Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state.

Idaho is a mostly mountainous state larger than the whole of New England. It is landlocked, surrounded by the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and the Canadian Province of British Columbia. However, the network of dams and locks on the Columbia River and Snake River make Lewiston, Idaho the farthest inland seaport on the west coast of the continental United States.

To residents of the state and regular visitors, Idaho is regarded as a highly outdoors-oriented community. Central Idaho is home to one of North America's oldest ski resorts, Sun Valley, where the world's first chairlift was installed. Snow sports are important keystones of Idaho's identity, with a ski resort adjacent to nearly every urban area. Whitewater rafting and kayaking are among the state's major pastimes. Hell's Canyon and the Salmon River boast some of North America's finest whitewater, with the nearby town of Riggins, ID serving as the state's informal whitewater capital.

According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2008 the population for Idaho was estimated to be 1,523,816. The state's postal abbreviation is ID. Idaho's nickname is the Gem State because nearly every known gem has been found there. In addition, Idaho is one of only two places in the world where star garnets can be found (the other is the Himalaya Mountains, in India), and is the only place six pointed star garnets have been found. The state motto is Esto Perpetua (Latin for "Let it be forever").

Geography

Idaho borders six states and one Canadian province. The states of Washington and Oregon are to the west, Nevada and Utah are to the south, and Montana and Wyoming are to the east. Idaho also shares a short border ( ) with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. 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, vast lakes and steep canyons. The waters of Snake River rush through Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in the United States.

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 Clark Fork/Pend Oreille River, the Clearwater River and the Salmon River. Other significant rivers include the Coeur d'Alene River, the Spokane River, the Boise River and the Payette River. The Port of Lewiston, at the confluence of the Clearwater and the Snake Rivers is the farthest inland seaport on the West Coast.

Idaho's highest point is Borah Peak, , in the Lost River Range north of Mackay. Idaho's lowest point, , is in Lewiston, where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River and continues into Washington. The Sawtooth Range is often considered Idaho's most famous mountain range.

Idaho, including the Boise metropolitan area, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Twin Falls are in the Mountain Time Zone. (A legislative oddity ( § 264) theoretically placed this region in the Central Time Zone, but this error was corrected with a 2007 Amendment.) Areas north of the Salmon River, including Coeur d'Alene, Moscow, Lewiston, and Sandpoint are in the Pacific Time Zone and revolve commercially and culturally around Spokane, Washington.

Climate

Idaho has much variation in its climate. Although the state's western border is located about from the Pacific Ocean, the maritime influence is still felt in Idaho, especially in the winter when cloud cover, humidity, and precipitation are at their highest points. This influence has a moderating effect in the winter where temperatures are not as low as would otherwise be expected for a northern state with a mostly elevated altitude. The 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.

Climate in Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over for the maximum temperature are rare. Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months 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.

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Idaho Cities.
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Boise	37/24	44/29	54/34	62/39	71/47	80/54	89/60	88/60	77/51	64/41	48/32	37/24
Lewiston	39/28	46/31	54/36	62/41	70/47	78/54	88/59	88/59	77/51	62/41	47/34	39/28
Pocatello	32/16	39/21	48/27	58/33	68/39	78/46	88/51	87/50	76/42	62/33	44/25	34/17
[1872]

Lakes

• Alturas Lake
• Bear Lake
• Hayden Lake
• Henry's Lake
• Lake Cascade
• Lake Coeur d'Alene
• Lake Lowell
• Lake Walcott
• Payette Lake
• Pend Oreille
• Little Redfish Lake
• Pettit Lake
• Priest Lake
• Redfish Lake
• Sawtooth Lake
• Stanley Lake
• Warm Lake

History

Humans may have been present in the Idaho area as long as 14,500 years ago. Excavations at Wilson Butte Cave near Twin Falls in 1959 revealed evidence of human activity, including arrowheads, that rank among the oldest dated artifacts in North America. Native American tribes predominant in the area included the Nez Perce in the north and the Northern and Western Shoshone in the south.

Idaho, as part of the Oregon Country, was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain until the United States gained undisputed jurisdiction in 1846. From 1843 to 1849 present-day Idaho was under the de facto jurisdiction of the Provisional Government of Oregon.

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. The first organized communities, within the present borders of Idaho, were established in 1860.

