Ian Thorpe

Athens, 2004. Paul metropolitan area). Sydney, 2000. In recent years, new immigrants have added new religions to Minnesota, and there are now Islamic mosques, Buddhist temples, and Hindu mandirs in the state (many in the Minneapolis-St. He has recently bought a $2.9 million house in Caringbah, a southern suburb of Sydney. Nearly 35% of Minnesotans identify themselves as Lutherans. The race attracted unprecedented media attention in Australia, and Thorpe's victory made him one of the most celebrated Australian athletes of all time. The largest Protestant denomination in the state is Lutheranism and the largest religious body in the state is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Thorpe's performances in Sydney and Athens have made him a national hero in Australia, a country which reveres sporting stars. His victory in the 200 metres at Athens pitted him against American swimming phenomenon Michael Phelps, Sydney gold medallist Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands and his fellow Australian Grant Hackett. 64% of Minnesotans are Protestant (mostly mainline Protestant), although there are also a large number of Roman Catholics (about 25% of the population). Instead, his other enthusiasm appears to be fashion, as an ambassador for Armani clothing and his own range of designer jewellery. The population distribution by age is (Northeast Midwest Institute):. His lack of interest in (and aptitude for) other sports is well-known. More recent immigrant communities include the third-largest Hmong population in the United States (from the Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam region) and the largest urban center of Hmong population in the world, and a large presence of people from Somalia. He is quiet, mild-mannered, thoughtful, articulate, but extremely guarded in his statements, and he reportedly makes considerable efforts to insulate himself from the media when preparing for and during important events. More than 8 out of 10 whites in Minnesota are of German or Scandinavian descent.

Away from the pool, Thorpe in many ways defies the stereotype of Australian sportspeople. Minnesotans traditionally count themselves as of Nordic descent (approximately 1.5 million people, 30% of the population, claim Danish, Finnish, Norwegian or Swedish ancestry), though more families originated in Germany (approximately 2 million people, 40% of the population). After some deliberation, the second qualifier, Craig Stevens, withdrew from the event, and Thorpe accepted the offered place. The racial makeup of the state is:. Australia's Olympic selection rules allow for a qualifier to stand down, and for another swimmer to be selected in their place. Most of the state's population is centered in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. He was disqualified from the 400 m freestyle (his best event) after making a false start. 5.3% of the people who live in Minnesota are foreign-born (compared to 11.1% for the nation).

In late March 2004 Thorpe competed in the qualification events. The state population, as of 2003, was 5,059,375 (1.75% of the total national population), with a growth rate of 12.4% in the last 10 years (compared to 13.1% for the nation). Thorpe's preparations for the Athens Olympics were clouded by controversy. Paul, Bloomington, and Edina). He has however, been able to maintain a trademark six-beat kick to power away to victory in the closing stages of races, attributed to his unnaturally large feet. The "retail capital" 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. At 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) and 105 kg (231 lb), he is very large for a swimmer and many thought that as he matured and continued to grow he would be unable to maintain his performance as a teenager. Census Bureau).

Thorpe's success is based on a strong work ethic, attention to detail, flawless technique, mental strength, and a physiology suited to swimming. average of $9,190 (U.S. In total, he has broken world records (either individually or as part of a relay team) 22 times. Retail sales per capita were $10,260 in 1997, higher than the U.S. Thorpe has also pushed Australian relay teams to unprecedented success, anchoring the winning 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relay teams in Sydney, the first time the United States had ever been beaten in the events. The Gross State Product was just under $173 billion in 1999 (Northeast Midwest Institute), with approximately $17.5 billion in exports in 2000. He has been nicknamed "Thorpedo" by the Australian press for his swimming prowess. 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).

His dominance has broadened to include the 200 and 400 metre freestyle (at which he holds the world record), and he is one of the fastest 100 metre freestylers in the world. The state does not charge sales tax on clothing, services (massages, haircuts, auto work, etc), or non-prepared food items. Since 1998 Thorpe has completely dominated the 400 metre freestyle event, winning the event at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, the 2001 Fukuoka World Championships (at which he won a total of six gold medals), and again in Athens. It has an income and sales tax, as well as levying taxes on a common range of goods such as tobacco, gasoline, and alcohol. He also excelled in the 200 metre freestyle and the 200 metre butterfly. Minnesota is regarded as a high-tax state by some. He came second to another Australian teenager, Grant Hackett, in the 400 metre freestyle, beginning a rivalry which has continued ever since. However, water- and rail-borne traffic has been declining steadily over the years.

