Minnesota

Minnesota (also in Spanish Minesota) is one of the fifty states that, together with Washington D.C., make up the United States of America. Its capital is Saint Paul and its most populous city, Minneapolis. It is located in the Midwest region of the country, Northwest Center division. It is bordered to the north by Canada, to the northeast by Lake Superior, to the east by the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers—which form most of its border with Wisconsin—, to the south by Iowa, to the southwest by South Dakota, and to the northwest with North Dakota. It was admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state.

The present state of Minnesota was formed from the eastern half of Minnesota Territory. Its population, of more than five million inhabitants, descends mainly from emigrants from Western Europe. Major ethnic minorities are African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Native American descendants of the original inhabitants, and recent immigrant Somali and Hmong communities.

A little more than half of its population is concentrated in the metropolitan area of the Twin Cities (EN: Twin Cities), Minneapolis and St. Paul, which are the state centers of transport, business and industries, and home to an internationally recognized arts community. The rest of the state, known as Greater Minnesota (Greater Minnesota), consists of vast prairies dedicated to intensive agriculture to the west, deciduous forests to the east, and the less populated boreal forest to the north. The state is also known by its nickname, the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". These lakes, along with other waterways and their many national parks and forests offer residents and tourists a vigorous outdoor lifestyle.

Its extreme climate contrasts with the moderation of its inhabitants. The state is known for its moderate to progressive politics, for its social policies, and for its high civic participation in political issues. It is among the healthiest states, and has one of the most educated and literate populations.

Etymology

The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota for the Minnesota River, Mnisota or Mnišota. Mni (sometimes mini or minne) can be translated as 'water', and sota 'milky, hazy' (with the variant šota 'muddy'). In fact, Mnisota can be translated as 'sky-tinted water' and Mnišota for 'water muddy with something'. Native Americans explained the origin of the name to early settlers by pouring milk into water and calling it mnisota. Many places in the state contain the word "minn" for water, as Minnehaha Falls ("Waterfall", and not "laughing waters" as is commonly thought), Minneiska ("White Water"), Minnetonka, ("Big Water"), Minnetrista ("One-eyed Water"), and Minneapolis, which is a combination of mni and the Greek word polis ("city").

History

Until 1858

Chipewa women in a canoe on Lake Leech.

The first European explorers in the region were Frenchmen Pierre Esprit Radisson and Médard Chouart des Groseilliers, in 1660. At that time, it was inhabited by Native American Sioux. A second tribe, the Chippewa, would settle there in the mid-1750s. The Chippewa and Sioux would immediately become enemies.

In 1679, the Frenchman Daniel Greysolon, in search of a land route to the coast of the Pacific Ocean, passed through the region. Greysolon arrived by way of Lake Superior, explored the interior, and annexed it to the French crown. A year later, Belgian Louis Hennepin and his two fellow explorers were captured by the Sioux, in present-day Illinois. Native Americans took them to present-day Minnesota. Hennepin was thus the first European to visit the present site of Minneapolis. After learning that the Sioux had captured three unknown targets, Greysolon organized a search and rescue mission. In 1769, after finding the Sioux, he successfully demanded their release.

The French controlled the region for nearly a century. Then, this belonged to the colonial province of Louisiana, part of New France. In 1762, the French ceded to the Spanish all the Louisiana territories west of the Mississippi River, including all of the southern region of present-day Minnesota. A year later, in 1763, the Franco-Indigenous War would end, between them and the British, which would result in a French defeat. Under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, they ceded all the lands of New France located east of the Mississippi to the British, which included the region that is now northern Minnesota. The North West Company, a British company, quickly established several trading posts, including in the Spanish-controlled portion. They had no interest in the southern region, given its isolated location, distant from the main Spanish colonial centers in North America.

In 1783, after the end of the American Revolutionary War, the British ceded all their land south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi to the United States. The region of present-day northern Minnesota immediately became part of the Northwest Territory. However, the British continued the fur trade in the region until the end of the War of 1812. Meanwhile, in 1800, the Spanish had ceded Louisiana to the French. In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte sold Louisiana to the United States, bringing the entire region under American control. Two years after the sale, Zebulon Pike was sent by the United States government to explore the region.

The Americans founded a temporary fort in 1819. A year later, construction began on the first permanent settlement, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. It was inaugurated in 1825, with the name of Fort Snelling (Fort St. Anthony). This settlement immediately became the main industrial and commercial center of the region, as well as performing military services in the region.

