Why Do So Few People Live in Northern and Western Minnesota?

Minnesota, home to more than 11,000 lakes, is also home to more than 5.7 million people. But its population is not spread equally. In fact, about 75% of all Minnesotans live within the southeastern part of the state, leaving the rest of the state pretty empty. So why do so many Minnesotans live in this region, and why does the state own this area in the north that should probably belong to Canada? Welcome to another episode of Geography by Jeff. Today we're off the great state of Minnesota to explore its interesting population distribution pattern. Because while the state is quite large, the vast majority of its population lives within just a small part of the state. Also, Minnesota owns a weird piece of land that's directly connected to Canada, but not the US. And we're going to explore both of these interesting geographic quandaries right now. But first, because today's video is all about Minnesota and the holidays are right around the corner, we have a podcast episode all about the geographic spread of Target and Walmart. The two stores are compared with each other frequently, but each had a different strategy and pathway to becoming the dominant consumer experience that we know today. You can listen to that episode right now by clicking this link or by checking out the description below. While all states have a fascinating history, Minnesota stands out for a few reasons. Not least because people managed to make this vast area home well before modern heating was invented that would later go on to sustain millions of people. And as usual, this all begins with the indigenous tribes of the region. Long before European colonization, Minnesota was home to many tribes, but primarily the Dakota and Ojibwe. The Dakota tribe would occupy the land primarily in the southwest part of the state, and the Ojibwe would live in the northeastern part. Surprisingly, despite being relative neighbors, the Dakota and Ojibwe were descended from different indigenous groups entirely. The Dakota were part of the larger Sioux peoples, while the Ojibwe were part of the Anishinaabe peoples. But as we see throughout indigenous history, both tribes would have their lives completely altered with the arrival of Europeans to the region. The first Europeans to lay eyes on what would become Minnesota were French explorers in the late 1600s. These French explorers were drawn by the fur trade and arrived to the region by navigating the Great Lakes and establishing trade relationships with the native tribes, including both the Ojibwe and Dakota. In the years that followed, the area would become fiercely contested by France and Britain, changing hands several times before being ceded to the United States in 1783 after the American Revolution. After gaining control of the region, the United States Army established Fort Snelling in 1820 at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, which became a significant hub for trade and military activity. But while France and Britain would bicker consistently over the region, and the United States would eventually own it outright, it would actually be German and Scandinavian people who would leave the biggest European cultural impact. Drawn to the area after advertisements promised free and arable land, thousands of Norwegians, Swedes, Finns, and Germans settled in Minnesota and, by 1940, nearly a quarter of all people spoke one of these European languages. Upon establishing a military presence, the U.S. government negotiated several treaties with the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes, often in unfair ways, leading to the cession of much of their ancestral lands. The most significant of these was the Treaty of Traverse de Sioux in 1851, which opened up much of southern Minnesota to American settlement. In 1849, Minnesota was designated a U.S. territory, paving the way for its statehood. The population grew rapidly during this period, bolstered by European immigration. Then, just nine years after becoming a territory, Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd state of the United States in 1858. The new state faced many challenges, including the tragic Dakota War of 1862, which resulted in the displacement and death of many Dakota people and the largest mass execution in U.S. history following trials that were later acknowledged as deeply flawed. Minnesota has an interesting but very complicated history, and to go along with all of this history is a rather unique geography, fairly different from all of its nearest neighbors. But before we get to Minnesota's unique physical geography, if you're enjoying this video, hit that subscribe button. More fun geography videos are just a single click away. Minnesota, known as the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, is a state of varied landscapes and distinct physical features. Its geography is characterized by its notable northern location in the United States and its position at the edge of several major North American geographic zones. The state's most defining feature is its abundance of water bodies, and despite its nickname, there are actually over 11,000 lakes within the state. In fact, Minnesota's name likely comes from the Dakota word for either clear blue water or cloudy water, either of which could apply to any of Minnesota's thousands of lakes. And these lakes, along with numerous rivers including the mighty Mississippi, which begins its journey in the state, play a crucial role in shaping the state's physical geography. In the northeastern part of the state is the far southern portion of the Canadian Shield, an area of rocky terrain, dense forests, and poor soil. To the southeast, the geography is marked by the Driftless Area, a region that escaped glaciation in the last ice age, resulting in unique topographical features such as deep river valleys and rugged bluffs. This area stands in contrast to the vast majority of Minnesota, which was shaped by the retreat of glaciers, leaving behind a flat to gently rolling landscape dotted with lakes and rich fertile soil, especially in the Red River Valley in the northwest, an area of exceptional agricultural productivity. The Minnesotan landscape transitions into Tallgrass Prairie in the southwest, part of the larger Great Plains region, an area once dominated by prairies but now largely converted to agriculture. In terms of climate, Minnesota is often thought of as a frigid state, and this is largely because the state's climate is solidly continental with