Thorpe made his first impact in 1997, when he was selected at 14 for the Australian team at the Pan Pacific competition in Fukuoka, Japan. The state has been a major influence in the area of transportation, moving products along the Mississippi River, in and out of the inland seaport of Duluth, along railroads that criss-cross the state, via highways with trucking and busing companies, and through the air with a major airline hub. Instead, he followed his sister, Christina, into competitive swimming. As of January 2005, the state is the country's fourth-largest wind energy producer after California, Texas, and Iowa, with 615 megawatts installed and 213 MW planned [1] (http://www.awea.org/projects/). Although Thorpe's father, Ken, excelled as a cricketer, Ian did not have the same ability. Many farmers also now operate wind turbines to produce electricity, particularly in the windy southwest region. Thorpe was born in Milperra, in the western suburbs of Sydney, and was educated at East Hills High School. If production capacity meets the need, 2% biodiesel will be required in diesel fuel in 2005.

Ian James Thorpe (born October 13, 1982), Australian swimmer, is regarded as one of the greatest middle-distance swimmers of all time after winning the 200 and 400 metre freestyle races at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He has won five Olympic gold medals, more than any other Australian. state with such a mandate). Bronze : Men's 100 freestyle (48.56). 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 2004, Minnesota is the only U.S. Silver : Men's 4 x 200 m freestyle relay (7:07.46). Additionally, northern Minnesota is a source for iron ore and wood products, though these are both declining industries. Gold : 200 metre freestyle (1:44.71) - Olympic Record. 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.

Gold : 400 metre freestyle (3:43.10). The largest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America, is located in Bloomington. Silver : 4 x 100 metre medley relay (3:35.27). The city of Rochester is the headquarters of the Mayo Clinic, and has a significant manufacturing presence in International Business Machines. Gold : 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay (7:7.05). and Honeywell. Gold : 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay (3:13.67). Bancorp, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (formerly Lutheran Brotherhood), Medtronic, Cray Computers, Imation, and a regional headquarters of Wells Fargo & Co., Caterpillar_Inc.

Gold : 400 metre freestyle (3:40.59). (formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.), Northwest Airlines, Target Corporation, U.S. Silver : 200 metre freestyle (1:45.83). The Twin Cities are home to a diverse range of major businesses, including 3M Co. In general, salaries are lowest in more rural areas, particularly in the northwest portion of the state. The county averages range from $17,369 (Todd County) to $42,313 (Hennepin County, a portion of the Metro area).

Census Bureau). The average household income in 1999 was approximately $48,000, ranking eighth in the nation (U.S. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $34,031, 10^th in the nation. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Minnesota's total state product in 2003 was $211 billion.

The average annual precipitation is 28.32 inches (719 mm), with a snowfall figure of 49.6 inches (126 cm). The average temperature in January (the coldest month) is 11.2 °F (−11.5 °C), and the average in the warmest month of July is 73.1 °F (22.8 °C); averages are cooler in the north and warmer in the south. A record high of 114 °F (45.5 °C) was reached in both 1917 and 1936. Additionally, as part of the Great Plains region, the state also experiences warm summers.

Surprisingly, due to the flows of the jet stream, parts of Alaska often see relatively warm temperatures when Minnesota is experiencing extreme cold. The state is famously cold in the winters, with a record low of −60 °F (−51 °C) measured at Tower, MN on February 2, 1996. Temperatures can reach extremes in Minnesota. The biggest event in the last century occurred near Morris in 1975 and rated between 4.6 and 4.8 in magnitude.

Aside from a few very minor earthquakes, Minnesota is one of the most geologically-stable regions in the country. 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). Cloud, Mankato, Rochester (home of the world-famous Mayo Clinic), and Bloomington (home to the Mall of America). Other prominent cities include Duluth, St.

Together (and with surrounding suburbs), they are known as the Twin Cities. Paul, which sits on the Mississippi River next to Minnesota's largest city, Minneapolis. The capital is St. Traversing the state from southwest to northeast goes through the three different ecological regions.

Minnesota sits at a convergence point between three of the great biomes of North America: the Great Plains of the west, the Eastern Deciduous Forest, and the Northern Boreal Forest of Canada. Minnesota is the northernmost of the 48 contiguous states (Alaska reaches significantly farther north), reaching to 49° 23' 04" north latitude, due to a small piece of the state known as the Northwest Angle. In addition, Minnesota shares a water boundary with Michigan. The state is bordered on the north by Canada (Manitoba and Ontario), on the east by Wisconsin and Lake Superior, on the south by Iowa, and on the west by North Dakota and South Dakota.

Although the high-grade iron ore was mostly mined out during World War II, taconite is still mined across the Iron Range. It is called the Iron Range because when discovered, it had some of the largest deposits of iron ore in the country. This is a range of low mountains that run across the northern part of the state. After its rivers and lakes, Minnesota's most prominent physical feature is the Iron Range.

Minnesota is home to many areas of park land, to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), as well as a number of state and county parks, most notably Itasca State Park, the official source of the Mississippi River. The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest body of water in the state. In addition, the Iron Range and other low mountains are found in the northeastern part of the state. However, the extreme southeastern portion of the state is part of the Driftless Area, which was not glaciated, and it is here that Lake Pepin and the rugged high bluffs of the Mississippi River are found.

Much of the state is flat, having been eroded during repeated glacial periods (most recently the Wisconsin Glacier). It is famous for its lakes, having in excess of 15,000, depending on the source of the count. Minnesota covers 79,610 square miles (2.25% of the United States). See: List of Minnesota counties.

External links: Hyperlinked state constitution (http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/preamble.htm), full text of state constitution (http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/mncon.htm). See also: List of political parties in Minnesota. Some actions in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are coordinated by the Metropolitan Council, and many lakes and rivers are overseen by watershed districts and soil and water conservation districts. 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.

Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.. Appeals beyond this level go to the U.S. Louis, Missouri. Minnesota is part of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in St.

Paul, or Duluth. Federal cases are heard in the federal district courts in Minneapolis, St. The state has two special courts created by state law as executive-branch agencies:. Minnesota's court system has three levels:.

The Minnesota Senate is controlled by the DFL by five seats and there is one Independence Party state senator, former Republican Sheila Kiscaden (IP-Rochester) who seats with the DFL. In the November 2004 election, the Republican Party retained control of the Minnesota House of Representatives by a single seat, having lost a total of 13 seats. 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. The Minnesota State Legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The full list of governors, and the dates they took office, is available at List of Governors of Minnesota. He has a cabinet consisting of the leaders of various government agencies in the state. The governor and lieutenant governor each have four-year terms. The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Minnesota, currently Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, who started his term on January 6, 2003.

Like the national government of the United States, power is divided into three main branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Political conservatism is less strongly linked to church attendance in Minnesota than in other parts of the country, perhaps a reflection of the strong mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic following. state. presidential election, the highest of any U.S.

77.3% of Minnesotans voted in the 2004 U.S. Minnesota politics include such oddities as Professional wrestler turned Governors and protestors turned crowd-surfing mayors. Minnesota is known for active yet quirky politics, with populism being a long-standing force among all of the political parties that call the state home. Environmentalism is shared by most state residents in one form or another, vegans and hunters alike.

Families frequently own or share cabins on central and northern tracts of land in forests and adjoining lakes, and weekend trips out to these properties are common. Unique activities include ice fishing, which was popular with the early Scandinavian immigrants. Outdoor activities are major parts of the lives of many Minnesotans, including hunting and fishing. Many modern immigrants are attracted by the state's historically strong commitments toward education and social services.

Mexicans are a growing force, as they are across the U.S. Some Chinese and Japanese have had long presences in the state as well. Modern immigrants have come from all over the world in recent decades, with Hmong, Somali, Vietnamese, Indians, Middle Easterners, and the former Soviet bloc all being well-represented. 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.

Native Americans 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 European exploration and settlement was by the French, and settlement from Scandinavian countries along with Germany followed. However, many cultures are slowly mixing together in the state today. Stereotypical Minnesotans are known for various attributes, including Lutheranism, "Minnesota nice", "hot dish", and sing-songy Scandinavian accents. The eastern half of the territory of Minnesota became the country's 32nd state—after California—on May 11, 1858.

Minnesota Territory was carved out of Iowa Territory on March 3, 1849, but it was not coextensive with the present state, since the area included what later became the territory of Dakota (which later still became the states of North Dakota and South Dakota). Parts were also considered to be in the Northwest Territory. Much of the state was purchased from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase, although the exact definition of that land was not assessed for many years afterward. It is now a historic site.

military presences in the state. Fort Snelling, located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Mississippi River, was one of the earliest U.S. Croix River, though many histories focus on the military settlement that took place farther west. Some say that the earliest European settlement was in the area of the current city of Stillwater, on the St.