Fort Snelling also served as a starting point for explorers who wanted to explore the unexplored parts of the region. One of these explorers, Henry R. Schoolcraft, discovered Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River. Americans began clearing the forests during the late 1830s, and the logging industry quickly became the region's main source of income. The first cultivations began in the 1830s, in the Young Drift Plains region of eastern and south-central present-day Minnesota. The soil in this region was quickly found to be extremely fertile, which went on to attract more people to the region.

In 1837, the Sioux and Chippewa sold their land around the St. Croix River to the Americans. In 1851, farmers founded St. Paul, and it became the first city, when it was incorporated in 1854.

Map of the Territory of Minnesota (1849-1858).

Between 1783 and 1849, Minnesota was part of several territories: Louisiana Territory, Northwest Territory, Illinois Territory, Michigan Territory, and Wisconsin Territory. This last territory encompassed all of present-day Minnesota, as well as the present-day states of Iowa and Wisconsin. When Iowa and Wisconsin became States, the United States Congress, on March 3, 1849, created the Minnesota Territory, which occupied the rest of the ex-territory of Wisconsin.

The northern, eastern, and southern borders of the new Minnesota Territory were the same as they are today. Its western border, on the other hand, extended to the Missouri and White Earth rivers, encompassing much of the current States of North Dakota and South Dakota. At that time, about 4,000 Americans of European descent lived in the region. After becoming a territory, the population grew rapidly. Many of the new settlers settled in the Young Drift Plains region in the west and south-central. In 1851, the Sioux, who lived in the South, were forced by the US government to cede all their land.

Strong population growth—mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the territory—caused the eastern portion of Minnesota Territory to be elevated to state status on May 11, 1858, becoming the 32nd State of the United States Joined. At that time, it had more than 150,000 inhabitants, and its territorial limits were already the current ones. The western portion would become the Dakota Territory in 1861.

1858 - Present Day

Three years after Minnesota's admission to the Union as the 32nd US state, the US Civil War broke out in 1861 against eleven states in the Southern United States, which had seceded from the country and formed the Confederate States. from America. It was the first state to offer troops to the Union to fight the Confederates.

In August 1862, while the major battles and conflicts of the Civil War were taking place relatively far from the state, the Sioux made a major attack on communities inhabited by Americans of European descent. In this attack, the Sioux killed more than 500 people, and destroyed several communities and plantations. Minnesota militias and US troops finally defeated the Sioux.

Following the end of the Civil War, Minnesota experienced a period of great growth and economic prosperity. Large numbers of mills were built to process the wheat grown in the region, factories were built in Minneapolis, and railroads began to connect Minnesota with the rest of the country. In addition to this, the state government, along with the railway companies, was interested in attracting more people to the region. The local government and railway companies distributed large numbers of leaflets in Europe—especially in the newly united Germany and in Scandinavia.. Large numbers of European immigrants—mostly German, and to a lesser extent Norwegian, Swedish, and Irish—settled in the state between the 1870s and 1890s.

In the early 1880s, large deposits of iron were discovered. Several more would be discovered in 1890, and even more later, in the late 1910s. Iron mining quickly became one of the main sources of income for the state.

Minnesota family, in 1890.

In 1889, William W. Mayo and his two sons founded a medical clinic, the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester. The clinic became well known in the State, and eventually the Mayo family would convert what was initially a small clinic into a hospital. Today, the Mayo Clinic is one of the most prestigious medical research centers in the world.

In 1894, a great fire broke out in the woods, known as the Great Hinkley Fire. The fire spread over nearly a thousand square kilometers of forest, causing the death of approximately 400 people and nearly a million dollars in damages. Later, in 1918, another great fire would break out, again claiming the lives of close to 400 people, and this time, causing more than 25 million dollars in damages.

The period of great prosperity and economic growth would last until the mid-1920s. However, this prosperity, for the most part, was enjoyed only by the railway companies (which charged heavily for the transport of products produced in Minnesota to other regions of the country), and banking and political establishments. During the 1890s and 1900s, large numbers of farmers, miners, and industrial workers united in unions and cooperatives. After World War I—which significantly increased the sale of iron ore and agricultural products, and stimulated the industrialization of the state—these groups would join together to form the Farm-Labor Party, which supported small farmers and workers. industrial. The first politician from this party to become governor, Floyd B. Olson, was elected State Governor in 1931.

Minnesota experienced the first signs of economic recession during the 1920s, caused by low prices and low demand for the agricultural products and iron ore it produced. Many farms fell into serious debt. This recession was further exacerbated by the Great Depression of the 1930s, when national demand for the state's two main sources of revenue—wheat and iron ore—had fallen sharply across the country. Large numbers of workers lost their jobs. About 70% of the workers who worked in iron mining, for example, were laid off. Many farmers, faced with debt, low prices, drought and infestations of grasshoppers, were forced to abandon their farms and move to the cities.

