Minnesota

Paul metropolitan area). See List of New Hampshire-related topics. 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. Arena football teams:. Nearly 35% of Minnesotans identify themselves as Lutherans. Hockey teams:. The largest Protestant denomination in the state is Lutheranism and the largest religious body in the state is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Minor league baseball teams:.

64% of Minnesotans are Protestant (mostly mainline Protestant), although there are also a large number of Roman Catholics (about 25% of the population). * While Census records may seem to indicate that two separate Census Districts exist for this community, in fact one district is contained entirely within the other.. The population distribution by age is (Northeast Midwest Institute):. The three largest Protestant denominations in New Hampshire are: Methodist (11% of the total state population), Baptist (9%), Presbyterian & Episcopalian (tied 2%). 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. The religious affiliations of the citizens of New Hampshire are:. More than 8 out of 10 whites in Minnesota are of German or Scandinavian descent. The 5 largest ancestry groups in New Hampshire are: Irish (19.4%), English (18%), French (14.6%), French Canadian (10.6%), German (8.6%).

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). The racial makeup of the state is:. The racial makeup of the state is:. According to the Census Bureau, as of 2003, the population of New Hampshire was 1,287,687. Most of the state's population is centered in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Additionally, New Hampshire's lack of a broad based tax system (aside from the controversial state-wide property tax which former Governor Benson cut nearly in half in two years) has resulted in the state's local communities having some of the nation's highest property taxes, yet overall NH remains ranked 49th in combined average state and local tax burden, due to its lack of income or sales taxes. 5.3% of the people who live in Minnesota are foreign-born (compared to 11.1% for the nation). This is a viable fiscal policy for a small, high-income state with limited social service demands, but it has not been one hundred per cent successful, and pockets of depressed manufacturing activity still remain.

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). The state has no personal income tax and advocates a frugal budget, thereby attracting commuters, light industry, specialty horticulture, and service firms from other jurisdictions with high tax policies, notably from neighboring Massachusetts. Paul, Bloomington, and Edina). The current New Hampshire economy is largely driven by fiscal policy. 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. These traditional sectors experienced their sharp decline during the Twentieth Century due to increasingly obsolete plants and increasingly cheaper wages available in the US South. Census Bureau). Today, these sectors contribute only 2% for textiles, 2% for leather goods, and 9% for machining of the state's total manufacturing dollar value (Source: US Economic Census for 1997, Manufacturing, New Hampshire).

average of $9,190 (U.S. Historically, the base was composed of the traditional New England manufactures of textiles, shoe-making, and small machining shops drawing upon low wage labor from nearby small farms and from Quebec. Retail sales per capita were $10,260 in 1997, higher than the U.S. New Hampshire experienced a significant shift in its economic base during the last century. The Gross State Product was just under $173 billion in 1999 (Northeast Midwest Institute), with approximately $17.5 billion in exports in 2000. Its industrial outputs are machinery, electric equipment, rubber and plastic products, and tourism. 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). Its agricultural outputs are dairy products, nursery stock, cattle, apples, and eggs.

The state does not charge sales tax on clothing, services (massages, haircuts, auto work, etc), or non-prepared food items. Per capital personal income in 2003 was $35,140, 7^th in the nation. It has an income and sales tax, as well as levying taxes on a common range of goods such as tobacco, gasoline, and alcohol. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (http://www.bea.gov/) estimates that New Hampshire's total state product in 2003 was $49 billion. Minnesota is regarded as a high-tax state by some. The reversion forms the subject of many poems by Robert Frost, while the emigration is consistent with the results of NH native and newspaper legend Horace Greeley imploring, "Go West, Young Man.". However, water- and rail-borne traffic has been declining steadily over the years. This change was caused by the abandonment of farms by owners seeking wage jobs in urban areas or bank seizure of unproductive farms, with farming families moving west.

