Minnesota State Report
Anna Chiang #3
Introduction
Close your eyes and imagine a world filled with thick pine forests, sparkling broad lakes,
fertile farmland, and an abundance of animals such as moose, deer, fowl, eagles, and other game.
This is Minnesota, the Gopher State, well-known for its plentiful lakes and animals. Here there
are interesting attractions and tourist areas like the Mall of America, the Museum of
Questionable Devices, the Artfest, the Fishermen’s Picnic, and many more. The reason I chose
this state was because of the state’s unique name—which sounds like “mini soda.” My friend’s
brother had also done this state before. I became interested in how Minnesota got its name and
what other characteristics Minnesota had. Read on to find out what I’ve learned!
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History
Minnesota was established as the thirty-second state in the United States of America on
May 11, 1858. The state name comes from the Sioux Indian words meaning sky-tinted waters.
Now I will tell you about the events that led to Minnesota’s statehood. On April 30, 1803,
Western Minnesota is granted to the United States after the Louisiana Purchase. On June 4, 1812,
Minnesota becomes part of Missouri Territory. On June 28, 1818, Eastern Minnesota is attached
to Michigan Territory. On June 28, 1834, Western Minnesota is attached to Michigan Territory.
On April 26, 1836, Eastern Minnesota becomes part of Wisconsin Territory. On July 3, 1836,
Western Minnesota is taken into Wisconsin Territory. On July 12, 1838, Minnesota land west of
the Mississippi River is given to Iowa Territory. On March 3, 1849, the US federal government
recognizes Minnesota Territory. On September 3, 1849, the first territorial legislature meets. In
1851, land west of the Mississippi River is given up by the Sioux Indians. On July 1857, the
constitutional convention meets. On May 11, 1858, Minnesota becomes the 32nd state.
Here are a few important dates in Minnesota’s history: During 1654 and 1660, Pierre
Radisson and Medard Chouart explore Minnesota. In 1858, Minnesota becomes a state. In 1884,
iron ore is first shipped from the Vermilion Range in Northern Minnesota. In 1920, the
Eighteenth Amendment (also known as the Volstead Act), which prohibits the invent and sale of
alcohol in America, begins. In 1968, the American Indian Movement begins in Minnesota. In
1992, Mall of America opens. In 1999, Jesse Ventura, a former professional wrestler, is elected
for governor.
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Geography
Minnesota’s geography is very unique and different throughout the state. The glaciers
that covered Minnesota for thousands of years played an important role in shaping the land
regions. One of the regions is the Driftless Area region, which is basically southeastern
Minnesota. The Driftless Area’s land mainly consists of steep bluffs and high ridges over the
land. This region is full of rocks, many hills, and countless trout streams. In other places, the
land is rolling or flat, with rich fertile soil that especially helped the early pioneers do their
farming. There are also numerous lakes and marshes from the melting ice pack and many forests.
The second Minnesota land region is the Superior Uplands region, which covers most of
northern Minnesota. It is commonly called the Arrowhead region for its shape. The Superior
Uplands is mainly a stretch of hard rock because glaciers didn’t affect it very much, and it is
filled with minerals.
Another region in the state is called the Young Drift Plains region, which is in central and
western Minnesota. There are low farmlands, flat ground, and moraines. The dry Lake Agassiz
is also located there.
Last but not least, the fourth land region takes over the southwestern corner of Minnesota.
The region is named the Dissected Till Plains region. Dissected Till Plains is named for its small
streams and rivers that cut through the land forming gullies, or shallow valleys, hence
“dissected.” The “till” part of the region’s name stands for the mixture of sand, clay, pebble, and
gravel in the region that is typically beneficial to farming. The Dissected Till Plains region also
has level land, therefore the “plains” part of its name.
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The total area of Minnesota is 86,943 square miles. The area of the land portion is 79,617
square miles, and the area of the water portion is 7,326 square miles. The state’s geographic
center is Crow Wing, which is ten miles southwest of Brainerd. The highest point is Eagle
Mountain at 2,301 feet. The lowest point is Lake Superior at 602 feet.
Minnesota’s bodies of water include 15,000 to 22,000 lakes, 2,546 square miles of Lake
Superior, and the Red Lake, the state’s largest lake, covers 430 square miles. 57% of Minnesota
is taken up by the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The Mississippi River’s major branches
include Crow Wing, Minnesota, St. Croix, Sauk, and Rum Rivers. An especially pretty waterfall
in Minnesota is the Minnehaha Falls on Minnehaha Creek in Minneapolis. Minnehaha Falls
drops 54 feet and was made famous by Henry Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha.
