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State of Idaho
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Flag Of Idaho
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Gem State, Spud State
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Esto Perpetua
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Boise
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English {Link without Title}
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Boise
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Boise Metropolitan Area
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Butch Otter (R)
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Larry Craig (R)<br /> Mike Crapo (R)
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ID
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14<sup>th</sup>
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83,642
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216,632
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82,819
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214,499
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824
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2,133
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098
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39<sup>th</sup>
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1,293,953
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44<sup>th</sup>
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1564
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604
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43<sup>rd</sup>
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July 3 , 1890
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−8/ −7
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north of Salmon River
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remainder
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41°59′ N to 49° N
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111°03′ W to 117°15′ W
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305
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491
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479
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771
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Appaloosa
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Borah Peak 1
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12,662
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3,862
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5,000
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1,524
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Snake River
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710
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217
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US-ID
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The (/) is a
State in the
Pacific Northwest region of the
United States Of America . The state's
Capital and largest city is
Boise . Residents are called "
Idahoans ." Idaho was admitted to the
Union on
July 3 ,
1890 , as the 43rd state.
According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2004, Idaho had an estimated population of 1,393,262. The state's postal abbreviation is . Idaho is nicknamed the '''Gem State''' because of its abundance of natural resources. The state motto is '''Esto Perpetua''' (
Latin for "Let it be perpetual").
region of northern Idaho.]]
near Chubbuck.]]
Idaho borders the states of
Washington ,
Oregon ,
Nevada ,
Utah ,
Montana ,
Wyoming and the
Canadian province of
British Columbia (the Idaho-BC border is 48 miles long). The landscape is rugged with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the United States. It is a
Rocky Mountain state with abundant natural resources and scenic areas. The state has snow-capped mountain ranges, rapids, placid lakes and steep canyons. The waters of
Snake River rush through
Hells Canyon , deeper than the
Grand Canyon .
Shoshone Falls plunges down rugged cliffs from a height greater than that of
Niagara Falls .
The major rivers in Idaho are the
Snake River , the
Clearwater River and the
Salmon River . Other significant rivers include the
Boise River and the
Payette River . The Port of Lewiston is the farthest inland seaport in the Pacific Northwest.
Idaho's highest point (12,662 feet) is
Borah Peak in the
Lost River Range north of
Mackay . Idaho's lowest point (745 ft.) is in
Lewiston , where the
Clearwater River joins the Snake River and continues into
Washington .
Southern Idaho, including the
Boise Metropolitan Area ,
Idaho Falls ,
Pocatello , and
Twin Falls are in the
Mountain Time Zone . Areas north of the
Salmon River , including
Coeur D'Alene ,
Moscow , and
Lewiston , are in the
Pacific Time Zone .
Idaho has much variation in its climate. Although the state's western border is located 300 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the maritime influence is still felt in Idaho, especially in the winter when cloud cover, humidity, and precipitation are at their highest points. This influence has a moderating effect in the winter where temperatures are not as low as would otherwise be expected for a northern state with a mostly elevated altitude. The maritime influence is lowest in the southeastern part of the state where the precipitation patterns are often reversed, with wetter summers and drier winters, and seasonal temperature differences more extreme, showing a more continental climate.
Summers in Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over 100°F for the maximum temperature are rare. Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months since, for most of the state, the highest
Diurnal difference in temperature is often in the summer. Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual.
See Also: History of Idaho
Humans may have been present in the Idaho area as long as 14,500 years ago. Excavations at
Wilson Butte Cave near
Twin Falls in 1959 revealed evidence of human activity, including arrowheads, that rank among the oldest dated artifacts in
North America .
Native American tribes predominant in the area included the
Nez Perce in the north and the Northern and Western
Shoshone in the south.
Idaho, as part of the
Oregon Country , was claimed by both the United States and
United Kingdom until the United States gained undisputed jurisdiction in 1846. Between then and the creation of the
Idaho Territory in 1863, parts of the present-day state were included in the
Oregon ,
Washington , and
Dakota Territories. The new territory included most of present-day Idaho,
Montana , and
Wyoming . The first organized communities, within the present borders of Idaho, were established in 1860
{Link without Title} {Link without Title} .
After some tribulation as a territory, including the chaotic transfer of the territorial capital from
Lewiston to
Boise , disenfranchisement of the large Mormon minority and a federal attempt to split the territory between Washington Territory and the state of
Nevada , Idaho achieved statehood in 1890. The economy of the state, which had been primarily supported by metal mining, shifted towards
Agriculture and
Tourism .
