Minnesota MN hotels
Whether you're visiting the state for the first time or a well-seasoned traveler, Hotels-United-States.com has Minnesota MN hotels at discount rates reserved for only the most savvy Internet shoppers. If you're unsure, book one of our discount Minnesota hotel rooms listed as an "exclusive rate" and your reservations are guaranteed to be the lowest online. Find a discount MN hotel room reservation in the United States of America (USA) and save! Discount Minnesota hotel rooms
Minnesota
Minnesota is the 32nd state
of the United States, having
joined the Union on May 11,
1858. Its name is commonly
abbreviated as 'MN' or
'Minn.', and is taken from
the Dakota (Native American
tribe) words for 'sky-tinted State nickname: North Star State
water'.
The USS Minnesota was named
in honor of this state.
Capital Saint Paul
Largest City Minneapolis
- Total 225,365 km2
- Land 206,375 km2
- Water 18,990 km2
- % water 8.4%
Population Ranked 21st
- Total (2000) 4,919,479
- Density 22/km2
Admittance into Union
- Order 32nd
- Date May 11, 1858
History Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Latitude 43æ34'N to 49æ23'N
Longitude 89æ34'W to 97æ12'W
Width 400 km
Length 645 km
* Originally inhabited by
Native Americans, in Elevation
particular the Ojibwe -Highest 701 meters
(Chippewa, Anishinaabe) -Mean 365 meters
and Sioux. -Lowest 183 meters
* Economy originally ISO 3166-2: US-MN
consisted of
hunter-gather lifemode, which changed over time as Europeans settled in
the area and further exploited the state's natural resources.
* First European settlement was the area now known as the city of
Stillwater, MN, on the St. Croix River.
* Fort Snelling, located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and the
Mississippi River, was one of the earliest U.S. military presences in
the state. It is now a historic site.
Joins the US
Minnesota was designated a territory on March 3, 1849, but that territory
was not coextensive with the present state, since the territory included
what later became the territory of Dakota, and later still became the states
of North Dakota and South Dakota. The eastern half of the territory of
Minnesota became the present state of Minnesota -- the 32nd state -- on May
11th, 1858.
Law and Government
* Executive. The current governor Tim Pawlenty, a Republican started
his term on January 6, 2003.
* Legislature. Minnesota has a bicameral legislature (senate and house).
The state has 67 districts, each covering about 60,000 people. Each
district has one senator and two representatives (each district being
divided into 'A' and 'B'). Senators serve for four years, and
representatives serve for two years.
* Judiciary. The state court system has three levels:
o Trial courts. The state is split into 10 judicial districts, with
257 judges. Most state cases start in the trial courts.
o Minnesota Court of Appeals. This body hears appeals on cases tried
in the trial courts. There are 16 judges, who divide into
three-judge panels to hear appeals in courts across the state.
o Minnesota Supreme Court. The seven justices on the Supreme Court
hear appeals from the Court of Appeals, the Tax Court, and the
Worker's Compensation Court. The court automatically reviews
first-degree murder convictions, and settles disuputes over
legislative elections.
o The state has two special courts created by state law as
executive-branch agencies:
+ The Tax Court deals with non-criminal tax cases across the
state. It has three judges appointed by the governor to
six-year terms, following approval from the state Senate
+ The Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals deals with cases
involving worker injuries referred to it on appeal, or
transferred from district court. It has five judges appointed
by the governor to six-year terms, following approval from
the state Senate
o Federal cases are heard in the federal district courts in
Minneapolis, St Paul or Duluth. Minnesota is part of the Eighth
Circuit Court of Appeals, which is located in St Paul. Appeals
beyond this level go to the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
Geography
* Minnesota covers 79,610 square miles (2.25% of the United States). It
is famous for its lakes, having in excess of 15,000, depending on the
source of the count. Much of the state is flat, having been eroded
during repeated glacial periods (most recently the Wisconsin Glacier).
The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest body of water in
the state.
* Minnesota is home to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA),
as well as a number of state and county parks, most notably Itasca
State Park, the source of the Mississippi River. Apart from its lakes
and rivers, there are few other prominent physical features.
* It is bordered on the north by Canada; on the east by Wisconsin and
Lake Superior, on the south by Iowa, and on the west by North Dakota
and South Dakota. It is the northernmost of the 48 contiguous states
(excluding Alaska and Hawaii), reaching to 49æ 23' 4" north latitude,
due to a small piece of the state known as the Northwest Angle.
* The capital is St. Paul, which sits on the opposite bank of the
Mississippi River to the largest city, Minneapolis, (together known as
the Twin Cities). Other prominent cities include Duluth, St. Cloud,
Mankato, Rochester (home of the world-famous Mayo Clinic), and
Bloomington.
