60-706: The Bruneau-Jarbidge volcanic field, also known as the Bruneau-Jarbidge eruptive center is located in present-day southwest Idaho . The volcano erupted during the Miocene , between ten and twelve million years ago, spreading a thick blanket of ash in the Bruneau-Jarbidge event . Animals were suffocated and burned in pyroclastic flows within a hundred miles of the event, and died of slow suffocation and starvation much farther away, notably at Ashfall Fossil Beds , located 1,000 miles downwind in northeastern Nebraska , where up to two meters of ash were deposited. At
120-506: A bioregion has environmental stewardship as its primary goal, with the belief that political boundaries should match ecological and cultural boundaries. The area from Vancouver, B.C. down to Portland, Oregon has been termed the Cascadia Megaregion , a megaregion defined by the U.S. and Canadian governments, especially along the 'Cascadia Corridor'. Megaregions are defined as areas where "boundaries begin to blur, creating
180-570: A bioregion. McCloskey describes Cascadia as "a land of falling waters." He notes the blending of the natural integrity and the sociocultural unity that gives Cascadia its definition. The term "Cascades" was first used for the Cascades Rapids , as early as the Astor Expedition . The earliest attested use of the term for the mountain range dates to 1825, in the writings of botanist David Douglas . During geological explorations in
240-410: A difficult start as a territory, including the chaotic transfer of the territorial capital from Lewiston to Boise , disenfranchisement of Mormon polygamists upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1890, and a federal attempt to split the territory between Washington Territory, which gained statehood in 1889, a year before Idaho, and the state of Nevada which had been a state since 1864. Idaho
300-494: A new scale of geography now known as the megaregion. These areas have interlocking economic systems, shared natural resources, and ecosystems, and common transportation systems link these population centers together. This area contains 17% of Cascadian land mass, but more than 80% of the Cascadian population. The Canada–US border is diminishing in the face of further economic, political and cultural integration with such programs as
360-481: A vast area of the Great Plains . The evolving composition of the erupted material indicates that while it is derived in large part from molten material from the middle or upper crust, it also incorporated a young basaltic component. 42°18′N 115°12′W / 42.3°N 115.2°W / 42.3; -115.2 Idaho Idaho ( / ˈ aɪ d ə h oʊ / EYE -də-hoh )
420-425: Is Boise . With an area of 83,569 square miles (216,440 km ), Idaho is the 14th-largest state by land area. The state has a population of approximately 2.0 million people, it ranks as the 13th-least populous and the seventh-least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states . For thousands of years, and prior to European colonization, Idaho had been inhabited by native peoples . In the early 19th century, Idaho
480-848: Is Borah Peak , 12,662 ft (3,859 m), in the Lost River Range north of Mackay . Idaho's lowest point, 710 ft (216 m), 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. Other mountain ranges in Idaho include the Bitterroot Range , the White Cloud Mountains ,
540-720: Is a landlocked state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West subregions of the Western United States . It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington and Oregon to the west; the state shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border to the north with the Canadian province of British Columbia . Idaho's state capital and largest city
600-702: Is collected by the Idaho State Tax Commission . Cascadia (bioregion) The Cascadia bioregion is the Pacific Northwest as defined through the watersheds of the Columbia, Fraser and Snake Rivers, as defined through the geology of the region. It extends for more than 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from the Copper River in Southern Alaska, to Cape Mendocino , approximately 200 miles north of San Francisco , and east as far as
660-400: Is defined in terms of the unique overall pattern of natural characteristics that are found in a specific place. The main features are generally obvious throughout a continuous geographic terrain and include a particular climate, local aspects of seasons, landforms, watersheds, soils, and native plants and animals. People are also counted as an integral aspect of a locale's life, as can be seen in
SECTION 10
#1732765551688720-453: Is least prominent in the state's eastern part where the precipitation patterns are often reversed, with wetter summers and drier winters, and seasonal temperature differences are more extreme, showing a more semi-arid continental climate . Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over 98 °F (37 °C) are rare, except for the lowest point in elevation, Lewiston , which correspondingly sees little snow. Hot summer days are tempered by
780-433: Is more a cultural, ideological identity. The concept of Cascadian bioregionalism is closely identified with the environmental movement . In the early 1970s, the contemporary vision of bioregionalism began to be formed through collaboration between natural scientists, social and environmental activists, artists and writers, community leaders, and back-to-the-landers who worked directly with natural resources. A bioregion
840-555: Is of European descent. Most of Idaho's white residents trace their ancestry to the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, or Poland. There are also small numbers of Native Americans, Asians, and African Americans in the state. In 2018, the top countries of origin for Idaho's immigrants were Mexico , Canada , the Philippines , China and Germany . There are five federally recognized Native American tribes in
900-668: Is that those in Washington and Oregon in the United States have much more in common with those in British Columbia , Canada, than those in Washington D.C. Cascadian bioregionalism also forms the basis for several independence movements throughout the Pacific Northwest, which base their boundaries on the bioregion of Cascadia. The "Serene Commonwealth of Cascadia" is Roblox group that has created
960-783: Is the Snake River, a major tributary of the Columbia River. The Snake River flows from Yellowstone in northwestern Wyoming through the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho before turning north, leaving the state at Lewiston before joining the Columbia in Kennewick . Other major rivers are the Clark Fork / Pend Oreille River , the Spokane River , and, many major tributaries of the Snake River, including
1020-597: Is the state's predominant language. Minority languages include Spanish and various Native American languages . Idaho's gross state product was $ 118.8 billion in 2023 and the state's per capita income that year was estimated to be $ 59,035. As of 2016, the state's total employment was 562,282, and the total employer establishments were 45,826. 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,
1080-539: The 43rd state . Forming part of the Pacific Northwest (and the associated Cascadia bioregion ), Idaho is divided into several distinct geographic and climatic regions. The state's north, the relatively isolated Idaho Panhandle , is closely linked with Eastern Washington , with which it shares the Pacific Time Zone —the rest of the state uses the Mountain Time Zone . The state's south includes
1140-890: The Clearwater River , the Salmon River , the Boise River , and the Payette River . The Salmon River empties into the Snake in Hells Canyon and forms the southern boundary of Nez Perce County on its north shore, of which Lewiston is the county seat. The Port of Lewiston , at the confluence of the Clearwater and the Snake Rivers is the farthest inland seaport on the West Coast at 465 river miles from
1200-641: The Lost River Range , the Clearwater Mountains , and the Salmon River Mountains . Salmon-Challis National Forest is located in the east central sections of the state, with Salmon National Forest to the north and Challis National Forest to the south. The forest is in an area known as the Idaho Cobalt Belt, which consists of a 34 miles (55 km) long geological formation of sedimentary rock that contains some of
1260-942: The Oregon Trail , and many settlers chose to settle the area rather than risking the treacherous route through the Blue Mountains and the Cascade Range to the west. The western region of the plain is known as the Treasure Valley , bound between the Owyhee Mountains to the southwest and the Boise Mountains to the northeast. The central region of the Snake River Plain is known as the Magic Valley . Idaho's highest point
SECTION 20
#17327655516881320-666: The Snake River Plain (which has most of the population and agricultural land), and the southeast incorporates part of the Great Basin . Idaho is quite mountainous and contains several stretches of the Rocky Mountains . The United States Forest Service holds about 38% of Idaho's land, the highest proportion of any state. Industries significant for the state economy include manufacturing, agriculture, mining, forestry, and tourism. Several science and technology firms are either headquartered in Idaho or have factories there, and
1380-539: The Yellowstone Caldera and continental divide and contains 75 distinct ecoregions. The Cascadia Bioregion encompasses all of the state of Washington, all but the southeastern corner of Idaho , and portions of Oregon , California , Nevada , Utah , Wyoming , Montana , Alaska , Yukon , and British Columbia . Bioregions are geographically based areas defined by land or soil composition, watershed, climate, flora, and fauna. The Cascadia Bioregion claims
1440-634: The Association of Religion Data Archives revealed Mormons remained the largest with 462,069, followed by Catholics (203,790), and non-denominational Protestantism (98,996). In 2022, the Public Religion Research Institute's American Values Survey estimated altogether, 72% of the population was Christian, 26% were religiously unaffiliated, and 3% were New Agers. Of its Christian population, 37% were Protestant, 24% Mormon, 9% Catholic, and 2% Jehovah's Witnesses . English
