FLAG: A dark-blue field, fringed in yellow on three sides, surrounds the state coat of arms on each side, with “Wisconsin” in white letters above the coat of arms and ‘1848’ below.

COAT OF ARMS: Surrounding the US shield is the shield of Wisconsin, which is divided into four parts symbolizing agriculture, mining, navigation, and manufacturing. Flanking the shield are a sailor, representing labor on water; and a yeoman or miner, representing labor on land. Above is a badger and the state motto; below, a horn of plenty and a pyramid of pig lead.

MOTTO: Forward.

SONG: “On, Wisconsin!”

FLOWER: Wood violet.

TREE: Sugar maple.

ANIMAL: Badger; white-tailed deer (wildlife); dairy cow (domestic).

BIRD: Robin.

FISH: Muskellunge.

INSECT: Honeybee.

DOG: American water spaniel.

FOSSIL: Trilobite.

MINERAL: Galena.

ROCK OR STONE: Red granite.

BEVERAGE: Milk.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Presidents’ Day, 3rd Monday in February; Good Friday, Friday before Easter, March or April; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Primary Day, 2nd Tuesday in September in even-numbered years; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; Election Day, 2nd Tuesday in November in even-numbered years; Veterans’ Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November; Christmas Day, 25 December.

TIME: 6 AMCST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Located in the eastern north-central United States, Wisconsin ranks 26th in size among the 50 states. The total area of Wisconsin is 56,153 square miles (145,436 square kilometers), of which 54,426 square miles (140,963 square kilometers) is land and 1,727 square miles (4,473 square kilometers) is inland water. The state extends 295 miles (475 kilometers) from east to west and 320 miles (515 kilometers) from north to south. The state’s boundaries have a total length of 1,379 miles (2,219 kilometers). Important islands belonging to Wisconsin are the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior and Washington Island in Lake Michigan.

2 Topography

Wisconsin can be divided into four main geographical regions, each covering roughly one quarter of the state’s land area. The most highly elevated of these is the Superior Upland, with heavily forested rolling hills but no high mountains. A second upland region, called the Driftless Area, has a more rugged terrain. The third region is a large, crescent-shaped plain in central Wisconsin. Finally, in the east and southeast along Lake Michigan lies a large, lowland plain.

Timms Hill, in north-central Wisconsin, is the state’s highest point, at 1,951 feet (595 meters). The lowest elevation is 579 feet (177 meters), along the Lake Michigan shoreline. There are more than 8,000 lakes in Wisconsin. By far the largest inland lake is Lake Winnebago, in eastern Wisconsin, covering an area of 215 square miles (557 square kilometers).

The Mississippi River, which forms part of the border with Minnesota and the entire border with Iowa, is the main navigable river. The major river flowing through the state is the Wisconsin, which follows a south-southwest course for 430 miles (692 kilometers) before meeting the

Wisconsin Population Profile

Total population estimate in 2006:	5,556,506
Population change, 2000–06:	3.6%
Hispanic or Latino†:	4.5%
Population by race
One race:	98.8%
White:	88.1%
Black or African American:	5.7%
American Indian /Alaska Native:	0.8%
Asian:	2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander:	0.0%
Some other race:	2.2%
Two or more races:	1.2%

Population by Age Group

Major Cities by Population
City	Population	% change 2000–05
Notes: †A person of Hispanic or Latino origin may be of any race. NA indicates that data are not available.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey and Population Estimates. www.census.gov/ (accessed March 2007).
Milwaukee	578,887	-3.0
Madison	221,551	6.5
Green Bay	101,203	-1.1
Kenosha	95,240	5.4
Racine	79,392	-3.0
Appleton	70,217	0.2
Waukesha	67,658	4.4
Oshkosh	63,485	0.9
Eau Claire	62,570	1.4
Janesville	61,962	4.1

Mississippi at the Iowa border. Other tributaries of the Mississippi are the St. Croix, Chippewa, and Black rivers. Located on the Black River are Big Manitou Falls, at 165 feet (50 meters) the highest of the state’s many waterfalls.

3 Climate

Wisconsin has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature ranges from 39°f (4°c) in the north to about 50°f (10°c) in the south. Average daily temperatures in Milwaukee have ranged from 13°f (-10°c) to 27°f (-2°c) in January and from 62°f (16°c) to 79°f (26°c) in July. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Wisconsin is -55°f (-48°c) at Couderay on 4 February 1996. The highest temperature, 114°f (46°c), occurred at Wisconsin Dells on 13 July 1936.

Annual precipitation in the state ranges from about 34 inches (86 centimeters) for parts of the northwest to about 28 inches (71 centimeters) in the south-central region and the areas bordering Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The annual average snowfall in Milwaukee is 47 inches (118 centimeters).

4 Plants and Animals

Common trees of Wisconsin include oaks, black cherry, and hickory. Pines, yellow birch, and moosewood are among the trees that grow in the north. Characteristic of southern Wisconsin are sugar maple (the state tree), white elm, and basswood. Prairies are thick with grasses. Forty-five varieties of orchid have been identified, as well as 20 types of violet, including the wood violet (the state flower). In 2006, six plant species were threatened, including the eastern prairie fringed orchid, prairie bush-clover, dwarf lake iris, Pitcher’s thistle, Fassett’s locoweed, and northern wild monkshood.