Local and US governments implemented various socio-economic assistance and public construction programs in an attempt to minimize the effects of the Depression on the state. Meanwhile, iron ore mining companies began to extract mainly taconite, a lower-quality and cheaper type of iron, which now makes up about 30% of the iron produced in Minnesota. The effects of the Depression would come to an end with the country's entry into World War II, which created demand for wheat and iron produced in the State. Another result of the war was the start of the acceleration of industrialization.

After the war, manufacturing had overtaken iron mining and wheat farming as the main source of state revenue. Iron mining, for its part, had fallen drastically after the war, due to the collapse of national demand, and its economic importance diminished markedly. To stimulate the mining industry in the state, Minnesota decided to provide tax incentives to its miners and steel companies, in 1964, and stimulate the construction of mines and steel industries in the State. One of the main problems caused by the iron mining industry was the contamination of the water environment, due to the waste generated by such mines. In 1978, the state Supreme Court ordered a Silver Bay mining company to stop dumping its waste into Lake Superior. The company was forced to build a special landfill, inaugurated in 1980. During the 1980s and 1990s, other industrial companies, pressured by environmental groups and the state government, did the same.

Meanwhile, due to rapid industrialization and modernization of the agricultural industry —which caused an exodus from rural areas to cities— by the mid-1950s the majority of the state's population was already living in urban areas. The economy diversified, and sectors such as the provision of financial and real estate services and tourism became increasingly important in the State's economy. This process continues.

Geography

The Mississippi River is born in this state, and also forms its south-east border, with Wisconsin

The St. Croix — tributary of the Mississippi — also delimits part of its eastern border with Wisconsin

The Minnesota Basin occupies much of the southern half of the state

The North Red River marks the north half of its west border, with North Dakota

Map of Minnesota, showing the most important roads and water bodies

It's the northernmost state in the United States if you don't count Alaska; its Northwest Angle is the only part of the 48 contiguous states that lies north of the 49th Parallel. It is bordered on the north by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, on the east by Wisconsin, and by Lake Superior, Iowa to the south, and North Dakota and South Dakota to the west. With its 225,365 km², or what is the same, 2.25% of the United States, it is the 12th largest state (the second largest among the Midwest states). It belongs to the Upper Midwest subregion.

Land

Most of the terrain is relatively flat and dotted with lakes, having been eroded by glacial periods during the Ice Age. The far southeast portion of the state is part of the Driftless Area, which was not covered by the recent Wisconsin glaciation. This is where Lake Pepin and the high bluffs of the Mississippi meet. The northeastern part of the state is in the Canadian Shield and is covered by rugged series of foothills, notably the iron ore-rich Mesabi Range, the Sawtooth Mountains along of the shoreline of Lake Superior, the Misquah Hills and the Laurentian Highlands.

Two continental divides meet in the northwestern part—the Laurentian Divide and the St. Lawrence Divide—creating three watersheds: Rainfall in the state can end up in both the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico, such as the St. Lawrence Channel, in the Atlantic Ocean, or the Hudson Bay Basin, in the Arctic Ocean.

The average altitude of the state is 366 m. The highest point is Eagle Mountain, at 701 m, and the lowest, 183 m, at the surface of Lake Superior. It is one of the most geologically stable regions of the country. It has experienced very few earthquakes throughout its history, most of which have been of low intensity; the strongest earthquake of the last century occurred near Morris in 1975 and had an intensity between 4.6 and 4.8 on the Richter scale.

Geographic Regions

Minnesota is divided into four geographic regions:

• The Plains Dissected Till occupy a small area located at the southwest end. They are characterized by the presence of large amounts of sediments of glacial origin, left by ancient glaciers. They are also characterized by their relatively flat terrain and their very fertile soil. The latter erode very easily, making the rivers present in the region excavate very deep valleys.
• The Young Drift plains They include a long strip of land that extends from the northwest to the central-west region of the State, and hence to the south-central. It is mainly characterized by its uneven terrain, marked by the presence of low elevation achated mountains. Glaciers left large amounts of sediments in the region, although in less quantity than in the Dissected Till Plains. Its soil is fertile, and most of the region is used for the practice of farming.
• La Driftless Area is located at the southeast end. Contrary to the two plains mentioned above, the Driftless Area was not affected by the glaciers that occurred more than ten thousand years ago in North America. It has a very rough terrain, with high mountains and deep valleys.
• La Meseta Superior is located in the central and north-east region. It is considered part of the Canadian Shield, a region characterized by its rough and rocky terrain. Most of the region is covered by forests, which are mostly located in this region of the State. Here are both the highest and the lowest point.

