Why "Nobody" Lives In Northern And Western Minnesota

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Minnesota, home to more than 11,000 lakes, has a pretty sizeable population. But the vast majority of this population exists in the southern and eastern part of the state, leaving the west and north with very few people overall. This would be despite the fact that Minnesota is directly connected to a Great Lake which has often served as a primary driver for population. So why have so many Minnesotans made their home in the Twin Cities and why does the state own a little bump of Canada, more commonly known as the Northwest Angle?
Fort Snelling photo by en:User:The Statue With The Dictionary - en.wikipedia.org - image description page, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Minnesota Lakes map by David H Montgomery - Pioneer Press
Stock footage is acquired from www.storyblocks.com.
Animation support provided by DH Designs (needahittman.com)

[@GeographyByGeoff]

Sorry ya'll! I told you there would be hiccups. Apparently the chat doesn't last that long. 😣 We'll try again next week!

[@emptyhad2571]

Can you cover my home province of Manitoba because it’s just north from there.

[@D2theJ26]

You should do one of these videos for Wisconsin. Similarly but to a lesser extent majority of Wisconsins population is in the south east of the state

[@jimmymcinerney1950]

Can you do a population density video like this of my home state of Pennsylvania?

[@runningfromabear8354]

The Canadian Shield doesn't have poor soil. It has a ton of rocks. The joke is people farm rocks in the area because every spring more rocks surface. It's expensive either in time or money to deal with the rocks but some people do farm in the region. Soil quality isn't the problem.

[@tonyawan1964]

@@jimmymcinerney1950a lot of people in Philly a lot of people in Pittsburgh and a small amount of people scattered in between

[@oldguy445]

As a person who lived in Northern Minnesota, you omitted the mining industry. It provided iron ore for the nation's steel industry from the 1890s to the late1970s. Ore was shipped to Duluth, Minnesota, put on ore ships and transported east. Mining operations are still ongoing but on a much smaller scale.

[@mplsmark222]

The iron ore mined on the Iron Range of Minnesota was pivotal in the industrial revolution and two world wars. One could argue our iron mining has made the biggest impact on the country and world history of anything that has come from the state.

[@michaelp4218]

Did the mining companies leave the lands scarred after they were gone, with big gaping holes or acres of land covered with refuse? I live in the Anthracite coal region in eastern Pennsylvania and it's been a mess here over the years. The coal barons back in the day just took off and left the lands scarred: holes of various sizes with some filled with lifeless mine waters; many square miles of land covered with coal refuse and culm banks; and polluted mostly lifeless creeks from the acid mine drainage from the mines. I hope it was different in northern Minnesota than it was in Pennsylvania.

[@mplsmark222]

@@michaelp4218 the open pit mining of taconite iron has definitely changed the land scape. There are a number of man made lakes and valleys that did not exist naturally. This whole area was mostly flattened by the glaciers of the last ice age, so in some ways the iron mining has added topography. The ancient forests are long gone, but forestry companies plant a lot of trees in the area. So, I would say the biggest environmental impact is the pollution in the release of “tailings” that used to be dumped into the lakes and rivers. This is waste product that contains lead, mercury and other heavy metals. This practice was stopped back in the 1970’s so the industry has become less polluting. A number of retired pit areas are now parkland, so my impression is the iron mining industry is better than coal and other forms of resource extraction at leaving the areas in pretty good shape.

[@user-otzlixr]

Don’t forget toothpicks and hockey sticks!

[@mplsmark222]

@@user-otzlixr we had a governor that promoted a chopstick factory be built in northern Minnesota, intending to export them to Asia. . They built it and went into production, but it didn’t last.

[@Ben_M_D]

I am befuddled that the greatest thing about Minnesota's geography was not even mentioned: it has three continental divides, resulting in three different directions of river flow.

[@PixelPolaris]

I got pretty confused by water flow when I was younger because in MN water goes wherever the hell it wants

[@ryansteffl]

which 3 rivers flow in diffferent directions? i live in rocheser

[@PixelPolaris]

@@ryansteffl Its not just 3 rivers, Minnesota has 3 divides going through it so that depending on where in the state you are the rivers flow in different directions

[@AaronOfMpls]

Yup, we have the Great Lakes/St Lawrence, Mississippi, and Hudson Bay watersheds. The northeast drains into Lake Superior (and thus out the St Lawrence River). Most of the state -- including the center and the entire southern half -- drains into the Mississippi (and thus to the Gulf of Mexico). And the northwest drains toward Lake Winnipeg in Canada (and from there to Hudson Bay in the Arctic).

[@kevinathans4191]

​@@PixelPolaris Right! As a kid, my dad often took us fishing at Lake of the Woods. The resort we stayed at was on the Rainy River. I assumed the river started at the lake and flowed south, but that wasn't adding up. I later learned it flows north into the lake. That's actually how I learned about a continental divide. The Red River flows north as well. Crazy state!

[@hibbo1351]

Minnesotan here. It's May 10th, sunny and 71 degrees. Beautiful. Spring and Fall are epic.

[@chelseyt7091]

Burnsville here & I love our weather, including winter lol.

[@roald48]

Not mentioned was Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range "that boosted the national economy, contributed to the Allied victory in World War II, and cultivated a multiethnic regional culture in northeast Minnesota."

[@jkephart4624]

Yep including the great Aaron Tibets. Crosby Mn.

[@dagsamp22]

The "pretty empty" area has a ton of cabins, national forests and state parks. Although not many people live there year round it is heavily utilized by residents.

[@TheMainLead]

Yeah it’s full, they wouldn’t like it

[@JaxonSmithers]

Family has a cabin on Rainy Lake. Love that area, especially the fact that there aren’t many people up there. The solitude is nice.

[@The1ByTheSea]

they do not live there year round cause the winters are too cold and too extreme.I can see people visiting in the summer

[@cjk13272]

so true!

[@zoomnfinancial]

Northern part is best part of the state. Whether summer or winter. Not way up on the border but 3 hours N of the cities gets you away from the hustle and bustle. Even with no running water in the middle of winter, a weekend away refreshes oneself!!

[@MinnesotaSvensk]

I'm a Minnesota Swede who lives in the northern part of the state. I feel truly blessed to have been raised here, and have come to the conclusion it is one of the most unique cultural places in the United States. The vast amount of natural resources and beauty, a shared cultural history between the ethnic groups you mentioned, and the general tight-knit feel of the small rural communities gives one a sense of meaning that so many Americans have likely lost. Our education system is also phenomenal, even in rural Minnesota. We simply produce healthier people in both a mental and physical sense. You'd think that after 4-6 generations of our ancestors coming from the old countries that we'd be infinitely different, but traditions have really hung on here. Foods such as Lefse, Swedish Meatballs, Lutefisk, and pickled herring are still eaten with regularity. Lots of Oktoberfest celebrations. Legions of nordic skiers, ice anglers and general outdoorspeople who live off and with the land. And of course our Ojibwe neighbors who produce the best wild rice and maple syrup. We are everyday people who may not have much money, but have character and integrity. I've been able to venture throughout the U.S and have even lived in Europe, but there is just something special about Minnesota.

[@empebee]

I figured a lot of the Swedes (and Finns) would live in the northern part. :) It must have felt just like home when they arrived from the old world. One of the most famous books (actually a series of four) in Sweden is about a family moving from then poverty ridden Sweden to Minnesota. You make the state sound amazing. If I ever visit the US, it’ll be on my list.

[@MinnesotaSvensk]

@@empebee I assume you’re referring to Vilhelm Moberg. I actually grew up in the area he writes about, he visited here in 1948. The “Ki-Chi-Saga” lake that he refers to is located about 15 miles from my childhood home, and is the basis for our county name of “Chisago.”

