U.S. Bancorp ,
TCF Financial Corporation and
TCF Bank ,
Medtronic ,
Ecolab ,
Best Buy ,
Cray Computers ,
Imation , International
Dairy Queen ,
Regis Corporation ,
General Mills ,
Polaris Industries and a regional headquarters of
Wells Fargo & Co. ,
Caterpillar Inc. ,
Honeywell , and
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans (the merged entity of the former Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood). The city of Rochester is the headquarters of the
Mayo Clinic , and has a significant manufacturing presence in
International Business Machines . The largest
Shopping Mall in the United States, the
Mall Of America , is located in
Bloomington . The
Schwan Food Company , headquartered in Marshall, Minnesota, is one of the largest, branded frozen-food companies in the United States and the second-largest privately held corporation in Minnesota.
Hormel Foods Corporation is headquartered in
Austin, Minnesota , it is a leading producer in meat products.
The state has been a major influence in the area of
Transport ation, moving products along the Mississippi River, in and out of the inland seaport of Duluth, along
Railroad s that crisscross the state, via
Highway s with
Trucking and
Bus ing companies, and through the air with a major airline hub. However, water- and rail-borne traffic has been declining steadily over the years.
A large proportion of the state's economy is still
Agricultural , even though only a small percentage of the population (around 2%) consider themselves to be farmers. Minnesota is a leading US producer of sugar beets, soybeans, and corn. Additionally, northern Minnesota is a source for
Iron Ore (in the form of
Taconite ) and
Wood products, though these are both declining industries.
Hibbing is the site of one of the world's largest open pit mines. The agricultural community is also strongly tied to the renewable energy market in the state.
A fair amount of
Ethanol Alcohol Fuel is produced in the state, and a
10% mix of ethanol into consumer
Gasoline has been mandated since
1997 (as of January 2006, Minnesota is the only U.S. state with such a mandate).
20% ethanol will be mandated in
2013 . A 2%
Biodiesel blend has also been required in
Diesel Fuel since
2005 . Many farmers also now operate
Wind Turbine s to produce
Electricity , particularly in the windy southwest region. As of
January 2005 , the state is the country's fourth-largest wind energy producer after
California ,
Texas , and
Iowa , with 615
Megawatt s installed and an additional 213 MW planned
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Like many Midwestern states, Minnesota is heavily dependent on
Natural Gas for home heating. Just over two-thirds of homes use the fuel. The state does not produce any
Petroleum of its own but boasts the largest
Oil Refinery of any non-oil-producing state, the
Pine Bend Refinery . One of the longest pipelines in the world, the
Lakehead Pipeline , also traverses northern Minnesota. Most of the petroleum used in the state comes from Canada and the northwestern United States.
Minnesota has 3 brackets of to their county. Three factors that affect the tax bill are: the amount the local governments spend to provide services to the community, the estimated market value of the property, and the classification of the property (how it is used).
Minnesota businesses and individuals paid an average of 11.8% of their income in state and local taxes in
1998 , down from 12.7% in 1996 (Minnesota Department of Revenue). The Gross State Product was just under $173 billion in 1999 (Northeast Midwest Institute), with approximately $17.5 billion in exports in 2000.
Retail sales per capita were $10,260 in 1997, higher than the U.S. average of $9,190 (U.S. Census Bureau). The "retail capitol" of the state is probably the Twin Cities suburb of
Roseville , which recorded $14,870 per capita (though it is easily outstripped in total revenue by Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, and
Edina ).
See Also: Minnesota Department of Transportation
Major
Interstate Highways crossing Minnesota include
I-35 ,
I-90 , and
I-94 .
An
Amtrak train route runs along the
Mississippi River in Minnesota, with stops in
Minneapolis ,
Red Wing , and
Winona , among others. In the city of Minneapolis, a
Light Rail train network was recently implemented, which runs from downtown Minneapolis to the
Mall Of America . The
Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and other larger Minnesota cities, such as
Rochester ,
Duluth ,
St. Cloud , and
Mankato , have
Bus systems.
As in the national government of the United States, power in Minnesota is divided into three main branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
The executive branch is headed by the , currently
Tim Pawlenty , a
Republican , whose term began
6 January ,
2003 . The current
Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota is
Carol Molnau . Molnau also currently serves as the head of the
Minnesota Department Of Transportation . Both the governor and lieutenant governor have four-year terms. The governor has a
Cabinet consisting of the leaders of various government agencies in the state, called '''commissioners'''. The full list of governors, and the dates they took office, is available at
List Of Governors Of Minnesota .
The other constitutional offices are
Secretary Of State ,
Attorney General and
State Auditor .