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. A dramatic change in the visual landscape of New Hampshire occurred about a century ago when its changed from an open landscape of fields and small farms: It is now the second-most-forested state in the country, after Maine, in terms of percentage of land covered by woods. 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/). This claim is also bolstered by British records of captured American POWs during the Revolutionary period, held in England, who claimed "Berwick, NH", "York, NH", and "Kittery, NH" as their home towns. Many farmers also now operate wind turbines to produce electricity, particularly in the windy southwest region. There is an ongoing boundary dispute with Maine in the area of Portsmouth Harbor, with NH claiming dominion over several islands (now known as Seavey Island) that include the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as well as to the Maine towns of Kittery and Berwick, which NH asserts were granted to it by Massachusetts prior to Maine becoming a state of its own rather than just the northern part of Massachusetts, in the Missouri Compromise of 1820. If production capacity meets the need, 2% biodiesel will be required in diesel fuel in 2005. About 10 miles (16 km) offshore are the Isles of Shoals, nine small islands best known as the site of a 19th-century art colony founded by poet Celia Thaxter, as well as the alleged location of one of the buried treasures of the pirate Blackbeard.

state with such a mandate). Hampton Beach is a popular local summer destination. 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. (Under some federal definitions, Pennsylvania's coast is shorter: See Footnote in "Miscellaneous"). Additionally, northern Minnesota is a source for iron ore and wood products, though these are both declining industries. New Hampshire has the shortest ocean coastline of any coastal state, 18 miles (29 km) by state figures. 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. The largest lake is Lake Winnipesaukee, which covers 72 square miles (186 km²) in the central part of New Hampshire.

The largest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America, is located in Bloomington. The Piscataqua River and its several tributaries form the state's only significant ocean port where they flow into the Atlantic at Portsmouth. The city of Rochester is the headquarters of the Mayo Clinic, and has a significant manufacturing presence in International Business Machines. Oddly, the state border is not in the center of that river, as is usually the case, but lies at the low-water mark on the Vermont side, so New Hampshire actually owns the whole river. and Honeywell. The 410 mile (670 km) Connecticut River, which starts at New Hampshire's Connecticut Lakes and flows south to Connecticut, forms the western border of New Hampshire. Bancorp, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (formerly Lutheran Brotherhood), Medtronic, Cray Computers, Imation, and a regional headquarters of Wells Fargo & Co., Caterpillar_Inc. Its major tributaries include the Souhegan River.

(formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.), Northwest Airlines, Target Corporation, U.S. Major rivers include the 116 mile (187 km) Merrimack River, which bisects the state north-south and ends up in Massachusetts. The Twin Cities are home to a diverse range of major businesses, including 3M Co. See List of New Hampshire rivers. In general, salaries are lowest in more rural areas, particularly in the northwest portion of the state. In the flatter southwest corner of New Hampshire another feature, the prominent landmark and tourist attraction of Mount Monadnock, has given its name to a general class of earth-forms, a monadnock signifying in geomorphology any isolated resistant peak rising from a less resitant eroded plain. The county averages range from $17,369 (Todd County) to $42,313 (Hennepin County, a portion of the Metro area). In consequence, a non-profit observatory is located on the peak for the purposes of observing harsh environmental conditions.

Census Bureau). With hurricane force winds every third day on the average, 100 recorded deaths among visitors, and conspicous krummholz (dwarf, matted trees much like a carpet of bonsai), the upper reaches Mount Washington claim the distinction of the " worst weather on earth". The average household income in 1999 was approximately $48,000, ranking eighth in the nation (U.S. The Presidential Range in New Hampshire spans the central portion of the state, with Mount Washington being the tallest, and other mountains like Mount Madison and Mount Quincy Adams surrounding it. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $34,031, 10^th in the nation. New Hampshire was home to the famous geological formation called the Old Man of the Mountain, a face-like profile in Franconia Notch, until May 2-3, 2003, when the symbol of New Hampshire collapsed. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Minnesota's total state product in 2003 was $211 billion. See List of mountains in New Hampshire.

The average annual precipitation is 28.32 inches (719 mm), with a snowfall figure of 49.6 inches (126 cm). New Hampshire's major regions are the Great North Woods, the White Mountains region, the Lakes region the Seacoast region, the Merrimack Valley region, the Monadnock region, and the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee area. 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. It is bounded by Quebec, Canada to the north, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Massachusetts to the south, and Vermont to the west. A record high of 114 °F (45.5 °C) was reached in both 1917 and 1936. New Hampshire is part of the New England region. Additionally, as part of the Great Plains region, the state also experiences warm summers. See List of New Hampshire counties.

