Minnesota is the 32nd state in the USA. Native American Indians and French settlers were the driving forces in its history.
The US state of Minnesota
According to Acronymmonster, Minnesota is the name of the 32nd state in the United States of America. The name was taken from the original term MnÃsota from the Sioux language Dakota. The translation into German is “cloudy water”. Minnesota has been an official state of the USA since 1858. It borders on North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and neighboring Canada. Minnesota is home to more than 5.5 million people, including around 3.5 million in the most populous city of Minneapolis. The capital of the state is Saint Paul.
Minnesota’s Native Americans and First Immigrants
Before the first Europeans immigrated, Minnesota was home to the Native Americans. The most famous tribes in this region were the Sioux and the Anishinabe. The first European settlers arrived in Minnesota in the early 17th century. These were fur traders from France. The French explorer Daniel Greysolon had an independent fortification built on the shores of Lake Superior in 1679 and declared the northern part of Minnesota as French national territory. After the Seven Years’ War in 1763, France lost this area to Great Britain. At the Peace of Paris the territory between the Upper Lakes and the Mississippi was assigned to the Northwest Territory. Thus, it was under US administration for the first time.
Minnesota as a separate state
The first permanent settlement, Fort Snelling, emerged in the early 19th century. Soldiers built a sawmill and a water mill at the Saint Anthony Falls. Over the years, the city of Minneapolis developed in this area. The official founding date of the Minnesota Territory is March 3, 1849. In the following decade, the population increased many times over. Year after year more settlers came to Minnesota, while living conditions for the Sioux deteriorated. One consequence of this was the six-week Sioux uprising in 1862. The second half of the 19th century in Minnesota was dominated by the economic boom.
Minnesota’s advancement in the 20th century
Despite the enormous advancement in industry, agriculture retained its role as the most important factor in the economy. Nevertheless, difficulties arose in the first half of the century, resulting on the one hand from the global economic crisis and on the other hand from the droughts in the early 1930s. There was a great advancement in industry after the end of World War II. Modern machinery, new professions and businesses shaped the working population in Minnesota.
Largest Counties in Minnesota by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in Minnesota are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | Saint Louis County | 16,123 km2 |
| 2 | Koochiching County | 8,035 km2 |
| 3 | Itasca County | 6,902 km2 |
| 4 | Beltrami County | 6,489 km2 |
| 5 | Lake County | 5,437 km2 |
| 6 | Cass County | 5,226 km2 |
| 7 | Otter Tail County | 5,127 km2 |
| 8 | Polk County | 5,103 km2 |
| 9 | Aitkin County | 4,712 km2 |
| 10 | Marshall County | 4,590 km2 |
| 11 | Roseau County | 4,306 km2 |
| 12 | Cook County | 3,757 km2 |
| 13 | Pine County | 3,655 km2 |
| 14 | Stearns County | 3,482 km2 |
| 15 | Becker County | 3,394 km2 |
| 16 | Lake of the Woods County | 3,358 km2 |
| 17 | Morrison County | 2,912 km2 |
| 18 | Kittson County | 2,841 km2 |
| 19 | Clay County | 2,707 km2 |
| 20 | Crow Wing County | 2,581 km2 |
| 21 | Clearwater County | 2,576 km2 |
| 22 | Renville County | 2,546 km2 |
| 23 | Todd County | 2,440 km2 |
| 24 | Hubbard County | 2,389 km2 |
| 25 | Redwood County | 2,278 km2 |
| 26 | Norman County | 2,270 km2 |
| 27 | Fillmore County | 2,231 km2 |
| 28 | Carlton County | 2,228 km2 |
| 29 | Kandiyohi County | 2,062 km2 |
| 30 | Lac qui Parle County | 1,981 km2 |
| 31 | Goodhue County | 1,964 km2 |
| 32 | Yellow Medicine County | 1,963 km2 |
| 33 | Blue Earth County | 1,949 km2 |
| 34 | Wilkin County | 1,946 km2 |
| 35 | Swift County | 1,926 km2 |
| 36 | Nobles County | 1,853 km2 |
| 37 | Lyon County | 1,850 km2 |
| 38 | Faribault County | 1,848 km2 |
| 39 | Mower County | 1,843 km2 |
| 40 | Martin County | 1,837 km2 |
| 41 | Freeborn County | 1,833 km2 |
| 42 | Murray County | 1,824 km2 |
| 43 | Jackson County | 1,817 km2 |
| 44 | Pope County | 1,736 km2 |
| 45 | Wright County | 1,711 km2 |
| 46 | Olmsted County | 1,691 km2 |
| 47 | Cottonwood County | 1,658 km2 |
| 48 | Douglas County | 1,643 km2 |
| 49 | Winona County | 1,622 km2 |
| 50 | Pennington County | 1,597 km2 |
| 51 | Brown County | 1,582 km2 |
| 52 | Meeker County | 1,576 km2 |
| 53 | Sibley County | 1,525 km2 |
| 54 | Chippewa County | 1,509 km2 |
| 55 | Mille Lacs County | 1,488 km2 |
| 56 | Traverse County | 1,487 km2 |
| 57 | Dakota County | 1,475 km2 |
| 58 | Stevens County | 1,456 km2 |
| 59 | Houston County | 1,446 km2 |
| 60 | Hennepin County | 1,442 km2 |
| 61 | Mahnomen County | 1,440 km2 |
| 62 | Grant County | 1,415 km2 |
| 63 | Lincoln County | 1,391 km2 |
| 64 | Wadena County | 1,386 km2 |
| 65 | Kanabec County | 1,360 km2 |
| 66 | Wabasha County | 1,360 km2 |
| 67 | Rice County | 1,289 km2 |
| 68 | Big Stone County | 1,287 km2 |
| 69 | McLeod County | 1,274 km2 |
| 70 | Rock County | 1,250 km2 |
| 71 | Pipestone County | 1,207 km2 |
| 72 | Nicollet County | 1,171 km2 |
| 73 | Le Sueur County | 1,162 km2 |
| 74 | Dodge County | 1,138 km2 |
| 75 | Isanti County | 1,137 km2 |
| 76 | Sherburne County | 1,130 km2 |
| 77 | Watonwan County | 1,125 km2 |
| 78 | Red Lake County | 1,120 km2 |
| 79 | Steele County | 1,113 km2 |
| 80 | Anoka County | 1,097 km2 |
| 81 | Waseca County | 1,096 km2 |
| 82 | Chisago County | 1,082 km2 |
| 83 | Benton County | 1,057 km2 |
| 84 | Washington County | 1,014 km2 |
| 85 | Carver County | 925 km2 |
| 86 | Scott County | 924 km2 |
| 87 | Ramsey County | 403 km2 |