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People
Minnesota’s population, as of 2012, is 5,379,139 people. This state has a colorful
culture, and there are many different cultures. Four-fifths of Minnesota’s population descended
from western Europeans—of those, the largest group is made up of people with German heritage.
The next most common nationalities are Norwegian, Irish, or Swedish. All Minnesotans have
immigrant ancestors. The largest city in Minnesota has a population of 387,753 people, and the
smallest city, Funkley, has a population of five people. People from Finland, Denmark, Austria,
Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bohemia settled in Minnesota.
Many French Canadians also settled in northern Minnesota, near the Canadian border. Out of
Minnesota’s population, around 70% live in or near cities. Minneapolis and St. Paul (the state’s
capital) are the state’s largest cities and are nicknamed the Twin Cities. About 60% of all
Minnesotans live in the Twin Cities area. Some famous people from Minnesota that you might
have heard about before are Harry Andrew Blackman (1908-1999), who was a Supreme Court
Justice; Jessica Lange (1949- ), who is an actor; F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), who was an
author; James Earle Fraser (1876-1953), who was a sculptor; Huber H. Humphrey (1911-1978),
who was the vice president; David Mark Winfield (1951- ), who is a professional baseball
player, and Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), who was an author.
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Climate
An old joke says that there are four seasons in Minnesota: Almost winter, winter, still
winter, and road construction. The “road construction” season is for construction works to do
road repairs while the snow and ice are gone. Minnesota winters are cold and long. The coldest
month is usually January, while July is the hottest. The temperature mostly drops in October,
and warms up in late March, April, and May, when the flowery landscape comes to life. About
30 inches of snow land in Minnesota each year, and the northwest can get more than 70 inches.
There is the most precipitation in the eastern areas, whereas in the northwest there is the least.
The record low temperature is -60°F on Feb. 2, 1996 at Tower, Minnesota. The record high
temperature is 114°F on July 29, 1917 at Beardsley, Minnesota, and on July 6, 1936 at
Moorhead, Minnesota. Many areas have snow-covered ground and frozen lakes for months. The
average July temperature is 73°F, and the average January temperature is 13°F. Minnesota’s
average yearly precipitation is 29 inches. In downtown Minneapolis, there are more than eight
miles of skyways, allowing people to walk from building to building without having to go
outside into the cold air. In the winter of 1949-1950, the Grand Portage State Park in the far
northeast got the state record snowfall for one season: 170 inches.
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Agriculture/Industry
Minnesota has a diverse economy. Some of the state’s top factory goods are computer
parts and electronic products, including medical instruments. Minnesota factories also make
metal products, farm machinery, heating and cooling equipment, paper products, snowmobiles,
and petroleum products. The food processing is a large business and Minnesota is a national
leader in meatpacking, cheese, and milk production. It also processes milk into butter and ice
cream. Minnesota has sold more than seven billion cans of SPAM since it was invented in 1937.
Wheat is processed into flour and can be used in baking and cooking products. Many big
manufacturing companies are located in the Twin Cities area. Three of Minnesota’s major
industries educational services are: health care, social assistance (21.8%), manufacturing
(14.6%), and retail trade (11.8%). Goods and services are worth more than $240 billion each
year, which is higher than Greece production figures. Health care workers are a large part of the
service industry.
Minnesota is one of the top farming states. Half of land its land area is covered with farm
and pastures. Corn is the leading crop and soybeans are right after it. Both are grown in
southern Minnesota and mainly used for feeding livestock. Other important crops include hay,
barley, wheat, potatoes, peas, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, and oats. Farm animals are also an
important part of the farm income. Minnesota produces hogs, milk, beef cattle, chickens, eggs,
and turkeys. Minnesota raised the most turkeys in the United States in 2002.
Minnesota has been the nation’s top producer of iron ore for more than a century. Most
iron ore has been mined out, so mining now focuses on taconite, which is low-grade ore
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containing small amounts of iron. Taconite is ground up and processed to remove iron.
Minnesota produces 75% of the nation’s iron ore. Sand, gravel, granite, and limestone are mined
for use in the construction industry. Peat, or decayed remains of plants built up many years ago,
is looked upon as a mining product used for fertilizer and fuel. Minnesota is the leading state in
peat production, which usually takes place in the northern half of the state. There are many
sawmills from when Minnesota was the nation’s leading supply of lumber. Forest trees are
processed into wood pulp, paper, and other wood products. Fishing is fun, but it is also an
important commercial industry. This state is also a major supplier of turtle meat. Clamshells are
shipped to Asia to make cultured pearls. Minnesota is one of the busiest inland ports in the
country. In Duluth, Minnesota, cargo ships import and export iron ore, farm products, and many
other goods. The Mississippi, St. Croix, and Minnesota Rivers are important commercial
waterways; barges on them transport tons of Minnesota grains and minerals.
