【Name】State of Minnesota, MN, also called the “North Star State” and the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. The name was originated from the Dakota Native American term “mini sota” for the Minnesota River, meaning “clear blue water” or “cloudy water”.

【Geography】The state has a total area of approximately 225,163 square kilometers, ranking the 12th-largest by area in the United States. It is located in the Midwestern United States. It borders the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and is known for its numerous lakes.

【Population】The population is approximately 5.830 million (2025 data), ranking 22nd in the United States. Racial and ethnic composition: White 76.3%, Black or African American 6.8%, Hispanic or Latino 6.1%, Asian 5.2%, Native American 1.0%, and other 4.6%.

【History】The area was originally inhabited by Native American peoples, including the Dakota and Ojibwe. The Minnesota Territory was created from part of the Iowa Territory on March 3, 1849, and the Dakota Territory was later separated from the Minnesota Territory. The state of Minnesota was admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state of the United States. It later gradually developed into a state with relatively advanced agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial sectors in the Midwestern United States.

【Politics】The current governor is Tim Walz. The capital is Saint Paul, and its mayor is Kaohly Vang Her. The largest city is Minneapolis, and its mayor is Jacob Frey.

【Economy】Minnesota has a diversified economy, with strong sectors in medical devices, food processing, agriculture, finance, retail headquarters, mining, machinery manufacturing, and technology services. It is home to the headquarters of companies such as 3M, UnitedHealth Group, Target Corporation, U.S. Bancorp, and General Mills.

In 2025, its nominal GDP was approximately $531.5 billion, ranking 20th in the United States, with real GDP growth of 1.6%; per capita GDP was approximately $91,154, ranking 15th in the United States; and total exports of goods amounted to $23.5 billion. The total trade volume with China reached USD 7.434 billion, including USD 5.896 billion in imports from China and USD 1.538 billion in exports to China.

【Sister Cities with China】Minnesota and China’s Shaanxi Province established a sister state relationship in 1989. Sister city relationships were established between Saint Paul and Changsha (1988), Minneapolis and Harbin (1992), Red Wing and Quzhou (1994), Rochester and Xianyang (1995), and Ramsey and Loudi (2005).