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Minnesota: The North Star State

Introduction
Minnesota is famous for its many lakes. One of the state's nicknames is "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but there are actually more than 12,000. With so many lakes, fishing and canoeing are popular recreational sports. Minnesota's lakeshores are also home to a variety of cottages, beaches, tourist camps, and resorts.

Because Minnesota is rich in minerals, farmland, and waterways, it has become an important industrial state. Food products, machinery and electrical goods, printed materials, medical products, and fabricated metals are all made in Minnesota. The state is part of the Midwestern Corn Belt, where corn crops are raised. Dairy products are also a leading source of income for farmers.

Getting There
Minnesota is one of thirteen states that share a border with Canada. It is also the twelfth largest state. At its widest point Minnesota is 358 miles wide and 406 miles long.

Minnesota is in the north-central United States and is almost right in the middle of North America. Manitoba and Ontario in Canada are its neighbors to the north. North and South Dakota are to the west. Iowa is to the south, and Wisconsin and Lake Superior are the the east.

Most people travel to Minnesota by air or road. A network of highways totaling 130,000 miles criss-crosses the state. The state also boosts more than 365 airports, most of which are private. The largest airport is the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, which is the nation's tenth busiest.

Minnesota offers activities for all seasons—from swimming and fishing in summer to skiing and iceboat racing in winter. Many annual festivals . . .

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