The
Minnesota Legislature is a
Bicameral body consisting of the
Senate and the
House Of Representatives . The state has 67 districts, each covering about 60,000 people. Each district has one senator and two representatives (each district being divided into ''A'' and ''B'' subsections). Senators serve for four years, and representatives serve for two years. In the
November 2004 election, the
Republican Party retained control of the Minnesota House of Representatives by a single seat (68-66), having lost a total of 13 seats. The Minnesota Senate is controlled by the
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). After picking up two seats in local special elections on
16 November ,
2005 , and
27 December , 2005, the DFL controls the senate (38-29). There was one
Independence Party state senator, former Republican
Sheila Kiscaden (IP-Rochester) who caucused with the DFL. She officially joined the party in January 2006, bringing their lead to eight seats.
Minnesota's court system has three levels:
- Trial courts. The state is split into 10 judicial districts, with 257 judges. Most state cases start in the trial courts.
- Minnesota Court of Appeals. This body hears appeals on cases tried in the trial courts. There are 16 judges, who divide into three-judge panels to hear appeals in courts across the state.
- Minnesota Supreme Court . The seven justices on the Supreme Court hear appeals from the Court of Appeals, the Tax Court, and the Worker's Compensation Court. The court automatically reviews first-degree murder convictions, and settles disputes over legislative elections.
The state has two special courts created by state law as executive-branch agencies:
- The Tax Court deals with non-criminal tax cases across the state. It has three judges appointed by the governor to six-year terms, following approval from the state Senate
- The Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals deals with cases involving worker injuries referred to it on appeal, or transferred from district court. It has five judges appointed by the governor to six-year terms, following approval from the state Senate
Federal cases are heard in the
United States District Court For The District Of Minnesota , which holds court in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and Fergus Falls. Minnesota is part of the
Eighth Circuit Court Of Appeals , which is based in
St. Louis, Missouri . Appeals beyond this level go to the
U.S. Supreme Court in
Washington, D.C. .
In addition to the standard city and county levels of government found in the United States, Minnesota also has other entities that provide governmental oversight and planning. Some actions in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are coordinated by the
Metropolitan Council , and many
Lake s and
Rivers are overseen by
Watershed District s and
Soil And Water Conservation District s.
Minnesota is known for active yet quirky politics, with
Populism being a longstanding force among all of the
Political Parties that call the state home. Minnesota politics include such oddities as a
Professional Wrestler turned
Governor and a
Protester turned
Crowd-surfing Mayor not to mention one of the all-time most liberal senators,
Paul Wellstone . 77.3% of eligible Minnesotans voted in the
2004 U.S. Presidential Election , the highest of any U.S. state.
Political Conservatism is less strongly linked to
Church attendance in most of Minnesota than in other parts of the country, perhaps a reflection of the strong
Mainline Protestant and
Roman Catholic following, though in the elections of 2000, 2002, and 2004 it was shown that this trend was in the process of changing in some Twin Cities voting precincts.
As a result of its liberal and populist political culture throughout much of the latter half of the 20th century, Minnesota has voted for Democrats for president longer than any other state (the
District Of Columbia has voted for a Democrat in every election since 1964), since
1976 . Minnesota and the District of Columbia were the only electoral votes not won by
Incumbent Republican president
Ronald Reagan , voting instead for former Vice President of the United States and former U.S. Senator
Walter Mondale , a Minnesota native. It should be noted that a Minnesotan ran on the Democratic ticket as either President or Vice President in the
1964 ,
1968 ,
1976 ,
1980 and
1984 . In
2004 ,
John Kerry narrowly won the state's 10 electoral votes by a margin of three percentage points with 51.1% of the vote. Republican strength is greatest in southern Minnesota and the suburbs of Minneapolis, especially in the area west of the city, and in developing outer suburban communities. Democrats hold tremendous strength in Minneapolis/St. Paul proper and in the
Iron Range of northeastern Minnesota, including
Duluth .
The state also enjoys a strong and active third party movement. The
Reform Party was able to elect former mayor of
Brooklyn Park , and former wrestling superstar
Jesse Ventura to the governorship in
1998 ; however Ventura left the Reform Party in 2000 when
Pat Buchanan took control. Ventura maintained close ties to the Independence Party, but chose not to seek reelection. In 2002 the Independence Party ran former democratic congressman
Tim Penny in an unsuccessful bid for the governorship. Penny earned about 16% of the vote.
The state's Green Party has elected several city council members and other local office-holders in Duluth, Minneapolis and Winona, and has made strong runs for state legislature during the past two election cycles. In 2000, Green Party candidate
Ralph Nader received just over 5% of the presidential votes cast, gaining Major Party Status for the Green Party of Minnesota.
''See also'':
List Of Political Parties In Minnesota
The capital is ,
Minnetonka ,
St. Louis Park , and
Woodbury .