Surprisingly, due to the flows of the jet stream, parts of Alaska often see relatively warm temperatures when Minnesota is experiencing extreme cold. Supporters note that almost all Vermont towns were first chartered by New Hampshire, and point out that these two states already have unusual cross-border links, with the only two interstate school districts in the United States. 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. Congress. Temperatures can reach extremes in Minnesota. New Hampshire's government has earned the positive attention of residents in neighboring states: Killington, Vermont voted on March 2, 2004 to secede from Vermont and join New Hampshire—a largely symbolic act, since actual secession would require the agreement of both states' legislatures and the U.S. The biggest event in the last century occurred near Morris in 1975 and rated between 4.6 and 4.8 in magnitude. Because of this pay scale, many New Hampshire lawmakers are either wealthy or retired.

Aside from a few very minor earthquakes, Minnesota is one of the most geologically-stable regions in the country. State representatives and state senators are paid just $100 a year, plus mileage, effectively meaning that state laws are written by volunteers. 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). Based on 2000 Census data, this averages out to about one Representative for every 3090 people. Cloud, Mankato, Rochester (home of the world-famous Mayo Clinic), and Bloomington (home to the Mall of America). It claims to be the third-largest legislative body in the English-speaking world, behind only the United States House of Representatives and the British House of Commons. Other prominent cities include Duluth, St. The New Hampshire state legislature, called the General Court, has 400 members in the House and 24 in the Senate.

Together (and with surrounding suburbs), they are known as the Twin Cities. The Executive Council's duties include voting on state contracts worth more than $5,000, on on nominations made by the governor to major state positions such as department heads, and all judgeships. Paul, which sits on the Mississippi River next to Minnesota's largest city, Minneapolis. Unlike most states, New Hampshire does not have a Lieutenant Governor, but instead has a five-person Executive Council that is a holdover from the Governor's Council of the Colonial era. The capital is St. List of New Hampshire Governors. Traversing the state from southwest to northeast goes through the three different ecological regions. Sununu was governor of the state from 1983-1988.

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. Sununu (Republican), whose father John H. 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. senators are Judd Gregg (Republican) and John E. In addition, Minnesota shares a water boundary with Michigan. New Hampshire's two U.S. 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. The governor of New Hampshire is John Lynch (Democrat).

Although the high-grade iron ore was mostly mined out during World War II, taconite is still mined across the Iron Range. The New Hampshire state capital is Concord, which has also been known over time by the names Rumford and Penacook. It is called the Iron Range because when discovered, it had some of the largest deposits of iron ore in the country. Main article: Government of New Hampshire. This is a range of low mountains that run across the northern part of the state. In the 20th Century, NH gained political renown for its First in the Nation political primaries which tended to accurately predict who would be elected President of the United States. After its rivers and lakes, Minnesota's most prominent physical feature is the Iron Range. New Hampshire grew as a hotbed of Abolitionist sentiment up to the Civil War, participating in the Underground Railroad in providing safe routes into Canada, primarily via the Connecticut River waterway.

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. In the 1830's, NH saw two major news stories: the founding of the Republic of Indian Stream on its northern border with Canada over the unresolved post-revolutionary war border issue, and the founding of the modern Republican Party by Amos Tuck and friends. The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest body of water in the state. It was the first state to declare its independence, and the historic attack on Fort William and Mary (now Fort Constitution) helped supply the cannon and ammunition needed for the Battle of Bunker Hill that took place north of Boston a few months later. In addition, the Iron Range and other low mountains are found in the northeastern part of the state. New Hampshire was founded by Captain John Mason and first settled in 1623, just three years after the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts and it was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. 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. USS New Hampshire was named in honor of this state.

Much of the state is flat, having been eroded during repeated glacial periods (most recently the Wisconsin Glacier). New Hampshire's recreational attractions include skiing and other winter sports; observing the fall foliage; the Lakes Region; and the New Hampshire International Speedway (formerly Loudon Racetrack), home of the Loudon Classic, the longest-running motorcycle race in the United States. It is famous for its lakes, having in excess of 15,000, depending on the source of the count. In 2003 it gained international attention for having the first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, within the Anglican Communion (the Episcopal Church in the USA). Minnesota covers 79,610 square miles (2.25% of the United States). New Hampshire is home to the highest winds ever recorded on Earth: 231 mph in 1934 at the Mount Washington weather observatory in the Presidential Range. See: List of Minnesota counties. Its state tree is the American white birch, also called paper birch or canoe birch.

