Thursday December 11, 2008
12-11-2008 SENATE COMMENDS IDAHO ON SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate has commended Idaho on winning the bid to host the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games, according to Idaho...(More)
12-10-2008 DELEGATION MEMBERS CONGRATULATE INL ACHIEVEMENT
Washington, DC – Idaho’s National Laboratory (INL) is tops in the nation when it comes to performance standards set by the U.S. Department...(More)
12-05-2008 CRAPO: RULE CHANGE KEEPS GUN LAW CONSISTENT
Washington, DC – Changes sought by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo to streamline rules regarding the carry and transport of firearms in national parks...(More)
Owyhee Initiative
Links and information on the Owyhee Initiative.
Voting in Idaho
With the 2008 election around the corner, here is what Idahoans need to know to register to vote.
Visiting DC?
Find out about popular government buildings and monuments you can visit on your trip.
ESRA
Check out Senator Crapo's Endangered Species Recovery Act, which provides incentives to private property owners for conservation.
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Idaho Counties
Before Idaho became a state in 1890, it was part of several territorial reorganizations. It was first included in the Oregon Territory (1848-1853); then was divided between Washington Territory and Oregon Territory until 1859. When Oregon became a state, the entire Idaho area was attached to Washington, but most of the land remained unsettled until an unexpected Idaho gold rush with the discovery of gold at Pierce in September 1860 changed that. Miners came by the thousands and within two years the population of the area had exploded. This ultimately led to the creation of the Idaho Territory, with the first county boundaries being those of Owyhee County. Another seven counties were formed by the First Territorial Legislature in 1864: Oneida, Boise, Idaho, Nez Perce, Shoshone, Ada and Kootenai. Over the years, those original counties have been carved up to create additional counties, resulting in a total of 44 counties. The last three counties were formed in 1919: Clark, Jerome and Caribou.
To learn more about each of Idaho's counties, please select from the list below:
If you are uncertain about a pronunciation of an Idaho location, please visit the Pronunciation Guide maintained by the Idaho Press Club.
Interesting State Facts:
Abraham Lincoln signed the bill making Idaho a Territory in 1863. In the 27 years between that and when Idaho became a state, there were 16 governors--four who never set foot in the territory.
Idaho is the 13th largest state in land mass, running 479 miles long and 305 wide. Its highest point is Mount Borah at 12,662 feet above sea level; the lowest point is the Snake River at Lewiston which is 770 feet above sea level.
In 1914, Idahoans elected Moses Alexander as Governor. He was the first Jewish person to serve as a Governor in the United States. Considered a "progressive Democrat," he served from 1915-1919 and did not run for re-election. He previously served as mayor of Boise and led the effort to build Ahavath Beth Israel synagogue (completed in 1896), the first synagogue in Idaho and the oldest one in continuous use west of the Mississippi River.
Close to 30% of those who have served Idaho in the U.S. Senate have also served as Governor of the state. Out of the 25 people who have served in the U.S. Senate, seven also served as Governor: George L. Shoup, William McConnell, Frank R. Gooding, James Brady, Charles Gossett, Len B. Jordan and Dirk Kempthorne. Two of Idaho's Governors have also served as the Secretary of the Interior: Cecil D. Andrus and Dirk Kempthorne.
Idaho is nicknamed the "Gem State," an appropriate name given that Idaho produces 72 types of precious and semi-precious stones, some of which are only found in Idaho.
Idaho is the nation's largest producer of potatoes and winter peas. To learn more about the role agriculture plays in Idaho, visit Idaho Agriculture Fast Facts.
Idaho is home to eight colleges and universities. Information on each of those is located under Idaho Fast Facts on this website.
Sixty-three percent of Idaho is public land, which is managed by the federal government. More statistics on Idaho's land can be found here.
Idaho has Shoshone Falls, which has a deeper drop than Niagara Falls, and Hells Canyon, which has the deepest river gorge on the North American Continent, deeper than the Grand Canyon.
There are more than 2,000 lakes in the state, with the largest being Lake Pend Oreille at 180 square miles. Although Idaho would appear to be a land-locked state, it has a seaport, the Port of Lewiston, which allows the exportation of grain via the Snake and Columbia Rivers for shipment overseas. Idaho has five navigable rivers--Snake, Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe, St. Maries and Kootenai. To learn more about water in Idaho, please click here.
The Salmon River is the nation's longest free-flowing river that heads and flows within a single state. Its headwaters are in the mountains of central and eastern Idaho. After 425 miles, it empties into the Snake River on the Oregon-Idaho border, north of Hells Canyon.