After some tribulation as a territory, including the chaotic transfer of the territorial capital from Lewiston to Boise, disenfranchisement of Mormon polygamists, 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 expanded its commercial base as a tourism and agricultural state to include science and technology industries. Science and technology have become the largest single economic center (over 25% of the state's total revenue) within the state and are greater than agriculture, forestry and mining combined.

The Idaho State Historical Society preserves and promotes Idaho’s cultural heritage.

Origin of name

was possibly named as the result of a hoax (the so-called "Idahoax") although this is disputed. The exact origin of the name remains a mystery. 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".

An excerpt from an Idaho History Textbook:

"Idaho" is a Shoshoni Indian exclamation. The word consists of three parts. The first is "Ee", which in English conveys the idea of "coming down". The second is "dah" which is the Shoshoni stem or root for both "sun" and "mountain". The third syllable, "how", denotes the exclamation and stands for the same thing in Shoshoni that the exclamation mark (!) does in the English language. The Shoshoni word is "Ee-dah-how", and the Indian thought thus conveyed when translated into English means, "Behold! the sun coming down the mountain".

Chief Joseph Seltice, of the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Nation, posits another possible origin of the name. In his history of the tribe, Saga of the Coeur d'Alene Indians, he writes:

    Some sources claim that the name "Idaho" comes from an Indian word, "Ee-dah-how," meaning "Gem of the Mountains." This expression may have come from some other Tribe, and it would have a different meaning for them than it would for the Coeur d'Alenes.
    
As the Coeur d'Alenes understood the word "Idaho," it would be more correctly pronounced "Ah-d'Hoo." It means "greetings by surprise," indicating friendship, but surprise.
    
The first syllable conveys to the mind, "All are welcome, from wherever you come; but keep the friendly peace. We welcome you with out-stretched arms, and this entitles us to permanent friendship."
    
The last syllable is a surprise and exclamation point. The expression means that all are welcome, "though we are surprised to see so many different strangers. The first dawn of day welcomes you as the sun rises." This expression was used by many of the Coeur d'Alenes on the Bitterroot Mountains to greet all who come.
    
So to all who read these words: "Welcome, with open arms! We're just surprised that there are so many of you!"

Demographics

As of 2005, Idaho has an estimated population of 1,429,096, which is an increase of 33,956, or 2.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 135,140, or 10.4%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 58,884 people (that is 111,131 births minus 52,247 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 75,795 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 14,522 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 61,273 people.

This made Idaho the sixth fastest-growing state after Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, and Utah. From 2004 to 2005, Idaho grew the third-fastest, surpassed only by Nevada and Arizona.

Nampa, the state's second largest city, has experienced particularly strong growth in recent years. According to census estimates Nampa has grown 22.1% to nearly 65,000 residents between 2000 and 2003. As of 2007, the population in Nampa was estimated at 84,000. Growth of 5% or more over the same period has also been observed in Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene, Meridian, Post Falls and Twin Falls.[1873]

Since 1990, Idaho's population has increased by 386,000 (38%).

The Boise Metropolitan Area (officially known as the Boise City-Nampa, ID Metropolitan Statistical Area) is Idaho's largest metropolitan area. Other metropolitan areas in order of size are Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Lewiston.

As of 2006, six official micropolitan statistical areas are based in Idaho. Twin Falls is the largest of these.

The center of population of Idaho is located in Custer County, in the town of Stanley.

The largest reported ancestries in the state are: German (18.9%), English (18.1%), Irish (10%), American (8.4%), Norwegian (3.6%), Swedish (3.5%).

Religion

According to the 15th annual Idaho Public Policy study ([1874], 2004) by the Social Science Research Center at BSU, the ambiguous religious affiliations of Idahoans break down roughly as follows.

• Protestant – 29.3%
• LDS (Mormon) – 22.8%
• Catholic – 14.3%
• Non-Denominational Christian – 13.6%
• None – 12.7%
• Other – 7.2%

The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 311,425; (2007: 399,427) the Roman Catholic Church with 130,847; the Assemblies of God with 18,745; and the United Methodist Church with 17,683.

Economy

Gross state product for 2004 was US$43.6 billion. The per capita income for 2004 was US$26,881.Idaho is an important agricultural state, producing nearly one third of the potatoes grown in the United States.

