Title: Minnesota  - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Headings: Minnesota
Minnesota
Introduction
Survey of the North Star State
Natural Regions
Central Lowland
Superior Upland
Climate
Natural Resources
People
Cities
Recreation
Education
Economy
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
Industry
Services
Transportation
Government
History
European Exploration and Settlement
Statehood
Additional Reading

Content: Minnesota  - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Minnesota
Introduction
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The natural landscape of the U.S. state of Minnesota is etched in valleys, prairies, wilderness areas, high bluffs, rocky shores, and thousands and thousands of lakes. For most of its people, the Land of the Sky-Blue Waters is a huge playground—dotted with romantic place-names like Ah-Gwah-Ching (Ojibwa for “out-of-doors”) and Blooming Prairie and Minnetonka Beach and Sleepy Eye and Lac qui Parle (French for “lake that speaks”). To look after the wildlife that survive on the land, Minnesota has set aside millions of acres in game refuge areas for preservation and protection. Although the prosperity of Minnesota has historically rested upon its land, manufacturing and services now account for most of the state’s income and jobs. This great dairy state has become a high-technology and electronics center, with strengths in computer services and the manufacture of electromedical equipment. Agriculture and food processing, however, remain major industries in Minnesota. General Mills, one of the largest food manufacturers in the world, and Land O’Lakes, a major dairy company, are located in the state. For its bountiful wheat crops, once-abundant flour mills, and high rank in dairying, Minnesota is sometimes referred to as the Bread and Butter State. Since the success of the Farmer-Labor Party in the 1930s, Minnesota has been one of the most politically progressive of the states. Among the liberal Minnesota statesmen considered for the presidential or vice presidential nomination were Harold E. Stassen, Orville L. Freeman, Hubert H. Humphrey, Eugene J. McCarthy, and Walter F. Mondale.