The evidence for this is largely based on the controversial Kensington Runestone, which most historians consider to be an elaborate hoax. According to local tradition, the first European visitors were Swedish and Norwegian Vikings in the 14th century. In this time, the economy originally consisted of hunter-gatherer activities, which changed over time as Europeans settled in the area and further exploited the state's natural resources. The area now known as Minnesota was originally inhabited by Native Americans, in particular the Ojibwe (Chippewa, Anishinaabe) and Dakota, although the Winnebago also had a presence in the southeastern part of the state.

Main article: History of Minnesota. Other nicknames for the state include Land of 10,000 Lakes and the North Star State. The USS Minnesota was named in honor of this state, as was the SS Gopher 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.

More than half of the state's residents live there. The most significant metropolitan area is known as the Twin Cities, combining the state's most populous cities, Minneapolis and the capital of Saint Paul, along with multiple "rings" of suburbs. Minnesota is the largest state by area in the Midwestern United States and is in the subregion known as the Upper Midwest. The state's name is abbreviated MN or Minn..

Its name is from the Dakota people's name for the Minnesota River, mini sota, variously translated "smoky-white water" or "sky-tinted water". Minnesota is the 32nd state of the United States, having joined the Union on May 11, 1858. Steve Zahn. Dave Winfield.

Roy Wilkins. DeWitt Wallace. Jesse Ventura. Cheryl Tiegs.

Lea Thompson. Taylor. Glen A. Harold Stassen.

Kevin Sorbo. Seann William Scott. Charles Schulz. Winona Ryder.

Marion Ross. The Replacements. Prince. Carl Pohlad.

Mondale. Walter F. Paul Molitor. Kevin McHale.

McCarthy. Eugene J. Roger Maris. John Madden.

Lipps Inc. Charles Lindbergh. Sinclair Lewis. Tom Lehman.

Jessica Lange. Peter Krause. Craig Kilborn. Kellogg.

Frank B. Garrison Keillor. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Hüsker Dü.

Humphrey. Hubert H. Josh Hartnett. Terry Gilliam.

Judy Garland. Al Franken. Scott Fitzgerald. F.

Tammy Faye. Bob Dylan. Morris Day. Rachel Leigh Cook.

Joel and Ethan Coen. Warren Burger. Herb Brooks. Jessica Biel.

Ann Bancroft. Richard Dean Anderson. Louie Anderson. Loni Anderson.

Eddie Albert. Father Jacques Marquette. Joseph Nicollet. Henry Schoolcraft.

Zebulon Pike. Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut. Father Louis Hennepin. Michel Aco.

Nicknames – "Gopher State," "North Star State," "Land of 10,000 Lakes". State tree – Norway Pine. State song – "Hail! Minnesota". State picture – Grace.

State mushroom – Morel (sponge mushroom; honeycomb morel). State muffin – Blueberry (adopted as part of a school project on how a bill becomes law). State motto – L'Étoile du Nord (“Star of the North”). Territory Motto (actual) – Quo sursum velo videre (“I cover to see what is above” is the closest translation).

Territory Motto (intended) – Quae sursum volo videre (“I wish to see what is beyond”). State grain – Wild rice. State gemstone – Lake Superior Agate. State flower – Pink and White Showy Lady Slipper.

State fish – Walleye. State drink – Milk. State butterfly – Monarch. State bird – Loon.

65+ - 594,266 (12.1%). 35-64 - 1,894,747 (38.6%). 19-34 - 1,068,850 (21.7%). 0-18 - 1,361,616 (27.7%).

1.4% mixed race. 1.1% American Indian. 2.9% Asian. 2.9% Hispanic.

3.5% Black. 88.2% White. It has five 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 three judges appointed by the governor to six-year terms, following approval from the state Senate. The Tax Court deals with non-criminal tax cases across the state. The court automatically reviews first-degree murder convictions, and settles disputes over legislative elections. The seven justices on the Supreme Court hear appeals from the Court of Appeals, the Tax Court, and the Worker's Compensation Court.

Minnesota Supreme Court. There are 16 judges, who divide into three-judge panels to hear appeals in courts across the state. This body hears appeals on cases tried in the trial courts. Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Most state cases start in the trial courts. The state is split into 10 judicial districts, with 257 judges. Trial courts.