1500-781: The Boise City-Nampa, ID Metropolitan Statistical Area) is Idaho's largest. Other metropolitan areas, in order of size, are Coeur d'Alene , Idaho Falls , Pocatello and Lewiston . According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 1,998 homeless people in Idaho. According to the 2017 American Community Survey , 12.2% of Idaho's population was of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race: Mexican (10.6%), Puerto Rican (0.2%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (1.3%). The five largest ancestry groups were: German (17.5%), English (16.4%), Irish (9.3%), American (8.1%), and Scottish (3.2%). The majority of Idaho's population
1560-533: The North West Company in 1813, after which the post was abandoned. The first organized non-indigenous communities within the present borders of Idaho were established by Mormon pioneers in 1860. The first permanent, substantial incorporated community was Lewiston, in 1861. Early in its history, Idaho saw a large influx of Chinese immigrants , who by 1870 made up about 28.5% of the territory's population. Idaho achieved statehood in 1890, following
1620-579: The Pacific at Astoria, Oregon . The vast majority of Idaho's population lives in the Snake River Plain, a valley running from across the entirety of southern Idaho from east to west. The valley contains the major cities of Boise , Meridian , Nampa , Caldwell , Twin Falls , Idaho Falls , and Pocatello . The plain served as an easy pass through the Rocky Mountains for westward-bound settlers on
1680-601: The area that became the U.S. state. 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. American Indian peoples predominant in the area included the Nez Percé in the north and the Northern and Western Shoshone in
1740-528: The areas that are south of the ice sheet. An early presence of French-Canadian trappers is visible in names and toponyms : Nez Percé, Cœur d'Alène, Boisé, Payette . Some of these names appeared prior to the Lewis and Clark and Astorian expeditions, which included significant numbers of French and Métis guides recruited for their familiarity with the terrain. Idaho, as part of the Oregon Country ,
1800-419: The continental United States. Idaho 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 the Snake River run through Hells Canyon , the deepest gorge in the United States. Shoshone Falls falls down cliffs from a height greater than Niagara Falls . By far, the most important river in Idaho
1860-556: The creation of the Idaho Territory in 1863, parts of present-day Idaho were included in the Oregon , Washington , and Dakota Territories. The new Idaho territory included present-day Idaho, Montana , and most of Wyoming . The Lewis and Clark expedition crossed Idaho in 1805 on the way to the Pacific, and in 1806, on the return trip, largely following the Clearwater River in both directions. The first non-indigenous settlement
Bruneau-Jarbidge volcanic field - Misplaced Pages Continue
1920-632: The early 1900s the term was first applied to the region. The name 'Cascadia' was first used by the town Cascadia, Oregon that was settled in 1890 in what is now Linn County. McCloskey is the source of the proposed Cascadian boundaries that include the complete watershed of the Columbia River, including the territories of what is now Idaho, western Montana, and smaller parts of Wyoming, Utah, and northern Nevada. According to McCloskey, this "initial" Cascadia included parts of seven jurisdictions (Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Western Montana, British Columbia, and Southeast Alaska ), running from
1980-420: The ecologically adaptive cultures of early inhabitants, and in the activities of present-day reinhabitants who attempt to harmonize in a sustainable way with the place where they live. Cascadian bioregionalism deals with the connected ecological, environmental, economic, and cultural ties that are prevalent throughout the U.S. Pacific Northwest and distance the area from their eastern counterparts. The argument
2040-470: The enhanced drivers license program – which can be used to get across the Canada–US border between Washington and British Columbia. The name "Cascadia" was first applied to the whole geologic region by Bates McKee in his 1972 geology textbook Cascadia; the geologic evolution of the Pacific Northwest . Later the name was adopted by David McCloskey , a Seattle University sociology professor, to describe it as
2100-830: The entire watershed of the Columbia River (as far as the Continental Divide), the Fraser River , as well as the Cascade Range from Northern California well into Canada. It's also considered to include the associated ocean, the Cascadia Inner Sea , and seas and their ecosystems out to the continental slope running down the entirety of the Cascadia subduction zone to the Cape Mendocino Fracture Zone. The delineation of
