Minnesota is located in the Midwest of the United States on the border with Canada. In pre-Columbian times, the Hopewell culture and the Upper Mississippian culture, among others, flourished in this area. The name of the state is derived from the Minnesota River and comes from the language of the Dakota people who inhabited the region when the Europeans arrived. It means "cloudy water". Other tribes living in Minnesota at the time were the Ojibwe and the Mdewakanton.

Because of its more than 14,000 bodies of water, Minnesota is also called the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." About one-third of Minnesota is covered with forests, which also include large areas of wilderness. Among the native animals are the white-tailed deer, bobcats, timber wolves and black bears.

Minnesota's motto, "L'Étoile du Nord," is the only French state motto. It is related to its location as the northernmost state (apart from Alaska) and means "The Star of the North." French voyageurs were the first Europeans to enter the region in the 17^th century. Much of the territory became part of French Louisiana, which was ceded to the United States in 1803 through the Louisiana Purchase. The Minnesota Territory, established in 1849, also encompassed portions of North and South Dakota. Admitted to the Union as the 32^nd state in 1858, Minnesota became a center of social activism in the late 19^th century and was instrumental in the fight for women's suffrage. Immigration from Europe, especially from Germany and Scandinavia, continued into the 20^th century. 

The capital Saint Paul and the largest city Minneapolis form the so-called "Twin Cities" metropolitan area. A well-known landmark of Minneapolis is the Third Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River.

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