Capital: St. Paul
Population: 4,919,479
Governor: Tim Pawlenty (R, to January 2011)
Entered the Union: May 11, 1858 as the 32nd state
Motto: Fatti L'Etoile du Nord (The North Star)
Nickname: North Star State, Gopher State, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Flower: Showy lady slipper
Bird: Common loon (also known as Great Northern Diver)
Song: Hail Minnesota
Sports Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves(Basketball); Minnesota Vikings(Football); Minnesota Twins(Baseball); Minnesota Wild(Hockey)
Origin of Name: From a Dakota Indian word meaning "sky-tinted water"
Major Industries: Farming, Commerce, Tourism
Historical Sites: Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Voyageurs National Park, North Shore Drive
Points of Interest: Minnesota Zoological Gardens and the state's more than 10,000 lakes
Bordering States: Minnesota borders Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the nation of Canada.
Source: State of Minnesota
Population, 2006 estimate: 5,167,101
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 5.0%
Population, 2000: 4,919,479
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2006: 6.7%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2006: 24.3%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2006: 12.1%
Female persons, percent, 2006: 50.3%
White persons, percent, 2006 (a): 89.3%
Black persons, percent, 2006 (a): 4.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2006 (a): 1.2%
Asian persons, percent, 2006 (a): 3.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2006 (a): 0.1%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2006: 1.5%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b): 3.8%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2006: 85.9%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 57.0%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 5.3%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 8.5%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 87.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 27.4%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 679,236
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 21.9
Housing units, 2006: 2,283,453
Homeownership rate, 2000: 74.6%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000: 22.3%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $122,400
Households, 2000: 1,895,127
Persons per household, 2000: 2.52
Median household income, 2004: $51,202
Per capita money income, 1999: $23,198
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004: 8.1%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
Total Gross Domestic Product by State: 231,437
Private industries: 207,306
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 3,642
Crop and animal production (Farms): 3,310
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 331
Mining: 816
Oil and gas extraction: 1
Mining, except oil and gas: 811
Support activities for mining: 4
Utilities: 3,269
Construction: 11,380
Manufacturing: 32,723
Durable goods: 20,529
Wood product manufacturing: 1,306
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 958
Primary metal manufacturing: 464
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 3,584
Machinery manufacturing: 3,566
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 3,467
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 1,096
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 610
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 942
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 853
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 3,683
Nondurable goods: 12,194
Food product manufacturing: 3,170
Textile and textile product mills: 184
Apparel manufacturing: 129
Paper manufacturing: 1,669
Printing and related support activities: 2,582
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 1,443
Chemical manufacturing: 1,442
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 1,575
Wholesale trade: 16,670
Retail trade: 14,437
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 6,855
Air transportation: 1,834
Rail transportation: 835
Water transportation: 59
Truck transportation: 2,090
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 389
Pipeline transportation: 55
Other transportation and support activities: 1,163
Warehousing and storage: 429
Information: 8,541
Publishing including software: 3,280
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 208
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 3,864
Information and data processing services: 1,189
Finance and insurance: 21,518
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 9,698
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 2,983
Insurance carriers and related activities: 8,515
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 322
Real estate and rental and leasing: 28,212
Real estate: 26,491
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 1,721
Professional and technical services: 13,670
Legal services: 2,889
Computer systems design and related services: 2,831
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 7,950
Management of companies and enterprises: 7,444
Administrative and waste services: 5,418
Administrative and support services: 4,949
Waste management and remediation services: 470
Educational services: 1,935
Health care and social assistance: 18,555
Ambulatory health care services: 9,375
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities: 7,138
Social assistance: 2,042
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 1,769
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 857
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 912
Accommodation and food services: 5,015
Accommodation: 1,269
Food services and drinking places: 3,745
Other services, except government: 5,437
Government: 24,131
Federal civilian: 3,447
Federal military: 1,173
State and local: 19,510
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Longitude: 89° 34'W to 97° 12'W
Latitude: 43° 34'N to 49° 23'N
Length / Width: Minnesota is about 360 miles from east to west and about 407 miles from north to south.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of Minnesota is located in Crow Wing County, 10 miles SW of Brainerd.
Borders: Minnesota is bordered by Canada on the north and by Iowa on the south. On the east, Minnesota is bordered by Lake Superior and by Wisconsin. On the west is North and South Dakota.
Total Area: Minnesota covers 86,943 square miles, making it the 12th largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 83,574 square miles of Minnesota are land areas.
Water Area: 7,326 square miles of Minnesota are covered by water.
Highest Point: The highest point in Minnesota is Eagle Mountain at 2,301 feet above sea level.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in Minnesota is at Lake Superior; 602 feet above sea level.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of Minnesota is 1,200 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: Minnesota River, Mississippi River, Rainy River, Red River of the North, St. Croix River
Major Lakes: Upper Red Lake, Lower Red Lake, Mille Lacs Lake, Vermillion Lake, Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lake Superior, Leech Lake, Winnibigoshish Lake, Lake Pepin
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Interactive
Campaign 2008A glimpse at presidential hopefuls and a fund-raising overview as the campaign gears up.
Interactive
America On GuardThe Homeland Security Department, the terror alert system, preparedness quiz and more.
More In-depth
Mike Huckabee on GOP "rock stars," 2012, health care reform and more.