One of the first acts of the Minnesota Legislature when it opened in
1858 was the creation of a
Normal School at
Winona . Since then, Minnesota has remained among the ten strongest states in the United States in education, ranking first in national educational surveys in most years. Minnesota has proven over the years resistant to such movements in education as
School Voucher s and the teaching of
Intelligent Design . However, it is the home to one of the first
Charter School s.
Its name is from the
Dakota People's name for the
Minnesota River , ''mini sota'', variously translated "smoky-white water" or "sky-tinted water."
Nicknames for the state include ''Gopher State'', ''The Land of 10,000 Lakes'', ''North Star State''.
- USS ''Minnesota'' , a steam frigate named for the Minnesota River , commissioned in 1855.
- USS ''Minnesota'' (Battleship No. 22) , one of the last Pre-dreadnought Battleship s
- USS ''Saint Paul'' , a converted merchant cruiser which served during the Spanish-American War and World War I
- USS ''Minneapolis'' (Cruiser No. 13, Later CA-17) , a ''Columbia''-class Protected Cruiser which also served during World War I
- USS ''Minneapolis'' (CA-36) , a ''New Orleans''-class Heavy Cruiser which served during World War II .
- USS ''Fort Snelling'' (LSD-30) , a Dock Landing Ship which served during World War II
- USS ''Saint Paul'' (CA-73) , a ''Baltimore''-class heavy cruiser which served from late in World War II until the Vietnam War
- USS ''Minneapolis-St. Paul'' (SSN-708) , a ''Los Angeles''-class Nuclear Attack Submarine presently serving as the flagship of SubRon 6
- SS ''Gopher State'' (ACS-4), a ''Gopher State''-class crane ship serving with the Military Sealift Command , Prepositioning Force.
- USS ''Duluth'' (CL-87) was a ''Cleveland''-class Light Cruiser commissioned late in World War II.
- USS ''Duluth'' (LPD-6) is an amphibious transport dock commissioned in 1966.
Stereotypical Minnesotan traits include
Lutheranism (26 percent of the state's population is Lutheran) "
Minnesota Nice ," "
Hot Dish " (a Minnesotan term for
Casserole ),"
Lutefisk " (a pungent preparation of fish from Scandinavian recipes that include soaking in lye), very close family ties (and a strong sense of duty to their families, healthy and dysfunctional alike), a strong sense of community and shared culture with many other Minnesotans instead of just with one's town or city, Minnesota's form of Upper Midwest American English (including Scandinavian-sounding words like "uff-da"), and a distinctive type of upper
Midwestern Accent . However, due to the increase of migrants from throughout the United States (many originating from the West Coast and the Chicago metropolitan area ) and the rise of immigration of Hmong, Vietnamese, Somalis and other East Africans, Liberians, Kenyans, Nigerians, Russians, Eastern Europeans and Latin Americans (mostly Mexicans), many cultures in the state are slowly blending together and slowing changing the culture of the state similar to what European immigrants to Minnesota had done in the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries.
Native American s have a moderate presence in Minnesota, and some tribes operate
Casinos which have been said to be among the most profitable in the country. The earliest
Europe an exploration and settlement was by the
French , and settlement from
Scandinavia n countries along with
Germany followed. The
Métis people, a mixed French and Native American culture, were a presence in the early state and territorial days, but largely moved north into
Canada . Minnesota is not strongly associated with any particular food, though in recent years dishes like
Wild Rice Sausage have come from the state and more will undoubtedly follow as Minnesotan chefs seek to define their home in the culinary world. The state is known as being very committed to education and as such, has a very educated population throughout the state.
Modern
Immigrant s have come from all over the world in recent decades, with
Hmong ,
Somali ,
Vietnam ese,
India ns,
Middle East erners, and the former
Soviet Bloc all being well-represented. Some
Chinese and
Japan ese have had long presences in the state as well.
Mexican s are a growing force. Many modern immigrants are attracted by the state's historically strong commitments toward
Education and
Social Services and many come sponsored and assisted by congregations committed to service and social justice.
Outdoor activities are major parts of the lives of many Minnesotans, including
Hunting and
Fishing . Unique activities include
Ice Fishing , which was popular with the early Scandinavian immigrants. Families frequently own or share
Cabin s on central and northern tracts of land in
Forest s and adjoining lakes, and weekend trips out to these properties are common. The 71
State Parks which protect diverse landscapes in a state of nature are quite popular. A concern for
Environmentalism is shared by most state residents in one form or another,
Vegan s and hunters alike. As with other northwoods states (such as
Wisconsin and
Michigan ), residents like to joke that the
Mosquito is the state bird. The state bird is actually the
Common Loon (''Gavia immer'', also called the ), whose distinctive cry can often be heard by campers in the northern part of the state and can even on occasion be found as far south as Minneapolis.
