Interesting facts about Minnesota

flag of minnesota

Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwest and northern regions of the United States.

It is bordered by Canada on the north, by Iowa on the south, by Lake Superior and by Wisconsin on the east and by North Dakota and South Dakota on the west.

As of July 2018, the population of Minnesota was estimated to be about 5.6 million. It is the 22nd most populous state in the United States.

Minnesota is the 12th largest state in the United States in terms of total area with 225,163 square kilometers (86,936 square miles).

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state’s largest city.

Saint Paul City

Most of Minnesota is comprised of gently rolling plains formed when glaciers moved over the area.

The northern part of Minnesota is the most rugged. The northeast section of the state has many rocky ridges and deep lakes and the area north of Lake Superior is the roughest and most isolated. Eagle Mountain, the highest point in Minnesota, is located north of Lake Superior. In the far northeast, the Minnesota border resembles an arrowhead. This area is called the Arrowhead Country.

Minnesota has 145,000 kilometers (90,000 miles) of shoreline, more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined.

Eagle Mountain is the highest natural point in Minnesota, United States, at 701 meters (2,301 feet). It is in northern Cook County, in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Superior National Forest in the Misquah Hills, northwest of Grand Marais. It is a Minnesota State Historic Site.

eagle mountain

Minnesota has 5 national park and 76 state parks.

Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls established in 1975. The park’s name commemorates the voyageurs—French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequently travel through the area. The park is notable for its outstanding water resources and is popular with canoeists, kayakers, other boaters, and fishermen.

voyageurs national park

Itasca State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, and contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The park spans 32,690 acres (132.3 km2) of northern Minnesota, and is located about 34 kilometers (21 miles) north of Park Rapids, Minnesota and 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Bagley, Minnesota.

itasca state park

Constructed between 1896 and 1905, the Minnesota State Capitol building recently underwent renovations to restore this historic structure back to its original glamour. Besides repairs to the exterior marble and restored furnishings of the interior, the 2013 to 2017 renovations also added more public space and accessibility for visitors.

minnesota state capitol

The imposing St. Paul Cathedral in St. Paul was built in the early 1900s and is today the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul and a pilgrimage site. The design is Classical Renaissance, and the large interior can hold up to 3,000 people. An active place of worship, the cathedral is open to the public for much of the day, though tourist visits are discouraged during Masses and other holy services.

St Paul Cathedral in St Paul

Mall of America (commonly, locally known as “MOA”) is a shopping mall located in Bloomington. It lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River, and across the Interstate from the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport. Opened in 1992, it is the largest mall in the United States in terms of total floor area, the fifth largest mall in North America in terms of leaseable space, and the twelfth largest in the world. It is the most visited shopping mall in the United States with roughly 40 million visitors each year.

mall of america

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is an 4.5 hectares (11-acre) park in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the largest urban sculpture gardens in the country, with 40 permanent art installations and several other temporary pieces that are moved in and out periodically.

minneapolis sculpture garden

Minneapolis Skyway System is the largest continuous network of skyways in the world. It connects over 69 city blocks and spreads eight miles. Its built to enable people to travel building-to-building in a safe, comfortable, climate-controlled environment even during harsh winters.

minneapolis skyway system

The world’s largest pelican stands at the base of the Mill Pond dam on the Pelican River, in Pelican Rapids. The 15 1/2 feet tall concrete statue was built in 1957.

worlds largest pelican

Minnesota became the 32nd state of the union on May 11, 1858.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, a large number of European settlers entered the state who had mainly emigrated from Scandinavia and Germany. The state remains today a center of Scandinavian American and German American culture.

Believe it or not, SPAM isn’t manufactured in Hawaii. Hormel Foods Corporation, which is based in Austin, Minnesota, makes the popular canned meat product. Austin is also home to the Spam Museum, which has dubbed itself “the world’s most comprehensive collection of spiced pork artifacts.”