Is Minnesota Really The Land of 10,000 Lakes
In Geography class, many may remember hearing that Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Trivia books trumpet this claim as well, but is it really possible for Minnesota to contain 10,000 lakes? How can there be any land left in a state, even in one as large as Minnesota, if it had this many lakes?
The truth is, Minnesota has more than 10,000 lakes. Today, there are 11,842 lakes littered about Minnesota. In addition to the great number of lakes, Minnesota also has 6,564 rivers coursing through its landmass.
?In fact, the name “Minnesota” comes from the Dakota Indians’s word for “sky-tinted water.” The lakes don’t fill up the whole state though, only a small portion of the state-10 acres-contain the highly boasted lakes.
60 of Minnesota’s population lives in the urban metropolis of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. During the warmer months, there are plenty of water activities which take place in many of Minnesota’s lakes. Similarly, during the winter months, ice fishing brings people from all over the state to stake their claim on a piece of lake. With over 11,000 lakes freely available to everyone, there’s enough to go around. You won’t have any troubles finding the perfect swimming or fishing spot in Minnesota.