Geography and Climate of Wisconsin
Wisconsin is one of the northern central United States, bordered by two Great Lakes, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west and Illinois to the south. At 65,498 square miles, it is the 20th largest state by area. Wisconsin is nearly half forestland and has over 11,000 square miles of lakes and rivers.
Wisconsin is legendary for its bitterly cold winters, exacerbated, no doubt, by its proximity to the two Great Lakes. Temperatures in the winter months can easily drop below freezing. In 1996, Wisconsin recorded a temperature of 55 below zero Fahrenheit. Summers are more moderate in Wisconsin, with temperatures rarely rising above the low 80s even in July and August.
History of Wisconsin
The French originally colonized Wisconsin in the 17th century, mainly to take advantage of fur trading opportunities. In 1763, the British took control of the area, although many French Canadians still made their home in Wisconsin.
As part of the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War in 1783, the United States gained control of the Wisconsin territory. However, the area came back into dispute during the War of 1812, with America finally asserting full control in 1815. In 1848, Wisconsin officially became a state, the 30th in the Union.
Demographics of Wisconsin
Wisconsin has a large German ancestry population, especially in Milwaukee, which has become famous for its beer production. Wisconsin also has the highest percentage of Polish ancestry Americans in the United States.
The ethnic breakdown is roughly 91 percent white, with about 6.5 percent black and 2.5 percent other races. Hispanics make up about four percent of the population. 75 percent of the state’s African American population is in Milwaukee.
Roughly 85 percent of Wisconsinites identify as Christian, with the majority of those being some type of Protestant, and about a third Roman Catholic. About 15 percent of Wisconsin residents are non-religious, with less than one percent belonging to non-Christian religions.
Economy of Wisconsin
Wisconsin has long been a leader in the United States in the area of dairy farming. The state is legendary and immediately identifiable as a producer of cheese. Wisconsin produces more cheese than any other state and is second only to California in production of milk and butter.
Wisconsin is a leading producer of other agricultural products as well, such as oats, corn, potatoes and carrots. Kraft Foods employs over 5,000 Wisconsin workers.
Wisconsin, particularly Milwaukee, is also famous for beer production. It is the headquarters of the Miller Brewing Company, among others. Wisconsin is also a strong manufacturing state.
Wisconsin Law and Government
The Governor of Wisconsin is James Doyle, Jr., a Democrat currently serving his second term. Wisconsin has eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives, five Democrats and three Republicans. Their two Senators are Democrats Herbert Kohl and Russ Feingold.
Although lately Wisconsin has trended Democratic, it has always been a state that is “in play,” swinging back and forth between Republican and Democratic. John Kerry won Wisconsin in the 2004 Presidential election by a mere 11,000 votes.
Wisconsin was the state represented by the infamous Joseph McCarthy, who terrorized America in the 1950s with his anti-communist witch-hunts. In contrast, Madison is famous for the birth of the Progressive Movement and is one of the most liberal cities in the United States.
Wisconsin Transportation
The Madison metropolitan area is serviced by a system of bus lines run by Madison Metro Transit, while Milwaukee residents rely on the Milwaukee County Transit System for public bus transportation. Major Interstate highways in Wisconsin include Interstate 94, which enters the state from Chicago, comes in through Milwaukee and continues on west through Madison. Interstate 43 goes through Milwaukee from the southwest and up through Green Bay.
Wisconsin has both Amtrak and Greyhound Bus stations, in cities such as Milwaukee, Madison and Kenosha. Milwaukee is accessible by air through the General Mitchell International Airport, a hub for Midwest Airlines.
Major Cities and Towns of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, with over 602,000 residents, is the largest city in Wisconsin and is famous as a producer of beer, particularly Miller beer. Two professional sports teams have headquarters in Milwaukee, the Brewers and the Bucks. One of television’s most celebrated sitcoms, Happy Days, took place in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee is also the headquarters and birthplace of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company. Madison has over 223,000 residents and is the capital of Wisconsin. The city is home to the University of Wisconsin at Madison, a well-regarded institution of higher learning.
Madison has a low unemployment rate and the good health of its residents, with many recreational opportunities, particularly biking and cross-country skiing. The city is a very liberal community and has a considerable number of co-ops within its borders.
Green Bay is another well-known Wisconsin city, in large part due to its perennial football powerhouse the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay is a port city, famous for its meatpacking industry. Other well-known Wisconsin cities include Kenosha, Sheboygan and Racine.
Wisconsin Educational System
The Milwaukee Public Schools district is one of the biggest in the United States, with nearly 100,000 students taught by over 6,000 teachers in over 200 schools. Over 84 percent of Milwaukee residents over the age of 25 have a high school diploma. Madison is a very strong city for education, with over six times the number of National Merit Scholar semifinalists as other similar school districts.
Wisconsin is a strong advocate of higher education, with a 26-campus university system and a 16-campus technical college system. Wisconsin public colleges and universities include the University of Wisconsin at Madison, one of the most prestigious schools in the nation, the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, Fox Valley Technical College, Madison Area Technical College and Western Technical College. Well-known private universities in Wisconsin include Marquette University, Lawrence University and Beloit College.
Wisconsin Sports Teams and Recreational Activities
Wisconsin has teams in three major sports, the most famous being the Green Bay Packers football team. The Packers dominated football in the years before the modern Super Bowl, and won the first two Super Bowls as well. They have appeared in three Super Bowls since, winning Super Bowl XXI over the New England Patriots.
Wisconsin also features an NBA franchise, the Milwaukee Bucks, and a baseball team, the Milwaukee Brewers, which has been existence long enough to be shuffled from the American League to the National League. Prior to the creation of the Brewers, the team that would become the Atlanta Braves made their home in Milwaukee, where many of their games featured former all-time home run king Hank Aaron.
There is no shortage of recreational activities to enjoy in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has more music festivals than any other state in the Union. It is a popular location for hunting and fishing and over 600,000 deer hunting licenses are frequently sold in Wisconsin each year.
Milwaukee has a number of county parks fully equipped for recreational activities like picnics, sports and other games. Wisconsin residents also enjoy sailing, golfing and hiking. During those cold winter months, ice skating and skiing are popular activities.
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