Idaho
U.S. state / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Idaho (/ˈaɪdəhoʊ/ (
listen) EYE-də-hoh) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington and Oregon to the west. The state's capital and largest city is Boise. With an area of 83,570 square miles (216,400 km2), Idaho is the 14th largest state by land area, but with a population of approximately 1.8 million, it ranks as the 13th least populous and the 7th least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states.
Idaho | |
|---|---|
| State of Idaho | |
| Nickname(s): The Gem State (official), The Potato State | |
| Motto: Esto perpetua (Latin for "Let it be perpetual") | |
| Anthem: "Here We Have Idaho" | |
 Map of the United States with Idaho highlighted | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Oregon Territory, Washington Territory, Idaho Territory |
| Admitted to the Union | July 3, 1890 (43rd) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Boise |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Boise |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Brad Little (R) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Scott Bedke (R) |
| Legislature | Legislature |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | House of Representatives |
| Judiciary | Idaho Supreme Court |
| U.S. senators | Mike Crapo (R) Jim Risch (R) |
| U.S. House delegation | 1. Russ Fulcher (R) 2. Mike Simpson (R) (list) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 83,569[1] sq mi (216,443 km2) |
| • Land | 83,570 sq mi (216,400 km2) |
| • Water | 926 sq mi (2,398 km2) 1.11% |
| • Rank | 15th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 479 mi (771 km) |
| • Width | 305 mi (491 km) |
| Elevation | 5,000 ft (1,520 m) |
| Highest elevation | 12,662 ft (3,859 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 713 ft (217 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 1,839,106 |
| • Rank | 38th |
| • Density | 21.6/sq mi (8.33/km2) |
| • Rank | 44th |
| • Median household income | $76,918[4] |
| • Income rank | 31st |
| Demonym | Idahoan |
| Language | |
| • Official language | English[5] |
| Time zones | |
| primary | UTC−07:00 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| Idaho Panhandle | UTC−08:00 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | ID |
| ISO 3166 code | US-ID |
| Latitude | 42° N to 49° N |
| Longitude | 111°03′ W to 117°15′ W |
| Website | www |
| List of state symbols | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Living insignia | |
| Amphibian | Tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) |
| Bird |
|
| Fish | Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) |
| Flower | Syringa (Philadelphus lewisii) |
| Horse breed | Appaloosa |
| Insect | Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) |
| Tree | Western white pine (Pinus monticola) |
| Inanimate insignia | |
| Dance | Square dance |
| Food |
|
| Fossil | Hagerman horse (Equus simplicidens) |
| Gemstone | Star garnet |
| Soil | Threebear |
| State route marker | |
 | |
| Lists of United States state symbols | |
For thousands of years, and prior to European colonization, Idaho has been inhabited by native peoples. In the early 19th century, Idaho was considered part of the Oregon Country, an area of dispute between the U.S. and the British Empire. It officially became a U.S. territory with the signing of the Oregon Treaty of 1846, but a separate Idaho Territory was not organized until 1863, instead being included for periods in Oregon Territory and Washington Territory. Idaho was eventually admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, becoming the 43rd state.
Forming part of the Pacific Northwest (and the associated Cascadia bioregion), Idaho is divided into several distinct geographic and climatic regions. The state's north, the relatively isolated Idaho Panhandle, is closely linked with Eastern Washington, with which it shares the Pacific Time Zone—the rest of the state uses the Mountain Time Zone. The state's south includes the Snake River Plain (which has most of the population and agricultural land), and the southeast incorporates part of the Great Basin. Idaho is quite mountainous, and contains several stretches of the Rocky Mountains. The United States Forest Service holds about 38% of Idaho's land, the highest proportion of any state.[6]
Industries significant for the state economy include manufacturing, agriculture, mining, forestry, and tourism. A number of science and technology firms are either headquartered in Idaho or have factories there, and the state also contains the Idaho National Laboratory, which is the country's largest Department of Energy facility. Idaho's agricultural sector supplies many products, but the state is best known for its potato crop, which comprises around one-third of the nationwide yield. The official state nickname is the "Gem State", a figurative expression which references Idaho's natural beauty.[7]