Minnesota

State of Minnesota
State of Minnesota
Flag of Minnesota	Seal
	Nickname(s): North Star State,; The Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Gopher State
	Motto(s): L'Étoile du Nord (French: The Star of the North)
Capital	Saint Paul
Largest city	Minneapolis
Area	Ranked 12th
- Total	87,014 sq mi; (225,365 km2)
- Width	250 miles (400 km)
- Length	400 miles (645 km)
- % water	8.4
- Latitude	43°34'N to 49°23'50.26"N
- Longitude	89°34'W to 97°12'W
Number of people	Ranked 21st
- Total	5,132,799
- Density	61.80/sq mi (23.86/km2); Ranked 31st
- Average income	$55,914 (5th)
Height above sea level
- Highest point	Eagle Mountain; 2,301 ft (701 m)
- Average	1,198 ft (365 m)
- Lowest point	Lake Superior; 602 ft (183 m)
Became part of the U.S.	May 11, 1858 (32nd)
Governor	Mark Dayton (DFL)
U.S. Senators	Al Franken (DFL); Amy Klobuchar (DFL)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations	MN, US-MN
Website	www.state.mn.us

Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwest of the United States of America. Part of the state has a border with the country of Canada.

The capital of Minnesota is Saint Paul. The largest city is Minneapolis. Over 3 million people live in the two cities and the suburbs that surround it, which are separated by the Mississippi River. They are known as the Twin Cities.

Minnesota became a state on May 11, 1858. It was the 32nd state in the United States of America. The name Minnesota is Dakota (a Native American language) for "sky-tinted water". Eagle Mountain is the highest point in Minnesota. The state bird is the Common Loon.

Minnesota has a humid continental climate. The winters in Minnesota are long and severe. Hence the state has a short growing season. During the summer, the south of the state is hot; the north is warm.