Land

The topography of Minnesota consists mainly of flat prairie and it is nowhere flatter than in the Red River Valley of the west. The northeast, known as Arrowhead Country, is rugged and includes the Vermilion Range and the Mesabi Range, with its rich iron deposits. The highest point of the state is Eagle Mountain, in the extreme northeast, which rises to a height of 2,301 ft (702 m). The lowest level is the surface of nearby Lake Superior, at 600 ft (183 m) above sea level.

Minnesota has more inland water than any other state except Alaska. Minnesota has more than 15,000 lakes and extensive wetlands, rivers, and stream,. Some of the inland lakes are quite large: Lower and Upper Red Lake, 451 sq mi (1,168 sq km); Mille Lacs, 207 sq mi (536 sq km); and Leech Lake, 176 sq mi (456 sq km). A total of 2,212 sq mi (5,729 sq km) of Lake Superior lies within Minnesota's control.
The Minnesota River, which flows across the southern part of the state, joins the Mississippi at the Twin Cities. The Red River of the North, which forms the boundary with North Dakota, is part of another large drainage system. It flows north, crosses the Canadian border above St. Vincent, and finally empties into Lake Winnipeg in Canada.

Most of Minnesota, except for small areas in the southeast, was covered by ice during the glacial ages. Lake Agassiz was formed with the melting of the ice which now extends into what we call the Dakotas and Canada and was larger than the combined Great Lakes are today. Additional melting to the north caused the lake to drain away, leaving flat prairie in its wake.