Title: Idaho Content: Idaho is a state in the northwestern United States, and was the 43rd state to join the union. Idaho became a state in 1890, and it is the 11th largest state in land area, and the 14th largest in total area (land and water). Despite this, the population of Idaho was estimated at only 1,787,065 by the United States Census Bureau in 2019, making it ranked the 39th largest state by population. Idaho is bordered by Washington and Oregon on the west, Montana and Wyoming on the east, Utah and Nevada on the south and the country of Canada (British Columbia) on the north side. Idaho is known for its vast mountainous landscapes, and it is literally covered from north to south by the Rocky Mountains. Idaho is also home to the massive Snake River, which comes from the Grand Tetons in Wyoming and eventually flows to meld with the Columbia River in Washington state. This river dissects Hell's Canyon, the deepest gorge in America, which lies the state's Oregon border, and flows through south central Idaho. This river provides a fertile plain which is the base for most of the state's agricultural industries, and the production of the potatoes for which Idaho is known. Idaho's state nickname is the "Gem State", despite also being known as the "Spud State", because of a man named George M. Willing who claimed it was derived from a Shoshone term. Idaho's most prominent universities are Boise State University in its capital, Idaho State University in Pocatello, and the University of Idaho in Moscow. Idaho's state motto is Esto perpetua, which is Latin for "Let it be forever". ==Cities and towns== Population > 100,000 (city area) * Boise (state capital) Population > 50,000 (city area) * Idaho Falls – The main offices of the Idaho National Laboratory are here * Nampa – Home of Northwest Nazarene University * Pocatello – Home of Idaho State University * Meridian – Suburb of Boise Population > 30,000 (city area) * Caldwell – Home of the College of Idaho * Coeur d'Alene – Home of North Idaho College, major tourist hub * Lewiston – Home of Lewis-Clark State College * Twin Falls – Home of College of Southern Idaho Population > 10,000 (city area) * Ammon – Suburb of Idaho Falls * Blackfoot – Home of the Idaho Potato Museum * Burley * Eagle – Suburb of Boise * Garden City – Suburb of Boise * Hayden * Jerome * Kuna – Suburb of Boise * Moscow – Home of the University of Idaho * Mountain Home – U.S. Air Force Base * Post Falls * Rexburg – Home of Brigham Young University-Idaho Smaller Towns and Cities * American Falls – First town to be entirely moved * Arco – First city to be lit by electricity from a nuclear power plant * Bonners Ferry – Northernmost major town in Idaho * Buhl – "Trout capital of the world" * Bone- Population 2 * Driggs – skiing * Eden * Emmett * Greenleaf * Firth * Fruitland * Filer – Suburb of Twin Falls * Hazelton * Homedale – town's name was chosen from a hat * Island Park * Kimberly – Suburb of Twin Falls * Kellogg – skiing * Malad City * McCall – skiing * Melba, Idaho - South of Nampa, Idaho * Middleton * Montpelier bank robbed by the wild bunch * Mullan – mining for silver, lead, zinc * New Meadows - at the 45th parallel north * New Plymouth – first planned community in Idaho, third west of the Rocky Mountains * Notus * Oakley – pioneer town, home of many historic buildings * Orofino – Clearwater County seat, site of Dworshak Dam * Paris – Bear Lake County seat * Parma * Payette – Payette County seat * Plummer- CDA tribal headquarters * Preston- location of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite and the annual International Bed Races * Rupert- Minidoka County seat * Rigby – Television birthplace * Salmon – Gateway to "River of No Return" (Salmon River) * Sandpoint – skiing (Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort) and Recreation Lake Pend Oreille * Shelley – Home of the Russet SPUD * Soda Springs – U.S.'s only captive geyser * St. Anthony – sand dunes and several lava tubes * St. Maries – Benewah County seat * Stanley, Idaho – center of the Sawtooth mountains * Star, Idaho * Sun Valley – Year-round resort with skiing * Wallace – Historic district and Shoshone County seat * Weiser – Washington County seat, home of the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest * Wilder * Worley – casino ==History of Idaho== Idaho was formerly Idaho Territory, until July 27, 1890, when it became the 43rd state. In the 1930s, Idaho suffered a lot economically as a result of the Great Depression. Prices plummeted for Idaho's major crops: in 1932, a bushel of potatoes was worth only ten cents compared to $1.51 in 1919, while Idaho farmers´ annual income of $686 in 1929 fell to just $250 by 1932. == Politics == Today, Idaho is a very conservative state. In the 2016 election, just two counties in Idaho supported Hillary Clinton. Idaho as a whole last voted Democratic in 1964, and that by a narrow margin of less than 2 percent. Both of Idaho's senators (Jim Risch and Mike Crapo) are Republican. ==Related pages== * Colleges and universities in Idaho * List of counties in Idaho * List of rivers of Idaho