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Frequently Asked QuestionsENTRY VISASAll foreign participants are required by law to carry valid passports and entry visas before they will be allowed to enter the United States. Participants can obtain visas from the United States Embassy in their home countries. MinnesotaGovernor: Tim Pawlenty Lt. Governor: Carol Molnau Minneapolis Mayor : R.T. Rybak St. Paul Mayor elect: Chris Coleman Geography
Area: 84,068 square miles (12th largest state) Land Area: 79,616.66 square miles Width: 385 miles Length: 405 miles Average Mean Altitude: 1,200 feet above sea level
Lowest Point: Surface of Lake Superior, 602 feet below sea level. Distribution of Land Use: Cultivation: 23,739,640 acres Forest: 18,371,400 acres Open: 6,001,200 acres Marsh: 1,867,000 acres Water: 3,289,680 acres Urban: 1,218,480 acres Extractive: 87,160 acres Only Major Areas with no
Minnesota WatersNumber of Lakes: 15,292 larger than 10 acres Largest Lake (within state border) Red Lake, 451 square miles
Lake Superior (largest fresh water lake in the world, 31,280 square miles), Lake of the Woods, Mille Lacs Lake, Leech Lake, Rainy Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish. Inland Waters: 4,779 square miles (largest area of any state)
Mississippi, Minnesota and Red River of the North water flows in from Minnesota in three directions - Hudson Bay, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico (no water flows into the state.) Total Distance of Rivers and Streams: 25,000 miles Total Distance of Lake and River Shoreline: 90,000 miles Boating Waters: 2.6 million acres Canoeing Waters: 3,550 miles
Headwaters of the Mississippi River: Itasca State Park historyMinnesota, known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” appropriately received its name from the Dakota Indian word, minisota, meaning sky-tinted waters. Sculpted by glaciers that carved 25,000 miles of rivers, and streams and dotted the landscape with actually 15,292 lakes, including Lake Superior, the largest fresh-water lake in the world, Minnesota has more shoreline (90,000 miles) than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. Legend, however, may claim the lakes were formed by the mammoth footsteps of the mythical giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan and his pet blue ox, Babe. These great ice masses (or Paul Bunyan’s footsteps) also produced a dramatic and diverse landscape leaving behind river valleys, rocky cliffs and cascading waterfalls. This landscape is accompanied by equally distinct towns, cities and rural areas, providing a state with something for virtually everyone. Lake Superior lends a seaside atmosphere to the towns and cites along its shoreline, while dense forests of towering pines and birch trees provide a lush canopy near the shimmering lakes. Tall, wooded bluffs tower over the Mississippi River in the southern part of the state, and rolling prairies where pioneer families such as Laura Ingalls Wilder once lived are near the thriving metropolitan area of Minneapolis/St. Paul – the Twin Cities. Paul Bunyan’s giant strides could easily have taken him from the north woods to the city skyscrapers of today, since it’s only a short drive from the bustle of the cities to the tranquil lakes, forests and prairies. Exploring Minnesota has been popular since the French voyageurs reached the waters of Lake Superior before the Mayflower landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620. Since that time, many other groups explored the Minnesota territory and traded with the Dakota Sioux and Ojibwa. Today, you can relive the fascinating era of those old trading posts and military forts, and follow the trails they blazed. Throughout the state, historic small towns offer visitors a glimpse of pioneer life or a taste of 20th-century charm with quaint shops, restaurants, hotels and Victorian homes, capturing the essence of Main Street America. Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the surrounding communities are known for genuine, warm hospitality, a lively mixture of theater, touring Broadway shows, museums and professional sports and the nation’s largest fully-enclosed retail and entertainment complex – the Mall of America in Bloomington. These cities of lakes, parks and tree-lined streets are filled with historic architecture, contemporary skylines, the Mississippi River and a wealth of options for any visitor. Summer:In summer, warm Gulf of Mexico air predominates, creating warm temperatures and enough rainfall to ensure lush green foliage and floral color for the entire season. Not only is the amount of daily sunshine longer than it is in the winter, but the sun is higher in the sky, so its rays are concentrated vertically on Minnesota. There is a rush of life going on in June, July and August. The season is the reason for growth development, for the rebirth of flora and fauna. The average summer temperature is 71.9° F/22° C Summer Mean Temperature Mean Precipitation July 71.9° F/22° C 3.34” August 68° F/20° C 3.33” September 59° F/15° C 3.00” Minnesota Sales TaxThe Minnesota Sales Tax is 6.5 percent. In the city limits of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the sales tax is 7 percent. The tax does not apply to purchases of food, clothing, shoes or medicine. State of the Arts, Entertainment and AttractionsThe cultural opportunities and life in Minnesota are world-renowned. Many nationally acclaimed artists and arts organizations call Minnesota home. More than 1,700 arts organizations throughout the state and an arts initiative, Arts Across Minnesota, enables communities throughout the state to sponsor premier performing arts organizations, making it possible to see performances on many routes. Minnesota theaters are receiving recognition, producing plays from the classics to avant garde, improvisations and works of contemporary playwrights. The metropolitan area also have a number of live concert venues, with performances by major name entertainers booked regularly. Minnesota’s professional spectator sports teams include the