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). Its state bird is the purple finch. See also: List of political parties in Minnesota. Its state flower is the purple lilac. 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. The nickname has also been embraced for reflecting the state's attachment to tradition and limited government. 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. New Hampshire's state nickname is "the Granite State" because it has numerous granite quarries, although that industry has declined greatly in recent decades.

Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.. presidential elections, and has probably the most famous of all state mottos: "Live free or die". Appeals beyond this level go to the U.S. It is the site of the New Hampshire primary, the first primary in the U.S. Louis, Missouri. Census Bureau estimate). Minnesota is part of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in St. The state ranks 46th of the 50 states in land area (23,249 km²) and 41st in population (around 1.3 million by a 2003 U.S.

Paul, or Duluth. It is located east of Vermont, north of Massachusetts, south of Quebec, Canada, and west of Maine and the North Atlantic Ocean. Federal cases are heard in the federal district courts in Minneapolis, St. state in northern New England. The state has two special courts created by state law as executive-branch agencies:. New Hampshire is a small U.S. Minnesota's court system has three levels:. The New Hampshire (University of New Hampshire's student-run newspaper since 1911).

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. Hippo Press (Manchester and Nashua editions). 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. New Hampshire Business Review (statewide). 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 New Hampshire Gazette Portsmouth alternative bi-weekly, arguably the oldest paper in America (although other publications also make that claim). The Minnesota State Legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives. Source: US Dept of Commerce, "US Coastline by States" cited on Page 606 of the 2003 "World Almanac".

The full list of governors, and the dates they took office, is available at List of Governors of Minnesota. Pennsylvania's number apparently comes because a portion of the Delaware River on its s eastern border is tidal. He has a cabinet consisting of the leaders of various government agencies in the state. Based on these concepts, Pennsylvania has a saltwater coastline of 0 miles , so it cannot be considered for ranking in a discussion of saltwater coastlines, but when the more detailed measurement of shoreline is used, Pennsylvania has a saltwater shoreline of 89 miles versus 131 for New Hampshire, giving Pennsylvania a shorter ocean shore. The governor and lieutenant governor each have four-year terms. The coastline is a generalized measurement of the shore configuration, whereas the shoreline is the most detailed measurement practical and includes measurements for offshore islands and other features such as inlets and rivers to the head of a narrow tidewater. The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Minnesota, currently Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, who started his term on January 6, 2003. Official figures recognize two coastal concepts, the coastline and the shoreline.

Like the national government of the United States, power is divided into three main branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. EXTENDED FOOTNOTE on coastline. 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. New Hampshire is the destination of the Free State Project. state. New Hampshire is the only state with no mandatory seatbelt law for adults, no motorcycle helmet law for adults nor mandatory vehicle insurance for automobiles. presidential election, the highest of any U.S. The few dozen residents of Dixville Notch all stay awake until after midnight to vote. State law grants that a town where all registered citizens have voted may close early and announce their results.

77.3% of Minnesotans voted in the 2004 U.S. to vote in presidential primaries and the presidential election. Minnesota politics include such oddities as Professional wrestler turned Governors and protestors turned crowd-surfing mayors. In northern New Hampshire the town of Dixville Notch is traditionally the first city or town in the U.S. 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. This was done to preserve Franconia Notch, the site of the Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation visible from Interstate 93 in Franconia. The formation, the state symbol, fell apart due to natural erosion on May 3, 2003. Environmentalism is shared by most state residents in one form or another, vegans and hunters alike. a single northbound lane and a single southbound lane) with a cobblestone median.

