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history
Minnesota's state flag is royal blue bordered with gold fringe. Around the state seal in the centre is a wreath of lady slippers. Nineteen stars ring the wreath. The largest star represents Minnesota, the 19th state to join the union after the original 13.
Three dates are woven into the wreath:1858, the year Minnesota became a state; 1819, the year Fort Snelling was established; and 1893, the year the official flag was adopted. Nineteen stars ring the wreath. The largest star represents Minnesota.
Three dates are woven into the wreath:1858, the year Minnesota became a state; 1819, the year Fort Snelling was established; and 1893, the year the official flag was adopted. Nineteen stars ring the wreath. The largest star represents Minnesota.
Nickname: The North Star State.
Capital: St. Paul.
Constitution: The 32nd State.
Statehood: May 11th 1858.
Motto: L'Etoile du nord - The star of the North
History:
French fur traders who arrived in the Minnesota region in about 1660 were the first white people to set foot there. At the time, Sioux Indians lived in the region's northern forests. Chippewa Indians took over these forests, and the two tribes became enemies.
At different times, various parts of the region came under the control of France, Britain, Spain, and the United States. By the early 1800's, the United States owned the entire region. In 1849, the U.S. Congress created the Minnesota Territory.
Congress made Minnesota a U.S. state in 1858. Industrial development occurred rapidly in the state after the American Civil War (1861-1865). During the late 1800's, thousands of Germans, Norwegians, and Swedes settled in the state. In 1884, the first iron ore was shipped from Minnesota. In 1889, the Mayo Clinic, one of the world's leading medical research centres, was established in Rochester.
Many new industries began to operate in Minnesota during the 1950's. The iron industry began to develop taconite ore, which contains iron. Air and water pollution at taconite plants became a major concern, and remained a serious problem during the 1970's and 1980's.
Bird:
Common Loon (gavia immer) Dating back 60 million years, the common loon is one of the earth's oldest living bird species. Its name comes from a Norwegian word that means "wild, sad cry." Approximately 12,000 make their homes in Minnesota. Loons are large black-and-white birds with long black bills. Clumsy on land, they are excellent divers, underwater swimmers, and high-speed flyers.
Economy:
Agriculture: Dairy products, corn, cattle, soybeans, hogs, wheat, turkeys.
Industry: Machinery, food processing, printing and publishing, fabricated metal products, electric equipment, mining, tourism.
Flower:
Pink and White Lady Slipper (cypripedium reginae) The pink and white lady slipper is one of Minnesota's rarest wildflowers. Thriving in swamps, bogs, and damp woods, they grow slowly, taking 4 to 16 years to produce their first flower. Sometimes they live for 50 years and grow four feet tall. They bloom in late June or early July. It is illegal to pick the lady slipper.
Nickname: North Star State - Gopher State - Bread and Butter State.
Origin of state's name:
Based on the Dakota Sioux Indian word for "sky-tinted water," referring to the Minnesota River or the states many lakes.
Seal:
The official seal shows a barefoot farmer plowing a field near St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. The farmer's axe, gun, and powderhorn rest on a near by stump, as he looks at an Indian riding a horse. Minnesota's state motto "L'Etoile du Nord," French for "star of the north," also appears on the seal.
Tree:
Norway Pine (pinus resinosa) The Norway pine, also called the red pine because of its reddish brown bark, stands 60 to 100 feet tall, with a trunk three to five feet wide. Its needles are four to six inches long and grow in pairs. The tallest Norway pine in Minnesota is in Itasca State Park. It is over 300 years old and stands 120 feet high.
French fur traders who arrived in the Minnesota region in about 1660 were the first white people to set foot there. At the time, Sioux Indians lived in the region's northern forests. Chippewa Indians took over these forests, and the two tribes became enemies.
At different times, various parts of the region came under the control of France, Britain, Spain, and the United States. By the early 1800's, the United States owned the entire region. In 1849, the U.S. Congress created the Minnesota Territory.
Congress made Minnesota a U.S. state in 1858. Industrial development occurred rapidly in the state after the American Civil War (1861-1865). During the late 1800's, thousands of Germans, Norwegians, and Swedes settled in the state. In 1884, the first iron ore was shipped from Minnesota. In 1889, the Mayo Clinic, one of the world's leading medical research centres, was established in Rochester.
Many new industries began to operate in Minnesota during the 1950's. The iron industry began to develop taconite ore, which contains iron. Air and water pollution at taconite plants became a major concern, and remained a serious problem during the 1970's and 1980's.
Bird:
Common Loon (gavia immer) Dating back 60 million years, the common loon is one of the earth's oldest living bird species. Its name comes from a Norwegian word that means "wild, sad cry." Approximately 12,000 make their homes in Minnesota. Loons are large black-and-white birds with long black bills. Clumsy on land, they are excellent divers, underwater swimmers, and high-speed flyers.
Economy:
Agriculture: Dairy products, corn, cattle, soybeans, hogs, wheat, turkeys.
Industry: Machinery, food processing, printing and publishing, fabricated metal products, electric equipment, mining, tourism.
Flower:
Pink and White Lady Slipper (cypripedium reginae) The pink and white lady slipper is one of Minnesota's rarest wildflowers. Thriving in swamps, bogs, and damp woods, they grow slowly, taking 4 to 16 years to produce their first flower. Sometimes they live for 50 years and grow four feet tall. They bloom in late June or early July. It is illegal to pick the lady slipper.
Nickname: North Star State - Gopher State - Bread and Butter State.
Origin of state's name:
Based on the Dakota Sioux Indian word for "sky-tinted water," referring to the Minnesota River or the states many lakes.
Seal:
The official seal shows a barefoot farmer plowing a field near St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. The farmer's axe, gun, and powderhorn rest on a near by stump, as he looks at an Indian riding a horse. Minnesota's state motto "L'Etoile du Nord," French for "star of the north," also appears on the seal.
Tree:
Norway Pine (pinus resinosa) The Norway pine, also called the red pine because of its reddish brown bark, stands 60 to 100 feet tall, with a trunk three to five feet wide. Its needles are four to six inches long and grow in pairs. The tallest Norway pine in Minnesota is in Itasca State Park. It is over 300 years old and stands 120 feet high.