Wisconsin
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State nickname: Badger State | |||||
Other U.S. States | |||||
| Capital | Madison | ||||
| Largest City | Milwaukee | ||||
| Governor | Jim Doyle | ||||
| Area - Total - Land - Water - % water |
Ranked 23rd | ||||
| Population
- Density |
Ranked 18th
31.6/km² | ||||
| Admittance into Union
- Date | 30th | ||||
| Time zone | |||||
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Latitude |
42°30'N to 47°3'N | ||||
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Width |
420 km | ||||
| ISO 3166-2: | US-WI | ||||
One of the periods of glaciation was also termed the Wisconsin glaciation.
Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state of the United States, (54,314 square miles) and 18th greatest population (5,453,896 as of 2002). The state's name is an English version of a French adaptation of an Indian name said to mean "the place where we live."
Wisconsin's natural beauty has made the state a favorite playground of the nation. Vacationers enjoy the state's clean lakes, rolling hills, quiet valleys, deep forests and cool, pine-scented breezes. The winters are ideal for skating, skiing, snowmobiling and tobogganing. Many communities stage curling matches during the winter and others hold snowmobile derbies. Many annual events celebrate the state's rich ethnic heritage and diversity.
Known as "The Dairy State", Wisconsin is also known for beer, cheese, cranberries and many festivals, such as Summerfest and the EAA Oshkosh Airshow.
USS Wisconsin was named in honor of this state.
Wisconsin's political history encompasses, on the one hand, Fighting Bob La Follette and the Progressive movement; and on the other, Joe McCarthy, the anti-communist "witch-hunter" of 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.
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.
Law and Government
The capital is Madison and the largest city is Milwaukee.
- Governors of Wisconsin
- Wisconsin State Legislature
- Wisconsin Congressional Delegation
- List of U.S. Senators from Wisconsin
Geography
See: List of Wisconsin counties, List of cities in Wisconsin, List of villages in Wisconsin, List of towns in Wisconsin
It 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.
Important cities and villages
Cities and villages are incorporated urban areas in Wisconsin. Towns are unincorporated minor civil divisions of counties.
Cities in Wisconsin with population of 50,000 or more as of 2000 include:
- Milwaukee, pop. 596,125 (1,500,741 in metropolitan area)
- Madison - pop. 208,856, state capital, flagship campus of University of Wisconsin
- Green Bay, pop. 102,263, home of Green Bay Packers football team
- Kenosha, pop. 90,625, considered part of the greater "Chicagoland" area
- Racine, pop. 81,703
- Appleton, pop. 70,232
- Waukesha, pop. 65,092
- Oshkosh, pop. 63,325
- Eau Claire, pop. 61,792
- Janesville, pop. 60,294
- West Allis, pop. 60,254
- La Crosse, pop. 51,907
Other cities include:
- Antigo, pop. 8,560
- Baraboo, pop. 10,717, home of Circus World Museum
- Beloit, pop. 35,821, home of Beloit College
- Ripon, Wisconsin was the 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
- Stockholm, pop. 81
- Superior, pop. 27,389
- Watertown, Jefferson County, Wisconsin was the site of the first kindergarten in the US
- Wausau, pop. 38,469
- Wisconsin Dells, pop. 2418 (approx. 4000 including Lake Delton) Popular resort area, home of Tommy Bartlett's thrill shows
| Badger State | |
| State Animal: | badger |
| State Domesticated Animal: | Dairy Cow |
| State Beverage: | Milk |
| State Bird: | Robin |
| State Capital: | Madison |
| State Fish: | Muskellunge |
| State Flower: | Wood Violet |
| 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 |
Education
Colleges and universities
- 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 School of Engineering
- Mount Mary College
- Mount Senario College
- Northland College
- Ripon College
- St. Norbert College
- Silver Lake College
- University of Wisconsin System
- Viterbo College
- Wisconsin Lutheran College
- Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology
Professional sports teams
- Milwaukee Brewers, Major League Baseball
- Milwaukee Bucks, National Basketball Association
- Green Bay Packers, National Football League
- Minor League Baseball Teams
- A-League Soccer
Miscellaneous information
- List of television stations in Wisconsin
- List of Wisconsin state parks
- Territory of Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
