Idaho : Ask Biography

US State

Nickname

Gem State

Motto

Esto perpetua

Official languages

English

Demonym

Idahoan

Capital

Boise

Largest city

capital

Largest metro area

Boise metropolitan area

Area

Area Ranked

14th

Total

83570 sq mi 216632 km²

Width

305 mi 491 km

Length

479 mi 771 km

% water

0.98

Population

Pop. Rank

39th

Total

1,567,582 (2010 Census)

Density

15.64 /sq mi 6.04 /km²

Elevation

Highest point

Borah Peak
12662 ft 3862 m

Mean

5000 ft 1524 m

Lowest point

Snake River
710 ft 217 m

Other information

Admission to Union

July 3, 1890 (43rd)

Governor

C.L. "Butch" Otter (R)

Lieutenant Governor

Brad Little (R)

Legislature

Idaho Legislature

Upper house

Senate

Lower house

House of Representatives

U.S. Senators

Mike Crapo (R)
Jim Risch (R)

U.S. House delegation

1-Raúl Labrador (R)
2-Mike Simpson (R)

Timezone

north of Salmon River - Pacific: UTC−8/−7

remainder - Mountain: UTC−7/−6

Time zone

Pacific: UTC−8/−7

Home | State | Idaho

Idaho c-enaudio=en-us-Idaho.oggˈaɪdəhoʊ is a state in the Northwestern United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.

Idaho is a mostly mountainous state, and is the 14th largest state by land area, with an area larger than that of all 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 the city of Lewiston the farthest inland seaport on the Pacific coast of the contiguous United States.

According to the United States Census 2010, Idaho had a population of 1,567,582. The state's postal abbreviation is ID. Idaho's nickname is the Gem State, because nearly every known gemstone 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 Pakistan and India), and is the only place six-pointed star garnets have been found. Additionally Idaho is sometimes called the Potato State due to its popular crop. The state motto is Esto Perpetua (Latin for "Let it be forever").