White-tailed deer (the state wild animal), black bear, and chipmunk are mammals typical of forestlands. The striped skunk and red and gray foxes are characteristic of upland fields, while wetlands harbor such mammals as the muskrat, mink, and river otter. Game birds include the ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail, and ruffed grouse. Some 336 bird species are native to Wisconsin. Reptiles include 23 varieties of snake, 13 types of turtle, and 4 kinds of lizard. Muskellunge (the state fish), northern pike, and brook trout are found in Wisconsin waterways.

In 2006, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed eight animal species as threatened or endangered in Wisconsin, including the bald eagle, Karner blue butterfly, Hine’s emerald dragonfly, Higgins’ eye pearlymussel, piping plover, and gray wolf.

5 Environmental Protection

The present Department of Natural Resources (DNR), organized in 1967, brings together conservation and environmental protection responsibilities. The department supervises air, water, and solid waste pollution control programs and deals with the protection of forest, fish, and wildlife resources.

Southeastern Wisconsin has experienced serious air quality problems since the 1970s. Reductions in industrial emissions have been offset by increases in emissions from transportation sources and consumer products.

Pulp and paper mills, cheese factories, and canneries have taken major steps to control and prevent harmful water pollution. Communities

Wisconsin Population by Race

Census 2000 was the first national census in which the instructions to respondents said, “Mark one or more races.” This table shows the number of people who are of one, two, or three or more races. For those claiming two races, the number of people belonging to the various categories is listed. The U.S. government conducts a census of the population every ten years.

	Number	Percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000: Redistricting Data. Press release issued by the Redistricting Data Office. Washington, D.C., March, 2001. A dash (—) indicates that the percent is less than 0.1.
Total population	5,363,675	100.0
One race	5,296,780	98.8
Two races	62,793	1.2
White and Black or African American	14,437	0.3
White and American Indian/Alaska Native	16,157	0.3
White and Asian	8,484	0.2
White and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	688	—
White and some other race	14,068	0.3
Black or African American and American Indian/Alaska Native	2,003	—
Black or African American and Asian	600	—
Black or African American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	82	—
Black or African American and some other race	1,860	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian	610	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	56	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and some other race	597	—
Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	1,104	—
Asian and some other race	1,946	—
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and some other race	101	—
Three or more races	4,102	0.1

have built new or upgraded existing sewage treatment plants to reduce the flow of sewage into rivers and streams. Pulp and paper mills have spent millions of dollars to reduce suspended solids and other pollutants in their industrial effluent. Water quality and fisheries have visibly improved, but problems caused by persistent toxic chemicals, such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and mercury, have risen and being addressed. Efforts are underway to identify sources of contamination and cleanup options at these sites and inland areas suffering similar problems.

Contaminated stormwater and runoff from agriculture, development, and other sources remain the most serious threats to Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers, and streams. Wetland protection regulations were upgraded in the late 1980s and in 1991 the state became the first in the nation to legislate wetlands protection. Between 1992 and 1998, approximately 11,312 acres of wet-lands were restored.

In the 1980s, more than 800 landfills in the state closed because they could not meet new federal environmental protection requirements. To ease the burden on the state’s remaining landfills, Wisconsin passed a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling law, 1989 Wisconsin Act 335. The law required local units of government to set up effective programs to recycle more than 11 different items.

In 2003, Wisconsin had 163 hazardous waste sites listed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s database, 37 of which were on the National Priorities List as of 2006.

6 Population

In 2006, Wisconsin ranked 20th in population among the 50 states with an estimated total of 5,556,506 residents. The population is projected to reach 5.8 million by 2025. Average population density in 2004 was 101.5 persons per square mile (39.1 persons per square kilometer). The median age in 2004 was 37.5. In 2005, 13% of all residents were 65 or older while 24% were 18 or younger.

Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin, had a population of 578,887 in 2005. Other large cities, with their 2005 populations were Madison, 221,551; and Green Bay, 101,203.

7 Ethnic Groups

According to the 2000 census, the black American population was 304,460 residents, or about 5.7% of the state total. The Asian population was 88,763, including 33,791 Hmong, 11,184 Chinese, 6,800 Koreans, 5,158 Filipinos, and 4,469 Laotians. Pacific Islanders numbered 1,630. There were 192,921 Hispanics and Latinos of whom 126,719 were of Mexican ancestry and 30,267 of Puerto Rican descent. Wisconsin had an estimated 47,228 Native Americans in 2000. The principal tribes were Oneida, Menominee, Ojibwa (Chippewa), and Winnebago. In 2006, Hispanics and Latinos represented 4.5% of the total population, while blacks represented 5.7% and Asians 2.0%. In 2000, foreign-born residents numbered 193,751 (3.6% of the total population).

8 Languages

Wisconsin English is almost entirely Northern, similar to the areas that provided Wisconsin’s first settlers—Michigan, northern Ohio, New York State, and western New England. Common terms include the Northern pail, and angleworm (earthworm). In Milwaukee, a drinking fountain is called a bubbler.

In 2000, 92.7% of the state population five years old and older spoke only English in the home. Other languages spoken at home and the number of speakers included Spanish, 168,778; German, 48,409; Miao/Hmong, 30,569; French, 14,970; and Polish, 12,097.

9 Religions

The first Catholics to arrive were Jesuit missionaries seeking to convert the Huron Native Americans in the 17th century. Protestant settlers and missionaries of different sects, including large numbers of German Lutherans, came during the 19th century, along with Protestants from the east. Jews settled primarily in the cities.

