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Minnesota (/ˌmɪnəˈstə/ MIN-ə-SOH-tə) is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and North Dakota and South Dakota to the west. It is the 12th-largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd-most populous, with around 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes"; it has 14,420 bodies of fresh water covering at least ten acres each. Roughly a third of the state is forested. Much of the remainder is prairie and farmland. More than 60% of Minnesotans (about 3.71 million) live in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, known as the "Twin Cities", which is Minnesota's main political, economic, and cultural hub and the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Other minor metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas include Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud.

Minnesota, which gets its name from the Dakota language, has been inhabited by various Native Americans since the Woodland period of the 11th century BCE. Between roughly 200 and 500 CE, two areas of the indigenous Hopewell tradition emerged: the Laurel complex in the north, and Trempealeau Hopewell in the Mississippi River Valley in the south. The Upper Mississippian culture, consisting of the Oneota people and other Siouan speakers, emerged around 1000 CE and lasted through the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century. French explorers and missionaries were the earliest Europeans to enter the region, encountering the Dakota, Ojibwe, and various Anishinaabe tribes. Much of what is now Minnesota formed part of the vast French holding of Louisiana, which the United States purchased in 1803. After several territorial reorganizations, the Minnesota Territory was admitted to the Union as the 32nd state in 1858. Minnesota's official motto, L'Étoile du Nord ("The Star of the North") is the only state motto in French. This phrase was adopted shortly after statehood and reflects both the state's early French explorers and its position as the northernmost state in the contiguous U.S.

As part of the American frontier, Minnesota attracted settlers and homesteaders from across the country. Its growth was initially based on timber, agriculture, and railroad construction. Into the early 20th century, European immigrants arrived in significant numbers, particularly from Scandinavia, Germany, and Central Europe. Many were linked to the failed revolutions of 1848, which partly influenced the state's development as a center of labor and social activism. Minnesota's rapid industrialization and urbanization precipitated major social, economic, and political changes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the state was at the forefront of labor rights, women's suffrage, and political reform. Consequently, Minnesota is relatively unique among Midwestern states in being a reliable base for the Democratic Party, having voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since 1976, longer than any other U.S. state. (Full article...)

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A simple transit diagram with a green line stretching roughly left to right (west to east) and a blue line stretching roughly top to bottom (north to south). A light blue river runs from the top right to the bottom right, roughly following the shape of a ladle. Another thinner waterway runs straight from center-left to connect with the river near the center of the image.
Map of the Metro system as it stood in September 2017, showing the Blue and Green lines

Metro is a public transportation network consisting of light rail and bus rapid transit services covering the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The light rail portion of the network, managed by Metro Transit, has 37 light rail stations in operation across two lines: the Blue Line, running from downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the Green Line, connecting downtown Minneapolis to downtown Saint Paul. In 2016, the Blue and Green lines respectively provided approximately 10.3 million and 12.7 million rides for a total of 23 million rides across both lines. By ridership, it is the ninth-largest light rail system in the United States.


Construction on the Blue Line, which was initially known as the Hiawatha Line, began in 2001. The line opened in two phases in 2004, beginning with a 12-station stretch from the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station through the Fort Snelling station in June. In December, five more stations were opened, continuing service south of Fort Snelling to the Mall of America station. Two additional Blue Line stations opened in late 2009: a new northern terminus at Target Field and the American Boulevard station in Bloomington. Construction on the Green Line, which was initially designated as the Central Corridor, began in 2010. The line opened in its entirety in June 2014. (Full article...)

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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Minnesota have the same legal rights as non-LGBTQ people. Minnesota became the first U.S. state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in 1993, protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination in the fields of employment, housing, and public accommodations. In 2013, the state legalized same-sex marriage, after a bill allowing such marriages was passed by the Minnesota Legislature and subsequently signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton. This followed a 2012 ballot measure in which voters rejected constitutionally banning same-sex marriage.

Minnesota is frequently referred to as one of the most LGBTQ-friendly states in the Midwestern United States. Though legislation outlawing same-sex sexual activity remained in nominal effect until 2023, it had been invalidated since 2001 when the state's Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. In July 2021, an executive order was signed and implemented banning conversion therapy state-wide. Some cities within Minnesota had previously banned conversion therapy by local ordinances. Effective from August 1, by the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz - that signed into law a bill, explicitly banning conversion therapy on individuals within Minnesota at a statewide level. Since March 2023, Minnesota has been labeled as a "trans refuge". (Full article...)

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Largest cities

2020 Rank City 2020 Census[1] 2010 Census[2] Change County
1 Minneapolis † 429,954 382,578 +12.38% Hennepin
2 Saint Paul †† 311,527 285,068 +9.28% Ramsey
3 Rochester † 121,395 106,769 +13.70% Olmsted
4 Bloomington 89,987 82,893 +8.56% Hennepin
5 Duluth † 86,697 86,265 +0.50% St. Louis
6 Brooklyn Park 86,478 75,781 +14.12% Hennepin
7 Plymouth 81,026 70,576 +14.81% Hennepin
8 Woodbury 75,102 61,961 +21.21% Washington
9 Maple Grove 70,253 61,567 +14.11% Hennepin
10 Blaine 70,222 57,186 +22.80% Anoka
Ramsey

 †  County seat
 ††  State capital and county seat

See List of cities in Minnesota for a full list.

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Sources

  1. ^ "United States Census Bureau". U.S. Census Bureau. August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census. Retrieved November 24, 2012.[dead link]
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