Minneapolis derives from the Dakota word for "water", mni, and the Greek word for "city" or polis. Thus, Minneapolis means "City of Waters." A nearby city called St. Anthony then joined with Minneapolis. The first mayor was Dorilus Morrison.
History
The American Indians first lived in Minneapolis around Lake Calhoun and St. Anthony Falls waterfall. They are called the Dakota. They thought St. Anthony Falls was a spiritual place. Dakota hunted, fished, and planted food. The United States wanted the land in 1803 and bought it with the Louisiana Purchase. The army built Fort Snelling. Soon, people from the East Coast came to Minneapolis. They used the waterfall for their flour mills. They named the new city Minneapolis.
Land and weather
Minneapolis is flat near the river and hilly away from it. The weather is like many places in America with hot summers and cold winters. The winter is very long, very cold, and there is a rainy but short spring. The summer, on the contrary, is humid, meaning a lot of water is in the air. Mosquitos are also common in the city.
People
Minneapolis residents are sometimes known as "Minnesota Nice." That means that they are generally more polite than other people. Most residents of Minneapolis live in houses and apartments, and some now live in tall buildings like condos. Kids and parents work and play in the city. Many different people make up what is Minneapolis today. After the Dakota Indians were people from Britain, French Canada, and Spanish Mexico. They were followed by Scandinavians from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Soon people from almost all parts of the world started arriving including Eastern Europe, Russia, and Asia. Today there are people from East Africa (Somali) and Southeast Asia (Hmong). Once, Minneapolis was even larger than it is today with 520,000 people. Later, many people moved away to the suburbs.
Work and Shopping
Numerous large companies are located Downtown in skyscrapers. These include lawyers, doctors and bankers. They work near Nicollet Mall where there are restaurants and shops. Minneapolis also has neighborhoods. People there work in small stores too, like barber shops, grocery stores, hardware stores, and coffee shops. Internet is widely available in Minneapolis.
