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Welcome to The Midwestern Connection - Minnesota - Home
Think you know Minnesota pretty well? Chances are there are large parts of it you've never explored. For instance,
the Northwest Angle at the top of the state, or the sights in scenic Bluff Country. Or a gorgeous waterfall in the
southwest corner of the state, at Pipestone National Monument, where you can also learn about Minnesota's Indian
heritage and crafts and a special stone quarry.
History: Before European colonization, the area now known as Minnesota was inhabited by Native Americans, in particular the Ojibwe (Chippewa, Anishinaabe) and Dakota, although the Winnebago also had a presence in the southeastern part of the state. In this time, the economy originally consisted of hunter-gatherer activities, which changed over time as Europeans settled in the area. Before the arrival of Dakota and Ojibwe, Cheyenne and Gros Ventre also made their home in Minnesota.
According to local tradition, the first European visitors were Swedish and Norwegian Vikings in the 14th century. The evidence for this is largely based on the controversial Kensington Runestone, which many historians consider to be an elaborate hoax. Some say that the earliest European settlement was in the area of the current city of Stillwater, on the St. Croix River, though many histories focus on the military settlement that took place farther west. Fort Snelling, located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Mississippi River, was one of the earliest U.S. military presences in the state. It is now a historic site.
Demographic: As of 2005, Minnesota has an estimated population of 5,132,799, which is an increase of 36,253, or 0.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 213,307, or 4.3%, since the year 2000. According to the 2002 U.S. Census, the largest reported ancestries are German (36.7%), Norwegian (17.2%), Irish (11.2%), and Swedish (9.9%). More recent immigrant communities include the third-largest Hmong population in the United States (from the Laos/Thailand/Vietnam region) and the second largest urban center of Hmong population in the world (concentrated in St. Paul), and a large community of Somali refugees. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Minnesota's total state product in 2003 was $211 billion. Per capita personal income in 2004 was $34,861, 8th in the nation. The average household income in 1999 was approximately $48,000, ranking eighth in the nation (U.S. Census Bureau).
Major Industries: The Twin Cities are home to a diverse range of major businesses, including Cargill, 3M Co. (formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.), Northwest Airlines, Target Corporation, U.S. Bancorp, Medtronic, Ecolab, Best Buy, Cray Computers, Imation, International Dairy Queen, Regis Corporation, General Mills and a regional headquarters of Wells Fargo & Co., Caterpillar Inc., Honeywell, and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (the merged entity of the former Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood). The city of Rochester is the headquarters of the Mayo Clinic, and has a significant manufacturing presence in International Business Machines. The largest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America, is located in Bloomington. The Schwan Food Company, headquartered in Marshall, Minnesota, is one of the largest, branded frozen-food companies in the United States and the second-largest privately held corporation in Minnesota.
Politics: Minnesota is known for active yet quirky politics, with populism being a longstanding force among all of the political parties that call the state home. Minnesota politics include such oddities as a professional wrestler turned governor and a protester turned crowd-surfing mayor. 77.3% of eligible Minnesotans voted in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, the highest of any U.S. state. Political conservatism is less strongly linked to church attendance in most of Minnesota than in other parts of the country, perhaps a reflection of the strong mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic following, though in the elections of 2000, 2002, and 2004 it was shown that this trend was in the process of changing in some Twin Cities voting precincts. As a result of its liberal and populist political culture throughout much of the latter half of the 20th century, Minnesota has voted for Democrats for president longer than any other state (the District of Columbia has voted for a Democrat in every election since 1964), since 1976.
Source: Wikipedia and Explore Minnesota