In 2004, there were 1,658,478 Roman Catholics in Wisconsin. Lutherans made up the largest Protestant group in 2000, though they were divided in denominations. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America had 463,432 adherents; the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod also have significant numbers. Other leading Protestant groups included the United Methodists, with 95,589 members in 2004, and the United Church of Christ, with 62,521 members in 2005. There were an estimated 28,230 Jews in 2000, primarily in the Milwaukee area. The Muslim population had about 7,796 members. Over 2.1 million people (about 39% of the population) were not counted as members of any religious organization.

10 Transportation

In 2003, there were just 10 railroads operating on 4,167 rail miles (6,708 kilometers) of track. Amtrak provides passenger rail service to 10 stations in Wisconsin.

As of 2004, Wisconsin had 113,699 miles (183,055 kilometers) of public roadway. Wisconsin had 3,910,188 licensed drivers and approximately 4,868,000 registered vehicles (2,575,000 automobiles and 2,051,000 trucks).

Public transit includes large bus systems in Milwaukee and Madison. In the mid-1990s, Milwaukee County Transit System transported more than 60 million passengers annually, and Madison Metro annually transported more than 9.9 million passengers.

The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 allowed oceangoing vessels access to Wisconsin via the Great Lakes. Overall, the state has 15 cargo-handling ports. The port of Superior (shared with Duluth, Minnesota) on Lake Superior is the busiest of all US Great Lakes ports. Other important Wisconsin ports, all on Lake Michigan, are Milwaukee, Green Bay, Port Washington, Oak Creek, Manitowoc, and Sturgeon Bay; coal is the chief commodity. On the Mississippi River, Prairie du Chien and La Crosse are the main ports. Ferry service across Lake Michigan is offered from Manitowoc to Ludington, Michigan.

As of 2005, Wisconsin had 459 airports. Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport is the state’s main air terminal.

11 History

During the 17th century, the Ojibwa, Sauk, Fox, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, and other tribes came to the area that is now Wisconsin. These tribes engaged in agriculture, hunting, and fishing, but with the arrival of Europeans became increasingly dependent on the fur trade. The first European believed to have reached Wisconsin was the Frenchman Jean Nicolet, who in 1634 landed on the shores of Green Bay. After 1673, Jesuits established missions, and French fur traders opened up posts. The French were succeeded by the British after the French and Indian War. Although ceded to the United States in 1783, the region remained British in all but name until 1816, when the United States built forts at Prairie du Chien and Green Bay.

Under the Ordinance of 1787, Wisconsin became part of the Northwest Territory; it was subsequently included in the Indiana Territory, the Territory of Illinois, and then the Michigan Territory. The Wisconsin Territory was formed in 1836. In the 1830s, the region’s population and economy began to expand rapidly. Wisconsin voters endorsed statehood in 1846, and on 29 May 1848, President James K. Polk signed the bill that made Wisconsin the 30th state.

Wisconsinites took a generally abolitionist stand. In the Civil War, 96,000 Wisconsin men fought on the Union side, and 12,216 died. During the late 19th century, Wisconsin was generally prosperous; dairy products, food processing, and lumbering emerged as major industries, and Milwaukee grew into an important industrial center.

20th Century Under Republican governor Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette in the early

20th century, the legislature passed a law providing for the nation’s first direct statewide primary. Other La Follette measures included increased taxation of railroads, regulation of lobbyists, creation of a civil service, and the establishment of a railroad commission to regulate rates.

After La Follette left the governor’s office to become a US senator, his progressivism was carried on by his Republican successors. During one session in 1911, legislators enacted the first state income tax in the United States and one of the first workers’ compensation programs.

Between the world wars, Wisconsin’s tradition of reform continued. A pioneering oldage pension act was passed in 1925; seven years later, Wisconsin enacted the nation’s first unemployment compensation act. In the 1930s, La Follette’s son, Philip, serving as governor, successfully pressed for the creation of state agencies to develop electric power, arbitrate labor disputes, and set rules for fair business competition. His so-called Little New Deal corresponded to the New Deal policies of the Roosevelt administration.

After World War II, the state continued a trend toward increased urbanization, and its industries prospered. The major figure on the national scene in the postwar era was Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, who began unsubstantiated attacks in 1950 on alleged Communists and other subversives in the federal government. After McCarthy’s censure by the US Senate in 1954 and his death in 1957, the progressive tradition began to recover strength, and the liberal Democratic Party grew increasingly influential in state politics.

There was student unrest at the University of Wisconsin during the 1960s and early 1970s, and growing discontent among Milwaukee’s black population. In 1984, the Milwaukee school board filed suit in federal court against the state and Milwaukee’s suburbs, charging that the policies of the state and suburban schools had resulted in an unconstitutionally segregated school system. Two years later, the Milwaukee School Board and nine suburban districts agreed on a plan in which 2,700 city minority students would transfer voluntarily to the nine suburbs, and 9,000 to 10,000 suburban students would attend Milwaukee schools.

Wisconsin’s economy remained stable through the 1980s and 1990s. In 1993, the Mississippi River flooded, causing four deaths and an estimated $900 million in damage in 47 Wisconsin counties.

