Idaho profile

Most of the U.S. state of Idaho lies in the highlands of the Rocky Mountains. The state is known for its natural beauty. In addition to towering mountains it features evergreen forests, high waterfalls, and steep canyons.

There has been much confusion surrounding the origin of the state’s name. Many people now think that the name was made up by a politician. Idaho is nicknamed the Gem State. Its official gemstone is the Idaho Star Garnet. Boise is the capital.

Located in the northwestern United States, Idaho is bordered by six other states. Montana and Wyoming lie to the east, Utah and Nevada to the south, and Oregon and Washington to the west. The Canadian province of British Columbia lies to the north.

The Rocky Mountains cover most of the northern half of the state. They also run along the state’s southeastern border. In the southern part of the state the Snake River Plain covers the area around the Snake River. The plain includes Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, a region of volcanic cones, craters, and lava flows. Farther northwest, on the border with Oregon, the Snake River flows through Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest gorge.

At 12,662 feet (3,859 meters), Borah Peak in the Rocky Mountains is the state’s highest point. In general, Idaho’s climate is mild. The mountain areas are cooler than the southern plains area. The mountains sometimes receive large amounts of snow.

The earliest people known to live in Idaho were the Nez Percé Indians in the north and the Shoshone and Bannock in the south. After wars with white settlers, most of these Native Americans were forced to move to reservations.

The state was settled by people who moved from the eastern United States. Whites of European heritage represent almost 90 percent of the population. Mormons were one of the earliest groups of settlers in Idaho. They make up a large percentage of the white population in the southeastern part of the state. Hispanic Americans make up more than 11 percent of Idaho’s population. There are five Native American reservations in Idaho. The tribes that live on those reservations are the Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai, Shoshone-Bannock, Nez Percé, and Shoshone-Paiute.

Boise is the largest city in Idaho. Located in southwestern Idaho, it is the state’s center of business and government. Nampa is a large city not far from Boise. The cities of Pocatello and Idaho Falls are located in southeastern Idaho.

Tourism is a major part of Idaho’s economy. Sun Valley is one of the state’s many winter skiing resorts. The Boise area is the site of high-technology firms. These companies manufacture computer parts and laser printers. In agriculture, Idaho produces the most potatoes in the United States. About 60 percent of the state’s potatoes are processed into french fries and tator tots or dried into flakes. Idaho’s farms also yield dairy products, cattle, and wheat.

Native Americans had lived in the area that is now Idaho for at least 10,000 years before Europeans arrived. In the early 1800s the largest Native American groups in the area were the Nez Percé and the Shoshone. In 1805 explorers led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were the first white group to explore the region. For much of the early 1800s, fur trappers were the main visitors. In the 1830s a fur-trading company known as the Hudson’s Bay Company built forts in Idaho. The forts became stopover points on the Oregon Trail, a famous wagon route to the Northwest.

The discovery of gold on Orofino Creek in Clearwater County in 1860 started a gold rush. The population increased sharply because of it. The U.S. Congress established the Idaho Territory in 1863. At the time, the territory was larger than Texas. Later, the states of Montana and Wyoming were separated from it, leaving Idaho with its present borders.

Idaho was admitted to the Union in 1890 as the 43rd state. Federal troops were called in during the new state’s early years to help break up a series of mining strikes.

During the 1900s Idaho developed its agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing industries. In the early 21st century one of the issues of concern to the state was how to protect the quality of its scenic land.

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