Minnesota, state in the north central United States. Near the
geographic center of North America, it is bordered on the north
by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, on the west
by North Dakota and South Dakota, on the south by Iowa, and on
the east by Wisconsin and Lake Superior.
Minnesota entered the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state.
The state’s name comes from a Sioux word meaning “cloudy water”
that was applied to the Minnesota River. The state’s most famous
nickname, Land of 10,000 Lakes, is an understatement, for
Minnesota has more than 15,000 lakes, three-fourths of which are
10 acres or more in size year round. Minnesota is also known as
the Gopher State as well as the North Star State, a translation
of the French inscription on the state seal, L’Etoile du Nord.