In 2002, Jim Doyle became the first Democratic governor to be elected in Wisconsin in 16 years. He advocated abortion rights, gun control, and environmental protection, and was at odds with the Republican-controlled state legislature

Wisconsin Governors: 1848–2007

1848–1852	Nelson Dewey	Democrat
1852–1854	Leonard James Farwell	Whig
1854–1856	William Augustus Barstow	Democrat
1856	Arthur MacArthur	Democrat
1856–1858	Coles Bashford	Republican
1858–1862	Alexander Williams Randall	Republican
1862	Louis Powell Harvey	Republican
1862–1864	Edward P. Salomon	Republican
1864–1866	James Taylor Lewis	Republican
1866–1872	Lucius Fairchild	Republican
1872–1874	Cadwallader Colden Washburn	Republican
1874–1876	William Robert Taylor	Democrat
1876–1878	Harrison Ludington	Republican
1878–1882	William E. Smith	Republican
1882–1889	Jeremiah McLain Rusk	Republican
1889–1891	William Dempster Hoard	Republican
1891–1895	George Wilbur Peck	Democrat
1895–1897	William Henry Upham	Republican
1897–1901	Edward Scofield	Republican
1901–1906	Robert Marion LaFollette	Republican
1906–1911	James Ole Davidson	Republican
1911–1915	Francis Edward McGovern	Republican
1915–1921	Emanuel Lorenz Philipp	Republican
1921–1926	John James Blaine	Republican
1927–1929	Fred R. Zimmerman	Republican
1929–1931	Walter Jodok Kohler, Sr.	Republican
1931–1933	Philip Fox LaFollette	Republican
1933–1935	Albert George Schmedeman	Democrat
1935–1939	Philip Fox LaFollette	Progressive
1939–1943	Julius Peter Heil	Republican
1943–1947	Walter Samuel Goodland	Republican
1947–1951	Oscar Rennebohm	Republican
1951–1957	Walter Jodok Kohler, Jr.	Republican
1957–1959	Vernon Wallace Thompson	Republican
1959–1963	Gaylord Anton Nelson	Democrat
1963–1965	John Whitcome Reynolds	Democrat
1965–1971	Warren Perley Knowles	Republican
1971–1977	Patrick Joseph Lucey	Democrat
1977–1979	Martin James Schreiber	Democrat
1979–1983	Lee Sherman Dreyfus	Republican
1983–1987	Anthony Scully Earl	Democrat
1987–2001	Tommy George Thompson	Republican
2001–2003	Scott McCallum	Republican
2003–	Jim Doyle	Democrat

over issues of state spending on education and health care, and on raising taxes. Although Wisconsin faced a $3.2 billion two-year budget deficit in 2003, Doyle subsequently managed to balance the budget, while holding the line on taxes, and as a result, state taxes as a percentage of income were by 2005 the lowest in 34 years in the state.

12 State Government

The Wisconsin legislature consists of a senate with 33 members elected for four-year terms, and an assembly of 99 representatives elected for two-year terms. There are six elected state officers: governor and lieutenant governor (elected jointly), secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction. As the chief executive officer, the governor exercises authority by the power of appointment, by presenting a budget bill and major addresses to the legislature, and by the power to veto bills and call special legislative sessions.

A bill may be introduced in either house of the legislature but must be passed by both houses to become law. The governor has six days (Sundays excluded) to sign or veto a measure. If the governor fails to act and the legislature is still in session, the bill automatically becomes law. Vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds majority of both houses.

The legislative salary as of December 2004 was $45,569 and the governor’s salary was $131,768.

13 Political Parties

Beginning in the late 1850s, the newly founded Republican Party held sway for over 100 years. More recently, the Democrats held a substantial

Wisconsin Presidential Vote by Political Party, 1948–2004

YEAR	WISCONSIN WINNER	DEMOCRAT	REPUBLICAN	PROGRESSIVE	SOCIALIST	SOC. WORKERS	SOCIALIST LABOR
*Won US presidential election.
**Listed as Constitution Party on Wisconsin ballot.
1948	*Truman (D)	647,310	590,959	25,282	12,547	—	399
1952	*Eisenhower (R)	622,175	979,744	2,174	1,157	1,350	770
				CONSTITUTION
1956	*Eisenhower (R)	586,768	954,844	6,918	754	564	710
1960	Nixon (R)	830,805	895,175	—	—	1,792	1,310
1964	*Johnson (D)	1,050,424	638,495	—	—	1,692	1,204
1968	*Nixon (R)	748,804	809,997	—	—	1,222	1,338
				AMERICAN IND.	AMERICAN
1972	*Nixon (R)	810,174	989,430	127,835	47,525	—	998
					SOCIALIST		LIBERTARIAN
1976	*Carter (D)	1,040,232	1,004,967	8,552	4,298	1,691	3,814
						CITIZENS
1980	*Reagan (R)	981,584	1,088,845	**1,519	—	7,767	29,135
1984	*Reagan (R)	995,740	1,198,584	—	—	—	4,883
				POPULIST SOC. WORKERS	N. ALLIANCE
1988	Dukakis (D)	1,126,794	1,047,499	3,056	2,574	1,953	5,157
					IND. (PEROT)	TAXPAYERS
1992	*Clinton (D)	1,041,066	930,855	2,311	544,479	1,772	2,877
						NADER
1996	*Clinton (D)	1,071,971	845,029	—	227,339	28,723	7,929
					REFORM		LIBERTARIAN
2000	Gore (D)	1,242,987	1,237,279	94,070	11,446	306	6,640
2004	Kerry (D)	1,489,504	1,478,120	—	—	6,464	—

edge at the state level in the 1970s and 1980s. Socialist parties have won some success in Wisconsin’s political history. In 1910, Emil Seidel was elected mayor of Milwaukee, becoming the first Socialist mayor of a major US city; and Victor Berger became the first Socialist ever elected to Congress.

