processing is an important industry.
Many of Idaho’s famous potatoes are
processed into french fries and then
packaged for shipping.
History
Native Americans had lived in the area
that is now Idaho for at least 10,000
years before white explorers arrived. In
the early 1800s the largest Native
American groups in the area were the
Nez Perce and the Shoshone.
In 1805 explorers led by Meriwether
Lewis andWilliam Clark were the first
white people to explore the region. For
much of the early 1800s, fur trappers
were the main visitors. In the 1830s a
fur-trading company known as the Hudson’s
Bay Company built forts in Idaho.
The forts became stopover points on the
Oregon Trail, a famous wagon route to
the Northwest.
The discovery of gold on Orofino
Creek in northern Idaho in 1860
started a gold rush. The population
increased sharply as many miners
arrived. Soon silver and lead mining
began in the mountains.
The Idaho Territory was established in
1863. At first the territory was larger
than Texas. It included the land that is
now Idaho and Montana and all of
Wyoming except the southwestern corner.
Later in the 1860s Montana and
Wyoming were separated from it, leaving
Idaho with its present borders.
Idaho was admitted to the Union in
1890 as the 43rd state. Federal troops
were called in during the new state’s
early years to help break up a series of
mining strikes. Southern Idaho faced
problems between Mormons and other
religious groups.
During the 1900s Idaho developed its
agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing
industries. In the early 21st century one
of the issues of concern to the state was
how to protect the quality of its scenic
land.
..More to explore
Boise • Fur Trade • Lewis and Clark
Expedition • Nez Perce • Oregon Trail
• Shoshone
Idaho’s Bitterroot Mountains attract hikers
and others who enjoy the beautiful scenery.
The Bitterroots are part of the Rocky Mountain
range.
Facts About
IDAHO
Flag
Population
(2000 census),
1,293,953—
rank, 39th state;
(2008 estimate)
1,523,816—
rank, 39th state
Capital
Boise
Area
83,570 sq mi
(216,446 sq
km)—rank, 14th
state
Statehood
July 3, 1890
Motto
Esto Perpetua (It
Is Forever)
State bird
Mountain
bluebird
State flower
Syringa
112 Idaho BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Iditarod
Every March the excitement of the Iditarod
Trail Sled Dog Race grips Alaska.
The race covers about 1,100 miles
(1,770 kilometers) between the cities of
Anchorage and Nome. Each sled is
pulled by 12 to 16 dogs. The person
driving the sled is called a musher.
The course length and route vary
slightly from year to year. The race partially
follows an old dogsled mail route.
It crosses mountains and frozen rivers.
Sled teams face cold temperatures and
blowing snow. Champions have finished
the race in less than 10 days. Most
teams, however, take much more time
than that.
Most mushers are from Alaska. The race
also draws competitors from other states,
Canada, and other countries. Men and
women of all ages compete together.
Susan Butcher and Rick Swenson are
two of the most famous champions.
Sled dogs are chosen from breeds that
do well in cold weather. Common
choices include Eskimo dogs, Siberian
huskies, Samoyeds, and Alaskan Malamutes.
Mushers train the dogs from
puppyhood.
The Iditarod began in 1967 as a short
race. It started as a way to celebrate the
100th anniversary of the U.S. purchase
of Alaska. It developed into the current
race in 1973.
#More to explore
Alaska • Dog
Iguana
Iguanas are reptiles that belong to a large
family of lizards. They are often seen
sunning themselves on branches overhanging
water. If disturbed, they plunge
into the water.
Most species, or kinds, of iguana live in
the Americas. The best-known kind is
the common, or green, iguana. It is
found from Mexico south to Brazil. Two
Dogs and a musher leave Anchorage at the
start of the Iditarod race.
Two iguanas cling to branches.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Iguana 113
kinds of iguana live on the Galapagos
Islands. Most iguanas like dry habitats,
but some live in rain forests.
Most iguanas are green. Many have
unusual sawlike teeth. They also have a
scaly back and a fold of skin under the
neck. The male common iguana grows
up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) long and
weighs up to 13 pounds (6 kilograms).
The female is about half that weight.
Iguanas eat leaves, fruits, insects, small
mammals, and birds. The marine iguana
of the Galapagos Islands eats seaweed.
Iguanas are not as common in the wild
as they once were. People have built on
land where iguanas once lived. They also
hunt iguanas and capture them to sell as
pets. In rural areas some people eat iguanas.
Cats, large birds, and other animals
also eat young iguanas and iguana eggs.
#More to explore
Lizard • Reptile
Iguanodon
The second dinosaur ever to be discovered
was Iguanodon. The name Iguanodon
means “iguana tooth.” Scientists
chose this name because the teeth of
Iguanodon looked very similar to the
teeth of modern iguanas. Scientists
determined that dinosaurs were reptiles
after the discovery of Iguanodon.
When and Where
Iguanodon Lived
Iguanodon lived about 159 to 99 million
years ago. Remains of Iguanodon have
