Wisconsin

Geography
Wisconsin is a state in the Midwest. Even though it is in the middle of the country, bodies of water define many of its borders. Lake Michigan forms its eastern border, Lake Superior is part of the northwestern border, the Mississippi river is the border between Wisconsin and the states of Minnesota and Iowa. Only the southern border with Illinois is not a body of water. There are thousands of lakes in Wisconsin. The largest is Lake Winnebago.

History
Indians were the first people living in the area. Tribes include the Menominee, the Kickapoo, the Miami, the Winnebago, the Dakota and the Iowa. Many towns, rivers and lakes got their names from Indian names. The first European to see Wisconsin was Jean Nicolet, an explorer who landed along the shores of Green Bay while looking for a passage to China in 1634. Fur traders and Catholic missionaries were the first non-native people to settle the area.

Economy
Wisconsin is known as the dairy state. It is a leader in producing milk and cheese. Wisconsin is second among the 47 states that produce paper.

State Symbols
The state bird is the robin, the state animal is the badger, and the state flower is the violet.

Interesting Facts
Harry Houdini, a famous magician, lived in Appleton near Lake Winnebago. There is museum there in his honor. There is also a Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. It has the world's largest collection of mustard!