Important industries in Idaho are food processing, lumber and wood products, machinery, chemical products, paper products, electronics manufacturing, silver and other mining, and tourism. The world's largest factory for barrel cheese, the raw product for processed cheese is located in Gooding, Idaho. It has a capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year of barrel cheese and belongs to the Glanbia group. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a government lab for nuclear energy research, is also an important part of the eastern Idaho economy. Idaho also is home to three facilities of Anheuser-Busch which provide a large part of the malt for breweries located across the nation.

Today, the largest industry in Idaho is the science and technology sector. It accounts for over 25% of the State's total revenue and 70%+ of the State's exports (in dollars). Idaho's industrial economy is growing, with high-tech products leading the way. Since the late 1970s, Boise has emerged as a center for semiconductor manufacturing. Boise is the home of Micron Technology Inc., the only U.S. manufacturer of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. Hewlett-Packard has operated a large plant in Boise since the 1970s, which is devoted primarily to LaserJet printers production.[1875] Dell, Inc. operates a major customer support call center in Twin Falls. AMI Semiconductor, whose worldwide headquarter locates in Pocatello, is a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal semiconductor products, mixed-signal foundry services, and structured digital products. Coldwater Creek, a women's clothing retailer, is headquartered in Sandpoint. Fortune 500 Sun Microsystems has two offices in Boise and a parts depot in Pocatello. Sun brings $4M in annual salaries and over $300M of revenue to the state each year.

The state personal income tax ranges from 1.6% to 7.8% in eight income brackets. Idahoans may apply for state tax credits for taxes paid to other states, as well as for donations to Idaho state educational entities and some nonprofit youth and rehabilitation facilities.

The state sales tax is 6%. Sales tax applies to the sale, rental or lease of tangible personal property and some services. Food is taxed, but prescription drugs are not. Hotel, motel, and campground accommodations are taxed at a higher rate (7% to 11%). Some jurisdictions impose local option sales tax.

Idaho has a state gambling lottery which contributed $333.5 million in payments to all Idaho public schools and Idaho higher education from 1990 - 2006.

Energy

The energy landscape of Idaho is favorable to the development of renewable energy systems. The state is rich in renewable energy resources but has limited fossil fuel resources. The Snake River Plain and smaller river basins provide Idaho with some of the best hydroelectric power resources in the nation and its geologically active mountain areas have significant geothermal power and wind power potential. These realities have shaped much of the state’s current energy landscape.

The state’s numerous river basins allow hydroelectric power plants to provide 556 thousand MWh, which amounts to about three-fourths of Idaho’s electricity output. Washington State provides most of the natural gas used in Idaho through one of the two major pipeline systems supplying the state. Although the state relies on out-of-state sources for its entire natural gas supply, it uses natural gas-fired plants to generate 127 thousand MWh, or about ten percent of its output. Coal-fired generation and the state’s small array of wind turbines supplies the remainder of the state’s electricity output. The state produces 739 thousand MWh but still needs to import half of its electricity from out-of-state to meet demand.

While Idaho’s 515 trillion Btu total energy consumption is relatively low compared to other states and represents just 0.5% of United States consumption, the state also has the nation’s 11th smallest population, 1.5 million, so its per capita energy consumption of 352 million Btu is currently just above the national average of 333 million Btu.

In addition, Idaho also has the 6th fastest growing population in the United States with the population expected to increase by 31% from 2008 to 2030.This projected increase in population will contribute to a 42% increase in demand by 2030, further straining Idaho’s finite hydroelectric resources.Given that Idaho has no crude oil reserves and a limited supply of natural gas, the state’s most realistic method of meeting this projected increase in demand is to develop its ample renewable resources.

Transportation

Major highways Idaho is among the few states in the nation without a major freeway linking the two largest metropolitan areas of Boise in the south and Coeur d'Alene in the north. US-95 links the two ends of the state, but like many other highways in Idaho, it is badly in need of repair and upgrade. In 2007, the Idaho Transportation Department stated that the state's highway infrastructure faces a $200 million per year shortfall in maintenance and upgrades. Interstate 84 is the main highway linking the Southeast and Southwest portions of the state, along with Interstate 86 and Interstate 15.

Major federal aid highways in Idaho:

• Interstate 184

North U.S. Highway 2 U.S. Highway 12

North/South U.S. Highway 95 U.S. Highway 93 Interstate 15

West/East U.S. Highway 20 U.S. Highway 26 U.S. Highway 30 Interstate 84 Interstate 86 Interstate 90

Southwest

Air Travel

Major airports include the Boise International Airport serving the southwest region of Idaho, and the Spokane International Airport (actually located in Spokane, Washington), which serves northern Idaho. Other airports with scheduled service are the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport serving the Palouse; the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport, serving the Lewis-Clark Valley and north central Idaho; The Magic Valley Regional Airport in Twin Falls; the Idaho Falls Regional Airport; and the Pocatello Regional Airport.