More than 20 million visitors come to Minnesota each year. Tourists flock to famous
tourist attractions such as the Festival of Nations, a multiethnic event held each April, the famed
Mall of America, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (where young actors can perform at the largest
museum in state), and the Minnesota Sculpture Garden where people like to enjoy the beautiful
scenery. Minnesota is home to three professional sports teams: the Vikings (who play football),
the Twins (who play baseball), and the Timberwolves (who play basketball.) The Walker Art
Center has countless 20th century exhibits and new styles of music, dance, theater, film, video,
and educational programs. You might like to visit the legendary home of Paul Bunyan while
visiting Minnesota, or have some fun at the Itasca State Park.
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Natural Resources
There is much wildlife near the shoreline and woods, and duck and geese like to come
down to lakes during their migration. Wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, quail, and pheasants live in
the forests and tall grasses, and squirrels preside in the trees. Minnesota has a good environment
in the wilderness for black bears, moose, white-tailed deer, bobcats, raccoons, beavers, foxes,
skunks, muskrats, otters, and timber wolves. Walleye, trout, salmon, muskellunge, bass, pike,
yellow perch, crappie, carp, crappie, and other fish are some of the types of fishes found in the
many lakes and rivers of Minnesota. The common loon, the Minnesota state bird, can be found
in northern lakes. Gophers generally live in the southern and western prairies.
North of the Twin Cities, there is a wood lake region. There are poplar, aspen, and birch
trees in northern forests. In the southeast, there are deciduous trees like oak, maple, elm, ash,
and walnut trees. The Chippewa National Forest and the Superior National Forest have many
acres of old trees. Forests take up one-third of Minnesota. There are around 7,500 plant species
in this state, including wild roses, lilies of the valley, and wild geraniums. Water lilies are the
largest wildflower in the state. The bogs and fields are filled with blueberries. There are 68 state
parks and 57 state forests in Minnesota. You can find fossils of animals in layers in the land,
particularly in the Driftless Area land region, and there are valuable metals such as iron, copper,
and nickel in the Superior Uplands region.
In Minnesota, there are actually more than 10,000 lakes. International Falls and Lake
Superior are located near the Canadian border. The largest lake in the state is the Red Lake,
which takes up 430 square miles. Around Canadian border lies the prehistoric Lake Agassiz,
now drained away and leaving land very flat. Sand beaches can be seen along the eastern edge
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of the Red River Valley. Lake Itasca, located in north-central Minnesota is a source of the
Mississippi River, and is one of the world’s largest waterways. The highest waterfall in
Minnesota is the 124 foot tall Cascade Falls. Canada and Minnesota share Pigeon River’s High
Falls, which is at the astounding height of 133 feet.
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Bibliography
1. Enchanted Learning Staff. “Minnesota.” Minnesota. 5 April 2013
<www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/minnesota>
2. Hasday, Judy L. Minnesota. Danbury: Children’s Press, 2003.
3. Heinrichs, Ann. Minnesota. Danbury: Children’s Press, 2009.
4. Hintz, Martin. Minnesota. Danbury: Children’s Press, 2000.
5. Kuedee, Jaycee. How to Draw Minnesota’s Sights and Symbols. New York: The Rosen
Publishing Group, Inc., 2002.
6. Lass, William & Levine, Gordan. “Minnesota.” The World Book Encyclopedia. 2000.
7. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Staff. “Minnesota Climate.” Minnesota Facts. 5
April 2013 <www.dnr.state.mn.us/faq/mnfacts/climate.html>
8. State Symbols USA Staff. “Minnesota State Nickname.” State Nicknames. 5 April 2013
<www.statesymbolsusa.org/Minnesota/nicknameMinnesota.html>
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Minnesota outline/research
1. Title Page
-Minnesota
-Anna Chiang#3
-May 10, 2013
2. Table of Contents
a. Introduction
b. History
c. Geography
d. People
e. Climate
f. Agriculture/Industry
g. Natural Resources
h. Illustrations
i. Bibliography
3. Introduction
-stunning landscape: thick pine forests, sparkling broad lakes, fertile farmland, and abundant
animals such as deer, moose, eagles, fowl, and other game.