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. New Hampshire has the only piece of Interstate highway that is two-lane (i.e. Unique activities include ice fishing, which was popular with the early Scandinavian immigrants. New Hampshire has also registered an official tartan with the proper authorities in Scotland; this tartan is used to make kilts worn by the State Police while they serve during the games. Outdoor activities are major parts of the lives of many Minnesotans, including hunting and fishing. New Hampshire is host to the New Hampshire Highland Games, formerly the Scottish Games. Many modern immigrants are attracted by the state's historically strong commitments toward education and social services. Many liquor stores are located near state lines, often on interstate highways (with their own exits).

Mexicans are a growing force, as they are across the U.S. This system generates millions of dollars annually for the state and results in liquor being so cheap that it attracts many out-of-state customers. Some Chinese and Japanese have had long presences in the state as well. Like several states, New Hampshire requires all hard liquor to be sold in state-owned, state-run stores. 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. As of 2003, all but about two dozen communities in the state provided public kindergarten with local property-tax money. 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. New Hampshire is the only state that does not mandate public kindergarten, partly out of frugality and lack of funding, and partly out of belief in local control, a philosophy under which towns and cities, not the state, make as many decisions as possible.

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. (List of other states without personal income taxes). However, many cultures are slowly mixing together in the state today. There are no general sales or individual income taxes in New Hampshire, though the state does have meals, lodging, and other taxes. Stereotypical Minnesotans are known for various attributes, including Lutheranism, "Minnesota nice", "hot dish", and sing-songy Scandinavian accents. [2] (http://www.factmonster.com/spot/mlkhistory1.html). The eastern half of the territory of Minnesota became the country's 32nd state—after California—on May 11, 1858. In 1999 New Hampshire changed the name of Civil Rights Day to Martin Luther King Day.

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). [1] (http://www.state.nh.us/nhinfo/fast.html). Parts were also considered to be in the Northwest Territory. Traditionally observed on the 4th Thursday in April, from 1949 was observed as a legal holiday on the 4th Monday in April until 1991 when it was replaced by Civil Rights Day. 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. New Hampshire was the last of the New England states to observe Fast Day, a day of prayer for a bountiful harvest. It is now a historic site. Manchester Wolves.

military presences in the state. Manchester Monarchs. Fort Snelling, located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Mississippi River, was one of the earliest U.S. New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Croix River, though many histories focus on the military settlement that took place farther west. Nashua Pride. Some say that the earliest European settlement was in the area of the current city of Stillwater, on the St. It contains Lebanon College and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and is the location of many malls along the Connecticut River that draw Vermont shoppers avoiding that state's sales tax.

The evidence for this is largely based on the controversial Kensington Runestone, which most historians consider to be an elaborate hoax. Lebanon known as "The City of Fountains" is the least-populated community in NH organized as a city. According to local tradition, the first European visitors were Swedish and Norwegian Vikings in the 14th century. Peterborough is the inspiration for the town of Grover's Corners portrayed in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town. 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. Salem contains The Mall at Rockingham Park, frequented by many Massachusetts residents who wish to avoid paying taxes in their home state. 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. Keene is the home to one of the state's public colleges.

Main article: History of Minnesota. Keene is still called "The Elm City" despite the fact that Dutch elm disease destroyed most of the city's elm trees in the 1930s. Other nicknames for the state include Land of 10,000 Lakes and the North Star State. The Merrimack River runs through the city and once provided water power to a thriving mill industry along its banks. The USS Minnesota was named in honor of this state, as was the SS Gopher State. Manchester, the largest city in the state and known as the "Queen City", Manchester, has a main street (Elm Street) which is a dead-end at both ends. 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. Non-Religious – 9%.

More than half of the state's residents live there. Other Religions – 2%. 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. Other Christian – 3%. Minnesota is the largest state by area in the Midwestern United States and is in the subregion known as the Upper Midwest. Roman Catholic – 41%. The state's name is abbreviated MN or Minn.. Protestant – 41%.

Its name is from the Dakota people's name for the Minnesota River, mini sota, variously translated "smoky-white water" or "sky-tinted water". 1.1% mixed race. Minnesota is the 32nd state of the United States, having joined the Union on May 11, 1858. 0.2% American Indian. Steve Zahn. 0.7% Black. Dave Winfield. 1.3% Asian.

Roy Wilkins. 1.7% Hispanic. DeWitt Wallace. 95.1% White (making New Hampshire the third "whitest" state, trailing Maine and Vermont). 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.