[@empebee]

@@MinnesotaSvensk You assume correctly. :) I figured you might know about it, but hopefully other people learned something. That's interesting, I didn't know that. I love histories about place names, even if it sometimes feel like half of America is filled with misheard or misunderstood native American names. :)

[@easygoing2479]

Lutefisk, lutefisk, Lefse, lefse, vare from Minni-SOE-tah, yah, you bet-ch'a

[@jordanlarson8310]

The Catholic Church where my mother grew up and I still live near is almost completely Polish descent and regularly held mass in full Polish when I was little

[@chelseataylor2719]

I lived in northern Minnesota for a year and man is it beautiful! I’d never seen so many lakes in my life!

[@TheRPNs]

In northwestern MN, in January, it rarely gets up to 0 degrees F. Some yeses, we get excited when it’s only 10 below. In the summer, there are literally swarms of mosquitoes, and they are HUGE.

[@Chain987]

Sound like perfect.

[@mason4887]

Yep, can confirm. I am from Massachusetts and am visiting the state for the first time. Never seen mosquitos like this before.

[@user-ut4zw6so6o]

My aunt and cousin lived in northern Minnesota their whole lives. She lived on a lake in a birch tree forest, loons calling, wolves howling, bear hanging out on the porch. Fresh caught fish for breakfast, helpful Mennonite neighbors. And yes, very cold winters.

[@ZarsiArt]

Sounds beautiful. I hope you get to visit again soon. Cheers form Minnesota

[@user-ut4zw6so6o]

@@ZarsiArt thanks.., someday will have to visit again

[@mcchristenson]

It's a great place to live.

[@OswaldBeef]

About 20 degrees celcius warmer than average this year! We are loving it up in manitoba

[@Baba_Bushida_Bando]

mennonites cool.. old apostolic lutherans on the other hand..

[@sarahkelly4026]

Ojibwe is pronounced oh-JIB-way. The French couldn’t say it which is why we’re also called Chippewa. These are names given by others. We call ourselves Anishinaabe.

[@brandonenglund7516]

Came here for this, thank you 😂

[@williammitchell4417]

Migwitch!!

[@amettill]

mind giving the phonetic spelling of that word? I get A-knee-shin-ah-AH-Bay?

[@williammitchell4417]

@@amettill the language is tricky I agree. I've lived next door to the nation for 10 years. I thought learning French was easier.

[@sarahkelly4026]

@@amettill close! It’s ahn-ih-shin-AH-bay

[@o0Silverwolf0o]

I have lived in Duluth most of my life, I have also lived in the twin cities, and the quad cities to the north. But Duluths unique landscape, and blend of city concrete, greenery, and blue waters give it an unmatched beauty. From the ski hills of spirit mountain to the sandy beaches of park point on lake superior its a very beautiful place. I am glad its not overpopulated.

[@nacl2858]

i’m looking at going to college in duluth. is it actually as hilly as it looks?

[@o0Silverwolf0o]

@@nacl2858 it is on a hillside yes and there are some steep roads.

[@chouseification]

@@nacl2858 to add to silverwolf's comment, they have the Streets that go along the hill and may have a slope to them, but are more or less flat. Then you have the Avenues, which cut up the hills, and some of them are pretty "fun" in the winter for sure. A few random Streets have steep sections also, but that's on small sections. One learns the "lowest steepness" way up from I-35 to (UMD or Scholastica, really close to each other) campus (to avoid 21st Ave East right after a heavy snowfall) quickly. Do that before it snows, just so you know the rough path. :P Other sections of town like Lakeside and West Duluth are flatter. Areas just above and below Skyline Parkway can have extremely steep roads. It varies a lot. :P

[@masonboard]

As a lifelong northern WI resident, Duluth is a blight on an otherwise beautiful area. An ugly city with terrible planning and terrible roads

[@MFNDman]

Born and raised in Duluth/Twin ports. Moved to Superior, WI, in 1999 when I was younger. 5 mins apart between 2 states

[@AlanOlson-gi6jh]

I live in Northern Minnesota. Wherever you live there are pros and cons. As Bert Lancaster said playing " Moonlight Graham" in the movie Feild of Dreams, "I'll live here, I'll die here, with no regrets". The people in Northern Minnesota make it. We still care about each other. We don't riot or burn our neighbor's business down for any reason, we look out for each other. My elderly Mom had a Life Alert pendant she wore when she lived by herself. She fell down one day in the bathroom and didn't use the pendant. I said "Mom why didn't you use the alert, that's why we gave it to you" Her reply: "I knew Kenny (the mailman) would be by soon and he always checks on me". "He helped me get up". See if that happens in a big city. As I have told many people who have asked how I can stand to live here, I simply say "If I have to try and explain it to you, you wouldn't understand". Let's keep it a secret!

[@clintcarlson7097]

I live in Minneapolis. I mow and blow snow for my neighbor because he's getting to old to safely do it. I do it because it's the right thing to do. My whole neighborhood helps each other out all the time. Both rural and city folk need to stop making judgements about the other.

[@EddieOwsley-yk3sn]

Understand as a native of Tennessee it ain't what it used to be. If I was younger I would come to northern Minnesota simple because it's less populated and I love the outdoors I don't think I'm capable of dealing with the climate now. You know if I was already thier already an set up different story to dam old to start a new homestead an really to dam old to deal with Tennessee shit . Guys the only thing good about Tennessee is its climate an that changing we use to have four seasons now we have three. Summer fall winter occasionally spring tell you truth I can't really pin point our climate it varies from year to year . I've thought about Minnesota simply because it's beauty an vastness love the woods can't stand or government telling you what you can do man you can get way from them here I was setting on the river bank fishing for a week solid except to go home at night twra here wildlife management check my license 7 days in a roll. And I have a permanent senior citizens license they want leave a guy to hell alone an I wasn't in populated area I try to get as far away from the sobs as I can because I just want enjoy a day fishing without interruptions the other thing I'm deaf an they scared the hell out of me coming up from behind me I don't know they or thier till I see them out the corner of my eye frightened the shit out of me dam near jump in the river. Walking up on a deaf man unnerving the hell out of me.

[@cherin5892]

@AlanOlson-gi6jh Those people rooting and rioting was proven they came from other states to create chaos in MN> They started fires. Yes some locals did take part. Many whites painted in black faces. That's the problem living in small towns they can't see the tree through the forest

[@drew1964able]

One interesting geographical fact that you missed is that three major watersheds (Mississippi River, Red River and St Louis River) create a continental divide as they all drain into different oceanic bodies of water. Mississippi to Gulf of Mexico, Red River to Hudson’s Bay and St Louis River to Lake Superior and outward to St Lawrence Seaway. In fact in the town of Brown’s Valley the source of Minnesota River and a source of the Red River are less than three miles apart and when the area floods in spring the flow can change from outgoing water to Hudson’s Bay or Gulf of Mexico. Also, the lowest elevation is at Lake Superior meaning the highest elevation and the lowest elevation are within miles of each other in the same county…and if lakes here were measured in size as they are in Wisconsin we would have over 20,000 lakes.

[@0004612]

The Laurentian Divide is a beautiful area for snowmobiling and hiking.

[@milwaukeetweed4843]

Its interesting but these rivers are not navigable at these areas.

[@stevepalmberg5905]

More bridges cross Mississippi in MN than rest of it's length

[@jlinkpro]

Hey! Shout out to Brown's Valley! Not much there, it is a 500 little thorpe, but it is my family's hometown. Great fishing in the area, and a beautiful church service.

[@onehotprocessor]

I would also mention a neat fact that my Minnesota geography/history teacher taught me - a storm cloud in Hibbing will send water three directions - to the Hudson Bay, to the Atlantic Ocean, and to the Gulf of Mexico. There is a three-way continental divide in that location. Other fun facts - it’s the birthplace of Bob Dylan, it is one of the largest historic sources of taconite, and in nearby Eveleth is the USA Hockey Hall of Fame.

[@Sir_Seach]

As a Minnesotan, thanks for highlighting our unique state!

[@OriginalMrE]

lived here my whole life. and learned a couple things. COOL!

[@OriginalMrE]

​@@Horizon429 like, gave them casino's and made them filthy rich?

