Title: Minnesota - Wikipedia
Headings: Minnesota
Minnesota
Contents
Etymology
Geography
Geology
Flora and fauna
Climate
Protected lands
History
Cities and towns
Demographics
Population
Religion
Economy
Industry and commerce
Energy use and production
State taxes
Culture
Fine and performing arts
Literature
Entertainment
Popular culture
Health
Education
Transportation
Law and government
Executive
Legislature
House Leadership
Senate Leadership
Judiciary
Regional
Federal
Tribal
Politics
Media
Sports, recreation and tourism
Organized sports
Outdoor recreation
See also
References
External links
Culture and history
General
Government
Maps and demographics
Tourism and recreation

Content: Minnesota's standard of living index is among the highest in the United States, and the state is among the best-educated in the nation. Contents
1 Etymology
2 Geography
2.1 Geology
2.2 Flora and fauna
2.3 Climate
2.4 Protected lands
3 History
4 Cities and towns
5 Demographics
5.1 Population
5.2 Religion
6 Economy
6.1 Industry and commerce
6.2 Energy use and production
6.3 State taxes
7 Culture
7.1 Fine and performing arts
7.2 Literature
7.3 Entertainment
7.4 Popular culture
8 Health
9 Education
10 Transportation
11 Law and government
11.1 Executive
11.2 Legislature
11.3 Judiciary
11.4 Regional
11.5 Federal
11.6 Tribal
12 Politics
13 Media
14 Sports, recreation and tourism
14.1 Organized sports
14.2 Outdoor recreation
15 See also
16 References
17 External links
17.1 Culture and history
17.2 General
17.3 Government
17.4 Maps and demographics
17.5 Tourism and recreation
Etymology
The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the Minnesota River, which got its name from one of two words in Dakota: " mní sóta", which means "clear blue water", or "Mníssota", which means "cloudy water". Dakota people demonstrated the name to early settlers by dropping milk into water and calling it mní sóta. Many places in the state have similar Dakota names, such as Minnehaha Falls ("curling water" or waterfall), Minneiska ("white water"), Minneota ("much water"), Minnetonka ("big water"), Minnetrista ("crooked water"), and Minneapolis, a hybrid word combining Dakota mní ("water") and -polis ( Greek for "city"). Geography
Main article: Geography of Minnesota
Scalable map of Minnesota, showing roads and major bodies of water
Minnesota is the second northernmost U.S. state (after Alaska) and northernmost contiguous state, as the isolated Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods county is the only part of the 48 contiguous states north of the 49th parallel. The state is part of the U.S. region known as the Upper Midwest and part of North America's Great Lakes Region. It shares a Lake Superior water border with Michigan and a land and water border with Wisconsin to the east. Iowa is to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota are to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba are to the north.