Minnesota, USA

Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, bordered by Canada to the north, Lake Superior and Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and South Dakota and North Dakota to the west. Saint Paul is the state capital, while neighboring Minneapolis is the largest city; together they form the Twin Cities metropolitan area, home to more than half of the state’s population. Minnesota’s geography ranges from the forested Arrowhead Region and the rugged North Shore of Lake Superior to the glacial lake country of central Minnesota, the fertile prairies of the south and west, and the river valleys of the Mississippi, Minnesota and Red rivers. The state is renowned as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” with more than 11,800 lakes covering at least 10 acres, including Mille Lacs Lake, Leech Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish. Minnesota is divided into 87 counties, covers approximately 79,627 square miles of land and had 5,706,494 residents in the 2020 census. It became the 32nd state on May 11, 1858, and serves as an important center for agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, finance and outdoor recreation.