very cold winters but warm summers. This climate supports a diverse range of ecosystems from the boreal forests in the north to the prairies in the south and west. Minnesota's position at the edge of various climatic zones contributes to its often unpredictable weather, with significant variations in temperature and precipitations, often daily. Finally, overall, Minnesota is a fairly flat state, but elevation does vary. The highest point in the state is Eagle Mountain at 2,301 feet above sea level, located in the northeast near the shores of Lake Superior, the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes. And while Minnesota doesn't have much land adjacent to a Great Lake, Lake Superior does help moderate the climate of the surrounding area and is a vital route for shipping and trade. Despite being on a Great Lake, however, a feature that often brings trade, commerce, and people like it did with Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto, few people actually live in the northern part of Minnesota, instead opting for the southeast region of the state, much more inland. If you know much about the geography and population of Minnesota, you've probably already guessed that the region we're talking about is largely comprised of the state's largest metro region, the Twin Cities. The Twin Cities, named because it's comprised of Minneapolis and St. Paul, is where the vast majority of all Minnesotans have made their home. And while most of Minnesota's economic output is located within Minneapolis, St. Paul serves as the state's capital, giving the two an intangible yin and yang relationship. For this reason, the two states have adopted the nickname the Twin Cities, a nickname few other places in the world can truly claim. The Twin Cities metro region, the largest urbanized area in Minnesota, owes its growth to a combination of geographic, economic, and historic advantages. Meanwhile, the sparser population in the northern and western parts, while having a similar climate, suffer from a lack of these same advantages. Minneapolis and St. Paul's growth can be traced back to its strategic location at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. The Mississippi River, being the largest river in North America, provided an essential transportation route and the power necessary for milling. The city's early economy was built around the milling industry, taking advantage of the power from St. Anthony Falls, the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi. This led to Minneapolis also being nicknamed Mill City. But the rivers weren't the only benefit. The region also grew in large part due to its proximity to the vast timber resources of Minnesota, which fueled its growth through logging. The arrival of the railroad in the 1860s further bolstered Minneapolis' growth by linking it to markets in the east and west. In particular, Minneapolis and St. Paul became an agricultural hub, linking the vast agricultural regions of the Dakota Territory with Chicago and then New York City. This then enabled the Twin Cities to become a commercial hub for the Upper Midwest at large, serving as a center for banking, healthcare, and retail. In contrast, the lower population density in the northern and western Minnesota is largely due to its geographic and climatic conditions. The northern part of the state, part of the Canadian Shield, is characterized by rocky terrain, dense forests, and a large number of lakes. The harsher climate, with colder temperatures and heavier snowfall, make this region less conducive to agriculture, historically the primary driver of settlement and development. Today, the Twin Cities are home to 3.7 million Minnesotans, or about 65% of Minnesota's total population. This would be followed by Duluth, Minnesota, with a much smaller 288,000 people, Rochester with 221,000, and St. Cloud with 201,000 people. Fargo, which is based in North Dakota but includes some Minnesotans, is home to about 246,000 people. This illustrates the dominance of the Twin Cities and the relative emptiness of the rest of the state, especially Minnesota's Northwest Angle. The Northwest Angle, an exclave of the United States in northern Minnesota, is a unique geographic anomaly. Its existence as part of the United States instead of Canada is the result of historic treaties and the inaccuracies of early mapmaking. The Northwest Angle's U.S. ownership begins with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which ended the American Revolutionary War. This treaty, negotiated between the United States and Great Britain, aimed to establish the boundary between U.S. territory and British North America, which later became Canada. The treaty specified that the border would run through the Lake of the Woods, but due to the inaccurate maps used during negotiations, the true geography of the area was not well understood. During this time, mapmakers and negotiators believed that the Mississippi River's source lay much further north than it actually does, and the Treaty of Paris intended to draw a border from the northwest point of the Lake of the Woods to the Mississippi River. The intention was to give the U.S. access to the river, which was a vital transportation and trade route at the time. However, when surveyors later charted the area more accurately, they discovered that the Mississippi source was actually much further south. The border issue was further addressed in the Treaty of 1818, where the U.S. and Britain agreed on the 49th parallel as the primary boundary line from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains. However, to respect the terms of the Treaty of Paris, the treaty stipulated that the border would first go south from the northwest point of the Lake of the Woods to the 49th parallel, and then follow the parallel westward. This created the Northwest Angle, a small land area north of the 49th parallel, isolated from the rest of the United States. Most people live in the southeast of Minnesota because the Twin Cities quickly became the dominant economic and cultural engine for the state and region. This is something that we see in many states and countries. But Minnesota's geographic story is unique in many ways, from its lake-filled geography to its unique ownership of the bizarre Northwest Angle. I hope you enjoyed learning more about Minnesota's geography. If you did, please subscribe to my channel. If you want to listen to the podcast, click this link. If you want to watch more of my videos, click here. Thanks for watching. See you next time.