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Minnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States.
Minnesota became a part of the United States as the Minnesota Territory in 1849, and became the 32nd US state on May 11, 1858. After the upheaval of the American Civil War and the Dakota War of 1862, Minnesota's economy started to develop when natural resources were tapped for logging and farming. Railroads attracted immigrants, established the farm economy and brought goods to market. The power provided by Saint Anthony Falls spurred the growth of Minneapolis, and the innovative milling methods gave it the title of the "milling capital of the world."
The Twin Cities area is considered the artistic capital of the Upper Midwest. Its major fine art museums include the Weisman Art Museum, the Walker Art Center, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra are full-time professional musical ensembles that perform concerts and offer educational programs to the community.
Saint Paul began as a tavern started by Pierre Parrant, known as "Pig's Eye" (as he was blind in one eye), a man who sold liquor on the river flats below the current downtown area. The area around the tavern grew into a trading outpost known as Pig's Eye or Pig's Eye Landing, where Native Americans, European explorers, and American soldiers lived in close proximity. The city spans the Mississippi river, near the confluence of the Minnesota river. Later the city became a center for transportation and trading in Minnesota, as steamboats could not travel further upriver. In 1854, Saint Paul incorporated as a city and, in 1858, became the capital of Minnesota.
Saint Paul is adjacent to Minnesota's most populous city, Minneapolis; they and their suburbs are known collectively as the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the 16th largest metropolitan area in the United States and home to about 60% of the state's population (as of April 2005). The remainder of the state is known as "Greater Minnesota" or "Outstate Minnesota".
Minnesota has 17 cities with populations above fifty thousand (based on 2005 estimates). In descending order they are Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington, Plymouth, Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Coon Rapids, St. Cloud, Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Woodbury, Blaine, Lakeville, and Minnetonka. Of these listed, only Rochester, Duluth, and St. Cloud are outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Minnesota has only 3 cities that have a population over 100,000. In descending order they are Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Rochester. of those listed only Rochester is located outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Minnesota's population continues to grow, primarily in the urban centers. The populations of metropolitan Sherburne and Scott Counties doubled between 1980 and 2000, while 40 of the state's 87 counties lost residents over the same decades.
