IDAHO
Introduction
The state of Idaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890 as the 43rd state.
Idaho is a mostly mountainous state, with an area larger than all of New England. It is landlocked, surrounded by the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and the Canadian Province of British Columbia. However, the network of dams and locks on the Columbia River and Snake River make the city of Lewiston the farthest inland seaport on the west coast of the continental United States.
To residents of the state and regular visitors, Idaho is regarded as a highly outdoors-oriented community. Central Idaho is home to one of North America's oldest ski resorts, Sun Valley, where the world's first chairlift was installed. Snow sports are keystones of Idaho's identity, with a ski resort near almost every urban area. Whitewater rafting and kayaking are among the state's major pastimes. Hell's Canyon and the Salmon River boast some of North America's finest whitewater, with the nearby town of Riggins, ID serving as the state's informal whitewater capital. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2009 the population for Idaho was estimated to be 1,545,801. The state's postal abbreviation is ID. Idaho's nickname is the Gem State because nearly every known gem has been found there. In addition, Idaho is one of only two places in the world where star garnets can be found (the other is the Himalaya Mountains, in India), and is the only place six pointed star garnets have been found. The state motto is Esto Perpetua (Latin for "Let it be forever").
Idaho is the 14th largest state by land area.
Geography
Idaho borders Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and the Canadian province of British Columbia (the Idaho-BC border is 48 miles (77 km) long). The landscape is rugged with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the country. It is a Rocky Mountain state with exciting scenery and enormous natural resources. The state 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 (12,662 feet) 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
* Alturas Lake
* Bear Lake (Idaho-Utah)
* Hayden Lake
* Henry's Lake
* Lake Cascade
* Lake Coeur d'Alene
* Lake Lowell
* Lake Walcott
* Payette Lake (McCall)
* Pend Oreille
* Little Redfish Lake
* Pettit Lake
* Priest Lake
* Redfish Lake
* Sawtooth Lake
* Stanley Lake
* Warm Lake
* Hidden Lake
History
Humans may have been present in the Idaho area as long as 14,500 years ago. Excavations at Wilson Butte Cave near Twin Falls in 1959 revealed evidence of human activity, including arrowheads, that rank among the oldest dated artifacts in North America. Native American tribes predominant in the area included the Nez Perce in the north and the Northern and Western Shoshone in the south.
Idaho, as part of the Oregon Country, was claimed by both the United States and United Kingdom until the United States gained undisputed jurisdiction in 1846. Between then and the creation of the Idaho Territory in 1863, parts of the present-day state were included in the Oregon, Washington, and Dakota Territories. The new territory included most of present-day Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
After some tribulation as a territory, including the chaotic transfer of the territorial capital from Lewiston to Boise and a federal attempt to split the territory between Washington Territory and the state of Nevada, Idaho achieved statehood in 1890. The economy of the state, which had been primarily supported by metal mining, shifted towards agriculture and tourism.
In recent years, Idaho has changed itself from an agricultural and tourism State into a Science & Technology center. Science and Technology has become the largest single economic center (over 25% of the State's total revenue) within the State and is greater than agriculture, forestry and mining combined.
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