Despite abundant natural resources, the rural and sparsely populated Idaho is one of the economically weakest states in the USA.
According to Acronymmonster, Idaho is a US state. It is located in the northwest of the country, the largest city and capital of the state is Boise. Idaho borders the states of Oregon, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Idaho belongs to the Rocky Mountains, the landscape is also characterized by lakes, numerous rivers, wide, pristine plains and dense forests. With an area of around 216,000 km², Idaho is one of the larger states, but is relatively sparsely populated with around 1.5 million residents (2011 estimate). Over 75% of the population have European ancestors, of whom the Germans make up the largest proportion with over 21%.
Brief history of Idaho
The area that encompasses the state of Idaho has been populated by numerous Indian tribes since ancient times. At the beginning of the 19th century, the first whites came to the area as part of the Lewis and Clark expedition, fur traders and missionaries followed. In March 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared Idaho by law. When gold was discovered in Idaho in the 1860s, more and more people came to the region, which led to disputes and eventually fighting between the settlers and the indigenous peoples. The American military intervened and although the Indians acted quite successfully in some cases, they were eventually expelled to the neighboring states. Idaho joined the United States as a state in July 1890.
Idaho in modern times
In terms of gross domestic product per capita, Idaho ranks 47th (out of 50), making it one of the poorest states in the United States. Also because of its deeply religious population, it is considered particularly conservative. The denomination with the largest number of members is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, attributed to the Mormons. Mining has always been a major economic driver and Idaho is one of the major producers of lead and silver.
Largest Counties in Idaho by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in Idaho are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | Idaho County | 21,976 km2 |
| 2 | Owyhee County | 19,886 km2 |
| 3 | Custer County | 12,758 km2 |
| 4 | Lemhi County | 11,821 km2 |
| 5 | Valley County | 9,668 km2 |
| 6 | Elmore County | 7,972 km2 |
| 7 | Blaine County | 6,851 km2 |
| 8 | Shoshone County | 6,822 km2 |
| 9 | Cassia County | 6,648 km2 |
| 10 | Clearwater County | 6,377 km2 |
| 11 | Butte County | 5,783 km2 |
| 12 | Bingham County | 5,426 km2 |
| 13 | Twin Falls County | 4,986 km2 |
| 14 | Boise County | 4,926 km2 |
| 15 | Bonneville County | 4,841 km2 |
| 16 | Fremont County | 4,836 km2 |
| 17 | Caribou County | 4,574 km2 |
| 18 | Clark County | 4,571 km2 |
| 19 | Bonner County | 4,501 km2 |
| 20 | Washington County | 3,771 km2 |
| 21 | Power County | 3,642 km2 |
| 22 | Adams County | 3,535 km2 |
| 23 | Boundary County | 3,287 km2 |
| 24 | Kootenai County | 3,225 km2 |
| 25 | Lincoln County | 3,124 km2 |
| 26 | Oneida County | 3,108 km2 |
| 27 | Bannock County | 2,883 km2 |
| 28 | Jefferson County | 2,836 km2 |
| 29 | Latah County | 2,789 km2 |
| 30 | Camas County | 2,784 km2 |
| 31 | Ada County | 2,732 km2 |
| 32 | Bear Lake County | 2,515 km2 |
| 33 | Nez Perce County | 2,199 km2 |
| 34 | Benewah County | 2,010 km2 |
| 35 | Minidoka County | 1,968 km2 |
| 36 | Gooding County | 1,893 km2 |
| 37 | Franklin County | 1,725 km2 |
| 38 | Jerome County | 1,554 km2 |
| 39 | Canyon County | 1,528 km2 |
| 40 | Gem County | 1,458 km2 |
| 41 | Lewis County | 1,241 km2 |
| 42 | Madison County | 1,222 km2 |
| 43 | Teton County | 1,165 km2 |
| 44 | Payette County | 1,057 km2 |