Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, the "City of Lakes," situated on both the banks of Mississippi river, is a magnificient city. The city's beauty is enhanced by the presence by the river and numerous lakes. The city gets its nickname "City of Lakes" from the twenty lakes and wetlands, the Mississippi river, creeks, and waterfalls surrounding it. The state capital St. Paul is the 16th largest metropolitan area in the United States.
Minneapolis has a continental climate; the winters are cold and dry and summers are hot and humid. When in the city, you can find precipitation from snow, sleet, hail, ice rain, thunderstorms, heat waves, tornadoes and fog, making it all the more interesting. The well-coordinated transport network system ensures a smooth running of vehicles throughout the city with very few traffic jams.
The city of Minneapolis is only second to New York in terms of theater and art. One can also visit some of the best maintained, best financed and best designed parks in America. The city has numerous elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, special education schools, alternative schools, and charter schools to pick from.
Minnesota consistently ranks among the top cities in United States to live in. The city has a thriving outdoor culture and an attractive climate for many people. The winters are mild and summers are sunny, when combined with a friendly atmosphere, it makes this city akin to none. The city boasts to have more than 10,000 lakes, with the lives of the citizens revolving around water!
Many residents love water sports and also other sports such as baseball. The city has also rejuvenated in the past few years aided by the construction of skyscrapers, parks and new malls such as the Mall of America. The city allures millions of travelers all-round the year.
Minneapolis History
Minneapolis is the 48th largest city in the US and largest in the US state of Minnesota and the county seat of Hennepin County. Until the French explorers arrived to this place in 1680, the Dakota Sioux solely occupied Minneapolis. The United States Army Fort Snelling had a great contribution in building the region between 1820 and 1825. People from the East came and settled in this region when the inhabitants of this place started selling their lands and migrated to other places. The modern day Minneapolis city, situated at the west bank of Mississippi, came to exist officially in 1856 by the Minnesota Territorial Legislature. Later, the region was recognized as a city in 1867, the year when the rail services commenced between Minneapolis and Chicago.
Saint Anthony, the only waterfall on the Mississippi, adds to the beauty of Minneapolis city. This fall has been used extensively for producing hydropower since the first century B.C and the usage was so aggressive between 1880 and 1930 that it has been described as, "the greatest direct-drive waterpower center the world has ever seen." The place observed tremendous overall development using the hydropower effectively. By 1871, the city had around 23 businesses incorporating woolen mills, railroad machine shops, cotton mills, paper, sashes and planning wood, iron works and flourmills. By 1905, Minneapolis became capable of supplying roughly 10% of the country's flour and grist.
In the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century, a spectacular evolution was seen in the region when in 1886 Martha Ripley founded a maternity hospital for both married and the unmarried mothers. Minneapolis observed unobstructed advancement during this phase. A very popular social activist, known for his supports for civil rights and the unions, Hubert H. Humphrey brought in a human relations council and fair employment practices in the city. The fortunes of the minorities bettered by 1946, helped by his intervention.
The urbanization peaked during 1950's when buildings started rising up in every nook and corner of the city. Soon Minneapolis became a leading producer and supplier of flour. The city's business centers and the communication systems grew steadfastly. The city has come up vibrantly with all amenities of modern life. One can expect to find all possible aspects of a booming metropolis while stepping into Minneapolis. From shopping malls to multiplexes, from towering business centers to reputable universities, now Minneapolis has become a prime attraction for all.
The city today sparkles with sky-reaching skyscrapers with skillfully engineered skyways. Besides being a center for business attraction, Minneapolis has also become a major attraction for tourists from different corners of the world. The city today is known for its deep-rooted cultural heritage blended with modern values. Minneapolis gives a tough competition to many cities of the US in the fields of industries, commerce, recreation, sports and transportation.
About Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota is an amazing place to live and visit. The city has an intriguing history and maintains a very rich culture. The city of Minneapolis is a perfect example of intermingling modernity and culture. With its eye-feasting natural beauty and recreational opportunities, the community has become one of the most appealing tourist attractions of the US.
Tourism and culture are not the sole assets the city of Minneapolis can be proud of. Minneapolis has advanced consistently over time and established itself as one of the most prominent cities of the US. Now, Minneapolis is also known for its fast developing industries that serve the development purpose of the city. Wheat, dairy products, and corn are major products of this region. Minneapolis has a number of flour mills and used to be a major supplier of flour to the world. Apart from being enriched in agriculture, the place is adequately advanced in industries as well.
Presently, the city is well known for its competently engineered skyways that spread through the city outstandingly. The city is also reputable in the entire US for its clearly stretched streets and roads. The city has also proved its talent in the transportation business. As Minnesota's largest city, Minneapolis generates a lion's share of revenue for the state.
Most of the cities in United States have their mayors and council managers as influential figures in the administration. Unlike this system, the city of Minneapolis has a comparatively liberal system of administration where the council manager and the mayor both enjoy the powers collectively. All the subordinates report to both of these administrative heads. Citizens of Minneapolis are closely attached to their culture and on the other hand, they have embraced modern trends equally. People of Minneapolis are in fact extremely amicable and friendly.
The history and the geography both tie to its relation to the water. The city has a number of water bodies. The city observes terrific snowfall during the winters freezing most of the water bodies. The water of Mississippi river is profusely utilized for producing hydropower and for other purposes as well. In general, the city has a continental type of weather consisting of hot and humid summers and cold and dry winters.
The city of Minneapolis has a variety of places of interest that appeal to tourists thronging to the community every year. The sports and cultural activities are quite popular in this area. Minneapolis presents a wonderful combination of natural beauty and popular culture that pull in tourists to this place.
About Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is located in the state of Minnesota, named after the 20th century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. Minneapolis is the county seat and also the most populous county in Minnesota. The county was created in 1852. It is on the banks of the Mississippi river. There are twenty lakes and also a number of wetlands, creeks, and waterfalls. Minneapolis is also called the "twin city" or the "City of Lakes". The county has a continental type of weather with hot and humid summers and cold and dry winters.
The county is governed by an elected and nonpartisan board of commissioners comprising of seven members. The county appoints the county recorder, medical examiner, and the auditor-treasurer. The county has fourteen Minnesota state highways, five interstates and four U.S Highways which make the entire county well accessible from all other parts of the state. The government headquarters of the county are in downtown Minneapolis.
Hennepin County is the wealthiest county in Minnesota and also one of the highest income counties in the United States of America. Seven prestigious universities are in Minneapolis itself. Besides a number of schools, the city also is home to more than twenty private schools and is a great centre for arts and theater just after New York. Five major newspapers are published in Minneapolis. The radio stations and the television networks see to it that the public are always up to date with the current happenings all around the world. Many award winning TV series have originated in Minneapolis.
The economy of the County is based on commerce, finance, rail, and healthcare industries. Milling, publishing, food processing, graphic arts insurance, education establishments are some of the smaller business components. The main products are electronics, computers, automotive products, graphic arts, precision medical instruments, chemical and agricultural, plastics and miscellaneous machines.