In recent years, Idaho has expanded its commercial base as an agricultural and tourism state to include science and technology industries. Science and technology have become the largest single economic center (over 25% of the State's total revenue) within the State and are greater than agriculture, forestry and mining combined.
The
Idaho State Historical Society preserves and promotes Idaho’s cultural heritage.
Idaho is the only state that was likely named as the result of a when it was created in February 1861.
However, the name "Idaho" did not go away. The same year Congress created Colorado Territory, a county called
Idaho County was created in eastern
Washington Territory . The county was named after a
Steamship named ''Idaho'', which was launched on the
Columbia River in 1860. It is unclear whether the steamship was named before or after Willing's claim was revealed. Regardless, a portion of Washington Territory, including Idaho County, was used to create Idaho Territory in 1863.
Despite this lack of evidence for the origin of the name, many textbooks well into the 20th century repeated as fact Willing's account that the name "Idaho" derived from the Shoshone term "ee-da-how".
:An excerpt from an Idaho History Textbook:
:"Idaho" is a Shoshoni Indian exclamation. The word consists of three parts. The first is "Ee", which in English conveys the idea of "coming down". The second is "dah" which is the Shoshoni stem or root for both "sun" and "mountain". The third syllable, "how", denotes the exclamation and stands for just the same thing in Indian that the exclamation mark (!) does in the English language. The Shoshoni word is "Ee-dah-how", and the Indian thought thus conveyed when translated into English means, "Behold! the sun coming down the mountain".
::"IDAHO in the Pacific Northwest". Barber -Martin. 1956. Caxton Printers Ltd. Library of Congress 55-5192.
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at night.]]As of 2005, Idaho has an estimated population of 1,429,096, which is an increase of 33,956, or 2.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 135,140, or 10.4%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 58,884 people (that is 111,131 births minus 52,247 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 75,795 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 14,522 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 61,273 people.
This makes Idaho the sixth fastest-growing state after
Arizona ,
Nevada ,
Florida ,
Georgia , and
Utah . From 2004 to 2005, Idaho grew the third-fastest, surpassed only by Nevada and Arizona.
Nampa , the state's second largest city, has experienced particularly strong growth in recent years. According to census estimates Nampa has grown 22.1% to nearly 65,000 residents between 2000 and 2003. Growth of 5% or more over the same period has also been observed in
Caldwell ,
Coeur D'Alene ,
Meridian ,
Post Falls and
Twin Falls {Link without Title} .
Since 1990, Idaho's population has increased by 386,000 (38%).
The
Boise Metropolitan Area (officially known as the Boise City-Nampa, ID Metropolitan Statistical Area) is Idaho's largest metropolitan area. Other metropolitan areas in order of size are
Coeur D'Alene ,
Idaho Falls ,
Pocatello and
Lewiston .
As of 2006, six official
Micropolitan Statistical Areas are based in Idaho. Twin Falls is the largest of these.
The
Center Of Population of Idaho is located in
Custer County , in the town of
Stanley {Link without Title} .
The largest reported ancestries in the state are:
German (18.9%),
English (18.1%),
Irish (10%),
American (8.4%) (mostly of
British descent),
Norwegian (3.6%),
Swedish (3.5%).
In 2004, the religious affiliations of Idahoans were surveyed as:
{Link without Title}
In 2001, the religious affiliations of the people of Idaho were surveyed as:
[http://www.usatoday.com/graphics/news/gra/gnoreligion/flash.htm
- Other Religions – <1%
- Non-Religious – 20%
As with many other Western states, the percentage of Idaho's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is higher than the national average.
Gross State Product for 2004 was US$43.6 billion. The per capita income for 2004 was US$26,881.
Idaho is an important agricultural state, producing nearly one third of the
Potato es grown in the United States.
Important industries in Idaho are food processing, lumber and wood products, machinery, chemical products, paper products, electronics manufacturing, silver and other mining, and tourism. The world's largest factory for barrel cheese, the raw product for
Processed Cheese is located in
Gooding, Idaho . It has a capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year of barrel cheese and belongs to the
Glanbia group. "Zuivelzicht" 25 April 2007 The
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a government lab for nuclear energy research, is also an important part of the eastern Idaho economy. Idaho also is home to three facilities of Anheuser-Busch which provide a large part of the malt for breweries located across the nation.
Today, the largest industry in Idaho is the science and technology sector. It amounts for over 25% of the State's total revenue and 70%+ of the State's exports (in dollars). Idaho's industrial economy is growing, with high-tech products leading the way. Since the late 1970s, operates a major customer support call center in Twin Falls.