Rail Travel

Idaho is served by two transcontinental railroads. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe connects North Idaho with Seattle, Portland and Spokane to the west, and Minneapolis and Chicago to the east. The BNSF travels through Kootenai, Bonner and Boundary Counties. The Union Pacific Railroad crosses southern Idaho traveling between Portland, Green River, WY, and Ogden, Utah and serves Boise, Nampa, Twin Falls, and Pocatello. Amtrak's Empire Builder crosses northern Idaho, with its only stop being in Sandpoint. There has been a push recently to return Amtrak service to southern Idaho as well.

Ports

The Port of Lewiston is the farthest inland Pacific port on the west coast. A series of dams and locks on the Snake River and Columbia River facilitate barge travel from here to Portland, where goods are loaded on ocean-going vessels.

Law and government

State Constitution

The Constitution of Idaho is roughly modeled on the national constitution with several additions. The constitution defines the form and function of the state government, and may be amended through plebiscite. Notably, the state constitution presently requires the state government to maintain a balanced budget. As result, the State of Idaho has limited debt (construction bonds, etc).

Idaho Code

All of Idaho's state laws are contained in the Idaho Code. The code is amended through the Legislature with the approval of the Governor. Although extensive, the code is exceptionally easy to read and interpret.

State government

The constitution of Idaho provides for three branches of government: the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Idaho has a bicameral legislature, elected from 35 legislative districts, each represented by one senator and two representatives. Idaho still operates under its original (1889) state constitution.

Since 1946, statewide elected constitutional officers have been elected to four-year terms. They include: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller (Auditor before 1994), Treasurer, Attorney General, and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Last contested in 1966, Inspector of Mines was an original elected constitutional office. Afterward it was an appointed position and ultimately done away with entirely in 1974.

Idaho's government has an alcohol monopoly.

Executive Branch

The governor of Idaho serves a four-year term, and is elected during what is nationally referred to as midterm elections. As such, the governor is not elected in the same election year as the president of the United States. The current governor is Republican C. L. "Butch" Otter, who was elected in 2006.

Legislative Branch

Idaho's legislature is part-time. However, the session may be extended if necessary, and often is. Because of this, Idaho's legislators are considered "citizen legislators", meaning that their position as a legislator is not their main occupation.

Terms for both the Senate and House of Representatives are two years. Legislative elections occur every even numbered year.

The Idaho Legislature has been continuously controlled by the Republican Party since the late 1950s, although Democratic legislators are routinely elected from Boise, Pocatello, Blaine County and the northern Panhandle.

See also List of Idaho senators and representatives

Judicial Branch

The highest court in Idaho is the Idaho Supreme Court. There is also an intermediate appellate court, the Idaho Court of Appeals, which hears cases assigned to it from the Supreme Court. The state's District Courts serdistricts.

Counties

Idaho is divided into political jurisdictions designated as counties. As of 1919 there were 44 counties in the state, ranging in size from 410 to 8,502 square miles (1,062 to 22,020 square kilometers).

