These early inhabitants, called Paleo-Indians, hunted now-extinct ice age animals such as the Boaz mastodon, a prehistoric mastodon skeleton unearthed along with spear points in southwest Wisconsin. The first people arrived around 10,000 BCE during the Wisconsin Glaciation. Wisconsin has been home to a wide variety of cultures over the past 14,000 years. Main article: History of Wisconsin Early history Wisconsin in 1718, Guillaume de L'Isle map, with the approximate state area highlighted

Other theories include claims that the name originated from one of a variety of Ojibwa words meaning ' red stone place ', ' where the waters gather ', or ' great rock '. One leading theory holds that the name originated from the Miami word Meskonsing, meaning ' it lies red ', a reference to the setting of the Wisconsin River as it flows through the reddish sandstone of the Wisconsin Dells. While interpretations vary, most implicate the river and the red sandstone that lines its banks. The Algonquian word for Wisconsin and its original meaning have both grown obscure. The legislature of Wisconsin Territory made the current spelling official in 1845. English speakers anglicized the spelling from Ouisconsin to Wisconsin when they began to arrive in large numbers during the early 19th century. Subsequent French writers changed the spelling from Meskousing to Ouisconsin, and over time this became the name for both the Wisconsin River and the surrounding lands. The French explorer Jacques Marquette was the first European to reach the Wisconsin River, arriving in 1673 and calling the river Meskousing (likely ᒣᔅᑯᐤᓯᣙ meskowsin) in his journal. The word Wisconsin originates from the name given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian-speaking Native American groups living in the region at the time of European colonization. The gross domestic product in 2020 was $348 billion. Tourism is also a major contributor to the state's economy. Its economy is dominated by manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and agriculture-specifically dairy, cranberries, and ginseng. Wisconsin has some of the most permissive alcohol laws in the country and is well known for its drinking culture. The state is also famous for its beer, particularly and historically in Milwaukee, most notably as the headquarters of the Miller Brewing Company. Wisconsin is one of the nation's leading dairy producers and is known as 'America's Dairyland' it is particularly famous for its cheese. In more recent years, Wisconsin has been a battleground state in presidential elections, notably in 20. The Republican Party was founded in Wisconsin in 1854. Wisconsin is home to one UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising two of the most significant buildings designed by Wisconsin-born architect Frank Lloyd Wright: his studio at Taliesin near Spring Green and his Jacobs I House in Madison. Wisconsin remains a center of German American and Scandinavian American culture, particularly in respect to its cuisine, with foods such as bratwurst and kringle. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, many European settlers entered the state, most of whom emigrated from Germany and Scandinavia. At the time of European contact, the area was inhabited by Algonquian and Siouan nations, and today it is home to eleven federally recognized tribes. The northern portion of the state is home to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Wisconsin is third to Ontario and Michigan in the length of its Great Lakes coastline. The Northern Highland and Western Upland along with a part of the Central Plain occupy the western part of the state, with lowlands stretching to the shore of Lake Michigan. Wisconsin's geography is diverse, having been greatly impacted by glaciers during the Ice Age with the exception of the Driftless Area. Wisconsin is divided into 72 counties and as of the 2020 census had a population of nearly 5.9 million. The state capital, Madison, is currently the second-most-populated and fastest-growing city in the state. The largest city, Milwaukee, anchors its largest metropolitan area, followed by Green Bay and Kenosha, the third- and fourth-most-populated Wisconsin cities, respectively.

The bulk of Wisconsin's population live in areas situated along the shores of Lake Michigan. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by land area and the 20th-most populous. It borders 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 ( / w ɪ ˈ s k ɒ n s ɪ n/ ⓘ wiss- KON-sin) is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States.

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