Central Minnesota: Encyclopedia II - Central Minnesota - Geography

Central Minnesota - Geography

The geography of the central portion of Minnesota varies quite a bit, just as the geography of the entire state of Minnesota is quite varied from one location to the next.

The northern portion of the region contains quite a few softwood forests, including the expansive Chippewa National Forest. The western and southern portions of the region, meanwhile, are dotted with rolling prairie, and as such, contain the largest agricultural operations in the region. The eastern part of the region contains a great deal of both hardwood and softwood forests, and once had rich iron ore deposits. The now-depleted Cuyuna Range, which formed the southwestern border of the large Iron Range region of Minnesota, was located near Crosby and Ironton in the eastern portion of central Minnesota.

One thing the entire region of central Minnesota has in common, however, is its abundance of lakes. Indeed, a great deal of the lakes that make Minnesota the "land of 10,000 lakes" can be found in the central part of the state. A typical image conjured up of central Minnesota is likely to include the many large and small lakes that seem to surround the three central Minnesota cities of Alexandria, Brainerd, and Detroit Lakes.

Two lakes situated within the region, Lake Mille Lacs, with an area of 206 mi² (534 km²), and Leech Lake, with an area of 175 mi² (453 km²), are, respectively, the second and third largest lakes located entirely within Minnesota.

Furthermore, Lake Itasca - the source of the Mississippi River – is also located in central Minnesota.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Geography", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki