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Wisconsin
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.
Capital |
Madison |
|
Largest
City |
Milwaukee |
Governor
(2005) |
Jim
Doyle (D) |
Area
- Total
- Land
- Water
- % water |
169,790 km² (23rd)
140,787 km²
28,006 km²
17% |
Population
- Total (2000)
- Density |
5,453,896 (18th)
38.13 /km² (24th) |
Admittance
into Union
- Date
- Order |
May 29, 1848
30th |
Time
zone |
Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Latitude
Longitude |
42°30'N
to 47°3'N
86°49'W to 92°54'W |
Width
Length
Elevation
- Highest
- Mean
- Lowest |
420
km
500 km
595 m
320 m
177 m |
ISO
3166-2 |
US-WI |
State
nickname |
Badger
State |
State
Motto |
"Forward"
|
Official
Languages
|
None |
Geography
The
state is bordered by the Montreal River, 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 in the west, and the Menominee River in the northeast.
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 skiing, ice fishing 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. The area draws thousands of visitors yearly to its quaint villages,
seasonal cherry picking, and ever-popular fish boils.
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.
History
In
1634, Frenchman Jean Nicolet became Wisconsin's first European explorer,
landing at Red Banks, near modern day Green
Bay in search of a passage to the Orient. 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 in 2004, 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.
Culture
Known
as "America's Dairyland," Wisconsin
is also known for cheese. Citizens of Wisconsin
are referred to as Wisconsinites, although a common nickname (sometimes
used pejoratively) among non-residents is "Cheeseheads," due
to the prevalence and quality of cheesemaking in the state. Another
nickname is "Badgers," after the state's nickname and school
mascot of the University of Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Art
Museum in Milwaukee
is known for its unique architecture. The Milwaukee County Zoological
Gardens cover over 200 acres (800,000 m²) of land on the far west
side of the city. Madison
is home to the Vilas Zoo which is free for all visitors, and the Olbrich
Gardens conservatory, as well as the hub of cultural activity at the
University of Wisconsin. It is also known for Monona Terrace, a convention
center that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Law and Government
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. Russ Feingold
was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act and Tammy Baldwin
is the only openly lesbian U.S. Representative.
The state has supported
Democrats in the last five presidential contests. In 2004, John Kerry
narrowly won the state's 10 electoral votes by a margin of 0.4 percentage
points and 49.7% of the vote. Republicans are concentrated in the eastern
and north-central parts of the state, especially in the suburban counties
around Milwaukee.
Demographics
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2004, Wisconsin's population
was 5,509,026. There are 229,800 foreign-born residents in the
state (4.2% of the state population), and an estimated 41,000
illegal aliens living in the state, accounting for 18% of the
foreign-born.
Between
1990 and 2004 the state's population grew 617,000, a growth of
12.6%
Race
The racial
makeup of the state:
87.3% White
5.7% Black
3.6% Hispanic
1.7% Asian
0.9% Native American
1.2% Mixed race
Ancestry
The five
largest ancestry groups in Wisconsin
are: German (42.6%), Irish (10.9%), Polish (9.3%), Norwegian (8.5%),
English (6.5%)
People of
German ancestry are the largest ancestry group most of the state,
with about half of the state's white population reporting at least
partial German ancestry on the Census, and Wisconsin
is widely regarded as the most "German-American" state
in the Union (although North
Dakota, with 43.9% German ancestry, can make this claim).
People of Scandinavian descent, especially Norwegians, are heavily
concentrated in some western parts of the state. Wisconsin
also has the highest percentage of residents of Polish ancestry
of any state. Menominee county is the only county in the eastern
United States with an
American Indian majority.
33% of Wisconsin's
Asian population is Hmong, with significant communities in Milwaukee,
Wausau,
Green Bay,
Sheboygan,
Appleton,
La Crosse,
Madison,
and Eau
Claire.
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 people of Wisconsin
are shown in the list below:
Christian
– 85%
Protestant – 55%
Lutheran – 23%
Methodist – 7%
Baptist – 6%
Presbyterian – 2%
United Church of Christ – 2%
Other Protestant or general Protestant – 15%
Roman Catholic – 29%
Other Christian – 1%
Other Religions – 1%
Non-Religious – 14%
|
Historical
populations |
Census
year |
Population
|
1820 |
1,444
|
1830 |
3,635 |
1840 |
30,945
|
1850 |
305,391
|
1860 |
775,881 |
1870 |
1,054,670
|
1880 |
1,315,497
|
1890 |
1,693,330 |
1900 |
2,069,042
|
1910 |
2,333,860 |
1920 |
2,632,067
|
1930 |
2,939,006
|
1940 |
3,137,587 |
1950 |
3,434,575
|
1960 |
3,951,777
|
1970 |
4,417,731 |
1980 |
4,705,767
|
1990 |
4,891,769
|
2000 |
5,363,675
|
|
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.
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:
- Milwaukee,
pop. 596,125 (1,709,926 in metropolitan area), nations 33rd largest
television market.
- Madison,
pop. 220,332 (588,885 in metropolitan area), nations 85th largest
television market, state capital, flagship campus of the University
of Wisconsin
- Green
Bay, pop. 102,263 (226,778 in metropolitan area), nations 69th
largest televison market, home of Green Bay Packers football team;
other area attractions include the National Railroad Museum and the
Neville Public Museum.
- Kenosha,
pop. 93,798; considered part of the greater "Chicagoland"
area; site of Kenosha Velodrome, opened in 1927, oldest operating
velodrome in the U. S.; International HQ of the Barbershop Harmony
Society.
- Racine,
pop. 81,703, headquarters of S. C. Johnson (Johnson Wax) with Frank
Lloyd Wright-designed administration building. Once home of the Racine
Belles, an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team.
- Appleton,
pop. 70,293 (372,110 in metropolitan area). Location of Lawrence University
and the Harry Houdini Historical Center, controversial for a 2004
exhibit showing the secret of Houdini's famous "Metamorphosis"
trick
- Waukesha,
pop. 67,258
- Oshkosh,
pop. 63,515 (372,110 in metropolitan area). Home of the busiest airport
in the world—during the week when the Experimental Aircraft
Association, devoted to hobbyist-built aircraft, holds its annual
Oshkosh Airshow.
- Eau
Claire, pop. 61,702. Home of National Presto and Menards.
- Janesville,
pop. 60,294. Home to a major General Motors assembly plant, 3.5 million
square feet (325,000 m²) in size.
- West
Allis, pop. 60,254. Home of the Pettit National Ice Center (formerly
the West Allis Olympic Ice Rink), training center for the U. S. Olympic
speedskating team, and the West Allis Speedskating Club, which as
of 2005 has nurtured 17 Olympians and 95 national champions.
- La
Crosse, pop. 51,907. Wisconsin's main port on the Mississippi
River and home of Trane.
- Sheboygan,
pop. 50,792.
- Fond
du Lac, pop. 42,203 (57,479 in metropolitan area). Nearly equidistant
from Green
Bay, Madison,
and Milwaukee.
- Wausau,
pop. 38,469 (157,969 in metropolitan area). Home to Granite Peak Ski
Area; located at crossroads of Interstate 39 and State Highway 29.
- Manitowoc,
Wisconsin , pop. 34,567 (53,456 in micropolitan area)
Among other municipalities
are:
- Antigo,
pop. 8,560,
- Baraboo,
pop. 10,717, home of Circus World Museum
- Beloit,
pop. 35,821, home of Beloit College
- De
Pere pop. 20,559 home of St. Norbert College. West De Pere is
not a seperate municipality; but, rather the neighborhoods of De Pere
west of the Fox River.
- Portage,
pop. 9,728, birthplace of Frederick Jackson Turner, Zona Gale
- Ripon,
birthplace of the Republican Party, 1854
- Stevens
Point, pop. 24,539, home of the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of
Fame, commemorating Aldo Leopold, John Muir, and others
- Superior,
pop. 27,389
- Waterloo,
pop. 3,259, home to the headquarters of one of the world's largest
bicycle manufacturers, Trek Bicycle Corporation
- Watertown,
site of the first kindergarten in the United
States
- Wauwatosa,
pop. 47,271, home to one of two level 1 trauma centers in the state
- Wisconsin
Dells, pop. 2,418 (approx. 4,000 including Lake Delton), popular
resort area, home of Tommy Bartlett's thrill shows and numerous hotels
and themeparks.
- Wisconsin
Rapids, pop. 18,435
Education
Colleges and Universities
Four-year and postgraduate
institutions
- Alverno
College
- Beloit
College
- Cardinal
Stritch College
- Carroll
College
- Carthage
College
- Concordia
University Wisconsin
- Edgewood
College
Lakeland College
- Lawrence
University
- Maranatha
Baptist Bible College
- Marian
College of Fond du Lac
- Marquette
University
- Medical
College of Wisconsin
- Milwaukee
Institute of Art and Design
- Milwaukee
School of Engineering
- Mount
Mary College
Mount Senario College
- Nashotah
House
- Northland
College
- Ripon
College
|
- St. Norbert
College
- Silver
Lake College
- University
of Wisconsin System
- Viterbo
College
- Wisconsin
Lutheran College
- Wisconsin
School of Professional Psychology
|
Two-year institutions
|
- Wisconsin
Technical College System
- Blackhawk
Technical College
- Chippewa
Valley Technical College
- Fox
Valley Technical College
- Gateway
Technical College
- Lakeshore
Technical College
- Madison
Area Technical College
- Mid-State
Technical College
- Milwaukee
Area Technical College
- Moraine
Park Technical College
- Nicolet
Area Technical College
- Northcentral
Technical College
- Northeast
Wisconsin Technical College
- Southwest
Wisconsin Technical College
- Waukesha
County Technical College
- Western
Wisconsin Technical College
- Wisconsin
Indianhead Technical College
|
Professional Sports Teams
- Milwaukee Brewers,
Major League Baseball
- Minor League
Baseball Teams
- Wisconsin
Timber Rattlers
- Beloit Snappers
- Northwoods League
baseball teams
- Eau Claire
Express
- La Crosse
Loggers
- Madison
Mallards
- Wisconsin
Woodchucks
- Milwaukee Bucks,
National Basketball Association
- Green Bay Packers,
National Football League
- Milwaukee Admirals,
American Hockey League
- Milwaukee Wave,
Major Indoor Soccer League
- Milwaukee Wave
United (dormant for 2005), United Soccer Leagues
State designations and symbols
- 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
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