[@OriginalMrE]

@@Horizon429 that happened everywhere in the US. Not just here. and I really don't think that they got the short end of the stick either. I mean no disrespect to them, but it's not like EVERY native got "forced" into reservations, There's 2 native families that live on my road and I don't live anywhere near a res

[@david29k11]

You betcha

[@Keys879]

Please, dont talk about this region. People might move there. They need to only know that it is a frozen inhospitable wasteland in the winter. We dont talk about the Summers. The mosquitos and ticks will carry your children off. Please, stay away for your own safety.

[@Eliyahphiyah]

🤣 You betcha

[@kevinhamilton7222]

Trust me. You have nothing to worry about. Haha

[@Oncelost21]

This comment is 2 years late.😂

[@Prayz4u]

Yes! Please don’t say anything good about northern Minnesota. Yuck a dooo to want to live in MN!

[@TobiUchiha91]

And we never run out of jobs here in Minnesota 😂

[@morrigankasa570]

I'm a born & raised Minnesotan, I've lived here my entire life and grew up in a more Rural/Smallish Town area. When I was 18 yrs old I made the foolish error of moving to St. Paul. If I had the Money I would move further North into the region you mentioned in the Video Title or ideally if I had many millions of dollars into an "uninhabited" area of Alaska. I dislike the City Life and don't like being so crowded/surrounded by so many people & love Ice and Snow so much! Additionally, it was a great thing Minnesota getting that little area in the North claiming the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Finally, an interesting fact about Minnesota that few know about is that during the "War Between the States" Minnesota was one of the first to volunteer/join the Union Side of the War and provided a lot of aid for them, possibly more then you would expect considering the lower population and newness of being a state.

[@hollyheikkinen4698]

As someone who has spent my entire 51+ years on the Iron Range, I am a bit disappointed that mining wasn't really addressed in the video. Plus, St Louis County is the biggest county East of the Mississippi River - and it's bigger than 3 US States! Yes, Duluth is the biggest city up this way, but there are lots of people who live here too - just not as many as the Twin Cities Metro Area (unless you take a census during the weekends in summer). There has been a lot of logging up here as well. There's much more to the non Metro areas than just lakes, rock & trees. The -60°F low air temperature record could've at least gotten a shout-out. 😉 Northern Minnesota does traditionally have crazy cold winter temperatures - but rarely shuts down because of the weather. Lake Superior has a big impact on the region as well. Both sets of my Finnish great grandparents came to Northeastern Minnesota in the early 1900s (as did several of their siblings/cousins). Their extended family immigrated here to Northeastern Minnesota, to the UP of Michigan & up to Thunder Bay Ontario. My grandparents are first generation Americans. My dad & 2 of his 4 sisters spoke Finnish as their first language & had to learn English to start kindergarten. Grandma's dad owned a logging camp near Ely but they lived in Sparta which is an old mining location that is older than Gilbert. Many family members & neighbors worked in the Sparta mine at the time. I grew up in my grandma's parents house (it was once a school) & my parents owned my grandpa's parents farm up near Cook as a tree farm. My mom's German dad's family immigrated to the Winona area in the late 1800s. I know much less about the southeast region of Minnesota since I have only been down there a few times when I was young - my grandpa drove his metal wheeled tractor to central Wisconsin as a young man & got married - that's where my mom grew up.

[@dragonf1092]

I miss west 2 rivers it's beautiful there used to fish there for northern every summer when I lived up there.

[@dragonf1092]

But I don't miss the blizzards and the snow 🤣😂

[@herbb8547]

When it gets to 30 below in the Twin Cities, people freak out. When it's 30 below in Ely, they say it's a little chilly.😂

[@janus1958]

I was born in the Range, and lived there until I was almost 11. I had already left by the time you were born, though I still have cousins in the area. Dad worked in the mines. All of my grandparents came from Finland (between 1883-1906). Both Mom and Dad spoke Finnish and often conversed in it( Didn't teach it to us kids however).

[@stalin1666]

I used to play hockey on the outdoor rink in Sparta. Good times.

[@pwk22]

During the pandemic, the Northwest Angle was isolated from the rest of Minnesota. Land travel from south Minnesota to the Angle had to pass through Canada, which had strict and onerous border enforcement. In the winter, enterprising Minnesotans created ice highways through Lake Of The Woods and charged fees to use them. These highways allowed the Angle to stay viable during those hard times.

[@DrewTheGeniusMusic]

This sounds like a story from a history book yet just happened it’s kind of blowing my mind actually!

[@joeharris3878]

The ice road used to be done every year, but it's expensive to construct and maintain. Angle Inlet school only goes through 5th grade. Most of the middle and high school kids live in Warroad during the school weeks, with relatives, etc That's the high school for the nw angle.

[@sho942000]

*Plandemic

[@pwk22]

@@joeharris3878 Interesting. I'd never heard that.

[@Curlyblonde]

Americans used that ice road during the winter to sneak across the border to get to their cabins and properties during the border lockdown. During the summer, they also snuck across by boat, sometimes early in the morning or late at night. A special team of Canadian customs and immigration officers were brought in to patrol the area and evict the the "Border Runners". Some of the ones they caught were fined heavily with breaking the Quarantine Act and illegal entry. Some just got off with a warning if they were lucky. There were hundreds of them that were caught and escorted back over the border. One of the offenders was a US Customs Officer with a long career and who was just a couple of years away from retirement, who ended up being fired. I live in the area and was witness to what went on during the Border Closure during the COVID Pandemic.

[@sminthian]

Now, Duluth is the commercial hub of the Midwest. They later built the Soo Locks in Michigan which connected Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean, so international ships could get in there. So if there is any cargo going in or out of the Midwest that needs to go by ship, Duluth is the most inland port to use.

[@jillrichter2605]

Duluth has a population of 85,916 and Rochester has 121,465. (you might have looked up a different Duluth and Rochester), making Rochester #3 in population. Rochester is also the home to the Mayo Clinic, which is an international draw for people searching for the best medical care. Also, in southeast Minnesota on the Mississippi River, the town of Lake City is known for being the birthplace of waterskiing. This happened on Lake Pepin, which is the only natural lake on the Mississippi River.

[@user-pd7ki5qs5i]

I believe he used the census area metro area population in his map (Duluth might be St Louis and Douglas County population combined).

[@Artorius009]

Yeah, it would seem that he was referring to the surrounding areas in aggregate.

[@nancyleefransen6102]

Is it fair to use a wisconsin county for a minnesota video? Lol Including Douglas County would still not come up with these numbers. Same with St Cloud and Rochester. It would be nice to know how these numbers were decided on. And thanks for saying so. I could not believe that no one seemed to notice lol

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

Lake Irving and lake Bemidji are natural lakes and are the first on the Mississippi !

[@markjr9983]

He is off on all his populations.

[@lisakasson-bauer6777]

I've lived in the Red River Valley for over 25 years. The winters are long and dark, but I love everything else. I enjoy the geography as well as the unique little & towns/communities in the western part of the state. I also appreciate learning about the indigenous people and later immigrants. Both groups have descendents that work to keep the stories, languages and heritages alive.

[@MarkArness]

Duluth nugget: During the 20th century, the Port of Duluth was for a time the busiest port in the United States, surpassing even New York City in gross tonnage. As of 1905, Duluth was said to be home to the most millionaires per capita in the United States.

[@littleneedlesfarm6387]

And it shows in all the historical gorgeous homes across the east end and lakeside!

[@shruggzdastr8-facedclown]

About Fargo's relationship with Minnesota, for those either not from Minnesota and North Dakota or not otherwise already familiar due to being geography nerds, Fargo has a sister city across the Red River called Moorhead. In fact, much like the much larger Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul further south in eastern Minnesota, the more modestly-sized neighboring cities to the northwest of the official "Twin Cities" are often hyphenetically-linked as "Fargo-Moorhead" as a regional-identifier, despite being split between two neighboring states

[@AaronOfMpls]

*Moorhead, but yes. (Is this a "duck you autocorrect" moment? 🙃)

[@shruggzdastr8-facedclown]

@AaronOfMpls : No, that was my own non-proofread misspelling -- thanks, sincerely, for the correction

[@darksaga80]

Fargo-Moorhead is also routinely referred to as the "FM Area" via shorthand by the media and residents on both sides of the river.