Fauna and flora

A marmota in Mineapolis, on the river Mississippi.

Three of North America's great biomes converge in Minnesota: the western Great Plains, the eastern deciduous forest, and the northern boreal forest of the Canadian Shield.

While habitat loss has created problems for native animals such as marten, deer, reindeer and bobcats, the state contains the nation's largest population of gray wolves outside Alaska and is home to populations sizable elk and white-tailed deer.

Located on the Mississippi Flyway, the state supports populations of migratory waterfowl such as geese and ducks, as well as game birds such as grouse, pheasants, common, and turkeys. The lakes are stocked with fish such as walleyes, perch, northern pike and pike. The southeastern creeks are stocked with brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout.

Climate

Train immobilized by snow, March 29, 1881.

Minnesota has a temperate continental climate, with very cold winters and hot summers, and is relatively unstable, where weather conditions can change suddenly in a short period of time. The climate is typical of its continental location, its high latitudes, and its slightly rugged terrain, which allows the rapid movement of air currents coming from any direction throughout the state. In general, temperatures in the state increase as you travel south. However, most of the northeast of the State has lower temperatures than the northwest, due to its higher average altitude. For its part, the coastline along Lake Superior has milder winters and summers than other regions of the state.

It is nationally known for its harsh winter. The town of International Falls, located in the extreme north of the state, registers the lowest temperatures of any US city located in the 48 contiguous states. In winter, the average temperature in the south is -11°C, while the northern region has an average temperature of less than -19°C. The average minimum in the south is -14 °C, and in the north, -21 °C. The average maximum is -3 °C in the south and -8 °C in the north. The lowest temperature recorded was -51 °C, at Tower, on February 2, 1996.

In summer, the average temperature in the south is 23 °C, and in the north, 19 °C. The average minimum is 17 °C in the south and 9 °C in the north. The average maximum is 28 °C in the south and 26 °C in the north. The highest recorded temperature was 46 °C, recorded at Beardsley on July 29, 1917, and at Moorhead on July 6, 1936.

The mean annual precipitation rate of rain increases as you travel in an easterly direction. The western region receives less than 50 centimeters of rain per year, while the eastern region receives more than 80 centimeters. The rate of snow precipitation, meanwhile, increases as you travel in a northerly direction. The south receives about 50 centimeters of snow per year, while the north receives approximately 180 centimeters per year.

Lakes and rivers

View of Lake Itasca, the birth of the Mississippi River.

It is one of the states with the most water bodies in the United States. Its nickname, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, is no exaggeration: it has 11,842 lakes larger than 10 acres (40,500 m²). The largest lake is Red Lake, with its 1,100 km². The percentage of the area occupied by water in the state is close to 5% of its total surface. If we count the part of Lake Superior (the largest and deepest body of water in the state) this percentage increases to 8.4%.

It has 6,564 natural rivers and streams, with a total length of 111,000 kilometers. The longest river in the US and the third largest in the world, the Mississippi begins its 6,270 km journey at Lake Itasca in the north. It joins the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling, and to the southeast with many trout streams. The Red River of the North, in the bed of the glacial Lake Agassiz, drains the northwestern part of the state to the north, to empty into Lake Winnipeg, in Canada.

The Mississippi watershed covers about 57% of the state's area, followed by the Red River at 30%. For their part, the rivers that flow into Lake Superior, all located in the extreme northeast, cover the remaining 13% of the State.

Protected areas

Lake Pose at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Minnesota is home to many green spaces. The state has 71 state parks, 53 state forests, two national forests, and many other preserves and regional parks. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is located on the northeastern border of the state, and Itasca State Park, the official source of the Mississippi River, is located in the northwestern section of the state. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is in charge of managing state parks and forests.

Areas managed by the National Park Service are:

• Grand Portage National Monument in Grand Portage
• Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, within the Twin Cities
• North Country National Scenic Trail
• Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone
• Voyageurs National Park

Urban network

Minneapolis.

The capital is Saint Paul, located in the east-central part of the state, along the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. Saint Paul is bordered on the other side of the river by the largest and most populous city, Minneapolis. Both cities together with their suburbs comprise the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the 16th largest metropolitan area in the United States and home to approximately 59% of the state's population as of April 1, 2005. The rest of the state is known as Greater Minnesota (Greater Minnesota) or Outstate Minnesota.

Cities with a population greater than 50,000 (as of 2005) are, in descending order: Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Eagan, St. Cloud, Coon Rapids, Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Woodbury, Blaine, and Minnetonka. Of these, only Rochester, Duluth, and St. Cloud are outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Demographics

Minnesota population density.