Democratic candidate Al Gore won 48% of the vote in the 2000 presidential election, although Republican George W. Bush also received 48%. Gore won by a narrow margin (5,396 votes). In 2004, Democratic challenger John Kerry won 49.8% of the vote to incumbent President Bush’s 49.4%.

Wisconsin’s US Senators, both Democrats, are Russell Feingold, reelected in 2004, and Herbert Kohl, reelected in 2006. Wisconsin’s US Representatives consist of three Republicans and five Democrats. Following the 2006 elections, there were 15 Republicans and 18 Democrats in the state senate, and 46 Democrats and 53 Republicans in the state assembly. Thirty-four women were elected to the state legislature in 2006, or 25.8%. Wisconsin’s former Republican governor, Tommy Thompson, who was reelected to an unprecedented fourth four-year term in 1998, was named President George W. Bush’s Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2001. Democrat Jim Doyle was elected governor in 2002 and reelected in 2006.

14 Local Government

Wisconsin has 72 counties, 585 city and village governments, 1,265 townships, and 431 school districts. Each county is governed by a board of supervisors. Some counties, including Milwaukee County, have elected county executives. Other county officials include district attorneys, sheriffs, clerks, treasurers, and coroners. Most cities are governed by a mayor-council system. Executive power in a village is vested in an elected president, who presides over an elected board but has no veto power. Wisconsin towns are generally governed by a board of supervisors.

15 Judicial System

The judicial branch is headed by a supreme court consisting of seven justices. The supreme court, which is the final authority on state constitutional questions, hears appeals at its own discretion and has original jurisdiction in limited areas. The state’s next highest court is the court of appeals, whose decisions may be reviewed by the supreme court. Circuit courts are Wisconsin’s trial courts and have original jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases. Wisconsin’s 200 municipal courts have jurisdiction over violations of local ordinances.

Wisconsin’s violent crime rate (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) in 2004 was 209.6 reported incidents per 100,000 population. Crimes against property (burglary, larceny/ theft, and motor vehicle theft) totaled 2,663.1 reported incidents per 100,000 people. Inmates in federal and state prisons totaled 22,966 as of 31 December 2004. Wisconsin does not have a death penalty.

16 Migration

Until the early 19th century, Wisconsin was inhabited mainly by Native Americans. In the 1820s, southerners began to arrive from the lower Mississippi and in the 1830s easterners poured in from New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New England. Foreign immigrants began arriving in the 1820s, either directly from Europe or after temporary settlement in eastern states. Most of the early immigrants were from Ireland and England. Germans also came in large numbers, especially after the Revolution of 1848, and by 1860 they were predominant in the immigrant population. The state soon became a patchwork of ethnic communities—Germans in the counties near Lake Michigan, Norwegians in southern and western Wisconsin, Dutch in the lower Fox Valley and near Sheboygan, and other groups in other regions.

After the Civil War, and especially in the 1880s, immigration reached new heights with Wisconsin receiving a large share of Germans and Scandinavians. The proportion of Germans declined, however, as new immigrants arrived from Finland, Russia and from southern and eastern Europe, especially Poland, before World War I.

Between 1990 and 1998, Wisconsin had net gains of 84,000 in domestic migration and 21,000 in international migration. In the period 2000–05, net international migration was 46,106, and net internal migration was 14,595, for a net gain of 60,701 people.

17 Economy

Although farming (especially dairy) remains important, manufacturing is the mainstay of today’s economy. Wisconsin’s industries are diversified, with nonelectrical machinery and food products as the leading items. Other important industries are paper and pulp products, transportation equipment, electrical and electronic equipment, and fabricated metals. Economic growth has been concentrated in the southeast. There, soils and climate are favorable for agriculture; a skilled labor force is available to industry; and capital, transportation, and markets are most readily accessible.

As happened to the nation at large, Wisconsin in 1981–82 experienced the worst economic slump since the Great Depression. Manufacturing was hit hard, and the loss of jobs in this area was seen to be permanent. Nevertheless, manufacturing remains Wisconsin’s main economic activity. The strongest growth during 1997 to 2001, however, was in various categories of services. The diversity of Wisconsin’s economy moderated the impact of the national recession that began in 2001. By the end of 2002, the rebound of employment in the state was outpacing that of the nation overall.

In 2004, Wisconsin’s gross state product (GSP) was $211.6 billion, of which manufacturing accounted for $47.68 billion (22.5% of GSP), followed by the real estate sector, at $23.78 billion (11.2% of GSP), and health care and social assistance ($16.97 billion, or 8% of GSP).

18 Income

In 2004, Wisconsin ranked 22nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with a per capita (per person) income of $32,166. In 2005, the gross state product (GSP) was $218 billion, 19th highest in the nation. The median annual household income for 2002–04 was $47,220 compared to the national average of $44,473. For the same period, 10.2% of the state’s residents lived below the federal poverty level, as compared with 12.4% nationwide.

19 Industry

The total value of shipments by manufacturers was $136.67 billion in 2004. Of that total, food products (especially cheese, meat, and canned fruits and vegetables), industrial machinery and equipment, paper and allied products, and transportation equipment were most important.

Industrial activity is concentrated in the southeast, especially in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Major corporations based in Milwaukee include Johnson Controls and Rockwell Automation–Allen-Bradley, makers of electric and electronic components; and Harley-Davidson, best known for its touring and custom motorcycles. In September 2003 over 250,000 motorcycle enthusiasts gathered in Milwaukee to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson.

