Idaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The state's capital
and largest city is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho
was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.
The state motto is Esto Perpetua (Latin for "Let it be perpetual").
Idaho
borders the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and
the Canadian province of British Columbia (the Idaho-BC border is 48 miles
(77 km) long). The landscape is rugged with some of the largest unspoiled
natural areas in the United States. It is a Rocky Mountain state with abundant
natural resources and scenic areas. The state has snow-capped mountain ranges,
rapids, placid lakes and steep canyons. The waters of Snake River rush through
Hells Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon. Shoshone Falls plunges down rugged
cliffs from a height greater than that of Niagara Falls.
The major rivers in Idaho are the Snake River, the Clearwater River and the Salmon River. Other significant rivers include the Boise River and the Payette River.
Idaho's highest point (12,662 feet, 3,862 m) is Borah Peak in the Lost River Mountains north of Mackay. Idaho's lowest point is in Lewiston, where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River and continues into Washington.
The
state of Idaho has much variation in its climate. Even though the state is
located 300 miles away from the Pacific Ocean, the maritime influence is still
felt in the state especially in the winter when cloud cover, humidity, and
precipitation are at its highest point. Conversely, this influence has a moderating
effect in the winter where temperatures are not as low as would be expected
for a state with a mostly elevated altitude. This maritime influence is lowest
in the southeastern part of the state where the precipitation patterns are
often reversed with wetter summers and drier winters and seasonal temperature
differences more extreme, showing a more continental climate.
Summers in Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over 100 °F (38
°C) or the maximum temperature are rare. This is tempered by the low relative
humidity during summer months and also by the cooler evenings, since for most
of the state, the highest diurnal difference in temperature is often in the
summer. Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather
below zero are unusual.
Idaho, as part of the Oregon Country, was claimed by both the United States and United Kingdom until the United States gained undisputed jurisdiction in 1846. Between then and the creation of the Idaho Territory in 1863, parts of the present-day state were included in the Oregon, Washington, and Dakota Territories. The new territory included most of present-day Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
After some tribulation as a territory, including the chaotic transfer of the territorial capital from Lewiston to Boise and a federal attempt to split the territory between Washington Territory and the state of Nevada, Idaho achieved statehood in 1890. The economy of the state, which had been primarily supported by metal mining, shifted towards agriculture and tourism.
In recent years, Idaho has changed itself from an agricultural and tourism state into a science and technology center. Science and technology has become the largest single economic center (over 25% of the State's total revenue) within the State and is greater than agriculture, forestry and mining combined.
Idaho is the only state that was likely named as the result of a hoax. In the early 1860s, when the United States Congress was considering organizing a new territory in the Rocky Mountains, eccentric lobbyist George M. Willing suggested the name "Idaho," which he claimed was derived from a Shoshone language term meaning "the sun comes from the mountains" or "gem of the mountains." Willing later claimed that he had made up the name himself. Congress ultimately decided to name the area Colorado Territory when it was created in February 1861.However, the name "Idaho" did not go away. The same year Congress created Colorado Territory, a county called Idaho County was created in eastern Washington Territory. The county was named after a steamship named Idaho, which was launched on the Columbia River in 1860. It is unclear whether the steamship was named before or after Willing's claim was revealed. Regardless, a portion of Washington Territory, including Idaho County, was used to create Idaho Territory in 1863.
Despite this lack of evidence for the origin of the name, many textbooks well into the 20th century repeated as fact Willing's account that the name "Idaho" derived from the Shoshone term "ee-da-how".
Metropolitan areas by population
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