Vikings (NFL) football team, Timberwolves (NBA) basketball team, Minnesota Wild (NHL), professional baseball including the major league Minnesota Twins, as well as minor league teams such as the Saint Paul Saints and the Duluth Dukes. Established attractions open throughout the year include the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, just south of the Twin Cities. Bloomington is home to the world-famous Mall of America, the largest fully enclosed retail shopping and entertainment complex in the United States. The Minnesota State Capitol, patterned after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, boasts the world’s largest unsupported marble dome. Free guided tours are given by the Minnesota Historical Society. Minnesota also has many historic sites and museums, as well as nature and interpretive centers throughout the state. The Pipestone National Monument and Cultural Center in southwestern Minnesota includes an auditorium with a slide presentation each hour, plus craft demonstrations and a gift shop. Also in the area, the Jeffers Petroglyphs, American Indian rock carvings of human figures, dear, elk, buffalo, thunderbirds, and more, date from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 900 to 1750. The Grand Portage National Monument in Northeastern Minnesota’s Tip of the Arrowhead area is a reconstruction of a 1700s fur trading post. Shopping in MinnesotaSince the Mall of America opened in 1992, shopping in Minnesota changed in a big way. Covering 18 square blocks, the mall is so large, seven Yankee Stadiums would fit inside its 4.2 million square feet. It is the only place in the world where anchor stores Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Sears are all under one roof. The Mall has more than 500 specialty shops and eateries, Camp Snoopy amusement park, 14 movie theater and America Live! with numerous nightclubs. Plus Underwater Adventures on the lower level, is a 1.2 million gallon walk-through aquarium which features aquatic life from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the warm waters of the Caribbean In downtown Minneapolis, Marshall Field’s the landmark department store is joined by Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and several enclosed shopping complexes, plus the Nicollet Mall, a strollers’ delight. It seems only fitting that Minnesota is home to the largest shopping mall, since it is the birthplace of the concept – Southdale in Edina was the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping center in the United States when it opened in 1956. Since that time. Rosedale, north of St. Paul; Ridgedale, west of Minneapolis; and Brookdale, in North Metro have sprouted. In the suburbs, the “Dales” have the Twin Cities surrounded. And Burnsville Center, south of Bloomington and Eden Prairie, west of Bloomington are “Dales” all but in name. Outlet centers for major manufactures of designer and brand-name apparel, household goods and more are open in Woodbury (off I-94 east of St. Paul), Albertville (1-94 west of Minneapolis) Medford (off I-35 near Faribault) and North Branch (off I-35 between Saint Paul and Duluth.) Antiquing has become a reason to travel in Minnesota and shops on community main streets throughout the state offer unique treasures. Along the highways and byways are shops and boutiques with that special find. Minnesota specialty items include wild rice, American Indian jewelry and crafts such as peace pipes and pottery, farm raised salmon, Faribo blankets and woolens, Red Wing footwear, dried morels (hard-to-find wild state mushroom known for its delectable taste) and souvenirs in honor of the loon (the state bird.) These and other interesting products are available at stores and gift shops throughout Minnesota. Minnesota OutdoorsMinnesotans have long revered the natural beauty of their home state. With such vast natural resources, it’s no wonder that Minnesotans are an active people. In fact, the many options available for outdoor activities are limited only by the availability of leisure time. More than 3,000 of Minnesota’s 12,000 lakes have public access where boats can be launched free of charge. The Superior and Chippewa National Forests and a large number of state forests assure residents and visitors of recreational space for generations to come. More than 2,000 resorts and private campgrounds offer activities such as swimming, fishing, boating, water skiing, canoeing, golf, tennis, horseback riding and children’s programs. See the Mississippi in its Original StateThe Mississippi River, Minnesota’s link to the world, carves its way from north woods wilderness, through dense turban development, out across farmlands and plains. Since the days of the American Indians who explored the region to the steamboat era, the story of the “Father of Waters” has interested residents and visitors alike. At its headwaters in Itasca State Park, north of Park Rapids and south of Bemidji, the Mississippi sets it 2,522 mile (4,100 km) course to the Gulf of Mexico. There is also a boat excursion available on Lake Itasca. At the source of the river, visitors can cross a path of stepping stones where the river begins its flow with a gentle trickle from Lake Itasca. The river is serenely serpentine as it moves through the state and national forests past farm fields and through mammoth lakes. At Brainerd, the river rolls strongly south through St. Cloud to the Twin Cities, where it flows through downtown areas of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Saint Anthony Falls was once sacred to the American Indians. Using the river’s water power, Minneapolis developed into one of the world’s major lumber and flour milling districts, establishing companies like Pillsbury and General Mills. From St. Paul to the Iowa border, the river flows past quaint river towns like Red Wing, Lake City Wabasha and Winona. Today, boat excursions in many of these Mississippi River communities provide visitors with a view of Minnesota first enjoyed by early steamboat passengers.
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