IDAHO COUNTIES
County name	County seat	Year founded	Population 2008 Est.	Percent	Area (sq. m.)	Percent
Ada	Boise	1864	380,920	25.00 %	1,060	1.21 %
Adams	Council	1911	3,499	0.23 %	1,370	1.57 %
Bannock	Pocatello	1893	80,812	5.30 %	1,147	1.31 %
Bear Lake	Paris	1893	5,798	0.38 %	1,049	1.20 %
Benewah	St. Maries	1915	9,352	0.61 %	784	0.90 %
Bingham	Blackfoot	1885	43,903	2.88 %	2,120	2.42 %
Blaine	Hailey	1895	21,731	1.43 %	2,661	3.04 %
Boise	Idaho City	1864	7,504	0.49 %	1,907	2.18 %
Bonner	Sandpoint	1907	41,168	2.70 %	1,920	2.19 %
Bonneville	Idaho Falls	1911	99,135	6.51 %	1,901	2.17 %
Boundary	Bonners Ferry	1915	10,962	0.72 %	1,278	1.46 %
Butte	Arco	1917	2,751	0.18 %	2,234	2.55 %
Camas	Fairfield	1917	1,126	0.07 %	1,079	1.23 %
Canyon	Caldwell	1891	183,939	12.07 %	604	0.69 %
Caribou	Soda Springs	1919	6,826	0.45 %	1,799	2.06 %
Cassia	Burley	1879	21,348	1.40 %	2,580	2.95 %
Clark	Dubois	1919	910	0.06 %	1,765	2.02 %
Clearwater	Orofino	1911	8,176	0.54 %	2,488	2.84 %
Custer	Challis	1881	4,254	0.28 %	4,937	5.64 %
Elmore	Mountain Home	1889	28,997	1.90 %	3,101	3.54 %
Franklin	Preston	1913	12,454	0.82 %	668	0.76 %
Fremont	St. Anthony	1893	12,551	0.82 %	1,896	2.17 %
Gem	Emmett	1915	16,513	1.08 %	566	0.65 %
Gooding County, Idaho	Gooding	1913	14,295	0.94 %	734	0.84 %
Idaho	Grangeville	1861/1864	15,448	1.01 %	8,502	9.71 %
Jefferson	Rigby	1913	23,860	1.57 %	1,106	1.26 %
Jerome	Jerome	1919	20,468	1.34 %	602	0.69 %
Kootenai	Coeur d'Alene	1864	137,475	9.02 %	1,316	1.50 %
Latah	Moscow	1886	35,906	2.36 %	1,077	1.23 %
Lemhi	Salmon	1869	7,808	0.51 %	4,570	5.22 %
Lewis	Nezperce	1911	3,594	0.24 %	480	0.55 %
Lincoln	Shoshone	1895	4,503	0.30 %	1,206	1.38 %
Madison	Rexburg	1914	37,456	2.46 %	473	0.54 %
Minidoka	Rupert	1913	18,645	1.22 %	763	0.87 %
Nez Perce	Lewiston	1861/1864	38,975	2.56 %	856	0.98 %
Oneida	Malad City	1864	4,130	0.27 %	1,202	1.37 %
Owyhee	Murphy	1863	10,877	0.71 %	7,697	8.79 %
Payette	Payette	1917	22,966	1.51 %	410	0.47 %
Power	American Falls	1913	7,683	0.50 %	1,443	1.65 %
Shoshone	Wallace	/1861/1864	12,913	0.85 %	2,636	3.01 %
Teton	Driggs	1915	8,833	0.58 %	451	0.52 %
Twin Falls	Twin Falls	1907	74,284	4.87 %	1,928	2.20 %
Valley	Cascade	1917	8,862	0.58 %	3,734	4.27 %
Washington	Weiser	1879	10,206	0.67 %	1,474	1.68 %
Total Counties: 44			Total 2008 Population Est.: 1,523,816		Total Area: 87,530 square miles

• three counties were first designated as such by the Washington Territorial Legislature in 1861; they were subsequently re-designated as Idaho counties in 1864

Politics

Presidential elections results

Year	Republican	Democratic
2008	61.5% 403,012	36.1% 236,440
2004	68.38% 409,235	30.26% 181,098
2000	67.17% 336,937	27.64% 138,637
1996	52.18% 256,595	33.65% 165,443
1992	42.03% 202,645	28.42% 137,013
1988	62.08% 253,881	36.01% 147,272
1984	72.36% 297,523	26.39% 108,510
1980	66.46% 290,699	25.19% 110,192
1976	59.88% 204,151	37.12% 126,549
1972	64.24% 199,384	26.04% 80,826
1968	56.79% 165,369	30.66% 89,273
1964	49.08% 143,557	50.92% 148,920
1960	53.78% 161,597	46.22% 138,853

After the Civil War, many Southern Democrats moved to Idaho Territory. As a result, the early territorial legislatures were solidly Democrat-controlled. In contrast, most of the territorial governors were appointed by Republican Presidents and were Republicans themselves. This led to sometimes bitter clashes between the two parties. In the 1880s, Republicans became more prominent in local politics.

Since statehood, the Republican Party has usually been the dominant party in Idaho, as there was a polar shift in social and political stance between the two parties, when the Democrats became more liberal and the Republicans more conservative. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the Populist Party enjoyed prominence while the Democratic Party maintained a brief dominance in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Since World War II, most statewide elected officials have been Republicans.