[@Daveyjdigital]

Twin cities is Minneapolis and st Paul all that other just you just talkin

[@Daveyjdigital]

Only people will say this are people not from the city . Get real

[@grandmasparkles58]

You didn’t mention Moorhead (which is near Fargo) or East Grand Forks (which is near Grand Forks). Both are larger cities in Minnesota. Bemidji is the home of the most photographed statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. The Red Lake Reservation is one of a few that are solely owned by the tribe that lives there. Red Lake walleye is famous. The Red River Valley is a major agricultural area. Minnesota is also one of the largest producer of turkeys in the nation. The Chippewa and Superior National Forests are both huge and amazing places to visit. The Chippewa National Forest is home to Camp Rabideau, the most intact Civilian Conservation Corps camp left in our country. There are free tours available in the summer. The waterfalls along the north shore are well worth checking out. The lighthouse in your video is the Split Rock Lighthouse. It is lit once a year in remembrance of the crew of the Edmond Fitzgerald which sank in Lake Superior in 1975. The iron ore from the Iron Range fed the steal mills on both the east and west coasts when I was a child. My family roots go deep in the section of Minnesota where “nobody” lives.

[@jobaecker9752]

As a Minnesotan, I'll give a lot of credit for doing a good job on this. What some sports fans might not realize is that the Los Angeles Lakers were originally from Minneapolis, and were named after ...our lakes, of course. ;)

[@MarinCipollina]

Well that makes sense. Los Angeles isn't exactly known for all the lakes here.. lol

[@steveh1792]

I grew up in the Los Angeles area in the '50s and '60s and now live in central MN. The Laker's name finally makes sense...

[@playerthirteen9695]

And Jazz music doesn't hail from Utah...They really should change team names after moving with geographic specific names.

[@playerthirteen9695]

@@wilson8378 At least the Texas flag has a star.

[@5crazykids74]

I vividly remember being at the final North Stars games and chanting "Norm Sucks!" after he sold our hockey team. I'm happy the Wild are a thing... but my sentiment still remains the same about Norm. That was just wrong.

[@koro-koro2816]

I moved from the Rochester area to a small town in Northern MN around five months ago, and it's like a ghost town 💀

[@dongfloppin22]

Rochester mn is a horrible place to live, if you don't work at mayo there's no reason to be there

[@michaelgrove2840]

Have lived in Minnesota 25 years, still i learned interesting things in this video that I never heard before.

[@bill0405]

I drove to a fishing trip at Lake of the Woods in Canada from Wisconsin, and Minnesota was literally 1 massive dense forest from our point of view. Only 3 or 4 tiny little towns the entire way from the tip of Lake Superior all the way to the border of Canada. Lots of great scenic views!

[@Cheddar_Curtain]

I know some folks from Wyoming who feel fairly claustrophobic in Minnesota, due to the widespread dense tree cover.

[@ThraxMan84]

Those border oddities with Canada are truly fascinating.

[@emptyhad2571]

I live in Manitoba just a border away

[@nlpnt]

Most geography geeks have heard of Point Roberts and the Northwest Angle. The Alburgh Tongue is much less famous though, largely because it's connected with bridges on the US side (forming part of the overland route between Burlington, VT and Plattsburgh, NY) and doesn't have the logistical problems of the other two.

[@Hoovie9596]

Winnipegger here

[@user-zp7jp1vk2i]

there was NO BORDER when my Rousseau county grandparents literally walked in to Canada to homestead in 1905.

[@paulslaughter2366]

@@nlpnt I drove to Point Roberts a few years ago. To me it's the most fascinating part of the State of Washington - isolated from the rest of the state, but just a short drive from Vancouver, so doesn't have the feel of total isolation like the Northwest Angle. Oh, and the gas stations on Point Roberts sell gas by the liter instead of by the gallon. High school students have to be bussed through Canada to Blaine, Washington.

[@mackroof5282]

You forgot about the Mineral rich Iron Range. in the northern part.

[@brenikitawilliams4991]

Our last winter was so mild, at least where I was in the state. Lately it's just been raining non-stop. Truly unpredictable lol

[@aisle9]

Thank you for getting the explanation for the Northwest Angle right! So many sources leave out how the US thought the source of the Mississippi was up there, and didn't want the British having control of it. It's typically chalked up to a mapmaking error, and as a former resident of Duluth and hydrological nerd, it's always nice to see someone get it right.

[@AaronOfMpls]

CGP Grey went into a bit more detail in this. Not only was that part of North America still _very_ poorly mapped in 1783, but the map the diplomats were using (the 1775 John Mitchell map) had an _inset_ that covered everything west of Lake of the Woods and north of (highly misshapen and somewhat mis-located) Mille Lacs Lake. So they _really_ had no idea the Mississippi didn't go far enough north to even _be_ "due west" of Lake of the Woods. - "Canada & The United States's Bizzare Border" by GCP Grey, starting at 2m 16s -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/p37Oip9_dpygndk - the Mitchell Map on Wikipedia -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_Map (article) -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mitchell_Map-06full2.jpg (file; 97 MB if you view the full-res version)

[@farmecologist3395]

Cool that he actually mentioned the "Driftless area" in the far Southeast corner of Minnesota. This area really is a hidden gem. No lakes to speak of, but many great trout streams, bluffs, and valleys.

[@ericwiese7479]

I moved to the driftless three years ago….love it

[@richborn6700]

Used to deer hunt the driftless when my old man was working in Lanesboro.

[@wassomebody2386]

As a Minnesotan, there still exists plenty of land to explore, and settle on. With global warming, I have definitely noticed that the Winters are overall, more mild than 30-50 years ago. This trend will continue. Our soils are good for agriculture, crop specific in sandy areas. Seasons have extended. It’s going to be 48 degrees here tomorrow, a half hour west of Minneapolis, here in the suburbs. The “Driftless Area” is known for monster bucks, and is desirable property.

[@wassomebody2386]

Stay outta The Cities; crime. There’s plenty to do and see in the suburbs and outward.

[@nolanaker3415]

Nope. Stay outta the driftless. Nothing cool to see down there. Avoid at all costs

[@MetalPete_the_metalfan]

My dad grew up in Ely, MN which is way up north near Boundary Waters and my grandpa lived up there until his passing.

[@bigbub5219]

Had a good friend in Ely. Bob Carrey

[@Sauvenil]

I live in northern MN, 90 miles north of Duluth. We're about 4 hours' drive north of Minneapolis, and there is enough of a difference in the weather between here and there to be noticeable. And the coldest temperature recorded in the US (that wasn't way up in the mountains) was near here... -60 without wind chill. The Twin Cities are usually 5 degrees better if not more. Duluth is interesting - the giant lake has a LOT of lake effect that serves to make the weather less extreme. In the winter the lake is warmer than the air, so it heats up the air, and in the summer the lake is colder than the air, so it cools the air.

[@keithpearson7059]

It's usually on average 10 degrees ( f. ) lower in Duluth that St.Paul

[@shruggzdastr8-facedclown]

Do you live in International Falls, perhaps?

[@Sauvenil]

@@shruggzdastr8-facedclown Nope, they're northwest of us by probably 90 miles, haha.

[@benmoline6245]

You forgot about Virginia, MN iron mine, which supplied most the the iron for steel production for use during the first and second world wars.

[@briananddebbemccartney2494]

And had the start of the Greyhound Bus Line

[@bbiancini]

@@briananddebbemccartney2494Hibbing started Greyhound, not Virginia.

