Changes

|flag=Minnesota_State_Flag.gif

|flag=Minnesota_State_Flag.gif

|motto=L'Etoile du nord (The star of the north)

|motto=L'Etoile du nord (The star of the north)

|nick=The North Star State

|nick=The North Star State; the Gopher State; Land of 10,000 Lakes

|capital=Saint Paul

|capital=Saint Paul

|language=None

|language=None

==Geography==

==Geography==

Minnesota is nicknamed "the Land of 10,000 Lakes" due to its large number of freshwater lakes. The actual number of lakes is about 11,842. The southern third and western edge of the state have very few lakes, but the rest of the state is dotted with small (less than 50 acres) to very large (over 100,000 acres) lakes only a few miles apart at most. The largest lake entirely within the state is Red Lake in Beltrami County, which is divided by a natural peninsula into Upper Red Lake and Lower Red Lake. The lake is 288,831 acres, or about 443.5 sq. miles, in size. The estimated total miles of shoreline of all of Minnesota's lakes is greater than the shorelines of California, Florida and Hawaii combined. As a result of this large number of lakes, Minnesota has a booming resort business, with over 1000 resorts of various kinds spread throughout the state. Year-round fishing is also a major draw for residents and visitors.

Minnesota is nicknamed the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" due to its large number of natural freshwater lakes. The nickname is not an exaggeration as the actual number of lakes is about 11,842. The southern third and western edge of the state have very few lakes, but the rest of the state is dotted with small (less than 50 acres) to very large (over 100,000 acres) lakes only a few miles apart at most. The largest lake entirely within the state is Red Lake in Beltrami County, which is divided by a natural peninsula into Upper Red Lake and Lower Red Lake. The lake is 288,831 acres, or about 451.3 sq. miles, in size. The estimated total miles of shoreline of all of Minnesota's lakes is greater than the shorelines of California, Florida and Hawaii combined. As a result of this large number of lakes, Minnesota has a booming resort business, with over 1000 resorts of various kinds spread throughout the state. Year-round fishing is also a major draw for residents and visitors.

Excluding the southern border, a large portion of Minnesota's borders are defined by rivers and lakes. Big Stone Lake, Lake Traverse and the Red River compose most of the state's western border with North and South Dakota. The northern border with Canada is primarily defined by the Rainy River and Rainy Lake. Finally, the eastern border with Wisconsin includes Lake Superior and the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers.

Excluding the southern border, a large portion of Minnesota's borders are defined by rivers and lakes. Big Stone Lake, Lake Traverse and the Red River compose most of the state's western border with North and South Dakota. The northern border with Canada is primarily defined by the Rainy River and Rainy Lake. Finally, the eastern border with Wisconsin includes Lake Superior and the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers.