In 1634 Jean Nicolet landed near Green Bay which is home to the Sioux-speaking Winnebago people. The Jesuits opened missions in the region in the 1660s but ultimately Wisconsin passed on to the British and then to the new USA. Mining was the main source of economy in the 1820s and with statehood in 1848 immigrants from Germany and Scandinavia poured in. The miners who came from the nearby states were known as ‘badgers’ and the Badger State soon came to be known for butter, cheese, beer, and paper.

Wisconsin is located in the eastern north-central US and Wisconsin ranks 26th in size among the 50 states. It covers a total area of 56,153 sq mi (145,436 sq km), of which 54,426 sq mi (140,963 sq km) is land and 1,727 sq mi is (4,473 sq km) inland water.

Wisconsin is bordered by Lake Superior and the state of Michigan on the North; by Lake Michigan on the East; by Illinois on the South; and by Iowa and Minnesota on the West.

Important islands belonging to Wisconsin are the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, and Washington Island in Lake Michigan.