Minnesota (help·info) (pronounced: [?m?n?'so?t?]) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest state in the U.S., and the 21st most populous, with over five million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the 32nd state on May 11, 1858. While the state's residents are primarily white and Northern European, substantial influxes of African, Asian, and Hispanic immigrants have joined the descendants of European immigrants and of the original Native American inhabitants.

Nearly 60% of Minnesota's residents live in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the center of transportation, business, and industry, and home to an internationally known arts community. The remainder of the state, often referred to as Greater Minnesota, consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture; eastern deciduous forests, also heavily farmed and settled; and the less-populated northern boreal forest. The state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," and those lakes and the other waters for which the state is named, together with state and national forests and parks, offer residents and tourists a vigorous outdoor lifestyle.

The extremes of the climate contrast with the moderation of Minnesota’s people. The state is known for its moderate-to-progressive politics and social policies, its civic involvement, and high voter turnout. It ranks among the healthiest states by a number of measures, and has one of the most highly educated and literate populations.

Minnesota Politics :

Minnesota is known for a politically active citizenry, with populism being a longstanding force among the state's political parties. Minnesota has consistently high voter turnout; in the 2004 U.S. presidential election 77.2% of eligible Minnesotans voted, the highest of any U.S. state (with a national average of 60.93%), due in part to its liberal voter registration laws. Previously unregistered voters can register on election day, at their polls, with evidence of residency. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) was created in 1944 when the Minnesota Democratic Party and Farmer-Labor Party merged. The party is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. The nickname "DFLers" is often used in Minnesota by both members and non-members of the party as an alternative to "Democrats."