Idaho

Idaho (English pronunciation [ˈaɪ̯dəhoʊ̯]) is a state in the northwestern United States with a population of 1,787,065 (2019 estimate). It is thus one of the most sparsely populated states. The capital city is Boise. The state is also known as the Gem State. The name of the state of Idaho probably comes from the Native American word "Ee-dah-how" of the Shoshone, which means roughly "light on the mountains". According to other claims, this translation is a free invention of the eccentric mining lobbyist George M. Willing.

Geography

Basic data

Of the 216,446 km² state area (14th among the states), 2133 km² is water area (1%). About 47% of the state is forested. The highest point in Idaho is Borah Peak (3859 m) in Custer County.

Extension of the national territory

Idaho has a maximum latitude of 491 km between 110° W to 117° W and a longitude of 771 km between 42° N to 49° N.

Neighbouring countries

Idaho borders the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Montana, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia. Idaho's elongated strip of territory between Washington and Montana is known in English as the Idaho Panhandle. The word panhandle is often used in English to refer to territorial corridors or other narrow sections of land.

Structure

• List of counties in Idaho

A historic county of Idaho was Alturas County.

Landscapes

The landscape in Idaho is predominantly mountainous with vast unspoiled areas. The southern part of the state is dominated by the arc of the Snake River Plain, a plain that runs east to west for about 600 km across the state. Its immediate surroundings are influenced by the Basin-and-Range structure of the Great Basin. The entire rest of the state is part of the Rocky Mountains. The Sawtooth Range is considered Idaho's best-known mountain range. Other mountain ranges in Idaho include the Bitterroot Range on the Montana border, the Clearwater Mountains extending from there to the Salmon River, the Salmon River Mountains, the Lost River Range, and the White Cloud Mountains.

Mineral resources are available in large quantities.

Rivers

Idaho's larger rivers are the Snake River, the Clearwater River, the Clark Fork River with the Pend Oreille River, and the Salmon River.

Waterfalls

The waters of the Snake River rush through Hells Canyon, which is deeper than the Grand Canyon. Shoshone Falls plunges from rugged cliffs at a greater height than Niagara Falls.

Lakes

• Alturas Lake (Sawtooth National Recreational Area)
• Coeur d'Alene Lake
• Lake Pend Oreille
• Payette Lake (McCall)
• Petit Lake (Sawtooth National Recreational Area)
• Priest Lake
• Redfish Lake (Sawtooth National Recreational Area)
• Sawtooth Lake (Sawtooth National Recreational Area)

The Shoshone Falls


Mountains at Bayhorse Creek in Custer County

Population

Population development
Census	Inhabitants		± in %
1870	14.999		- —
1880	32.610		117,4 %
1890	88.548		171,5 %
1900	161.772		82,7 %
1910	325.594		101,3 %
1920	431.866		32,6 %
1930	445.032		3 %
1940	524.873		17,9 %
1950	588.637		12,1 %
1960	667.191		13,3 %
1970	712.567		6,8 %
1980	943.935		32,5 %
1990	1.006.749		6,7 %
2000	1.293.953		28,5 %
2010	1.567.582		21,1 %
2019 estimate	1.787.065		14 %
Before 1900 1900–1990 2000

Idaho has a population of 1,567,582 (as of the 2010 Census), of which 82.8% are white, 1.7% are Native American, 1.4% are Asian American, and 0.8% are African American. 12.0% of residents identified themselves as Hispanics or Latinos. Over three-quarters of Idaho's population is descended from ancestors in Europe. The ethnic Germans form the largest group with 21.8%.

Religions

The religious denominations with the largest number of members in 2000 were the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 311,425, the CatholicChurch with 130,847, the Assemblies of God with 18,745, and the United Methodist Church with 17,683 adherents.

Largest cities

As of 2017 according to estimate of the US Census Bureau

• List of cities in Idaho

Population density