Minnesota

Minnesota is a northern Midwestern US state famous for its abundant lakes, cold winters and high quality of life. Its capital is Saint Paul, which together with neighboring Minneapolis forms the Twin Cities, the state's economic and cultural core. Nicknamed the Land of 10,000 Lakes, it actually has far more.

Minnesota stretches from prairies and farmland in the south to vast northern forests and the headwaters of the Mississippi River, with the rugged North Shore along Lake Superior. The state is dotted with thousands of glacial lakes. Winters are long and very cold.

Minnesota culture reflects strong Scandinavian and German roots, a tradition of civic engagement, and a love of the outdoors in all seasons. The Twin Cities offer a thriving arts, music and corporate scene, and hockey is hugely popular.

Home to the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples, Minnesota became the 32nd state in 1858. It grew through logging, milling, mining of iron ore on the Iron Range, and agriculture, developing into a diversified modern economy.