There's a lot to know about Minnesota. Here you'll find plenty of facts, figures
and informational tidbits about the state's history, geography and climate.
Everything from the prehistoric carvings found throughout the state to the 7,326
square miles of water found within its borders. Not to mention, practical travel
information like the average low and high temperature throughout the year. One
thing is for sure: the more you know about Minnesota, the more you appreciate
all that it offers.
The name “Minnesota” comes from Dakota Indian words meaning “sky-blue waters.”
The large number of lakes and rivers throughout the state is an important part
of Minnesota’s unique identity. One of Minnesota’s nicknames is “Land of 10,000
Lakes,” but it really has closer to 11,842 lakes. The state is on the shore of
Lake Superior, which is the biggest of the Great Lakes. Minnesota is also the
starting point of the world’s third largest river, the Mississippi.
Statehood
Minnesota became a state in 1858; the 32nd state in the union. People first came
to Minnesota during the last ice age. They probably followed herds of large game
into this area.
Take the Minnesota sesquicentennial history quiz
Minnesota’s First Inhabitants
Some of those early Minnesota people carved pictures of humans, animals and
weapons into rocks. Some of these carvings, called “petroglyphs,” may be 5,000
years old – and many are still visible today in Minnesota’s state parks, such as
Jeffers Petroglyphs near Comfrey and Windom. Ancient burial mounds and unearthed
objects like spear points are evidence that people lived here ages ago.
The Dakota and Ojibwe (also called Chippewa or Anishinabe) Indians lived in
Minnesota when the first Europeans arrived. Many Dakota, Ojibwe and other
American Indians live in Minnesota today.
European Settlers
In the late 1600s, French explorers led an expedition into Minnesota, and were
soon followed by fur traders for French, and then British companies, who came
for beaver pelts to make hats in Europe.
In 1825, Fort Snelling became the first permanent European-American settlement.
This site is now a state historic site. The early settlers in the territory were
primarily Americans from the East Coast. By the 1860s large numbers of
immigrants, especially Germans and Scandinavians, came to Minnesota.