MINNESOTA: LAND OF 10,000 LAKES
Original, hand-drawn story map and accompanying gifts of Minnesota by renowned Illustrator and Xplorer Maps Co-Founder, Chris Robitaille.
Dating back almost 12,000 years, Minnesota was originally inhabited primarily by the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples who used the extensive waterways for food, strategic transportation, and trade. Home to Lake Itasca and the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River, the Minnesota Territory was admitted to the Union as the 32nd state in 1858.
The state boasts rich farmland and agriculture; densely covered Northwoods forests; the “Twin Cities” area; (where more than 60% of the state’s 5.7 million residents reside); and approximately 14,000 bodies of freshwater over 10 acres in size. As such, Minnesota is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. From fishing, paddling, waterfalls, hiking, and camping to snowmobiling, ice-fishing, and pond hockey, Minnesota seemingly has it all for water lovers!
Minnesota's official motto, L'Étoile du Nord ("The Star of the North"), is the only state motto in French and reflects both the state's early French explorers and its position as the northernmost state bordering Canada and Lake Superior.