Idaho Congressional delegations have also been generally Republican since statehood. Several Idaho Democrats have had electoral success in the House over the years, but the Senate delegation has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Several Idaho Republicans, including current Senator Mike Crapo, have won reelection to the Senate, but only Frank Church has won reelection as a Democrat. Church was the last Idaho Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race, in 1974. Walt Minnick's 2008 win in the First Congressional District was the state's first Democratic Congressional victory in 16 years.

In modern times, Idaho has been a reliably Republican state in presidential politics as well. It has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964. Even in that election, Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater by less than two percentage points. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush carried Idaho by a margin of 38 percentage points and with 68.4% of the vote, winning in 43 of 44 counties. Only Blaine County, which contains the Sun Valley ski resort, supported John Kerry, who owns a home in the area. In 2008 Barack Obama's 36.1 percent showing was the best for a Democratic presidential candidate in Idaho since 1976. However, Republican margins were narrower in 1992 and 1996.

In the 2006 elections, Republicans, led by gubernatorial candidate C. L. "Butch" Otter, won all of the state's constitutional offices and retained both of the state's seats in the United States House of Representatives. However, Democrats picked up several seats in the Idaho Legislature, notably in the Boise area.

Republicans lost one of the House seats in 2008 to Minnick, but Republican Jim Risch retained Larry Craig's Senate seat for the GOP by a comfortable margin.

Important cities and towns

Population > 100,000 (urbanized area) Boise (state capital) - Home of Boise State University Population > 50,000 (urbanized area) Idaho Falls - Location of the main offices of the Idaho National Laboratory Nampa - Home of Northwest Nazarene University Pocatello - Home of Idaho State University Meridian - Suburb of Boise, Fastest growing city in Idaho Population > 30,000 (urbanized 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, Seaport Twin Falls - Home of College of Southern Idaho, BASE jumping Population > 10,000 (urbanized area) Ammon - Suburb of Idaho Falls Blackfoot - Home of Idaho Potato Museum Burley Eagle - Suburb of Boise Garden City - Suburb of Boise Hayden -Suburb of Coeur d'Alene Kuna - Suburb of Boise Moscow - Home of the University of Idaho Mountain Home - US Airforce Base Post Falls - Suburb of Coeur d'Alene Rexburg - Home of Brigham Young University-Idaho

Smaller Towns and Cities American Falls - First town to be entirely relocated Arco - First city to be lit by electricity generated from a nuclear power plant Bonners Ferry - Northernmost major town in Idaho Buhl, Idaho - Trout Capitol of the World. City of Rocks - First rockclimbing station in Idaho Driggs - skiing (Grand Targhee) Eden Emmett Greenleaf Fruitland Filer - Suburb of Twin Falls. Hazelton Homedale - town's name was chosen from a hat Island Park - snowmobiling, world-class fishing Jerome Kimberly - Suburb of Twin Falls Kellogg - skiing ( Silver Mountain Ski Resort) Malad City McCall - Skiing Brundage Ski Resort and Recreation Payette Lake Middleton Montpelier bank robbed by the wild bunch Mullan-silver/lead/zinc mining New Meadows New Plymouth - first planned community in Idaho, third west of the Rocky Mountains Notus Orofino - County seat of Clearwater County, site longest strait axis dam, fishing Paris, Idaho - County seat of Bear Lake County Payette - County seat of Payette County Plummer- CDA tribal headquarters Rupert- County Seat of Minidoka County Rigby - Television birthplace Salmon, Idaho - gateway to river of no return Sandpoint - Skiing Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort and Recrecation Lake Pend Oreille. Soda Springs - US's only captive geyser St. Anthony - sand dunes and several lava tubes St. Maries seat Stanley, Idaho- heart of the sawtooths, Sun Valley - Year-round resort with world-class skiing Wallace-Historic district and county seat Wilder Worley-casino Firth

National Parks, Reserves, Mounuments and Historic sites

Image:City of rocks view NPS.jpg|City of Rocks National ReserveImage:Scoria field at Craters of the Moon NM-750px.JPG|Craters of the Moon National Monument

• California National Historic Trail
• City of Rocks National Reserve
• Craters of the Moon National Monument
• Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
• Minidoka National Historic Site
• Nez Perce National Historical Park
• Oregon National Historic Trail
• Yellowstone National Park