[@balancinglion_680]

Hibbing was the start of both the Iron Mining as well as the Grayhound Bus Company. Frank Hibbing was the explorer who discovered the rich iron ore deposits that lied within the ground of northern Minnesota. (I live in Hibbing, so it’s fun to explain to others who might be unaware! 😊)

[@PaulFriederichs-zw2wm]

MN had a serious role in the fur trade and bringing wild rice to tables around the globe. Wild rice grows in basically every lake around me in easily harvestable quantities. Temperture variation? At my house, winter lows are below negative 50 without taking windchill into account. Summers get into the 90s. Biggest town with 100 miles in any direction has 11,000 people.

[@MacNerfer]

I grew up in northern MN, and the closest traffic light (still today) is 40 miles away. I once determined that there were 3 paved roads between me and the north pole. (They have since paved more roads that were previously gravel, it's hard to give a number now).

[@PaulFriederichs-zw2wm]

@MacNerfer we have one stop sign, but closest traffic light is only 30 miles away. Not sure which direction to go to find the closest billboard.

[@sapiophile545]

How do people survive the temps? I mean what if you can't get heat and how do you dress to travel in those temps? Sorry if those seem like dumb questions. I just imagine loss of lives in those conditions.

[@MacNerfer]

@@sapiophile545 There's a few common-sense things you learn if you grow up there. Stay dry, stay out of the wind, dress sensibly. Really it's about 40% clothing, 10% behavior, and 50% attitude. If you're convinced it's freezing and dangerous, yeah, you'll make yourself cold. If you know you can survive it, you won't even really think about the temperature. Growing up on a farm we had to feed the animals every day whether it was warm or it was -40'F. It's just something you do. The safety-minded people do keep a good blanket in the car, just in case you get stuck in a snowdrift or a blizzard and you might be there for hours. On rare occasions we lost electricity at home for a day or so, but our houses are pretty well insulated, I don't remember the house temperature ever getting below 50 (we heated with wood we cut ourselves, but needed electricity for the blower to move the air). In that case you put on a sweater and walk some laps inside the house every so often to keep warm. Worst case, you go someplace for help. A couple times when I was young and foolish, in the days before cell-phones, I got stuck in a road ditch. I walked to the nearest farmer and explained the situation, at a minimum they would let you in to get warm and make a phone call. If you were lucky (and they figured you to be a local), they would fire up the tractor and go pull you out of the ditch. But they would never just turn you away if the weather was bad.

[@PaulFriederichs-zw2wm]

@sapiophile545 Definitely you could lose your life, but it's also pretty simple if you think about it. You have to balance insulation with output from heat source(s) to maintain your core temperature. Let's say you go out ice fishing and get trapped in the woods. Your insulation is clothes you brought...plus material from the woods, which could be snow, pine boughs, branches, canopy of tree branches such as a cedar swamp, cattail weeds, etc. Possible heat sources are: you, anyone you're with, fire, rotting vegetation in a swamp (huge source), ground if you can get down six/eight feet into it (perhaps under a big pile of branches?), engine..... Can stay active to generate heat too. Arrange the insulation and heat...relax. Normally, just extra clothes and normal movement is plenty. Dress in layers for easy adjustments.

[@patriciaphillips6925]

I love Minnesota. I live in SD and have always love visiting Minnesota since we move to the Upper Midwest. Very nice video. A writer that wrote about the Swedish immigration to Minnesota is Vilhelm Moberg with a series of 4 books, starting with The Immigrants. All four books are a gem to read.

[@IanCaine4728]

Really interesting and well put together video. Surprised that the iron range and its role weren't mentioned.

[@Manetho72]

To a true Minnesotan, the southeast part of the state is the Driftless area and Rochester. It's south of the metro down to Iowa and from I-35 to the Mississippi River.

[@herbb8547]

Do you know the best thing coming out of Iowa? I-35

[@MacNerfer]

Well.... that's the perspective of somebody from the Twin Cities. I grew up in far northern MN, and we felt that anything south of Brainerd was "southern MN".

[@Manetho72]

@@MacNerfer No, not Twin Cities here. South Central Minnesota, and for us anything at 212 to 94 was central Minnesota and north of 94 was northern Minnesota. The Cities are technically in central or southern Minnesota but they're really their own region of the state.

[@herbb8547]

@MacNerfer I grew up in West Central MN. Southern MN was pretty much anything south of our farm. 😀

[@MacNerfer]

@@Manetho72 Culturally you might have an argument, but not by geographic distances or forest type (oak/maple vs birch/spruce).

[@fredcox961]

My name is not "Nobody" but I too live in his or her area of Minnesota. As a somewhat reclusive farmer, I like it that most of the people of the state are crammed together into the southeast of the state. We get to see a lot of them, however, during the summer, when they vacation in their remote cabins, and in the spring and fall as they rush to our area on the weekends and holidays for fishing and hunting and then rush back to their cities to work. I admire their wisdom in abandoning the cities whenever they can to get a taste of the good life. And, you know it has to be good if they put so much time, energy, and money into commuting long distances to experience it, if only briefly. The only drawback to having so many citizens packed into that tiny area is that our votes in "Nobody" land don't seem to count for a lot when decisions are made that affect all of us. But we have advantages of small, tightly knit communities that watch out for one another, and good friends with whom to complain about government and the weather and such. Ya, life in Minnesota's "Nobody" region is pretty sweet for those who love the beauties of nature, sporadically interrupted solitude, and snowshoeing or cross-country skiing or snowmobiling. And did I mention hunting and fishing? Life is very good in Minnesota's "Nobofy" country. But keep that a secret, won't you?

[@Wannabefarmerinmn]

This KZbinr is a complete disgrace!

[@MrKgBizzle]

Nobody here too. Wouldn’t give it up for somebody for nuthin!

[@TriHard612]

People vote, not land. I am all for doing away with the electoral college as well. Just remember, that all those city people pay taxes too that help fund road repair, school funding and other infrastructure spending in your neck of the woods too. I grew up in a town of under 3k in northern Minnesota. Everyone complains about the 'State' and 'those people down in the Cities' until the State puts funding into the local construction company or other spending. Good luck funding that with local taxes only. The weekenders and spring/fall crowds bring a lot of money to those areas as well, resorts are not staying in business with locals only. Those cabins still pay property taxes, local business when people are up there and probably some construction/repair spending as well. We are all in this together, no matter how independent some like to envision themselves.

[@veronicafoster6577]

Agreed.

[@jesshorn257]

yup I'm a "nobody" also....and to be honest I like that I have open space where I can be in areas where the nearest person is 30 mi away(red river valley)

[@dcdad556]

Minnesota nice tutorial; clear and to the point. Good job!

[@maryswanson9982]

It’s stunning, there. Quiet and cold as hell in winter. You betcha!

[@revinhatol]

Ooh, the Northwest Angle. Though split by Manitoba, the northernmost point in all the lower 48 states.

[@jasonknight5863]

Yes, and now every summer in Minnesota the Wild Fire 🔥 Smoke drifts down from nearby Canada making it miserable, Let alone people with Asthma.

[@jakudahsymba5453]

It’s been shown that Vikings were the first Europeans in Minnesota, dating back to the 1300’s

[@Devin_Stromgren]

My parents have a cabin up at the NW Angle. It's truly beautiful up there.

[@TedErhartCFP]

As a lifelong Minnesotan, I like the video. I've always really enjoyed the diversity of the state's geography and weather (to some extent). There's a lot of very interesting natural things to see and experience across the state from the Mississippi bluffs in SE MN to all the state parks and national forests up north. Lots of wildlife too. People may associate the state with cold weather but we get plenty of 90 degree days in the summer (in the Twin Cities area).

[@jasonsantelli6588]

the Mississippi river runs right down the middle of that densely packed area. the river splits Minneapolis & St.Paul and the ever growing suburbs are expanding outward from there. I lived there 35 years, seen it first hand

[@emmajars58]

Another interesting geography story of Minnesota - the lost 40 - along with the boundary waters, it’s one of my favorite places.

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

I’m searching comments for that !!! Not only was the headwaters of the Mississippi placed wrong on maps by surveyors back when, they messed up and missed the “lost 40”, it’s pretty neat that it didn’t get logged because of the mishap !

