Locating Minnesota

Image courtesy of Britannica Online

Minnesota is located in the Midwestern portion of the United States of America. Iowa lies to its south, South and North Dakota to its west, Wisconsin to its east, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba to its north. Minnesota is the northernmost state in the continental United States with its northern border reaching to 49° 23' 4" north latitude. Duluth, Minnesota, perched upon the western tip of Lake Superior, stands as the westernmost port city on the chain of Great Lakes.

Minnesota's population has a very diverse background, reflected in the place names of the state. Whether European, Native American, or American, a wide variety of names and pronunciations exist. From Mille Lacs to New Ulm to Mankato to Scandia to New Prague to Belle Plaine, Minnesota's towns and cities display the origins of their first residents.

Minnesota's first settlers migrated westward from New England. Immigrant groups of Swedes, Germans, and Norwegians arrived in the 1880s and established homesteads on the abundant land. Shortly thereafter these settlers were joined by large groups of Finns, Poles, and Czechs. The majority of the state residents who practice religion are Lutheran and Roman Catholic. There are approximately 35,000 Indians in Minnesota. Most are Ojibwa and one half of those live near Minneapolis and St. Paul. Small black and Latino communities exist throughout the state with the largest groups in the Twin Cities. In 1998, Minnesota became home to the nation's largest ethnic Hmong population.

Source: Encyclopædia Britannica Online