Wisconsin

State of Wisconsin
State flag of Wisconsin State seal of Wisconsin
(Flag of Wisconsin) (Seal of Wisconsin)
State nickname: Badger State
State motto = "Forward"
Missing image
Map_of_USA_highlighting_Wisconsin.png
Map of the U.S. with Wisconsin highlighted

Other U.S. States
Capital Madison
Largest city Milwaukee
Governor Jim Doyle
Official languages None
Area 169,790 km² (23rd)
 - Land 140,787 km²
 - Water 28,006 km² (17%)
Population (2000)
 - Population 5,453,896 ({{{PopRank}}})
 - Density 38.13 /km² (24th)
Admission into Union
 - Date May 29, 1848
 - Order 30th
Time zoneCentral: UTC-6/-5
Latitude42°30'N to 47°3'N
Longitude86°49'W to 92°54'W
Width 420 km
Length 500 km
Elevation
 - Highest 595 m
 - Mean 320 m
 - Lowest 177 m
Abbreviations
 - USPS WI
 - ISO 3166-2 US-WI
Web site www.wisconsin.gov

Wisconsin is a state in the United States, located in the Midwest.

Although the exact etymology of the name is uncertain, "Wisconsin" is thought to be an English version of a French adaptation of an Indian word. The Ojibwe word Miskasinsin, meaning "Red-stone place," was probably the name given to the Wisconsin River, which then was recorded as Ouisconsin by the French, and changed to its current form by the English. Other theories are that the name comes from words meaning "Gathering of the Waters" or "Great Rock." Wisconsin originally was applied to the Wisconsin River, and later to the area as a whole when Wisconsin became a territory. The state's name is abbreviated WI, Wis, or Wisc.

USS Wisconsin was named in honor of this state.

Contents

History

Main Article: History of Wisconsin

In 1634, Frenchman Jean Nicolet became Wisconsin's first European explorer. The French controlled the area until 1763, when it was ceded to the British.

After the American Revolutionary War, Wisconsin was a part of the U.S.Northwest Territory. It was then governed as part of Indiana Territory, Illinois Territory, and Michigan Territory. Wisconsin Territory was organized on July 3 1836 and became the 30th state on May 29 1848.

Wisconsin's political history encompasses, on the one hand, Fighting Bob La Follette and the Progressive movement; and on the other, Joe McCarthy, the controversial anti-communist censured by the Senate during the 1950s. The first Socialist mayor of a large city in the United States was Emil Seidel, elected mayor of Milwaukee in 1910; another Socialist, Daniel Hoan, was mayor of Milwaukee from 1916 to 1940. During both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, Wisconsin was considered a "swing" state due to its residents being relatively equally split between voting for the Democratic and Republican candidates. The state just barely (by about 5,700 votes) went for the Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, in 2000 and by 14,000 votes to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, both of whom lost the national election.

The state mineral is Galena otherwise known as lead sulfide which reflects Wisconsin's early mining history. Many town names such as Mineral Point, recall a period in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s when Wisconsin was an important mining state. When Indian treaties opened up southwest Wisconsin to settlement, thousands of miners—many of them immigrants from Cornwall, England—flocked to southern Wisconsin in what could almost be termed a "lead rush." At one point Wisconsin produced more than half of the nation's lead. During the boom it appeared that southwest Wisconsin might become the population center of the state, and Belmont was briefly the state capital. By the 1840s the easily-accessible deposits were worked out, and experienced miners were drawn out of Wisconsin by the California Gold Rush. This period of mining before and during the early years of statehood directly led to the development of state's nickname, "the Badger State". Many miners and their families lived in the mines in which they worked until adequate above-ground shelters were built and were thus compared to Badgers.

See also

Culture

Known as "America's Dairyland," Wisconsin is also known for cheese. Citizens of Wisconsin are called Wisconsinites although the nicknames "Badgers" (after the state's nickname and school mascot of the University of Wisconsin), although a common nickname (sometimes used pejoratively) among non-residents is "Cheeseheads", due to the prevalence and quality of cheesemaking in the state. The Milwaukee Art Museum known for its unique architecture is located in Milwaukee. Milwaukee is also home to the Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens which cover over 200 acres (800,000 m²) of land on the far west side of the city. Madison is also home to the Vilas Zoo which is free for all visitors as well as the University of Wisconsin.

Law and government

The Milwaukee Art Museum
Enlarge
The Milwaukee Art Museum

The capital is Madison and the largest city is Milwaukee. Beginning with the governorship of Robert M. La Follette, Sr. in the early 1900s and the state Progressive Party establishment soon thereafter, Wisconsin and in particular, Madison, have often been seen as leaders in labor, and social welfare legislation as well as legislation popularly termed "socially progressive". For example, in 1982 sexual orientation was added by the state legislature as a protected category under existing anti-discrimination laws, a step in the context of the 1980s seen as highly innovative.