[@01hondascott]

When I moved from east coast Canada out to Fort McMurray we drove past the lake of the woods and stopped for a swim, It was a hot day and was so refreshing.

[@Ugfromumantman]

I grew up in Northern Minnesota and can confirm there's nobody up there and that's the way we liked it. :)

[@williamroland8924]

Born in brained and lived in cross lake.

[@stevennelson9504]

"The Land of Sky Blue Water" was an advertising slogan of the Hamm's Beer Company. The correct translation of the Dakota word minnesota is "sky tinted waters".

[@tadroid3858]

I was stationed at an old LORAN base in Baudette while in the USCG. The fishing and hunting were amazing, and the people were very nice. Riding snowmobiles down the Rainy River on to Lake of the Woods to our ice fishing shack was awesome!

[@erickleven1712]

Rode past that many times as a kid. Grandpa and I were going to take his axe and chop the thing down because of what it did to the AM Radio as we drove by. :D

[@tadroid3858]

I know!! You could here it coming through the grocery store speakers. I'm sure you're happy it's gone. Baudette was a great duty station, though, if only for one year. Thanks!! @@erickleven1712

[@tadroid3858]

Also, I'm glad you grandpa didn't. If he grounded that antenna, he would have been vaporized! That thing pumped out almost a megawatt!! Peace@@erickleven1712

[@michaelrevoire2266]

I met my wife in Baudette in 1974. I was stationed at the NORAD RADAR site till it closed in 1979. We lived on 3rd street. 6 blocks from the Canadian border. My oldest daughter was born in the Baudette hospital. My in-laws had a farm near Carp on the Wilderness Trail. The last farm before Beltrami forest. Hunting, Fishing, water and snow skiing, snowmobile was an alternate method of daily transportation. Everyone knew everyone else. Look up Willie the Walleye.

[@erickleven1712]

@@tadroid3858 lol, yeah, Grandpa had a sense of humor. They took that tower down about five years back. All the sections are stacked up. The lawn under it has grown up a lot.

[@heistmoney7923]

Thank you for bringing up Minnesota in your channel! Having lived here all of my life, it makes me appreciate this state more than someone explains the vast difference of geographical features in this state. Not only is MN very geographically diverse, but politics, people, and ideas are very different across this state too. The Twin Cities and Duluth are very blue during elections and the rest of the state is red, with the population difference, red barely ever wins. Same with geography, bluffs in the south east, prairies in the middle and west, and woods up north. It's very fun to travel to the state parks here and see the differences. Thank you for bringing up MN for us, Minnesotans!

[@7771ham]

I just found this channel and I already love how this guys presents his content. Good job man

[@wwb7091]

No mention of the Mesabi Iron Range? From the late 1800s to the mid 1900s, it was a major part of the state's economy.

[@Ian00003]

9:52 Fargo is the North Dakota side with Moorhead on the Minnesota side.

[@nabas1245]

Went to visit my mother in Fargo-Moorehead area (in fml December). Got cold chills watching your video from just thinking about it. Est. -30 daily during the winter 🥶

[@todddenio3200]

My 7X great grandfather Jacques DeNoyon was the first European to explore the border country between what is now Minnesota and Canada in 1688.

[@snorelacks7069]

I live in Northern MN (Grand Rapids)...it's terrible up here. Nobody should ever come up here....they wouldn't enjoy all this beauty, outdoor recreation, low crime, minimal traffic, etc. so they shouldn't even consider coming up here. Stay far away.....you won't like it. :-)

[@w.knudsen5570]

As someone who was born and raised in minnesota, i enjoy living in the not so populated part of the state. There is a lot of beautiful sights and and the people are great.

[@MrKgBizzle]

Some the best of both in this area. Wouldn’t trade it for anything

[@w.knudsen5570]

The US government did a lot of embarrassing things all across the country.

[@sapiophile545]

Can you name a few of your favorite parts to live?

[@somedudeinminnesota]

I'm right outside Ely MN...cool video man.

[@tiffanysampson5946]

I should add that the Iron range known for mining & Duluth for shipping have decreased due to the outsourcing...ITS CHEAPER OUTSIDE THE US SINCE WE HAVE HIGH STANDARDS OF LIVING DICTATED BY GOV REGULATION....Even homelessness is regulated. You cant sleep in your car, there is no where to park unless you pay for it, have a pass, or drive out a ways & look like an abandoned car...

[@leifmanson7599]

Our daughter was born in Fort Frances Ontario, across the Rainy River from International Falls, Minnesota. A fun fact is that the twin towns of Moosylvania and Frostbite Falls in the cartoon world of Rocky and Bullwinkle Moose are based on Fort Frances and International Falls. Rocky, the Flying Squirrel, and Bullwinkle Moose are Americans, living in Frostbite Falls. Dudley Doright of the Mounties enforces Canadian federal laws in Moosylvania.

[@bl1429]

WOW, > I thought Frostbite Falls was a made-up name for the cartoon.... You just took me back sixty years, thank you...😂😂🤪🤪.

[@killerkram1337]

Mining was and still is big in the north of MN which was an important part of what made the cities really big. As long as the rivers aren't totally frozen you can see ships carrying mined iron from up north down to the cities. When walking on trails along the river its fun to stop and watch them go by. I have lived in rural MN for my whole life, first in the south then finally up north. We farmed in the south but up north I work IT remotely (thanks star link!) and hunt/fish. The land is amazing, the weather is unforgiving at times, but its a good time. One thing about the duality of the cities vs rural MN is the politics. Its pretty strange. We are sometimes referred to as the purple state as the cities is overwhelmingly blue but the rural is overwhelmingly red and there is actually some agreement and compromise which makes for a kind of purpleness to the politics here. Some of the laws make no sense to me but I dont have the perspective of what its like to live in the cities and people in the cities think some laws are really dumb but they have no perspective on living outside the cities. Its really interesting. Lately things are going more blue which is a shame but hey, no one is around to enforce some of those laws and the cops up here dont really care about enforcing some of the stupid shit that comes from the cities so it all works out. Still it would take A LOT to get me to give up the northland. beautiful lakes, awesome hunting, amazing nature, surprisingly i still get great internet, and I am isolated when I want to be but at the same time it really doesnt take that long to drive to civilization if i want to go to a rave or club.

[@deadcatbounce3124]

My uncle, a Grand Marais native, said that there was a main trunk line (telecom) that ran along the North Shore, so internet has always been pretty good in the area. One thing you mention is the ore ships carrying ore from the mines to the cities, implying Mpls and StP, when the ore ships have no direct access to the rivers to take them there; the ore ships typically ply the Great Lakes, traditionally taking the ore to mills in OH, but really they could be anywhere with the use of the St. Lawrence Seaway with access to the Atlantic Ocean. I'm pretty sure you know all this, it's just some extra info for any drive by readers.

[@OldGYouTube]

Love this! I’m the Chef at oak island on lake of the woods by the North West Angle. Awesome information!!

[@DirectorNeumiller]

I have lived here 47 out of 49 years and I learned a decent amount of stuff in this video. Thanks!

[@MikeGowan-xo9yv]

My Mom was born and raised in Bemidji, part of the headwaters of the Mississippi River…gets negative 30 in the winter and 90 degrees and 100 percent humidity in the summers…lol…I’ve been to Itasca park and straddled the Mississippi River, a foot on the West Bank and a foot on the East. It’s not even a creek, it was a crick…lol…I think it’s Itasca state park, I could be wrong…many decades ago…

[@bigbub5219]

Great area. Been there many times.

[@SaadAliArts]

More than 60% of people of Minnesota live in Minneapolis-St Paul Twin city area

[@jasonknight5863]

Yes and that’s where 80 % of the crime is happening unfortunately in the best of neighborhoods also. I can’t imagine how dangerous it is to live in lower class areas like St.Paul and North Minneapolis. Let’s put it this way in the Minneapolis/ St.Paul area people have no respect for other people’s property and routinely vandalize and steal everything that isn’t bolted down to a property.

