John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints
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Idaho - Introduction
Area
83,574 square miles. 14th largest state of the USA.
Furthest North to Furthest South
480 miles.
Furthest East to Furthest West
310 miles.
In the extreme north Idaho is less than fifty miles across.
Population Density
12 per square mile.
Licence Plate
Background: Red at the top, fading downwards into white.
Image: Mountains in the background, trees in the foreground.
Text: "Scenic Idaho - Famous Potatoes". The farms of southern Idaho are famous for producing huge volumes of large and tasty potatoes.
State Highway Marker Shield Design
A white silhouette of the state map with the word "Idaho", on a square black background.
Derivation of Name
Idaho was named in 1860 by George Willing, an unsuccessful congressional candidate. Opinions vary as to the derivation of the name.
Jim Pernikoff kindly EMailed me to say:
"Idaho" is a Kiowa/Apache word, though there seems to be a difference of opinion as to what it meant; one source thinks it meant "fish-eaters" or "mountain-gem" while another thinks it was their name for the neighbouring Commanche tribe.
On the other hand Major Jim Collins of the USAF says:
The name is bogus. It was invented by the congressman
mentioned (George Willing). It was never a word in any Indian language.
Nickname
The Gem State.
Climate
Boise: January high 37F, July high 91F.
Official State Tourism Office
Tel (US): 1-800-635-7820 or 1-800-714-3246
Verified Feb-02.
Highway Conditions
Tel (US): 1-888-432-ROAD (1-888-432-7623) or 1-208-334-8888.
Departments of Transportation etc for each US state and Canadian province
State Parks
Official site. Verified Mar-99.
Official site. Verified May-00.
Sales Tax
5%. Additional local sales taxes may apply in some areas.
Other Comments
Dams on the Snake river provide irrigation for southern Idaho's potato farms.
Central and northern Idaho is mountainous and in many places highly scenic, the most significant ranges being the Sawtooths and the Bitterroots which extend into Montana.
Idaho
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Most recently modified 29-Dec-05