The name Minneapolis combines the Dakota word for water (minne) with the Greek word for city (polis). Put them together and you get a very accurate description of this Midwestern metropolis. Eighteen lakes lie within the city, and the Mississippi River runs through it.

The Dakota people lived in this area for centuries before the arrival of white explorers. In 1680, a Catholic missionary named Father Louis Hennepin passed a waterfall during an expedition up the Mississippi River and named it St. Anthony Falls. White settlement did not begin in earnest for another 140 years, when Fort Snelling was constructed near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. Soon soldiers from the fort built a sawmill and flour mill at Father Hennepin's waterfall. The village of St. Anthony grew up on the river's east bank. Minneapolis emerged on the west side. In 1872, the two towns united to form one city.

St. Anthony Falls proved to be the perfect place to process Minnesota grain. Large mills were built along the river, spawning several companies that still exist, including Pillsbury, General Mills, and Cargill. Today, Minneapolis remains an agricultural powerhouse, but its economy is well diversified. Manufacturing, transportation, computer technology, and banking are among the major industries here.

The revitalized downtown area is home to many fine stores, more than 30 theaters, two world-class art museums, and three professional sports teams. Much of downtown is connected by a second-story skyway system that helps keep the city running even on the coldest days. With an average temperature of 18 degrees F in December, 12 degrees F in January, and 18 degrees F again in February, the opportunity to stay indoors can be a definite plus.