2160-502: The first people might not have come to North America by land, as previously theorized. On the contrary, they probably came through the water, using a Pacific coastal route. The most parsimonious explanation we think is that people came down the Pacific Coast, and as they encountered the mouth of the Columbia River, they essentially found an off-ramp from this coastal migration and also found their first viable interior route to
2220-520: The largest cobalt deposits in the U.S. Idaho has two time zones , with the dividing line approximately midway between Canada and Nevada . Southern Idaho, including the Boise metropolitan area , Idaho Falls , Pocatello , and Twin Falls , are in the Mountain Time Zone . A legislative error ( 15 U.S.C. ch. 6 §264) theoretically placed this region in the Central Time Zone , but this
2280-548: 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. During the COVID-19 pandemic , Idaho enacted statewide crisis standards of care as COVID-19 patients overwhelmed hospitals. The state had one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country as of mid-October 2021. Idaho shares a border with six U.S. states and one Canadian province. The states of Washington and Oregon are to
2340-518: The last census of 58,884 (111,131 births minus 52,247 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 75,795 people into the state. There are large numbers of Americans of English and German ancestry in Idaho. 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. According to the American Immigration Council, in 2018,
2400-433: 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. Idaho's all-time highest temperature of 118 °F (48 °C) was recorded at Orofino on July 28, 1934; the all-time lowest temperature of −60 °F (−51 °C)
2460-477: The name when he met a little girl named Ida . Since the name appeared to be fabricated, the U.S. Congress ultimately decided to name the area Colorado Territory instead when it was created in February 1861, but by the time this decision was made, the town of Idaho Springs, Colorado had already been named after Willing's proposal. The same year Congress created Colorado Territory, a county called Idaho County
Bruneau-Jarbidge volcanic field - Misplaced Pages Continue
2520-561: The northernmost reaches of Southeast Alaska in the north to Cape Mendocino, California in the south–and covering all the land and "falling waters" from the continental divide at the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. McCloskey, founder of the Cascadia Institute and co-chair of Seattle University's New Ecological Studies Program, saw Cascadian identity as something which transcends political or geographic definitions; it
2580-638: The raw product for processed cheese , is in Gooding, Idaho . It has a capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year of barrel cheese and belongs to the Glanbia group. Hewlett-Packard has operated a large plant in Boise since the 1970s, which is devoted primarily to LaserJet printers production. Idaho has a state gambling lottery , which contributed $ 333.5 million in payments to all Idaho public schools and Idaho higher education from 1990 to 2006. Tax
2640-596: The self-identified religious affiliations of Idahoans over the age of 18 in 2008 and 2014 were: According to the Association of Religion Data Archives , the largest denominations by number of members in 2010 were The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 409,265; the Catholic Church with 123,400; the non-denominational Protestants with 62,637; and the Assemblies of God with 22,183. In 2020,
2700-600: The south. A Late Upper Paleolithic site was identified at Cooper's Ferry in western Idaho near the town of Cottonwood by archaeologists in 2019. Based on evidence found at the site, first people lived in this area 15,300 to 16,600 years ago, predating the Beringia land bridge by about a thousand years. The discoverers emphasized that they possess similarities with tools and artifacts discovered in Japan that date from 16,000 to 13,000 years ago. The discovery also showed that
2760-494: The state also contains the Idaho National Laboratory , which is the country's largest Department of Energy facility. Idaho's agricultural sector supplies many products, but the state is best known for its potato crop , which comprises around one-third of the nationwide yield. The official state nickname is the "Gem State". The name's origin remains a mystery. In the early 1860s, when the U.S. Congress
2820-817: The state. These tribes include the Shoshone-Bannock, the Shoshone-Paiute, the Coeur d’Alene, the Kootenai and the Nez Perce. Note: Births in table don't add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number. Religious self-identification, per Public Religion Research Institute 's 2022 American Values Survey According to the Pew Research Center on Religion & Public Life,