-interesting attractions/tourist areas like Mall of America, the Museum of Questionable Medical
Devices, the Artfest, the Fishermen’s Picnic & more
-chose b/c of unique name--Minnesota, which sounds like “mini soda” & friend's brother did
before
-curious about how this state had gotten its name and what other characteristics Minnesota had
4. History
-established a state on May 11, 1858
-became the 32nd state
-how it became a state: April 30, 1803: Western MN is granted to the US after the Louisiana
Purchase; March 26, 1804: Minnesota is included in Louisiana Territory; June 4, 1812:
Minnesota becomes part of Missouri Territory; June 28, 1818: Eastern Minnesota is attached to
Michigan Territory; June 28, 1834 Western Minnesota is attached to Michigan Territory; April
26, 1836: Eastern Minnesota becomes part of Wisconsin Territory; July 3, 1836 Western
Minnesota is taken into Wisconsin Territory; July 12, 1838: Minnesota land west of the
Mississippi River is given to Iowa Territory; March 3, 1849: The US federal government
recognizes Minnesota Territory; September 3, 1849: The first territorial legislature meets; 1851:
Land west of the Mississippi River is given up by the Sioux; July 1857: Constitutional
convention meets; May 11, 1858: MN becomes the 32nd state.
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-important dates: 1654 and 1660: Pierre Radisson and Medard Chouart explore MN; 1858
Minnesota becomes a state; 1884: Iron ore is first shipped from the Vermilion Range in Northern
Minnesota, 1920: The Eighteenth Amendment (aka Volstead Act), which prohibits the invent
and sale of alcohol in America begins; 1968: The American Indian Movement begins in
Minnesota; 1992: Mall of America opens; 1999: Jesse Ventura, a former professional wrestler,
was elected for governor.
5. Geography
-Driftless Area region: southeastern MN, steep bluffs and high ridges over the land; in other
places the land is rolling or flat, with rich, fertile soil, that especially helped the early pioneers do
their farming, full of rocks, many hills, numerous trout streams
-low places: lakes and marshes from the melting ice pack; many trees and pines; many forests
-Superior Uplands region: stretch of hard rock, wasn’t very affected by glaciers, filled with
minerals, called Arrowhead region for its shape
-Young Drift Plains region: central and western Minnesota, low farmlands, flat ground,
moraines, dry Lake Agassiz
-fur traders, trappers, American Indians, took the same route in the past.
-Dissected Till Plains region: southwestern corner, “dissected” because of small streams, rivers
cut through the land forming gullies, shallow valleys. “till” mixture of sand, clay, pebble, and
gravel that is typically beneficial to farming
-total area: 86,943 sq. mi; land: 79, 617 sq. mi; water: 7,326 sq. mi; Geographic center: Crow
Wing, 10 miles southwest of Brainerd; Highest point: Eagle Mountain, 2,301 feet; lowest point:
Lake Superior, 602 feet
-bodies of water: 15,000-22,000 lakes, 2,546 square miles of Lake Superior, Red Lake (state’s
largest lake) covers 430 square miles; 57% of Minnesota is taken up by the Mississippi River and
its tributaries. The M. River’s major branches include Crow Wing, Minnesota, St. Croix, Sauk,
and Rum Rivers; a famous and pretty waterfall is Minnehaha Falls on Minnehaha Creek in
Minneapolis, drop 54 feet, made famous by Henry Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha
6. People
-population (as of 2012): 5,379,139 people
-famous people: Harry Andrew Blackman (1908-1999) Supreme Court Justice; Jessica Lange
(1949-) Actor; F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) Author; James Earle Fraser (1876-1953)
Sculptor; Hubert H. Humphrey (1911-1978) Vice president; David Mark (Dave) Winfield (1951) Professional baseball player; Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957) Author; Walter Mondale (1928) Vice president
-Type of people (nationality): 4/5 descended from western Europeans--of those, largest group
made up of people with German heritage
-next most common type of people: Norwegian, Irish, Swedish
-all Minnesotans have immigrant ancestors
-largest city: Minneapolis (population: 387,753)
-smallest city: Funkley (population: 5)
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7. Climate
-winters cold & long
-coldest month usually January, July hottest
-temp. mostly drops in Oct.
-warm up in late March, April, May, flowery landscape
-record low temp.: -60°F on Feb. 2, 1996 atTower, MN
-record high temp.: 114°F on July 29, 1917 at Beardsley, MN, & July 6, 1936 at Moorhead, MN.