The 2005 census estimates the population at 5,132,799, making it the 21st most populous state in the nation. Its population has increased by 213,307 inhabitants (or what is the same, 4.3%) since the year 2000. The demographic increase since 2000 is due to a natural growth of 161,252 people (358,012 births less 196 760 deaths) and a net migration of 54,032 people in the state. External migrations have given rise to a net increase of 70,800 people, while internal migrations produced a net loss of 16,768 people.

In 2004, 6.1% of residents were not born in the United States, compared to 11.1% nationwide.

Races and Ethnicities

• 88.2 % White (European)
• 3.5% African American
• 2.9% Hispanic American
• 2.9 % Asian
• 1.1 % Indigenous
• 1.4 % Two or more races

About 75% of the population is of Western and Northern European ancestry. The largest ethnic groups are German (37.3%), Norwegian (17.0%), Irish (12.2%), and Swedes (10%). The state had a reputation for being relatively homogeneous, but that is changing. The Chinese and Japanese have had long presences in the state, and the Latin American population continues to increase. The immigrants that the state currently receives come from all over the world, such as the Miao, Somalis, Vietnamese, Indians, Middle Easterners and emigrants from the former Eastern Bloc. The state has the third largest Miao-speaking population in the United States. Many of these new immigrants are being helped by religious congregations.

Pyramid of ages

The age distribution of the population in 2000 was:

• +18: 3 632 585 (73.8 %)
• +21: 3 414 300 (69.4 %)
• +62: 696 775 (14.2 %)
• +65: 594 266 (12.1 %)
• Average age (years) 35.4

Religion

Basilica of Santa Maria, Mineapolis.

Around 74% of the population declares itself to be Christian. Recently, immigrants have formed sizeable communities of Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus.

Religious affiliations of the population:

in 2019

• Catholics - 22 % - 1,244,072
• Protestants - 52 % - 2,940,535
  • Other religions - 5 % - 282,743
• No religion - 21 % - 1,187,523

Economy

Minnesota face of a quarter of a dollar.

The United States government's Bureau of Economic Analysis (Bureau of Economic Analysis) estimates the gross domestic product in 2005 at $233.3 billion. Per capita income was $36,184 in 2004, ranked 8th in the nation. Median household income was approximately $48,000 in 1999, also ranked 8th in the nation (US Census Bureau). Median median household income by county ranges from $17,369 in Todd County to $42,313 in Hennepin County. In general, wages are lower in the more rural areas, especially in the northwestern part of the state.

Retail sales per capita were $10,260 in 1997, higher than the US average of $9,190. Roseville, a suburb of the Twin Cities, has the highest per capita sales in the state ($14,870), although total revenues are much higher in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, and Edina.

Industry and commerce

The economy has been transformed in the last 200 years, from an economy based on raw materials to one based on finished products and the provision of services. The first economic activities were the fur trade and agriculture. The latter is still an important part of the state economy, although today it only occupies a small percentage of the population, around 2%. It is a leading producer within the US when it comes to sugar beets, soybeans, and corn. The state's agribusiness has changed from mere production to the processing and manufacturing of food products. Leading companies in the industry include General Mills, Cargill (grinding), Austin's Hormel Foods Corporation (processed meat products), and Marshall's Schwan Food Company (frozen foods).

Forestry, one of the first industries to develop in the state, remains strong through logging, pulp processing, forest product manufacturing, and paper production.

It was famous for its iron ore mines, which were responsible for a significant part of the iron ore produced in the world for more than a century. Although pure ore is now quite low, taconite mining remains strong, using locally developed processes to keep the sector active. The 3 M Co. (formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.), a company that had its origins in mining, is today a diversified manufacturer of industrial and consumer products.

Interior of the Mall of America.

As you might expect in an outdoor-oriented state, there are a number of companies that make boats and other recreational products. Polaris Industries makes snowmobiles and other off-road recreational vehicles.

Retail is represented by Target Corporation, Best Buy, and International Dairy Queen, all based in the Twin Cities. The largest shopping center in the United States, the Mall of America, is located in Bloomington. Ecolab provides sanitation services and supplies.

Some Minnesota-based financial institutions include the U.S. Bancorp, TCF Bank, and Wells Fargo & Co.. The largest insurance companies are St. Paul Travelers and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

The high-tech sector is represented by Honeywell, Cray Computers, Imation, and an IBM headquarters in Rochester. Medtronic represents the state's growing biomedical sector, spawned by university research. Rochester is home to the Mayo Clinic, one of the most famous medical clinics in the world.

