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The State of Idaho is in the northwest portion of the United
States. It has a population of about 1.4 million and covers a land area of
84,000 square miles. Its nickname is “The Gem State” because of all of its
natural resources.
Idaho borders Washington and Oregon to the west, Nevada and Utah
to the South, Montana and Wyoming to the east, and Canada to the North, though
the border with Canada is less than 50 miles long. Hells Canyon, carved by the
Sanek River, is actually deeper than Arizona’s famed Grand Canyon.
Evidence uncovered in 1959 reveals that humans may have been
present in Idaho 14,500 years ago. The state was part of Oregon Country, and
was claimed by both the United States and Britain until 1846, when the U.S. got
undisputed control. In 1863, Idaho territory was created, and then achieved
statehood in 1890.
The state’s economy was originally based on mining and then
agriculture, but has recently shifted toward technology, with science and
technology contributing a quarter of the state’s total revenue. Still, Idaho is
famous for its potatoes, of which it produces about a third of the United
States’ crop. The state’s GDP in 2004 was $43.6 billion.
State income tax is between 1.6 and 7.8 percent, while the sales
tax is 5%.
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Fast Facts
State Sales Tax Rate:
5%
Nickname: The Gem State
State Seal: The seal features
Lady Justice, a miner, the state motto “Esto Perpetua”, and symbols recognizing
the states agriculture and timber industries, along with an elk.
2000 Population: 1,293,000
Rank: 39th
Land Area: 83,642 sq mi
State Borders: Washington,
Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Canada
Time Zones: Pacific,
Mountain
Largest Counties:
Population: Ada County,
301,000
Area: Idaho
County, 8,503 sq mi
Largest Cities by Population
(2005 est):
Boise - 193,000
Nampa - 72,000
Pocatello - 53,000
Climate:
Record high - 118° July
28, 1934
Record Low - -60° January
18, 1943
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