National Recreation Areas

• Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
• Sawtooth National Recreation Area

National Wildlife Refuges

• Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Camas National Wildlife Refuge
• Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
• Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge
• Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge

National Conservation Areas

• Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area

State Parks

Bear Lake State Park Box Canyon State Park Bruneau Dunes State Park Castle Rocks State Park City of Rocks State Park Coeur d'Alene Parkway Dworshak State Park Eagle Island State Park Farragut State Park Harriman State Park Hells Canyon Hells Gate State Park Henrys Lake State Park Heyburn State Park

Lake Cascade State Park Lake Walcott State Park Lucky Peak State Park Malad Gorge State Park Massacre Rocks State Park Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park Niagara Springs State Park Old Mission State Park Ponderosa State Park Priest Lake State Park Round Lake State Park Three Island Crossing State Park Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes Winchester Lake State Park Yankee Fork State Park

Education

Colleges and universities

The Idaho State Board of Education oversees three comprehensive universities. The University of Idaho in Moscow was the first university in the state (founded in 1889). A land-grant institution, the UI is the state's flagship university. Idaho State University in Pocatello opened in 1901 as the Academy of Idaho and was granted university status in 1963. Boise State University is the most recent school to attain university status in Idaho, and is primarily geared toward being a commuter school for part-time undergraduate students. The school opened in 1932 as Boise Junior College and became Boise State University in 1974. Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston is the only public, non-university 4 year college in Idaho.

Idaho has three regional community colleges: North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene; College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls; and The College of Western Idaho in Nampa, which opened in 2009.

Private institutions in Idaho are Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg, which is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; The College of Idaho in Caldwell, which still maintains a loose affiliation with the Presbyterian Church; Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa; and New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, of reformed Christian theological background.

Boise State University Brigham Young University-Idaho College of Idaho College of Southern Idaho Idaho State University

Lewis-Clark State College New Saint Andrews College North Idaho College Northwest Nazarene University University of Idaho

Sports

Club	Sport	League
Boise Hawks	Baseball	Minor League Baseball
Boise State Broncos	NCAA	Division 1 College Sports
Idaho Vandals	NCAA	Division 1 College Sports
Idaho State Bengals	NCAA	Division 1 College Sports
Idaho Falls Chukars	Baseball	Minor League Baseball
Idaho Stampede	Basketball	NBA Development League
Boise Burn	Arena football	af2
Idaho Steelheads	Ice hockey	East Coast Hockey League

Boise is the host to the largest 5 K run for women, the St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration.

Official State Emblems

• State Bird: Mountain Bluebird
• State Dance: Square Dance
• State Fish: Cutthroat Trout
• State Flower: Syringa (Syringa vulgaris)
• State Fossil: Hagerman Horse (Equus simplicidens)
• State Fruit: Huckleberry
• State Gem: Idaho star garnet
• State Horse: Appaloosa
• State Motto: Esto perpetua ("Let it be perpetual")
• State Insect: Monarch butterfly
• State Raptor: Peregrine falcon
• State Song: Here We Have Idaho
• State Tree: Western White Pine
• State Soil: Threebear

Notable Idahoans

See also

• Index of Idaho-related articles

References

1. Just, Rick. "Star Garnet." Idaho Snapshots. Meridian, Idaho: Radio Idaho, 1990. 9.
2. Western States Data Public Land Acreage
3. http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/2007/Table_4.htm
4. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2812.html
5. http://www.idahoaclimbingguide.com/id27.htm
6. http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/15C6.txt
7. http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/IDAHO.htm
8. "Mormon" Entry for The Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court of the United States, David S.Tanenhaus
9. [1]
10. [2]
11. "IDAHO in the Pacific Northwest". Barber -Martin. 1956. Caxton Printers Ltd. Library of Congress 55-5192.
12. http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/state/16_2000.asp
13. "Zuivelzicht" April 25, 2007
14. http://www.idahohistory.net/pierce.html
15. Idaho Secretary of State Election Division, "November 4, 2008 General Election Results"
16. [3]
17. 2008 statewide totals
18. Idaho history homepage

External links

• State of Idaho government website
• Energy Profile for Idaho
• Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
• Idaho Newspapers
• Idaho State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Idaho state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
• Idaho State Facts
• Log Cabins in America: The Finnish Experience, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
• The History of Idaho
• U.S. Census Bureau
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Idaho
• Visit Idaho site

Related information