Use and production of energy

Nightlight of Minneapolis.

Electricity produced from wind turbines has gained some popularity, especially in the windier Southwest region. In June 2006, the state was the fourth largest producer of wind energy in the country, with 744 MW installed and a project for an additional wind farm, which will have a capacity of 128 MW.

Like many Midwest states that endure cold winters, Minnesota relies heavily on natural gas for home heating. About two thirds of households use such fuel. The state does not produce its own oil, although it has the largest oil refinery of all non-oil-producing states, the Pine Bend Refinery. One of the longest oil pipelines in the world, the Lakehead Pipeline, runs through the north of the state. Most of the oil the state uses comes from Canada and the northwestern United States.

State Taxes

Minnesota has three income tax rates, ranging from 5.35% to 7.85%. Sales tax is 6.5% for most items. The state does not levy such a tax on clothing, some services, or food for home consumption. It does levy prepared food, candy, and soft drinks. The state also levies a use tax on items purchased elsewhere but that are used. Property owners pay a property tax to their county, township, school district, and taxing district. Three factors affect the amount of taxes: the amount local governments spend to provide services to the community, the estimated market value of the property, and the property's classification.

Minnesota businesses and individuals paid an average of 11.8% of their income in state and local taxes in 1998 (Minnesota Department of Revenue).

Government and administration

View of the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul.

The capital is Saint Paul, located in the eastern part of the state, adjacent to Minneapolis. Since January 6, 2011, the Governor is Democrat Mark Dayton. The Lieutenant Governor is Tina Smith, who also headed the Minnesota Department of Transportation. She has 8 seats in the United States House of Representatives.

Division of powers

As in the national government of the United States, in Minnesota there is a division of powers: executive, legislative and judicial.

• The chief executive officer is the governor. It is elected by the electors of the State for a term of up to four years. There is no limit of times when a person can exercise as governor.

• The Legislative Power consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has a total of 67 members, and the House of Representatives, 134. It is divided into 67 legislative districts, both as members of the Senate. The electors of each district elect a senator/representative, who will represent the district in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The term of office of the senators is four years, and that of the representatives is two years. There is no limit of times when a person can exercise as a senator or representative.

• The highest court of the Judiciary is the Supreme Court of Minnesota, composed of seven judges, one of them elected every two years to act as chief justice. The second largest court in the state is Court of Appeals of Minnesotainstituted in 1982 and currently composed of 16 judges. All these judges are elected by the electorate of the state for term of up to six years.

Constitution

The current Minnesota Constitution was adopted in 1858. Amendments to the Constitution are proposed by the Legislature. The amendments created by one of the chambers of the Legislative Branch, to be approved, need to receive at least three quarters of the votes of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the State, and then two thirds of the votes of the local electorate, to through a referendum. Amendments can also be made through constitutional conventions, which are special political gatherings. Amendments made in this way need to be approved by at least 51% of each House of Legislative Power, and then by at least 60% of the electoral population of the State, in a referendum.

Administrative division

Minnesota County.

Minnesota is divided into 87 counties, all governed by a board of commissioners, usually made up of five members. The state has about 850 cities. Most of them are governed by a mayor and a municipal council.

Politics

In its early days as a state, it was politically dominated by the Republican Party, both at the state and national levels. Most of the senators and representatives elected to the Legislature were Republicans, and the same can be said of the state senators and representatives in the United States Congress. Gradually, however, beginning in the 1930s, the Democrats began to gain strength in state politics. Since the 1960s, elections at the regional, state and national levels have been very close, between Republicans and Democrats, with both parties holding strong political clout in the state.

Its politics are active and unstable, with populism being a traditional force among all parties in the state. His political history records curiosities such as Jesse Ventura, a professional wrestler turned governor, and R.T. Rybak, a protester who became mayor. He has a high percentage of attendance at the polls; 77.2% of the state's electorate voted in the 2004 presidential election, the highest percentage in the United States. Political conservatism is less related to the religiosity of the state's population, compared to other US states.

During the second half of the XX century the vote has shifted more towards the Democrat, although it is now seen as a "swing state" (literally "swing state", that is, a state in which one party does not clearly dominate over another). Residents have voted Democrat for president since 1976, far longer than any other state. His electoral votes and those of the District of Columbia were the only ones not won by Republican President Ronald Reagan. His voters instead chose former Vice President and Senator Walter Mondale, a Minnesota native. He or Hubert Humphrey were the Democratic nominees for president or vice president in the 1964, 1968, 1976, 1980, and 1984 elections.