2880-514: The time, the field was above the Yellowstone hotspot . By its uniquely characteristic chemical composition and the distinctive size and shape of its crystals and glass shards, the volcano stood out among dozens of prominent ashfall horizons laid down in the Cretaceous , Paleogene , and Neogene periods of central North America . The event responsible for this fall of volcanic ash was identified at Bruneau-Jarbidge, 1,600 kilometers west in Idaho . Prevailing westerlies deposited distal ashfall over
2940-401: The top countries of origin for Idaho's immigrants were Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, China and Germany. Idaho's population increased by 17.3% from 2010 to 2020, the second fastest rate of growth of any state that decade. Nampa, about 20 miles (30 km) west of downtown Boise, became the state's second largest city in the late 1990s, passing Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Nampa's population
3000-453: 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. For example, at 2.3 million acres (930,000 ha), the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area is the largest contiguous area of protected wilderness in
3060-470: The winter when cloud cover, humidity , and precipitation are at their maximum extent. 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 predominantly high elevations. In the panhandle, moist air masses from the coast are released as precipitation over the North Central Rockies forests , creating the North American inland temperate rainforest . The maritime influence
SECTION 50
#17327655516883120-414: Was Kullyspell House , established on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille in 1809 by David Thompson of the North West Company for fur trading. In 1812 Donald Mackenzie , working for the Pacific Fur Company at the time, established a post on the lower Clearwater River near present-day Lewiston. This post, known as "MacKenzie's Post" or "Clearwater", operated until the Pacific Fur Company was bought out by
3180-417: Was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain until the United States gained undisputed jurisdiction in 1846. From 1843 to 1859, present-day Idaho was under the de facto jurisdiction of the Provisional Government of Oregon . When Oregon became a state in 1859, what is now Idaho was situated in what remained of the original Oregon Territory, designated as the Washington Territory. Between 1849 and
3240-429: Was considered part of the Oregon Country , an area which was disputed between the U.S. and the British Empire . Idaho officially became a U.S. territory with the signing of the Oregon Treaty of 1846 , but a separate Idaho Territory was not organized until 1863, instead being included for periods in Oregon Territory and Washington Territory . The state was eventually admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, becoming
3300-459: Was considering organizing a new territory in the Rocky Mountains , the name "Idaho" was suggested by George M. Willing , a politician posing as an unrecognized delegate from the unofficial Jefferson Territory . Willing claimed that the name was derived from a Shoshone term meaning "the sun comes from the mountains" or "gem of the mountains", but it was revealed later that there was no such term and Willing claimed that he had been inspired to coin
3360-437: 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 , which contains less than a quarter of the state's population and land area. Idaho's climate varies widely. Although the state's western border is about 330 miles (530 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the maritime influence is still felt in Idaho; especially, in
3420-412: 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, part of Washington Territory, including Idaho County, was used to create Idaho Territory in 1863. Idaho Territory would later change its boundaries to
3480-472: Was one of the hardest hit of the Pacific Northwest states during the Great Depression . Prices plummeted for Idaho's major crops: in 1932 a bushel of potatoes brought only ten cents compared to 1919 for $ 1.51, while Idaho farmers saw their annual income of $ 686 in 1929 drop to $ 250 by 1932. 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
3540-413: Was recorded at Island Park Dam on January 18, 1943. As of 2018: The United States Census Bureau determined Idaho's population was 1,900,923 on July 1, 2021, a 21% increase since the 2010 U.S. census . Idaho had an estimated population of 1,754,208 in 2018, which was an increase of 37,265, from the prior year and an increase of 186,626, or 11.91%, since 2010. This included a natural increase since
3600-489: Was under 29,000 in 1990 and grew to over 81,000 by 2010. Located between Nampa and Boise, Meridian also experienced high growth, from fewer than 10,000 residents in 1990 to more than 75,000 in 2010 and is now Idaho's third largest city. Growth of 5% or more over the same period has also been observed in Caldwell , Coeur d'Alene , Post Falls , and Twin Falls. From 1990 to 2010, Idaho's population increased by over 560,000 (55%). The Boise metropolitan area (officially known as
#687312