Missing image
Wisconsinfarm.jpg
One area of Wisconsin's scenery

Geography

The state is bordered by Lake Superior and Michigan to the north, by Lake Michigan to the east, by Illinois to the south, and by Iowa and Minnesota to the west. Part of the state's boundaries includes the Mississippi River and St. Croix River.

With its location between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, Wisconsin is home to a wide variety of geographical features. These features allow the state to be broken into five distinct regions. In the north, the Lake Superior Lowland occupies a belt of land along Lake Superior. Just to the south, the Northern Highland includes the state's highest point, Timms Hill, as well as massive forests and thousands of small glacial lakes. In the middle of the state, the Central Plain possesses some unique sandstone formations like the Dells of the Wisconsin River in addition to rich farmland. The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands region in the southeast is home to many of Wisconsin's largest cities. In the southwest, the Western Upland is a rugged landscape with a mix of forest and farmland.

The varied landscape of Wisconsin makes the state a vacation destination popular for outdoor recreation. Winter events include curling matches and snowmobile derbies. The distinctive Door Peninsula, which extends off of the eastern coast of the state, contains one of the state's most beautiful tourist destinations, Door County (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_County). The area draws thousands of visitors yearly to its quaint villages, seasonal cherry picking, and ever-popular fish boils (http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/recipes/fish/door_county_fish_boil_photos.htm).

Wisconsin's self-promotion as "America's Dairyland" sometimes leads to a mistaken impression that it is an exclusively rural state. In fact Wisconsin contains cities and towns of all sizes. Milwaukee is a city slightly larger than Boston and part of a largely developed string of cities that stretches down the western edge of Lake Michigan into greater Chicago and also into northwestern Indiana. This string of cities along the western edge of Lake Michigan is generally considered to be an example of a megalopolis. Madison's triple identity as state capital, university town, and working city give it a cultural richness unusual in a city its size. Medium-sized cities dot the state and anchor a network of working farms surrounding them.

See also


Badger State
State Animal:Badger
State Domesticated
Animal:
Dairy Cow
State Wild Animal:White-tailed Deer
State Beverage:Milk
State Bird:Robin
State Capital:Madison
State Dog:American Water Spaniel
State Fish:Muskellunge
State Flower:Wood Violet
State Fossil:Trilobite
State Grain:Corn
State Insect:Honeybee
State Motto:Forward
State Song:"On Wisconsin"
State Tree:Sugar Maple
State Mineral:Galena (Lead sulphide)
State Rock:Red Granite
State Soil:Antigo Silt Loam
State Dance:Polka
State Symbol of Peace:Mourning Dove

Economy

In addition to cheese, Wisconsin is known for its beer, bratwursts, cranberries and many festivals, such as Summerfest and the EAA Oshkosh Airshow. Wisconsin is also the largest producer by volume of ginseng, cranberries, and paper products in the United States. The once coveted title of top milk producer no longer belongs to Wisconsin; the position of top milk producer is now held by California. The University of Wisconsin is an international leader in stem-cell research.

Demographics

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2003, Wisconsin's population was estimated at 5,472,299 people.

The racial makeup of the state is:

The 5 largest ancestry groups in Wisconsin are German (42.6%), Irish (10.9%), Polish (9.3%), Norwegian (8.5%), English (6.5%)

6.4% of Wisconsin's population were reported as under 5, 25.5% under 18, and 13.1% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.6% of the population.

Religion

The religious affiliations of the citizens of Wisconsin are:

  • Protestant ? 51%
  • Roman Catholic ? 39%
  • Other Christian ? 1%
  • Other Religions ? 1%
  • Non-Religious ? 6%

The three largest Protestant denominations in Wisconsin are: Lutheran (26% of the total state population), Methodist (6%), Baptist (4%).

Important cities and villages

Cities and villages are incorporated urban areas in Wisconsin. Towns are unincorporated minor civil divisions of counties.

Cities/Metroplitan areas in Wisconsin with population of 50,000 or more as of 2000 include:

Other cities include:

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National-atlas-wisconsin.png
Wisconsin, showing rivers and roads
</table>
Wisconsin became a state in 1848
Enlarge
Wisconsin became a state in 1848

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Wisconsin
Flag of Wisconsin
Regions: Central Plain | Eastern Ridges and Lowlands | Lake Superior Lowland | Northern Highland | Western Upland
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