Culture

Art and architecture

The Twin Cities area is considered the arts capital of the Upper Midwest. Other important artistic centers are the Twin Ports (Twin Ports: Duluth-Superior) and the cities of Madison and Milwaukee in Wisconsin. There is a very high per capita attendance at theatrical and musical shows, which some point out may be due to the cold winters, but more realistically, it can be attributed to the large number of institutes, universities, and a generally strong economy. which provides strong support and demand for artistic creations (in 2000, 2.3 million theater tickets were sold in the Twin Cities region alone). They have more theater seats per capita than any other American city, including New York City.

Pop Culture

Welcome to Minnesota.

Its stereotypical traits include Lutheranism (26% of the state population declares itself Lutheran), "Minnesota Nice" (the state population is known for its hospitality and courtesy to strangers), the "hot dish" (a typical Minnesota term for casserole), the "lutefisk" (a spicy fish preparation originating from Norway and Scandinavia), an appreciation of family ties and a strong sense of community, as well as a shared culture with many other inhabitants of the state—rather than just with a certain city.

The state's English has a unique accent, even different from the accent of other states in the upper Midwest. Despite being considered unique, many of its inhabitants deny the presence of a regional accent. However, because of the increase in immigrants to the state, from other regions of the country, many of whom come from the West Coast, the Chicago metropolitan area, and New York, as well as the growth of Hmong immigration, Vietnamese, Somali, Liberian, Kenyan, Nigerian, Russian and Hispanic, the various cultures of the state are gradually merging with each other, and changing the state culture, as had already happened during the second half of the century XIX and early XX century, during the period of great European immigration in the region.

Native Americans have a moderate presence, and some Native American tribes operate casinos on Indian reservations (which do not charge casino taxes). Initially, the first European people to explore and settle Minnesota were the French, who were followed by the British, Irish, Scandinavian, and German. The Métis —descendants of Europeans and Native Americans— had a prominent presence in the region, during the years in which it was a territory. Most of the Métis population would gradually migrate north to Canada after its elevation to statehood in 1858. Minnesota is not associated with any particular food, although in recent years, dishes such as < i>wild rice sausage (wild rice sausage) have seen some popularity.

The state has been a recipient of immigrants, from all parts of the world, past and present. In addition to the groups already mentioned above, other sizable ethno-racial groups include Arabs, ethnic groups from other countries of the former Soviet Union, Chinese, and Japanese. Mexicans are a growing force, as they are in the rest of the country. Many modern immigrants are drawn to Minnesota for its reputation for its prioritization of educational and social services. Many of these immigrants come thanks to the support of various local congregations, focused on providing social assistance and social justice.

Outdoor activities are considered an important part of the lives of many state residents. Such activities include hunting and fishing (about 36% of the inhabitants regularly fish, second only to Alaska). During the winter it is quite popular to go ice fishing, a custom brought by the first Scandinavian immigrants. Families often own or rent cabins or go camping in forest parks, usually near lakes. Weekend getaways to such properties are common, especially in the summer.

It has 71 state parks. Like other northern woodland states, such as Wisconsin and Michigan, locals jokingly comment that the mosquito is the state bird, because of its abundance in that area. Actually, the state bird is the great loon (Gavia immer), whose distinctive grunt can often be heard by campers in the northern part of the state, and sometimes as far south as the lakes of Minneapolis.

Sports

In the state of Minnesota there are franchises from the main American leagues: in American football the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL since 1961, Minnesota United in the MLS and which will have its own stadium from 2019 Allianz Field, Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball since 1961, in ice hockey the Minnesota Wild of the NHL since 2000, and in basketball the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA since 1989 and the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA since 1999.

Previously the Minneapolis Marines / Red Jackets played there from 1905 to 1930, the Duluth Kelleys / Eskimos of the NFL from 1923 to 1927, the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBA from 1947 to 1960, the Minnesota Kicks of the North American Soccer League from 1976 to 1981, and the NHL's Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1993.

When it comes to college sports, the American football Minnesota Golden Gophers have won 18 Big Ten Conference championships, as well as one Rose Bowl.

Hazeltine Golf Club has hosted the US Open, US Women's Open, US Veterans Open and the PGA Championship.

Society

Education

View of a St University campus. Thomas, Saint Paul.

One of the first acts of the Legislature when it opened, in 1858, was the creation of a teachers' college in Winona. Since then, Minnesota has remained in the top ten states for education in most studies. It ranks sixth in the Smartest State Award for the 2005-06 school year, carried out by the publishing group Morgan Quitno and first in the percentage of inhabitants in possession of a bachelor's degree or higher. Minnesota has resisted movements in education such as school vouchers and the teaching of intelligent design.