20 Labor

In April 2006, the civilian labor force in Wisconsin numbered 3,079,600, with approximately 147,200 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 4.8%, compared to

the national average of 4.7%. As of that date, 4.7% of the labor force was employed in construction; 17.6% in manufacturing; 18.9% in trade, transportation, and public utilities; 5.5% in financial activities; 9.3% in professional and business services; 13.7% in education and health services; 9.2% in leisure and hospitality services; and 14.3% in government.

Labor began to organize in the state after the Civil War. The Knights of St. Crispin, a shoemakers union, grew into what was at that time the nation’s largest union, before it collapsed during the Panic of 1873. In 1887, unions of printers, cigarmakers, and iron molders organized the Milwaukee Federated Trades Council and in 1893 the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor was formed. A statewide union for public employees was established in 1932.

In 2005, 410,000 of Wisconsin’s 3,551,000 employed wage and salary workers were members of unions, representing 16.1% of those so employed. The national average was 12%.

21 Agriculture

Farm marketings in 2005 amounted to $6.6 billion, 10th among the 50 states. In 2004, Wisconsin led the United States in the production of snap beans for processing, cranberries, beets for canning, corn for silage, and cabbage for kraut. It also ranked third for oat production and sweet corn for processing, peas, and carrots for processing, fourth in oats and fall potatoes, fifth in tart cherries, seventh in alfalfa hay, and ninth in corn for grain.

In 2004, there were 15.5 million acres (6.3 million hectares) of land in farms, nearly 50% of the total land area, distributed among 76,500 farms. Farmland is concentrated in the southern two-thirds of the state, especially in the southeast. Potatoes are grown mainly in central Wisconsin, cranberries in the Wisconsin River Valley, and cherries in the Door Peninsula.

Leading field crops in 2004 were corn for grain, oats, wheat, and barley. Wisconsin farmers produced for processing 511,220,000 hundredweight of sweet corn, 322,640 tons of snap beans, 54,500 tons of green peas, 3,480,000 barrels of cranberries, 6.7 tons of tart cherries, and 302,000 pounds (137,000 kilograms) of spearmint and peppermint for oil. Some 30,180 tons of cucumber pickles and 630,000 hundred-weight of cabbage were produced in 2004.

22 Domesticated Animals

Aided by the skills of immigrant cheesemakers and by the encouragement of dairy farmers who emigrated from New York, Wisconsin turned to dairying in the late 19th century. In 2003, Wisconsin ranked second (after California) in the number of milk cows with 1.26 million milk cows which produced over 22.2 billion pounds (10 billion kilograms) of milk. Dairy farms are prominent in nearly all regions, but especially in the Central Plains and Western Uplands. Wisconsin ranchers also raise livestock for meat production.

In 2005, the state had 3.35 million cattle and calves, valued at $4 billion. During 2004, Wisconsin farms had about 430,000 hogs and pigs, valued at $38.7 million. Poultry farmers sold 12.3 million pounds (5.6 million kilograms) of chicken in 2003. Also during 2003, there were 1.1 billion eggs produced, valued at $55.6 million.

23 Fishing

In 2004, Wisconsin ranked third among the Great Lakes states in the quantity and value of its commercial fishing, with 3.9 million pounds (1.8 million kilograms) valued at $3.1 million. In 2001, the commercial fishing fleet had 18 boats and 78 vessels. Walleye, perch, and lake trout are primary Great Lakes fish species.

The muskellunge is the premier game fish of Wisconsin’s inland waters; Coho and chinook salmon, introduced to Lake Michigan, now thrive there as well. The largest concentration of lake sturgeon in the United States is in Lake Winnebago. In 2004, the state issued 1,391,173 fishing licenses. There are 16 state fish hatcheries and 2 national hatcheries in the state.

24 Forestry

In 2004, Wisconsin had 15,965,000 acres (6,461,000 hectares) of forest, covering 46% of the state’s land area. About 70% of all forestlands are privately owned. Hardwoods make up about 80% of the sawtimber. The most heavily forested region is in the north. In 2004, lumber production totaled 539 million board feet.

Wisconsin’s woods have recreational as well as commercial value. Two national forests (Chequamegon and Nicolet), both located in northern Wisconsin, cover 1,527,300 acres (618,098 hectares). The 10 state forests cover 471,329 acres (190,741 hectares). Forest management and fire control programs are directed by the Department of Natural Resources. The US Forest Service operates a Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin.

25 Mining

In 2003, the estimated value of nonfuel mineral commodities produced in Wisconsin was $4058 million. Crushed stone and construction sand and gravel were the leading mineral commodities produced in Wisconsin. They were followed by lime, industrial sand and gravel, and dimension stone. In 2003Wisconsin was fourth nationally in dimension stone, fifth in peat and industrial sand and gravel, and eighth in construction sand and gravel.

26 Energy and Power

The state’s first hydroelectric plant was built at Appleton in 1882. Many others were built later, especially along the Wisconsin River. Because Wisconsin itself has no coal, oil, or natural gas resources, the state has been active in developing alternative energy resources to increase its energy independence. Biomass energy is being developed for the production of ethanol and waste wood is being used for utility generation and as fuel in industrial processes. Hydropower is a significant source of electricity generation in the paper industry and for electric utility generation.

In 2003, electric generating capacity totaled 14.3 million kilowatts and total production was 60.1 billion kilowatt hours. Of Wisconsin’s power generation in 2003, 69.4% came from coal, 20.3% from nuclear energy, and the remainder from oil, gas, hydroelectric, and other sources. The state has two nuclear power stations: Point Beach, operated by Wisconsin Electric Power Company; and the Kewaunee plant, operated by the Wisconsin Public Service Company. In 2000, Wisconsin’s total per capita energy consumption was 333 million Btu (83.9 million kilocalories), ranking it 29th among the 50 states.