AMI Semiconductor , whose worldwide headquarter locates in
Pocatello , is a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal semiconductor products, mixed-signal foundry services and structured digital products.
The state personal
Income Tax ranges from 1.6% to 7.8% in eight income brackets. Idahoans may apply for state
Tax Credit s for taxes paid to other states, as well as for donations to Idaho state educational entities and some nonprofit youth and rehabilitation facilities.
The state
Sales Tax is 6%. Sales tax applies to the sale, rental or lease of tangible personal property and some services. Food is taxed, but
Prescription Drug s are not.
Hotel ,
Motel , and
Campground accommodations are taxed at a higher rate (7% to 11%). Some jurisdictions impose local option sales tax.
resulting from all exposure routes from all atmospheric nuclear tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site]]
Idaho was one of several states that received the brunt of nuclear fallout from tests at the
Nevada Test Site during the 1950s and 1960s. Reports published by the U.S. Government indicate that many Idaho citizens perished and continue to suffer as a result of these tests. As of September 2007, there are continuing efforts in the U.S. congress to compensate victims.
See Also: List of Idaho State Highways
Major highways
The constitution of Idaho provides for 3 branches of government: the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Idaho has a
Bicameral legislature, elected from 35 legislative districts, each represented by one senator and two representatives. Idaho still operates under its original (1889) state constitution.
Since 1946 statewide elected constitutional officers have been elected to four-year terms. They include:
Governor , Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller (Auditor before 1994), Treasurer, Attorney General, and Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Last contested in 1966, Inspector of Mines was an original elected constitutional office. Afterwards it was an appointed position and ultimately done away with entirely in 1974.
Idaho is an alcohol monopoly or
Alcoholic Beverage Control State .
The governor of Idaho serves a four-year term, and is elected during what is nationally referred to as midterm elections. As such, the governor is not elected in the same election year as the president of the United States.
The current governor is
Republican C. L. "Butch" Otter , who was elected in
2006 .
Idaho's
Legislature is part-time. However, the session may be extended if necessary, and often is. Because of this, Idaho's legislators are considered "citizen legislators", meaning that their position as a legislator is not their main occupation.
Terms for both the
Senate and
House Of Representatives are two years. Legislative elections occur every even numbered year.
The Idaho Legislature has been continuously controlled by the Republican Party since the late 1950s, although Democratic legislators are routinely elected from
Boise ,
Pocatello ,
Blaine County and the northern Panhandle.
''See also
List Of Idaho Senators And Representatives ''
After the
Civil War , many Southern
Democrats moved to Idaho Territory. As a result, the early territorial legislatures were solidly Democratic. In contrast, most of the territorial governors were appointed by
Republican Presidents and were Republicans themselves. This led to sometimes bitter clashes between the two parties. In the 1880s, Republicans became more prominent in local politics.
Since statehood, the Republican Party has usually been the dominant party in Idaho, as there was a polar shift in social and political stance between the two parties, when the Democrats became more liberal and the Republicans more conservative. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the
Populist Party enjoyed prominence while the Democratic Party maintained a brief dominance in the 1930s during the
Great Depression . Since
World War II , most statewide elected officials have been Republicans.
Idaho Congressional delegations have also been generally Republican since statehood. Several Idaho Democrats have had electoral success in the
House over the years, but the
Senate delegation has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Several Idaho Republicans, including current Senators
Larry Craig and
Mike Crapo , have won reelection to the Senate, but only
Frank Church has won reelection as a Democrat. Church was the last Idaho Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in 1974. No Democrat has won a U.S. House race in Idaho since
Larry LaRocco in 1992.
In modern times, Idaho has been a reliably Republican state in presidential politics as well. It has not supported a Democrat for
President since 1964. Even in that election, Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater by less than two percentage points. In 2004,
George W. Bush carried Idaho by a margin of 38 percentage points and 68.4% of the vote, winning in 43 of 44 counties. Only
Blaine County , which contains the
Sun Valley ski resort, supported
John Kerry .
In the 2006 elections, Republicans led by Governor-elect
C. L. "Butch" Otter won all of the state's constitutional offices and retained both of the state's seats in the
United States House Of Representatives . However, Democrats picked up several seats in the Idaho Legislature, notably in the Boise area.
{Link without Title}
Boise is the host to the largest 5 K run for women, the St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration.
See
List Of People From Idaho .