The first school for children of European descent in the region of present-day Minnesota was founded at Fort St. Anthony, present-day Fort Snelling. Later, various schools were inaugurated by the missionaries, some dedicated to Native Americans and others for the population of European descent. In 1849, the Minnesota Territory government passed a law mandating the construction of public schools in communities in the territory.

Currently, all educational institutions must follow certain rules and standards set forth by the Minnesota Department of Education. This council directly controls the state's public school system, which is divided into several school districts. The council is headed by a commissioner, chosen by the governor with the approval of the Senate. Every city, several towns, and every county has at least one school district. In cities, the responsibility for running schools rests with the municipal school district, while in less densely populated regions, this responsibility rests with the school districts operating in the county.

Minnesota allows "charter schools" —independent public schools, which are not administered by school districts, but which depend on public budgets for their support. Not surprisingly, it was the first state in the union to allow the creation of schools of this kind within its state limits. Schooling is compulsory for all children and adolescents over seven years of age, until the conclusion of secondary education or until sixteen years of age.

In 1999, public schools served about 854,000 students, employing approximately 56,000 teachers. For their part, private schools served about 92,800 students, employing approximately 6,500 teachers. The State's public school system used about $5.816 billion, and public school spending was about $7.200 per student.

Libraries and universities

It has some 360 public libraries, which move about 8.9 books per inhabitant annually. The state currently has 113 higher education institutions, of which 52 are public and 61 are private. The main system of public universities in the State is the State Universities State Colleges and Universities is a public educational organization that controls another 37 higher education institutions with 375,000 students.

There's also the Minnesota University System, which has campuses in four different cities: Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. The Minneapolis-St. Paul—officially called the University of Minnesota—was the first institution of higher education in the state, having been founded in 1851. It is currently the largest in the state, and one of the largest in the country.

Health

Entrance to the Gonda Building of the Mayo Clinic of Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota Medical College is a premier educational institution that has made great strides in the treatment of disease, and its research activities contribute significantly to the state's growing biotech industry. The prestigious Mayo Clinic is headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota. Mayo and the University are partners in the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, a state-funded program that leads research in cancer, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, obesity, and other areas.

The state ranks first in the percentage of residents who engage in regular physical activity, and second in three key ratios: low infant mortality; long life expectancy and a low death rate per 100,000 population. These and other measures have led one group to rank Minnesota as the healthiest state in the nation, and another to rank it fourth.

Crime and Safety

After hitting a record 97 homicides in 1995, the city of Minneapolis earned a nasty nickname for its violence: Murderapolis (literally "City of Murderers"). The term gained wide use since the New York Times used it when it reported that Minneapolis had surpassed the per capita homicide rate of New York City. The murder rate dropped in subsequent years, though area residents are concerned that the nickname will be used again when there is an uptick in violence in the city.

Transportation

Minneapolis light train.

Transportation is overseen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Major Interstate Highways are I-35, I-90, and I-94 (all pass through or around the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area). The state is served by nearly two dozen rail lines, most of which also pass through the Mineapolis-St. Paul. Shipping is primarily centered on the Mississippi River and ports along Lake Superior in the north.

The main airport is Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP), which is also the headquarters and passenger and fleet hub of Northwest Airlines. It is also a major hub for Sun Country Airlines.

Public transportation is limited to several bus lines in the major cities as well as light rail in the Minneapolis-St. Paul.

In 2002, Minnesota had 7,342 kilometers of railroad tracks. In 2003, the state had 212,261 kilometers of public roads, of which 1,468 kilometers were interstate highways, part of the United States federal highway system. The State also has about 3,200 kilometers of waterways.

Media

View of a Minnesota radio/TV station.

The Twin Cities area is the 15th largest media market in the United States as ranked by Nielsen Media Research. The other state media markets in the top 210 are Fargo-Moorhead (118th), Duluth-Superior (137th), Rochester-Mason City-Austin (152nd), and Mankato (200. º).

The history of television in Minnesota, and in the Upper Midwest, begins on April 27, 1948, when KSTP-TV began broadcasting. The Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, owner of KSTP, is now the only television company. Currently, there are 39 analog radio stations and 23 digital channels that broadcast throughout the state.

The Twin Cities metropolitan area is home to the two largest newspapers in the state: the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Several weekly and monthly publications (most of which are financed by advertising) are also published. The most prominent of these is the weekly City Pages. Another important publication is The Rake, published in 2002, which is published monthly.

Two of the largest public radio networks are based in the state, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and Public Radio International (PRI). The MPR has the largest audience among the regional public radio networks, while the PRI provides more than 400 hours of programming to its affiliates throughout the country.

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