-most precipitation in eastern areas; least in far northwest
-about 30 inches of snow per year, northeast can get more than 70 inches
-many areas have snow covered ground, frozen lakes for months
-average July temp.: 73°F, average January temp.: 13°F
-average yearly precipitation: 29 inches
-old joke says four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, & road construction
-road construction-when snow & ice gone, workers can do road repairs
-in downtown Minneapolis there are more than 8 mi. of skyways to allow people to walk to
buildings without having to go outside into the cold air
-winter of 1949-1950 Grand Portage State Park (far northeast) got state record snowfall for one
season, 170 inches
8. Agriculture/Industry
-diverse economy
-top factory goods: computer parts, electronic products, including medical instruments
-MN factories also make metal products, farm machinery, heating & cooling equipment, paper
products, snowmobiles, petroleum products
-food processing is large business
-Minnesota is a national leader in meatpacking, cheese, milk production-also processes milk into
butter & ice cream
-sold more than 7 billion cans of SPAM (invented in 1937) already
-wheat processed into flour, can be used in baking/cooking products
-many big manufacturing companies are located in Twin Cities area
-major industries: 21.8% Educational services, health care, social assistance; 14.6%
Manufacturing; 11.8% Retail trade
-goods & services worth more than $240 billion each year, higher than Greece production figures
-health care workers large part of service industry
-one of top farming states
-half of land area covered w/ farm & pastures
-corn is leading crop, soybeans next-both grown in southern MN and mainly used for feeding
livestock
-other important crops: hay, barley, wheat, potatoes, peas, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, oats
-farm animals important part of the farm income
-produce hogs, milk, beef cattle, turkeys (raised most turkeys in US in 2002), chickens, eggs
-MN has been nation's top producer of iron ore for more than a century
-most iron ore mined out now, so mining now focuses on taconite (low-grade ore containing
some iron)
-taconite is ground up and processed to remove iron
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-Minnesota produces 3/4 of nation's iron ore
-sand, gravel, granite, limestone mined and used in construction industry
-peat (decayed remains of plants built up many years ago) is looked upon as a mining product
used for fertilizer and fuel-leading state in peat production (usually in northern half of the state)
-many sawmills from when MN was nation's leading supply of lumber
-forest trees processed into wood pulp, paper, and other wood products
-fishing is fun, but also important commercial industry
-major supplier of turtle meat, clamshells are shipped to Asia to make cultured pearls.
-one of busiest inland ports in the country--Duluth, Minnesota: cargo ships import and export
iron ore, farm products, and many other goods
-either continue on St. Lawrence Seaway to Atlantic Ocean, or to different Great Lakes ports
-Mississippi, St. Croix, and Minnesota rivers are important commercial waterways; barges on
them transport tons of MN grains and minerals
-more than 20 million visitors (a year) to MN
-famous tourist attractions: the Festival of Nations held each April (multiethnic event), tourists
flock to the famed Mall of America, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is the largest museum in
state where young actors can perform, the Minnesota Sculpture Garden has beautiful scenery
-MN is home to 3 pro teams: Vikings football, Twins baseball, Timberwolves basketball
-Walker Art Center-20 century exhibits, new styles of music, dance, theater, film, video, &
educational programs
-visit legendary home of Paul Bunyan
-vacationers love to go to Itasca State Park
9. Natural Resources
-wooded lake region north of Twin Cities
-International Falls, Lake Superior near Canadian border
-gophers in the southern/western prairies
-many wildlife near shoreline/woods
-more than 10,000 lakes
-Superior Uplands Region--valuable metals: iron, copper, nickel
-largest lake: Red Lake (430 sq. mi.)
-Lake Agassiz
-Lake Itasca (north-central MN) source of M. River, one of world’s largest waterways
-fossils of animals in layers in land (Driftless Area)
-poplar, aspen, birch trees in northern forests
-southeast: deciduous trees: oak, maple, elm, ash, walnut
-loon (state bird) common in northern lakes
-walleye, trout, salmon, muskellunge, bass, pike, yellow perch, carp, crappie fish in waters
-forest-1/3 of MN
-duck & geese come to lakes during migration
-MN: good environment for black bears, moose, white-tailed deer, bobcats, raccoons, beavers,
foxes, skunks, muskrats, otters, timberwolves.
-in trees: tree & flying squirrels
-forests/tall grasses: wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, quail, pheasants
-Chippewa National Forest, Superior National Forest-many acres of old trees
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-highest waterfall-124 ft Cascade Falls
-Canada & MInnesota share Pigeon River’s High Falls (133 ft)
-7,500 plant species: wild roses, lilies of the valley, wild geraniums
-bogs/fields full of blueberries
-68 state parks, 57 state forests
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