27 Commerce

Wholesale sales totaled $68.5 billion in2002; retail sales were $59.9 billion in the same year. Wisconsin exported about $14.9 billion in goods (18th in the United States) in 2005. Foreign trade is conducted through the Great Lakes ports of Superior-Duluth, Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Kenosha.

28 Public Finance

Budget estimates are prepared by various departments and sent to the governor or governor-elect in the fall of each even-numbered year. The following January, the governor presents a biennial budget to the legislature, which passes a budget bill, often after many amendments. The fiscal year begins 1 July and ends June 30.

Total revenues for 2004 were $34.75 billion and expenditures were $28.57 billion. The highest general expenditures were for education ($9.0 billion), public welfare ($5.9 billion), and highways ($1.67 billion). State debt exceeded $17.7 billion, or $3,220.81 per capita (per person).

29 Taxation

The largest single source of state revenue is the income tax on individuals. Most local tax revenue comes from property taxes and most of that goes for education. Personal income tax rates on net taxable income range from 4.6% to 6.75%. The corporate tax rate is 7.9% of net income. The general sales tax is 5%. Other state taxes are those on gasoline, cigarettes, liquor, wine, beer, motor vehicles, insurance companies, estates, real estate transfers, and public utilities.

The state collected $13.45 billion in taxes in 2005, of which 40.6% came from individual income taxes, 30% came from the general sales tax, 15.2% from selective sales taxes, 5.8% from corporate income taxes, 0.8% from property taxes, and 7.4% from other taxes. In 2005, Wisconsin ranked 13th among the states in terms of state and local tax burden, at $2,430 per capita (per person). The national average was $2,192 per capita.

30 Health

In October 2005, Wisconsin’s infant mortality rate was 6.4 per 1,000 live births. The overall death rate was 8.4 per 1,000 population. Leading causes of death in 2002 were heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular diseases. Among Wisconsin adults 18 years of age and older, 21.9% were regular smokers in 2004. The HIV mortality rate in 2002 was 1.4 per 100,000 population.

Wisconsin’s 121 community hospitals had about 14,800 beds in 2003. The average expense for community hospital care was $1,282 per inpatient day in 2003. In 2004, there were 262 doctors per 100,000 residents, and 856 nurses per 100,000 residents in 2005. In 2004, approximately 11% of Wisconsin’s residents were uninsured.

Medical degrees are granted by the University of Wisconsin at Madison and by the Medical College of Wisconsin (formerly part of Marquette University).

31 Housing

In 2004, there were an estimated 2,463,802 housing units, 2,172,924 of which were occupied; 69.9% were owner-occupied. About 65.2% of all units were single-family, detached homes. Rural areas had a higher proportion of deficient housing than urban areas, and substandard conditions were three times as common in units built before 1939, which account for about 21% of the existing housing stock. In 2004, utility gas was the most common energy source for heating. It was estimated that 97,491 units lacked telephone service, 9,105 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 9,348 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.46 people.

In 2004, 40,000 new privately owned housing units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $137,727. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $1,155, while renters paid a median of $609 per month.

32 Education

The first kindergarten in the state was established in Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1856. As of 2004, 88.8% of all Wisconsinites 25 years or older had completed high school; some 25.6% had obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Total public school enrollment was estimated at 881,000 in fall 2002 but is expected to drop to 847,000 by fall 2014. Expenditures for public education in 2003/04 were estimated at $9 billion. Enrollment in private schools in fall 2003 was 134,474.

As of fall 2002, there were 329,443 students enrolled in college or graduate school. In 2005, Wisconsin had 68 degree-granting institutions. The University of Wisconsin (UW) system is comprised of 13 degree-granting campuses, 13 two-year centers, and the University of Wisconsin-Extension, which has outreach and continuing education activities on all 26 UW campuses and in all 72 Wisconsin counties. The 11 other universities are Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Parkside (at Kenosha-Racine), Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Stout (at Menomonie), Superior, and Whitewater. There were 35 private four-year institutions in 2005, including such leading institutions as Marquette University, Lawrence University, Ripon College, and Beloit College. Wisconsin also has a system of technical colleges.

33 Arts

Wisconsin offers numerous facilities for drama, music, and other performing arts, including Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in Milwaukee and the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Milwaukee has a repertory theater and there are many other theater groups around the state. Summer plays are performed at an unusual garden theater at Fish Creek in the Door Peninsula. There is also an annual music festival at that site.

The Pro Arte String Quartet in Madison and the Fine Arts Quartet in Milwaukee have been sponsored by the University of Wisconsin, which has also supported many other musical activities.

Milwaukee is the home of the Great Lakes Opera Company, the Milwaukee Ballet Company, and the Milwaukee Symphony. Madison is home to the Madison Symphony, the Madison Opera, and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

The Wisconsin Arts Board aids artists and performing groups and assists communities in developing arts programs. The Wisconsin Humanities Council was founded in 1972.

34 Libraries and Museums

In 2001, the state library system had a total of over 18.6 million volumes and circulation of more than 49.7 million. The Milwaukee Public Library, founded in 1878, and the Madison Public Library were two of the largest regional systems. The largest academic library is that of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The best known special library is that of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin at Madison, with 3.6 million books and numerous government publications and documents.