[@nobueno3514]

​@@jasonknight5863Live there 30 years, never seen anything you mentioned

[@Cart_ama]

@@jasonknight5863I love this insensitive energy you're giving off... Any who, yes, it's true a crime wave IS being faced in the Twin Cities much like every other American city. However, it is nowhere to the scale of other most smaller, similarly, and larger sized cities. Yes, we still have issues that we still face today but it's not a hell hole, destruction city, riot city, fire city, don't go here city, stay out of here city, gun city, you'll regret coming here city, whatever city. We can't solve issues if we just complain and paint a false narrative.

[@carljohnson317]

​@@nobueno3514😂😂😂😂😂 my bro lives he loves it,and were African American!

[@jasonknight5863]

@@nobueno3514lived there from 2000 to 2021. I’m not making any of this up out of thin air. Sounds like you are just triggered and trying to sweep my information under the carpet. It’s also very racist. My wife whom is Latina was always constantly bothered and harassed by the “Police force” scared her many times. Even though she has a crystal clean record and so do I.

[@user-wp3cy3fl2j]

Another excellent video Geoff.

[@leosypher9993]

5:20 - see that large lake called lake mil lacs? I farm in this area, it is indeed rocky, but the soil in some of the lower lands is amazing, very dense and retains moisture very well, it makes for excellent farm land of you can cope with the rocks that come up every year

[@jannette3404]

I've lived in Minnesota all my life. Minnesota is not predominately flat. it has a varied terrain with the Iron Mountain Range in Northeastern Minnesota and the city of Duluth is much like driving in San Francisco. The North and Northwestern part of the state has a vast and varied landscape with large forrests and many, many lakes and rivers, in Ottertail county there are more than 1,000 lake within that county making it the only county in the US that has the most lakes. Hunting, Trapping and Fishing are bountiful throughout the state.The Western part going to South Central Minnesota is mostly Farm and Agricultural land. Given Minnesota's number of lakes as well as other land resources up in Northern Minnesota we have very strict environmental laws and the Boundry Water does not allow motor boat travel at all. If I remember correctly the EPA was started here to protect these valuable resources. Many large companies have there beginnings in Minnesota, such as Greyhound started up North to transport workers for the Lumber Industry and the Mining. We are home to 3M, Best Buy, Target, Dairy Queen, Pillsbury, General Mills, The Mayo Clinic to name a few. There are the plains in the South, Southeastern the Bluffs, and 2 types of Forrest lands from Central Minnesota to Northern Minnesota. You should really come and visit Summer or Winter

[@NATEG01]

I also live in Minnesota and have been to all those places but no way can you call the "mountains" in the Northeastern part of the State real mountains. They're just like little hills compared to real mountains out West. The North Shore from Duluth to Grand Portage is very beautiful, but it's no match for the California coast.

[@jannette3404]

@@NATEG01 They are REAL Mountains.....It's the Messabi Mountain range! I'm not trying to compare your Mountain Range in California or any other Mountain Range. I have been from Maine to Washington and Georgia to California and just because they aren't like the Mountains in California doesn't mean they aren't Mountains. I have Skied in Minnesota and in The Colorado Rockies and yes there is a big difference, just like there is a big difference in the Smokey Mountains and the Rockies, but they are mountains none the less! Minnesota is not flat!

[@NATEG01]

@@jannette3404 Nah just because they're called mountains doesn't make them mountains. I've hiked up Eagle Mt, Carlton Peak, and Lookout Mt in Northeastern MN and these aren't mountains they're just little hills. The mountain ranges out west have foothills that are taller than these "mountains"

[@soil-play]

LOL - I have lived the majority of my life in Minnesota but have also lived in numerous other places....it's relatively flat here 😂

[@jannette3404]

@@soil-play That's an opinion......Not a Fact

[@stephenschroeder6567]

My first 18 years were in the MSP area. After that, military service took me all over and I never went back. I now live in Maine and can see huge similarities in the population distributions of both states. Both have a concentration in the southeastern section and the rest of both are sparsely populated in the remainder. Nice video. Thank you.

[@lynnhettrick7588]

My first 18 years were in the MSP area too. I went east for college and settled in New England. But I still consider Minnesota to be my homestate.

[@user-ko3kl1du1q]

This dance routine is fire! You've got some serious moves.

[@jordanshaffer4908]

important to note, the northwest angle is accessible in winter by snow mobile on the frozen lake.

[@AKayfabe]

well, I know some people who live in those areas where no one lives. I used to live up by the Canadian border. Now I live in the city by the Minnesota River, with everybody else lol and the weather here is insane. We have days where it changes 40 degrees within hours, or one day it’s 70 out, the next it’s 35.

[@MartindAMG]

You neglected to mention NE Minnesota is the largest domestic iron mining region in the US.

[@MarinCipollina]

Pig iron?

[@MartindAMG]

@@MarinCipollina Iron Ore. The stuff they smelt into steel for bridges, skyscrapers, cars. Any steel you see is likely to have it's origin from the Mesabi Iron Range in NE Minnesota.

[@sundinfamforlife4129]

My dad grew up in Virgina,Minnesota. Its super cold up there but he liked growing up there. He moved to Michigan then met my mom so he ended up staying. Theyve talked about retiring there though. Dad is getting older and is in his 50's now. His mom and dad stayed there until they both passed.

[@bbiancini]

Brush Island! It’s at the top of that Minnesota nubbin way up into Canada. My friend owns one of the cabins on Brush Island, it’s meters from the I’ntl border. It takes a full day to get up there which includes a drive through Manitoba only to cross back into Minnesota. We used to take a floatplane up there but that was before my Dad got sick. Good times. Very isolated place. Horribly cold weather.

[@646464mario]

Michigan has something similar going on. The majority of people live in the southern half of the lower peninsula.

[@jasonknight5863]

Agreed even Detroit in the southern half of Michigan is very similar to St. Paul.

[@SKOOKM]

I'm from Minnesota and drove across the UP then over the Mackinac bridge then all the way south though the lower peninsula of Michigan earlier this year. It did occur to me as well that the two states are geographically very similar.

[@tomernest2004]

Only halfway through it but does it mention that 90 percent of the iron ore mined in this country come from the Mesabi range up in northern Minnesota.

[@LadyBirch]

I know I live in the Iron Range area town of Virginia, Minnesota, which is about an hour north west of Duluth and I cannot believe that he did not mention the Iron Range Masaba mining industry. It is the countries largest iron ore producer which feeds into the production of steel in the Pennsylvania area. in the early days of Minnesota, Virginia, Minnesota was the second populated area Iron iron, mining, and steel production was huge. The men that discovered Iron ore in northern Minnesota, also were the inventors of the open mining pit. The largest open mining pits are here in Minnesota.

[@Curlyblonde]

That iron ore from the Mesabi Iron Range was loaded onto the famous freighter the "Edmund Fitzgerald" in Superior Wisconsin, that sunk so tragically back in November 10th, 1975 in Lake Superior. Gordon Lightfoot created a famous ballad about the event.

[@TheLexluthier]

You don't have to drive too far west of the Twin Cities to find out why there isn't a lot of populated areas. It mostly consists of a lot of flat farming land, with a lot of small rural communities. There is also the glacial ridge that roughly runs along between US Hwy 12 and MN Hwy 55 from the Twin Cities to western MN. It is a rolling, hilly, and rocky slice through central MN where the glaciers stopped. All the dirt, rocks and stuff the glaciers were pushing came to a halt and created the glacial ridge, and when the glaciers melted, created a lot of lakes. The Iron Range when it was going strong had a lot of people living in that area. But when the Reserve Mining lawsuit judgement happened, it killed a lot of jobs and people had to move elsewhere. Duluth lost a lot of population. Northern MN is still awesome.

