Minnesota

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

State of Minnesota
Flag of Minnesota State seal of Minnesota
Flag of Minnesota Seal of Minnesota
Nickname(s): North Star State,
The Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Gopher State
Motto(s): L'Étoile du Nord (French: The Star of the North)
Map of the United States with Minnesota highlighted
Capital Saint Paul
Largest city Minneapolis
Area  Ranked 12th
 - Total 87,014 sq mi
(225,365 km²)
 - Width 250 miles (400 km)
 - Length 400 miles (645 km)
 - % water 8.4
 - Latitude 43°34'N to 49°23'50.26"N
 - Longitude 89°34'W to 97°12'W
Population  Ranked 21st
 - Total (2000) 4,919,479
 - Density 61.80/sq mi 
23.86/km² (31st)
 - Median income  $55,914 (5th)
Elevation  
 - Highest point Eagle Mountain[1]
2,301 ft  (701 m)
 - Mean 1,198 ft  (365 m)
 - Lowest point Lake Superior[1]
602 ft  (183 m)
Admission to Union  May 11, 1858 (32nd)
Governor Tim Pawlenty (R)
U.S. Senators Norm Coleman (R)
Amy Klobuchar (DFL)
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations MN US-MN
Web site www.state.mn.us

Minnesota is a state in the north part of the United States of America. Part of the state has a border with the country of Canada.

The capital of Minnesota is Saint Paul. The largest city is Minneapolis. Over a million people live in the two cities, which are separated by the Mississippi River. They are known as the Twin Cities.

Minnesota became a state on May 11, 1858. It was the 32nd state in the United States of America. The name Minnesota is Dakota (a Native American language) for "sky-tinted water".