In 2000, Wisconsin had 208 museums and historical sites. The State Historical Society maintains a historical museum in Madison and other historical sites and museums around the state. The Milwaukee Public Museum contains collections on history, natural history, and art. The Milwaukee Art Center and the Madison Art Center have large collections of the visual arts. Other leading art museums include the Elvehjem Museum of Art in Madison and the Theodore Lyman Wright Art Center at Beloit College.

The Circus World Museum at Baraboo occupies the site of the original Ringling Brothers Circus. Other museums of special interest include the Dard Hunter Paper Museum (Appleton), the National Railroad Museum (Green Bay), and the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame. More than 500 species of animals are on exhibit at the Milwaukee County Zoological Park; Madison and Racine also have zoos. Historical sites are Old World Wisconsin, an outdoor ethnic museum near Eagle, and the Taliesin estate of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, in Spring Green.

35 Communications

In 2004, about 95.5% of the state’s households had telephones. In addition, by June of that year, there were 2,831,645 mobile telephone subscribers. In 2003, 63.8% of Wisconsin households had a computer, and 57.4% had Internet access. In 2005, there were 34 major AM and 99 major FM radio stations. The state also had 28 major television stations.

36 Press

Founded in 1882 by Lucius Nieman, the Milwaukee Journal (now known as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) won a Pulitzer Prize in 1919 for distinguished public service and remains the state’s largest selling and most influential newspaper. Employee-owned since 1937, in late 2003, Journal Communications, the Milwaukee Journal’s parent company went public.

In 2005, Wisconsin had 11 morning papers, 24 evening papers, and 18 Sunday papers. The leading papers, with their 2005 daily circulations, were the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (227,387 daily, 435,127 Sunday), the Wisconsin State Journal (101,639 daily, 152,943 Sunday), and the Green Bay Press-Gazette (68,944 daily, 83,395 Sunday). As of 2005, there were more 223 weekly newspapers, as well as some 300 periodicals directed to a wide variety of special interests.

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

Wisconsin had estimated tourism revenues of $11.7 billion in 2004. The tourism industry directly and indirectly supports 309,000 jobs in the state.

The state has ample scenic attractions and outdoor recreational opportunities. In addition to the famous Wisconsin Dells gorge, visitors are attracted to the Cave of the Mounds at Blue Mounds, the sandstone cliffs along the Mississippi River, the lakes and forests of the Rhinelander and Minocqua areas in the north, and Lake Geneva, a resort, in the south.

There are three national parks in Wisconsin: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, on Lake Superior, and the St. Croix and Lower St. Croix scenic riverways. There are 48 state parks, covering 65,483 acres (26,193 hectares).

38 Sports

Wisconsin has three major league teams: the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball, the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League, and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. There are also numerous minor league baseball, basketball, and hockey teams in the state.

The University of Wisconsin Badgers compete in the Big Ten Conference. Badger ice hockey teams have won the National Collegiate

Athletic Association (NCAA) championship six times. In football, they won the Rose Bowl in 1994, 1999, and 2000. The basketball team from Marquette University in Milwaukee advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 2003.

Other annual sporting events include ski jumping tournaments in Iola, Middleton, and Wetsby; the World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River in January; the American Birkebeiner Cross-Country Race at Cable and Hayward in February; and the Great Wisconsin Dells Balloon Race in the Dells. Milwaukee is the site of the Greater Milwaukee Open in professional golf. Famous athletes native to Wisconsin include speedskaters Eric Heiden and Christine Witty and football legend Elroy (Crazy Legs) Hirsch.

39 Famous Wisconsinites

Wisconsinites who have won prominence as federal judicial or executive officers include Jeremiah Rusk (b.Ohio, 1830–1893), a Wisconsin governor selected as the first head of the Agriculture Department in 1889; Melvin Laird (b.Nebraska, 1922–1992), a congressman who served as secretary of defense from 1969–73; and William Rehnquist (1924–2005), named to the Supreme Court in 1971 and the 16th Chief Justice from 1986–2005.

Joseph R. McCarthy (1908–1957) won attention in the Senate and throughout the nation for his anti-Communist crusade. William Proxmire (b.Illinois, 1915–2005), a Democrat, succeeded McCarthy in the Senate and eventually chaired the powerful Senate Banking Committee.

Wisconsin was the birthplace of several Nobel Prize winners, including Herbert S. Gasser (1888–1963), who shared a 1944 Nobel Prize for research into nerve impulses; John Bardeen (1908–1991), who shared the physics award in 1956 for his contribution to the development of the transistor; and Herbert A. Simon (1916–2001), who won the 1978 prize in economics.

Thornton Wilder (1897–1975), a novelist and playwright best known for The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927), Our Town (1938), and The Skin of Our Teeth (1942)—each of which won a Pulitzer Prize, heads the list of literary figures born in the state. Hamlin Garland (1860–1940), a novelist and essayist was also a native, as was the poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850–1919). The novelist Edna Ferber (b.Michigan, 1887–1968) spent her early life in the state.

Wisconsin is the birthplace of architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1869–1959) and the site of his famous Taliesin estate (Spring Green). The artist Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) was born in Sun Prairie.

Wisconsin natives who have distinguished themselves in the performing arts include Spencer Tracy (1900–1967) and Orson Welles (1915–1985). Magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (Ehrich Weiss, b.Hungary, 1874–1926) was raised in the state.

Speed-skater Eric Heiden (b.1958), a five-time Olympic gold medalist in 1980, is another Wisconsin native.