isconsinFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis article is about the state. For the river, see Wisconsin River. See also Wisconsin (disambiguation) and WI (disambiguation).State of WisconsinFlag of Wisconsin State seal of WisconsinFlag SealNickname(s): Badger State; America's Dairyland[1][2][3][4] (No official nickname)[5]Motto(s): ForwardMap of the United States with Wisconsin highlightedOfficial language English (de facto), GermanDemonym WisconsiniteCapital MadisonLargest city MilwaukeeLargest metro Milwaukee metropolitan areaArea Ranked 23rd Total 65,497.82 sq mi(169,639 km2) Width 260 miles (420 km) Length 310 miles (500 km) % water 17 Latitude 42?30' N to 47?05' N Longitude 86?46' W to 92?53' WPopulation Ranked 20th Total 5,757,564 (2014 est)[6] Density 105/sq mi (40.6/km2)Ranked 23rd Median household income $47,220 (15th)Elevation Highest point Timms Hill[7][8]1,951 ft (595 m) Mean 1,050 ft (320 m) Lowest point Lake Michigan[7][8]579 ft (176 m)Before statehood Wisconsin TerritoryAdmission to Union May 29, 1848 (30th)Governor Scott Walker (R)Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch (R)Legislature Wisconsin Legislature Upper house Senate Lower house State AssemblyU.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R)Tammy Baldwin (D)U.S. House delegation 5 Republicans, 3 Democrats (list)Time zone Central: UTC -6/-5ISO 3166 US-WIAbbreviations WI, Wis.Website www.wisconsin.gov[show]Wisconsin state symbolsWisconsin (Listeni/w?s'k?ns?n/) is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state by total area and the 20th most populous. The state capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee, which is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The state is divided into 72 counties.Wisconsin's geography is diverse, with the Northern Highland and Western Upland along with a part of the Central Plain occupying the western part of the state and lowlands stretching to the shore of Lake Michigan. Wisconsin is second to Michigan in the length of its Great Lakes coastline.Wisconsin is known as "America's Dairyland" because it is one of the nation's leading dairy producers, particularly famous for cheese. Manufacturing, especially paper products, information technology (IT), and tourism are also major contributors to the state's economy.Contents [hide] 1 Etymology2 History3 Geography3.1 Climate4 Demographics4.1 Ethnicity4.2 Religion4.3 Crime5 Government5.1 Executive5.2 Legislative5.3 Judicial5.4 Federal5.5 Taxes5.6 International Relations6 Politics6.1 National politics6.2 Lawmakers in Wisconsin6.3 Socialism in Wisconsin politics6.4 Pivotal votes in Wisconsin6.5 Swing to the Right7 Economy7.1 Agriculture7.2 Manufacturing7.3 Consumer goods7.4 Tourism7.5 Film industry7.6 Energy8 Transportation9 Important municipalities10 Education11 Culture11.1 Art11.2 Music11.3 Alcohol and Wisconsin culture12 Recreation13 Sports14 Notable people15 See also16 References17 Further reading18 External linksEtymology[edit]The word Wisconsin originates from the name given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian-speaking American Indian groups living in the region at the time of European contact.[10] French explorer Jacques Marquette was the first European to reach the Wisconsin