Idaho

(In Detail) (Full size)
State nickname: Gem State
Other U.S. States
Capital	Boise
Largest City	Boise
Governor	Dirk Kempthorne
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water  - % water	Ranked 14th 216,632 km² 214,499 km² 2,133 km² 1%
Population  - Total (2000)  - Density	Ranked 39th 1,293,953 6/km²
Admittance into Union  - Order  - Date	43rd July 3, 1890
Time zone	Northern Idaho: - Pacific: UTC-8/-7 Southern Idaho: - Mountain: UTC-7/-6
Latitude Longitude	42° N to 49° N 111° W to 117° W
Width Length Elevation  -Highest  -Mean  -Lowest	491 km 771 km   3,859 meters 1,524 meters 216 meters
ISO 3166-2:	US-ID

Idaho is a state located in the northwestern United States. Its capital is Boise and the U.S. postal abbreviation is ID.

The USS Idaho was named in honor of this state.

Name

Idaho is perhaps the only state to be named as the result of a hoax. When a name was being selected for the new territory, eccentric lobbyist George M. Willing suggested "Idaho," an Indian term he claimed meant "gem of the mountains." It was later revealed Willing had made up the name himself, and the original Idaho territory was re-named Colorado because of it. Eventually the controversy was forgotten, and modern-day Idaho was given the made-up name when the territory was formally created in 1863.

History

The Lewis and Clark expedition entered present-day Idaho on August 12, 1805, at the Lemhi Pass. At that time, approximately 8,000 Native Americans lived in the region.

Idaho was subsequently part of the Oregon and Washington territories, fur trading and missionary work attracting the first settlers to the region. While thousands passed through Idaho during the California gold rush of 1849, few people settled there. The first organized town in Idaho was Franklin, settled in 1860 by Mormon pioneers. When organized as a territory in 1863, the total population was under 17,000.

On March 4, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed an act creating Idaho Territory. The political stability of the territorial period encouraged settlement. Almost immediately, a public school system was created, stage coach lines were established and a newspaper, the Idaho Statesman, began publication. In 1865, Boise replaced Lewiston as capital. The 1861 discovery of gold in Idaho and the completion of the transcontinental railway in 1869 brought many new people to the territory, including Chinese laborers who came to work the mines. When President Benjamin Harrison signed the law admitting Idaho as a U.S. state on July 3, 1890, the population was 88,548. An interesting fact is that Idaho almost never became a state - in 1887, President Grover Cleveland refused to sign a bill that would have combined southern Idaho with Nevada and northern Idaho with the Washington Territory. Sectionalism in early Idaho was abated by moving the University of Idaho from its planned location in Eagle Rock (near Idaho Falls) to Moscow in northern Idaho. Idaho still operates under its original (1889) state constitution.

As Idaho approached statehood, mining and other extractive industries became increasingly important to her economy. By the 1890s, for example, Idaho exported more lead than any other state. Although Idaho's dependence on mining has decreased, the state remains a top producer of silver and lead. Today, Idaho's industrial economy is growing, as plants are built to process the state's rich agricultural and natural resources. Since in the late 1970s Boise has emerged as a center of semiconductor manufacturing.[1 (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar04.html)]

A troubling recent development in Idaho has been the location therein of many right-wing extremist political groups, most notably those holding Neo-Nazi views, such as the Aryan Nation. These groups are most heavily concentrated in the northern part of the state, particularly in the vicinity of Coeur d'Alene. Their existence has become so proverbial in American popular culture that an unfortunate joke asks what Idaho is most famous for, and the answer is: "Potatoes and Nazis."

Law and government

The current constitution of Idaho provides for 3 branches of government, the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The legislative body consists of the Senate and the House.

The Governor of Idaho is Dirk Kempthorne (Republican) and the U.S. Senators are Larry E. Craig (Republican) and Mike Crapo (Republican).

See: List of Idaho Governors

Geography

See: List of Idaho counties

Idaho borders Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and the Canadian province of British Columbia (the Idaho-BC border which is 48 miles long). Idaho has a rugged landscape with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the country. Idaho is a Rocky Mountains state with exciting scenery and enormous natural resources. Idaho has towering, snow-capped mountain ranges, swirling white rapids, peaceful lakes and steep canyons. The churning waters of Snake River rush through Hells Canyon, which is deeper than the Grand Canyon. Shoshone Falls plunges down rugged cliffs from a height greater than that of Niagara Falls.

The major rivers in Idaho are the Snake River, the Clearwater River and the Salmon River. Other significant rivers include the Boise River and the Payette River.

Idaho's highest point is Borah Peak in the Lost River Mountains north of Mackay. Idaho's lowest point is in Lewiston, where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River and continues into Washington.

Lakes

Parks

Economy

The state's gross product for 1999 was $34 billion placing it 44th among the states. The Per Capita Income for 2000 was $24,180.

Idaho is an important agricultural state, producing nearly one third of the potatoes grown in the United States. Other important agricultral products are beans,lentils, sugar beets, cattle, dairy products, wheat, and barley.

Important industries in Idaho are food processing, lumber and wood products, machinery, chemical products, paper products, electronics manufacturing, silver and other mining, and tourism. The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is also an important part of the southeast Idaho economy.

Demographics

The 2000 population was 1,293,953.

Important cities and towns

Education

Colleges and universities

Professional sports teams

The Minor League baseball teams are:

• Boise Hawks
• Idaho Falls Chukars

Other minor league sports teams:

• Idaho Stampede
• Idaho Steelheads

Miscellaneous information

Major highways

External links

• http://www.state.id.us
• Visit Idaho site (http://www.visitid.org/)

Political divisions of the United States

States Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Federal district District of Columbia Insular areas American Samoa | Baker Island | Guam | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Northern Mariana Islands | Palmyra Atoll | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Wake Island