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Minnesota - The Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Minnesota

Minnesota was the 32nd state to be admitted to the Union. It did so on the 11th of May 1858, prior to which it was known as Minnesota Territory

Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote the Little House on the Prairie series of books, which were loosely based on her childhood, lived for part of that childhood in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.

Minnesota's official state bird is the common loon, approximately 12,000 of which live in the state. The bird was adopted in 1961 when it was chosen from a list of candidates which included the mourning dove, the eastern goldfinch, the scarlet tanager, the pileated woodpecker and the wood duck.

Frances Ethel Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, was born in the city of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 1922. Other notable Minnesotans include actresses Jane Russell and Winona Ryder, cartoonist Charles M. Schulz and Vice President to Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale.

Minnesota has an official state muffin. The blueberry muffin was adopted in 1988. Blueberries grow wildly in North-eastern Minnesota.

The toy company, Tonka, famous for its trucks, was founded in Mound, Minnesota, in 1946. Its name is derived from the nearby Lake Minnetonka which means 'Big Water'.

Minnesota is the 21st largest US state in terms of population with approximately 5,457,000 inhabitants.

The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, is the most visited shopping centre in the world. It receives approximately 40 million visitors a year and covers 218 acres. That's the size of 1,900 football pitches.

Minnesota covers some 86,939 square miles or 225,181 square km, which makes it the 12th largest US state in terms of area.

As well as Land of 10,000 Lakes which is used on number plates in the state, Minnesota has a few more nicknames. Why not play this fun quiz and test your knowledge of The North Star State, The Bread and Butter State, The State of Hockey and The New England of the West?

For a closer look at the pictures, please click on them to enlarge.

1 .

This is the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Minnesota's capital city, also called Saint Paul. What was the city of Saint Paul formerly called by its residents?

Dog's Leg

Wolf's Blood

Pig's Eye

Sow's Ear

Pierre Parrant set up a tavern on the site around the year 1840. He was known by the nickname Pig's Eye, and so the area became known as Pig's Eye after the popular drinking house.

In 1841 a chapel in honour of Saint Paul was established and the city was named after the saint. It was chosen as the capital of Minnesota in 1849, nine years before Minnesota became a state

2 .

In 1920 Franklin Clarence Mars founded Mar-O-Bar, a company which made chocolate, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Three years later it began manufacturing which brand of chocolate bar?

Milky Way

Mars Bar

Snickers

Topic

The US version of the Milky Way is not the same as that sold in the rest of the world. What Americans call a Milky Way is most similar to what the rest of the world calls a Mars Bar. What is called a Milky Way elsewhere is known as a 3 Musketeers Bar in the USA.

Snickers used to be known as Marathon in some countries and Topic is manufactured and sold by the Mars Company solely in Europe

3 .

What is the official state mushroom of Minnesota (pictured)?

Horn of Plenty

Chanterelle

Truffle

Morel

Morels are known by many other names. Their scientific name is Morchella but they are also called sponge mushrooms (because of their similarity in appearance to a sponge), hickory chickens (perhaps because of their taste) and dryland fish (because of their shape when sliced lengthways). They are considered a delicacy and are prized by leading chefs.

Minnesota is one of only two US states to have an official mushroom. The other is Oregon with the Pacific Golden Chanterelle

4 .

The largest city in Minnesota is Minneapolis. Its name is a mixture of the Dakota language word mni and the Greek word polis. What does Minneapolis mean when translated into English?

Small Town

Water City

Great Leader

Dry Stream

Albion, All Saints, Lowell, Brooklyn, Addiseville and Winona were all previous suggestions for the city's name but Minneapolis was thought up by the city's first schoolteacher, Charles Hoag. He was inspired by the 24 small lakes in the area, which are now all inside the bounds of the city

5 .

What is the official team sport of Minnesota?

Curling

Ice Hockey

Speed Skating

Figure Skating

Ice hockey was adopted by Minnesota in 2009 following a suggestion by 11 year old students at Minnetonka Middle School East. It was an appropriate choice as the US Pond Hockey Championships take place annually on the frozen Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, Minnesota

6 .

The flag of Minnesota features the state seal surrounded by 19 stars and 87 circles, all on a blue background. What do the stars and circles represent?

Minnesota's place as the19th state to join the Union after the original 13, and its 87 counties

Minnesota's 19 counties and 87 cities

Minnesota's place as the19th state to join the Union, and the year of its admission - 1887

Minnesota's 19 rivers and 87 lakes

The flag was designed in 1893 and was white on one side and blue on the other. It was redesigned in 1957 and made blue on both sides. This made it both cheaper to produce and more robust in bad weather. I won't go into detail about the state seal yet, as it features in a later question!

7 .

What is Minnesota's official gemstone (pictured)?

Lake Erie Quartz

Lake Huron Jade

Lake Michigan Garnet

Lake Superior Agate

Lake Superior agate is a form of the mineral which has been stained red by iron. Despite its name it can be found all over Minnesota, not just on the shores of Lake Superior. This is because it was distributed by glacial movement during the ice age. It was chosen as Minnesota's gemstone in 1969 as a fitting symbol of the state

8 .

Every January the world's largest ice fishing contest is held on Gull Lake, Minnesota. How many anglers take part?

Around 500

Around 5,000

Around 15,000

Around 50,000

Ice fishing is a dangerous business, and not just for the fish! Thin ice can give way plunging the fisherman into freezing water, ice flows can break off setting anglers adrift, and frostbite is also a risk

9 .

Robert Zimmerman was born in the city of Duluth, Minnesota, in 1941. He went on to become a hit singer-songwriter. He is shown here with fellow folk artist, Joan Baez, during a civil rights march in 1963. What is the name he is better known by?

Willie Nelson

Woody Guthrie

Bob Dylan

Pete Seeger

Dylan (who took his stage name from the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas) was one of the most successful musicians of the 1960s. His hits include Blowin' in the Wind, The Times They Are a-Changin and Like a Rolling Stone. As well as being a musician Dylan has also had published six books of his paintings and drawings. Some of his works have been exhibited at well renowned art galleries

10 .

The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota is adopted from this historical coat of arms. Both bear the state's French motto L'Étoile du Nord. What does this mean in English?

The Jewel in the Crown

The Star of the North

The Diamond in the Sky

The Sun of the Snow

The motto was chosen by Henry Sibley, Minnesota's first state governor, in 1861. As well as the motto the seal also features Minnesota's flat plains, over which a summer sun is rising. The Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls are both on the seal as they were important for the state's industry and transport in years gone by. Pine trees are in the background and are symbolic of the state itself and its past lumber industry. A Native American (representing Minnesota's cultural history) can be seen riding a horse and in the foreground is a farmer, symbolic of agriculture. Between them the two men in the picture own a horse, a spear, an axe, a rifle and a plough. These tools are all representative of hunting and manual labour - important aspects of Minnesota's heritage

Author: Graeme Haw