Portal:Geography/Featured article/July, 2007

Minneapolis (pronounced: /ˌmɪniˈæpəlɪs/) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Hennepin County. The city lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, the state's capital. Known as the Twin Cities, these two cities form the core of Minneapolis–St. Paul, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.2 million residents. The city of Minneapolis' population is estimated at 372,811 people as of 2005.

Once a hub for timber and flour milling, Minneapolis is the primary business center in the vast expanse between Chicago and Seattle. The community has a long tradition of charitable support through progressive public social programs and through private and corporate philanthropy.

Public park systems are modeled after Minneapolis, where lakes are used for recreation year-around, and a park is within one-half mile (.8 km) of every home. Regional theater was pioneered at the city's Guthrie Theater and is part of a strong local tradition in the performing arts.

The name Minneapolis is attributed to the city's first schoolmaster, who combined Minnehaha and mni, the Dakota word for water, and polis, the Greek word for city. Minneapolis is nicknamed the City of Lakes and the Mill City...