The State of Minnesota is located in the midwestern areas of the United States of America. Minnesota is the twelfth largest state in America with a land area of 87,014 square miles.

Minnesota is actually the eastern half of what was once the Minnesota Territory. The eastern part was cut off and gained admission to the United States in 1858 becoming the 32nd state to join the Union.

Population
A majority of the 5 million Minnesota populations is of European origin. The principal minorities include African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians.

Most of the Minnesota population resides in the Twin Cities area. This is the hub of transport, business and industry in Minnesota. It is also a home to an international arts community. The rest of the state is known as Greater Minnesota. It is made up of the western prairies that are utilized for large-scale agricultural operations. The eastern deciduous forests are heavily farmed and settled. The northern part of Greater Minnesota contains boreal forest.

The state is also referred to as the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

The state is well known for its progressive political outlook and progressive social policies. Minnesota also claims the highest proportion of educated and literate populations among the other states.

Weather
The weather in Minnesota has temperature fluctuations that are more like continental climes. The winters are very cold and the summers are too hot. This is because the climate here is very sensitive to the affects of the jet stream that can result in winter temperatures lower than Alaska.

During the winter, Minnesota is a victim to blizzards while the rest of the year means a series of thunderstorms that can result in tornadoes. Minnesota is located on the north edge of what is known as Tornado Alley.

Temperature extremes are wide apart and on both sides of the zero on the scale. The lower side can drop to as much as -60 Fahrenheit in winter and much as 114 Fahrenheit in summer. Average temperature in the cold month of January is usually around 11 Fahrenheit while the highest temperature in the warmest month, July, is about 73 Fahrenheit. The northern regions are cooler on average. The rainfall if about 28 inches per year with 49 inches of snowfall per year.

Geographic Features
11,842 lakes make up over 10 acres in land area that can be found in Minnesota. The part of Lake Superior that lies within Minnesota is the biggest and deepest body of water in that state.

Apart from the lakes, Minnesota also has 6,564 rivers and streams. The second largest river in the United States, the Mississippi, starts at Lake Itasca in north Minnesota. At Fort Snelling, the Mississippi is joined by the Minnesota River.

Saint Paul is the capital city of Minnesota. It is located along the east bank of the Mississippi River in central-eastern Minnesota. The biggest and most populous city in Minnesota is Minneapolis and is located across the river from Saint Paul.