* The state's average elevation is 1,200 feet, with a high point at Eagle
Mountain (2,301 feet) and a low at the surface of Lake Superior (602
feet)
* The state is famously cold, with a record low of -60æF measured at
Tower, MN on February 2, 1996. As part of the Great Plains region,
however, it also experiences warm summers, with a record high of 114æF
reached in 1917 and 1936. The average temperature in January (the
coldest month) is 11.2æF, and the average in the warmest month of July
is 73.1æF. The average annual precipitation is 28.32 inches, with a
snowfall figure of 49.6 inches.
Economy
* State income
o The average state income in Minnesota in 1999 was $30,742
(according to the State Demographic Center - the Northeast Midwest
Institute gives the figure as $30,793). This compares to a
national average of $28,546. The average household income in 1999
was approximately $48,000, ranking eighth in the nation (US Census
Bureau). The county averages range from $17,369 (Todd county) to
$42,313 (Hennepin county, which contains the Metro area). In
general salaries are lowest in more rural areas, and in particular
in the north-west part of the state.
* Major industries/products
o The Twin Cities are home to a diverse range of major businesses,
including 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing), Northwest
Airlines, Target Corporation (including Target stores, Marshall
Field's, and Mervyn's), U.S. Bancorp, Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans (formerly Lutheran Brotherhood), Medtronic, Cray
Computers, and Imation, and a regional headquarters of Wells Fargo
& Co. The city of Rochester is the headquarters of the Mayo
Clinic, and has a significant manufacturing presence in IBM. The
largest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America,
is located in Bloomington.
o A large proportion of the state's economy is still agricultural.
Additionally, northern Minnesota is a source for iron ore and wood
products, though these are both declining industries.
* State Taxes
o Minnesota is regarded as a high tax state by some. It has an
income and sales tax, as well as levying taxes on a common range
of goods such as tobacco, gasoline and alcohol. It does not charge
sales tax on clothing, services (massages, haircuts, auto work,
etc), or non-prepared food items.
o Minnesota businesses and individuals paid an average of 11.8% of
their income in state and local taxes in 1998, down from 12.7% in
1996 (Minnesota Department of Revenue). The Gross State Product
was just under $173 billion in 1999 (Northeast Midwest Institute),
with approximately $17.5 billion in exports in 2000
o Retail sales per capita were $10,260 in 1997, higher than the US
average of $9,190 (US Census Bureau).
Demographics
* The state population, as of 2000, is 4,919,479 (1.75% of the nation),
with a growth rate of 12.4% in the last 10 years (compared to 13.1% for
the nation).
* 88.2% of the state is white (excluding Hispanic/Latino), 3.5%
Black/African American, 2.9% Hispanic/Latino, 2.9% Asian. Minnesotans
traditionally count themselves as of Nordic descent (approximately 1.5
million people claim Danish, Finnish, Norwegian or Swedish ancestry),
though more families originated in Germany (approximately 2 million).
More modern immigrant communities include the third-largest Hmong
population in the United States (from the Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam
region), and a large presence from Somalia.
* The population distribution by age is (Northeast Midwest Institute):
o 0-18 - 1,361,616 (27.7%)
o 19-34 - 1,068,850 (21.7%)
o 35-64 - 1,894,747 (38.6%)
o 65+ - 594,266 (12.1%)
* Religious makeup of state
o Minnesotans are largely Catholic and mainline Protestant. The
largest Protestant body in the state is the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America. In recent years, new immigrants have added to
the religious mix in Minnesota. There are now mosques throughout
the state, as well as Buddhist temples and Hindu mandirs.
Symbols/Emblems
* State Bird - Loon
* State Butterfly - Monarch
* State Drink - Milk
* State Fish - Walleye
* State Flower - Pink-and-white lady slipper
* State Gemstone - Lake Superior Agate
* State Grain - Wild Rice
* Territory Motto (intended) - Quae sursum volo videre ("I wish to see
what is beyond")
* Territory Motto (actual) - Quo sursum velo videre ("I cover to see what
is above" is the closest translation)
* State Motto - L' toile du Nord ("Star of the North")
* State Muffin - Blueberry (adopted as part of a school project on how a
bill becomes law)
* State Mushroom - Morel (sponge mushroom; honeycomb morel)
* State Picture - Grace
* State Song - "Hail! Minnesota"
* State Tree - Red or Norway Pine
other visitors searched for listings: Minnesota MN hotels Minnesota hotel room Minnesota hotel discount MN hotel room reservation united states america USA US U.S.A. hoteles budget cheap accommodations lodging rates prices booking book reserve
|
|
