Midwestern United States North Dakota When European explorers

Midwestern United States

North Dakota When European explorers first visited North Dakota, there were several Native American groups living there. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara lived along the Missouri River, farming corn, sunflowers, beans, and squash. The Sioux, Chippewa, and Assiniboine lived in the northeast and were mainly hunters.

Today, North Dakota is a state where there is little air or water pollution. During the early 1990s, North Dakota gained 25,000 new jobs. Trade with Canada and Mexico is growing and tourism is increasing as well. State leaders still strive to broaden North Dakota’s economy that depends heavily upon agriculture. Increased industrial growth would raise the per capita income and create more job opportunities for North Dakotans.

General Information State Bird: Western Meadowlark (жаворонок) State Flower: Wild Rose State Tree: American Elm (Американский Вяз) State Beverage: Milk Origin of State Name: The name Dakota is derived from a Sioux term meaning friends or allies. Nickname for State: The Peace Garden State. The nickname is a reference to the International Peace Garden on the border between North Dakota and Manitoba. Nickname for residents: North Dakotans

Interesting Facts International Peace Garden, which lies partly in North Dakota and partly in Manitoba, Canada, honors the long friendship between the two nations. The third largest man-made lake in the United States, Lake Sakakawea was created out of the Missouri River by the Garrison Dam, the fifth largest in the United States. The 609-square-mile lake has 1,500 miles of shoreline. The town of Rugby is the geographical center of North America. A rock obelisk about 15 feet tall, flanked by poles flying the United States and Canadian flags marks the location. North Dakota grows more sunflowers than any other state.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison in September 1883. In that first short trip he got his bison and fell in love with the rugged lifestyle and the "perfect freedom" of the West. When Theodore Roosevelt came to Dakota Territory to hunt, he was a skinny, young, spectacled dude from New York. He could not have imagined how his adventure in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation. The rugged landscape and strenuous life that TR experienced would help shape a conservation policy that people still benefit from today.

Minnesota U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state on May 11, 1858. Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the state's name comes from a Dakota word for "sky-tinted water". Those waters, together with forests, parks, and wilderness areas, offer residents and tourists a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.

General Information State Bird: Common Loon (темноклювая гагара) State Flower: Pink and White Lady's Slipper State Tree: Norway Pine State Grain: Wild Rice State Drink: Milk Motto: "The Star of the North" Origin of State Name: The name comes from a Sioux word meaning "cloudy water" that was applied to the Minnesota River. Nickname for State: The Land of 10,000 Lakes. The state's nickname is actually an understatement, because Minnesota has more than 15,000 lakes.

Interesting Facts There are 201 Mud Lakes, 154 Long Lakes, and 123 Rice Lakes commonly named in Minnesota. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is the largest urban sculpture garden in the country. Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline, more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. The first open heart surgery and the first bone marrow transplant in the United States were done at the University of Minnesota. The stapler was invented in Spring Valley. Minnesota is home to the first automatic pop-up toaster, the first canned ham, Spam, Greyhound Lines (the first bus line), and Tonka Trucks.

Featured City Minneapolis. Nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States. Its name is attributed to the city's first schoolteacher, who combined mni, the Dakota word for water, and polis, the Greek word for city. The city is abundantly rich in water, with over twenty lakes and wetlands, the Mississippi river, creeks and waterfalls, many connected by parkways in the Chain of Lakes and the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway. It was once the world's flour milling capital and a hub for timber, and today is the primary business center between Chicago and Seattle, with Minneapolis proper containing the fifth highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies.

Wisconsin U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is the 23rd most extensive and the 20th most populous of the 50 United States. Wisconsin's capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee. The state is divided into 72 counties.

General Information State Bird: Robin (дрозд) State Animal: Badger (барсук) State Dog: American Water Spaniel State Insect: Honey Bee State Flower: Violet State Tree: Sugar Maple (сахарный клен) State Grain: Corn State Beverage: Milk State Symbol of Peace: Mourning Dove Motto: Forward Origin of State Name: The name is derived from the French version of an Ojibwa term that may mean "gathering of the waters" or "place of the beaver." Nickname for State: The Badger State. The name refers to miners, among the state's first settlers, who lived in mine shafts or dug their homes out of hillsides, as badgers do.

Interesting facts The first practical typewriter was designed in Milwaukee in 1867. Wisconsin is the dairy capital of the United States. The original Barbie is from Willows. Barbie's full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts. One of the most popular places to visit in the state is Wisconsin Dells, where the Wisconsin River passes through a winding gorge about 13 km (about 8 mi) long. Milwaukee is home of Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

Featured City Milwaukee The largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. Milwaukee is the main cultural and economic center .Milwaukee is also the regional center of the seven county Greater Milwaukee Area. Once known almost exclusively as a brewing and manufacturing powerhouse, Milwaukee's image has changed with the decline of industry in most of the US. In the past decade, major new additions to the city include the Milwaukee Riverwalk, the Frontier Airlines Center, Miller Park, an internationally renowned addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, and Pier Wisconsin, as well as major renovations to the U.S. Cellular Arena. In addition, many new skyscrapers, condos, lofts and apartments have been constructed in neighborhoods on and near the lakefront and riverbanks.

Illinois The 25th most extensive and the 5th most populous of the 50 United States, and is often noted as a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a broad economic base. Illinois is a major transportation hub. The Port of Chicago connects the state to other global ports from the Great Lakes, via the St. Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean; as well as the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, via the Illinois River. For decades, O'Hare International Airport has ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics.

