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Minnesota-An Overview and History

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The “Land of 10,000 Lakes” is the fitting nickname for the beautiful state of Minnesota. Situated in the heartland of the USA, this state may actually have more than 20,000 lakes, which were sculpted out years ago by glaciers and are now linked by great rivers such as the Mississippi. Minnesota’s lyrical Sioux name, meaning ’land of sky-tinted water’, is a reflection of its aquatic nature.

Minnesota is made up of 853 cities. 727, or 85 percent, of these are small towns with less than 5,000 people. The major cities of Minnesota include:

• Minneapolis-St. Paul spans the Mississippi River. Minneapolis is the state's largest city; St. Paul is the state capital. Together, they lead the state in trade and industry while also serving as a major midwestern educational and cultural center.

The population of the Twin Cities' metropolitan area is about 3 million. Other cities within this area include Bloomington, St. Louis Park, Richfield, Edina, Minnetonka, Brooklyn Park, Roseville, and Coon Rapids.

• Bloomington is located south of Minneapolis on the north bank of the Minnesota River. Once a scenic suburb of Minneapolis, it grew into a full-blown city after World War II. For many years, Bloomington Stadium was home to the Minnesota Twins, making the city the state's baseball capital. In 1992 the Mall of America, one of the world's largest shopping centers, replaced the stadium.

• Duluth is situated at the mouth of the St. Louis River, opposite the city of Superior, Wisconsin. Its location on the western end of the St. Lawrence Seaway and its fine harbor make it one of the world's leading inland ports. It handles large freight shipments of iron ore, grain, flour, and dairy products.

• Rochester lies about 75 miles southeast of the Twin Cities. It was once an agricultural town in rolling farm country but is now more industrial. Early in the 1900's Rochester became famous as a medical center when the Mayo Clinic began to draw patients from throughout the Midwest.

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