Wisconsin is a state in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region of the United States. It borders Minnesota and Iowa to the west and southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Its largest city is Milwaukee, while the capital and second-largest city is Madison. The state has 72 counties and a population of about 6 million.
Wisconsin’s geography is varied, ranging from dense northern forests, including the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest, to the rugged unglaciated hills of the western Driftless Area and the wooded plains, lowlands, and farms of the east. It has one of the longest coastlines on the Great Lakes, and its lake and river boundaries have long shaped its borders and settlement. At the time of European contact, the area was inhabited by Algonquian peoples and Siouan peoples, and today it is home to eleven federally recognized tribes.
Admitted to the Union in 1848, Wisconsin was settled in large part by immigrants from Germany and Scandinavia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This legacy remains visible in its culture and cuisine. The state is especially known for dairy farming and cheese, giving rise to the nickname “America’s Dairyland,” as well as for brewing, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and information technology. The Republican Party was founded in Wisconsin in 1854, and the state is often considered a swing state in national politics.