General Information State Bird: Cardinal State Animal: White-tailed Deer State Insect: Monarch Butterfly State Flower: Purple Violet State Tree: White Oak Motto: State sovereignty, national union Origin of State Name: Illinois is named for the Illini, a confederation of Native Americans from various tribes who lived in the region. Nickname for State: The Prairie State. Much of Illinois consisted of prairie, a broad, open grassland, when Europeans first settled there.

Interesting facts The name "Illinois" comes from a Native American word meaning "tribe of superior men.“ Chicago is the nation's third largest city. The first Aquarium opened in Chicago, 1893. Metropolis the home of Superman really exists in Southern Illinois. The world's first Skyscraper was built in Chicago, 1885. In Illinois Michael is the top name chosen for boys. Emily is the most chosen name for girls.

Featured City Chicago The largest city in the US state of Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States, with around 2.7 million residents. Its metropolitan area, sometimes called "Chicagoland," is the third largest in the United States, with an estimated 9.8 million people within its metropolitan area. Chicago is the county seat of Cook County, though a small portion also extends into DuPage County. The city's notoriety has found expression in numerous forms of popular culture, including novels, plays, movies, songs, various types of journals (for example, sports, entertainment, business, trade, and academic), and the news media. Chicago has many nicknames, which reflect the impressions and opinions about historical and contemporary Chicago. The best known include: "Chi-town," "Windy City," "Second City," and the "City of Big Shoulders."

Missouri Is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. Missouri is the 21st most extensive and the 18th most populous of the 50 United States. Missouri comprises 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis. The four largest urban areas are St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. Missouri's capital is Jefferson City. The land that is now Missouri was acquired from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase and became known as the Missouri Territory. Missouri mirrors the demographic, economic and political makeup of the nation (in general) with a mix of urban and rural culture. It has long been considered a political bellwether state. It has both Midwestern and Southern cultural influences, reflecting its history as a border state. It is also a transition between the Eastern and Western United States, as St. Louis is often called the "western-most Eastern city" and Kansas City the "eastern-most Western city." Missouri's geography is highly varied.

General Information State Bird: Bluebird (синешейка) State Flower: Hawthorn (боярышник) State Tree: Flowering Dogwood (кизил) State Animal: Missouri Mule State Insect: The Honeybee Motto: The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law. Origin of State Name: The name is taken from the Missouri River and is an Algonquian name for a group that lived near the mouth of the river. Nickname for State: The Show Me State. In 1899 Congressman Willard D. Vandiver said: "I come from a country that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I'm from Missouri. You've got to show me."

Interesting Facts The most powerful earthquake to strike the United States occurred in 1811, centered in New Madrid, Missouri. The quake shook more than one million square miles, and was felt as far as 1,000 miles away. Missouri was named after a tribe called Missouri Indians; meaning "town of the large canoes" Missouri Day is the third Wednesday in October. Walt Disney grew up in Marceline. Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. is based on that town.

Featured City Kansas City The largest city in the US state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It is one of two county seats of Jackson County, the other being Independence, which is to the city's east. Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas" at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated opposite Kansas City, Kansas, the city was the location of several battles during the Civil War, including the Battle of Westport. The city is well known for its contributions to the musical styles of jazz and blues as well as to cuisine, notably Kansas City-style barbecue. In March 2012, Downtown Kansas City was selected as one of America's Best downtowns by Forbes magazine for its rich culture in arts, numerous fountains, upscale shopping and various local cuisine - most notably barbecue.

Indiana Is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern and Great Lakes regions of North America. Indiana is the 38th largest by area and the 15th most populous of the 50 United States. Indiana is the least extensive state in the continental US west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis, the second largest of any state capital and largest state capital east of the Mississippi River. The state's name means "Land of the Indians," or simply "Indian Land." This name dates back to at least the 1760s but was first applied to the region by the United States Congress when the Indiana Territory was incorporated in 1800, separating it from the Northwest Territory. Since its founding as a territory, settlement patterns in Indiana have reflected regional cultural segmentation present in the Eastern United States; the state's northernmost tier was settled primarily by people from New England and New York, Central Indiana by migrants from the Mid-Atlantic states and from adjacent Ohio, and Southern Indiana by settlers from the Southern states, particularly Kentucky and Tennessee

General Information State Bird: Cardinal State Flower: Peony State Tree: Tulip-Poplar (тополь) Motto: The crossroads of America Origin of State Name: The word Indiana means "land of the Indians," referring to the region's many Native American inhabitants. Nickname for State: The Hoosier State. The origin of the name is disputed; it may come from the word "hoozer," an English dialect word that meant any large feature, such as a hill. The term eventually came to mean a hill dweller. Nickname for residents: Indianians or Hoosiers

Interesting Facts Santa Claus, Indiana receives over one half million letters and requests at Christmas time. Indiana's shoreline with Lake Michigan is only 40 miles long, but Indiana is still considered a Great Lakes State. Before public schools families pitched in to build log schoolhouse and each student's family paid a few dollars toward the teachers salaries. In a typical year, almost half of all cropland in Indiana is planted in corn.

Featured City Indianapolis The capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. It is Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S. Census, is the 12th largest city in the U.S., the second largest city in the Midwest (behind Chicago), the second most populous state capital (after Phoenix, Arizona), and the most populous state capital east of the Mississippi River. Indianapolis is also one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. For much of its history, Indianapolis has oriented itself around government and industry, particularly manufacturing. Today, Indianapolis has a much more diversified economy, contributing to the fields of education, health care, and finance. Tourism is also a vital part of the economy of Indianapolis, and the city plays host to numerous conventions and sporting events.