[@jmansk0311]

I live in Thief River Falls, MN I think a lot of people would be surprised by the amount of industry up here and surrounding us. Crystal sugars, DigiKey electronics, Arctic Cat, Polaris, multiple turkey factories, and farmland as far as the eye can see. Pretty in the summer miserable in the winter as far as cold goes. Most people up here are used to it and actually enjoy winter sports, ice fishing and Hockey is everything!

[@andrecheongavocadojudo2114]

Agreed! Compared to Iowa, where it's nothing but corns, northern MN is kinda bustling

[@bjdon99]

I learnt that there are two distinct Minnesotas. There is the Twin Cities metro area, which I think includes 7 counties around MSP, and then Greater Minnesota, which is the rest of the state.

[@jocelyn5262008]

That’s how I’ve always viewed it too. Once you get out of that metro, it’s a beautiful place to live.

[@101jir]

Very much so.

[@urizon41]

As someone that lives in central mn, i can say for sure its not empty. I wish it was.

[@GoatsatanRex]

What you don’t like meth amphetamine?

[@Good-Enough24]

I love my state of Minnesota, born and raised here. Our state is gorgeous and it's a great state to live in. ❤

[@Mr.Shannon.116]

I have seen plenty of videos on this channel even though I was not subscribed. I keep seeing videos of interest on the right and end up on this channel, so I might as well subscribe now. I spent 37 years in Minnesota, but I moved to Texas three years ago. I never even knew why the northwest angle existed.

[@timbryan4656]

I lived on the northern border by Lake of the woods. People are kind and neighborly. Wages are low and cost of living is high but the people are special. I wish I lived there now.

[@wayupnort6271]

Nothing has changed! Hello from Roseau!

[@Curlyblonde]

Very little has changed except for the closure of the area's major employer on the Canadian side, the Resolute Pulp & Paper Mill. Now we have a large gold mine operating on the Canadian side north of Barwick and an Orientated Strand Board Mill along Rainy River in the same area continues to be productive. Lost a bit of our population when the Mill closed, but Boise Cascade Mill in International Falls continues to do well. Hello from Fort Frances, Ontario!

[@tedstout5617]

Williams Mn. Doesn’t get much smaller. Love it here.

[@seangundstrom5999]

I live in Northeastern Minnesota and love it I wouldn't wanna live in the Twin Cities

[@goodnewsminnesota]

Cool, I learned something knew about our state. Dakota and Ojibwe (Anishinaabe term) :) Thanks!

[@Striker_746]

I live in Northern Minnesota, about an hour away from Lake of the Woods and 45 minutes away from Canada. Yes, people really do live up here. I've lived up here most of my life. You also left out the mining industry around the Duluth area. It's called the iron range for a reason.

[@jakelong3466]

The pronunciation of Ojibwe here is a big tell you are definitely not from the state lol

[@prymelynes]

I noticed that too!

[@cjsawinski]

I can’t remember how he said it… all I know is that I can’t go to deer camp or on a fishing trip without making a “small” donation to one of their casinos. Get me almost every time lol.

[@Captrubarb]

Bob Dylan's "North Country Blues" tell the tale of many of us who left Nth MN... although in my case 99% less dramatic as I just wanted to be with my friends down in the cities ;)

[@user-ko3kl1du1q]

I appreciate how genuine and down-to-earth you are in your videos.

[@Maelthras]

I grew up in the northwest angle, the weather is extreme and there are tiny variations in elevation that have huge effects on weather. Lake of the woods is unique, storms will pile up at the edge and get bigger and stronger before suddenly spilling over the lakes. I've fished and camped lake of the woods and it is simply beautiful. Hundreds of islands. Very boreal. And you get the Iron range around duluth, rocky terrain and wind swept.

[@richardconnor2871]

Not even a mention of the iron mining in the North of the state? 75-85% of domestic iron comes from Minnesota, which is why Duluth, a major port city, is as big as it is. And why we had a nuclear missile base during the cold war. The iron mines were considered a significant enough strategic resource it was thought the Soviets might target it, so a Nike nuclear anti-ballistic missle base was set up near Duluth to defend against them. (The silos still exist today... though they're a u-haul-type storage building now) Fun fact: Minnesota has a colder average temperature than Alaska :P (Of course Alaska gets colder in some places than Minnesota ever does, but the ocean moderates the coastal areas enough to swing the average for the state as a whole up)

[@LadyBirch]

Yes, I thought that was a major mistake that he didn’t mention the Iron Range area of Minnesota because it was actually the second largest populated and economically vibrant area that began in the late 1800’s early 1900’s with the iron mining explosion. Back then the Iron Range was second to Minneapolis St. Paul. I live in the Iron Range area and it is definitely a huge area of the state because of the forest and lakes. Thousands and thousands of people come up here to vacation every summer. But the Iron Range history is very sad because in order for the iron or to get from the mining pits to the Great Lakes, we need trains. The rich tycoons ran the railroad industry, eventually learned of the Iron Range area and vast amount of money to be made, and choked out the original mining families that built mining towns and villages and supported, the area were choked out by the tycoons in order to use their railroads.

[@JenIsHungry]

Mining was a major cause of environmental destruction, and why hibbing feels like an alien planet. It poisoned gitchigumi, too. The only things that destroyed MN more is agriculture.

[@mountainman4969]

Minnesota was also known for its lumber industry in the early 1900s. My grandpa and great uncle both worked on the green Chain in Akeley Minnesota where they raised their families and still reside there. Population was over 30,000 when the town burned down and is now 486 people but it was a great place to grow up and be a woodsman

[@debfader]

Very interesting! As former Mayor of Montevideo, MN-and a history buff, I would love to speak with you further upon this subject and areas of Rural Minnesota.

[@qthemusiq4461]

Maybe you can help me but, don't the Sioux prefer to be called Lakota and not Dakota? And wouldn't you say another result of the lower populations in western Minnesota is due to the push toward the big cities for jobs and the effects of BIG farming? BTW I'm originally from Lake Lillian right down the road on Highway 7 from Montevideo. When we you mayor? My best friend moved there when he was 16 and graduated in 1989. Last name was Moe.

[@seameology]

Read the book Red Lake Nation by Anton Treuer. It discusses Minnesota history in general. He consulted mmany historical documents from both Ojibwe and state. Yes, it's primarily about the formation of Red Lake Reservation. But he discusses why they wanted White people in the middle of the state. The Dakota and Ojibwe were constantly at war. My great great grandfather was instrumental in treaties. Also read The Assassination of Hole in the Day by Treuer. That has White Earth information.

[@seameology]

I have relatives that belong to that tribe and I used to work for them. They just call themselves Sioux with the designation of which reservation they're from. For instance, Mdewakanton Sioux near Red Wing, MN. Ojibwe also do this. I'm Red Lake Ojibwe but live on the White Earth reservation. Around here we just say "I'm Red Lake " or "I'm White Earth". There are people from other tribes not from this tristate area. (MN, ND, SD) They'll say theyre Choktaw or Navajo, etc. Just some local information.

[@seameology]

I do have a friend who says she's Blackfoot Sioux. That's in Montana. So it's not set in stone.

[@qthemusiq4461]

One other story is that they did not like being called Sioux is because it means "enemy". The Calgary would have scouts from nations they had already subdued and when they asked the scout what tribe it was they said, "Sioux" because they had been at war in the past. Don't know but maybe just an old wives tale. We need new history books!

[@vanderpoolfarmsl.l.c.9983]

You left out the "bedroom cities" east of Grand Forks. Crookston for example. We lived in Crookston for 2 1/2 years in the late 60s and I can tell you; I left a chunk of my heart in Crookston! LOVELY, sweet little town!

[@mattkrause6945]

As a native MN, there are several things to add. Not only is the Red River Valley an agricultural area, so is the south and western portion of the state. Because of this, very few people live here. That grain was shipped to Minneapolis/St Paul to be barged down the Mississippi River. (Rail to but river barges weren’t mentioned.) As others pointed out no talk of the Iron Range. You also left out Minnesota’s early fur trade and how Minnesota is the best state to get sick in because of the Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota.