We Bet You Didn't Know That Minnesota Was Home To One Of The Only Exclaves In The United States
Betsy Rathburn
Author
Anyone who’s ever been to Minnesota can agree that it is absolutely beautiful. Geological wonders pepper every region of the state, from the magnetic rock up north to the giant boulders in the southwest to the oldest rocks on Earth in south-central Minnesota. But aside from geological wonders, you can also find a few geographic – or cartographic – wonders in the state. In fact, the Land of 10,000 Lakes is home to a geographic wonder that has raised questions for many. It’s an exclave in Minnesota known as the Northwest Angle, and it’s one of the only places of its kind in the United States. Read on below to learn more about the strange Northwest Angle, Minnesota, and its geographic challenges.
Have you ever heard of this exclave in Minnesota? What other unique spots in Minnesota – geographic, geologic, or otherwise – should we know about? Let us know in the comments, or by filling out our nomination form.
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Have you ever heard of this exclave in Minnesota? What other unique spots in Minnesota – geographic, geologic, or otherwise – should we know about? Let us know in the comments, or by filling out our nomination form.
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Exclave In Minnesota
Are There Other Exclaves In The United States Besides The Northwest Angle, Minnesota?
There are other exclaves in the United States besides Northwest Angle, Minnesota. In fact, the Northwest Angle isn't even the only exclave in Minnesota! Here's more:
- A much smaller slice of land on Lake of the Woods, located southwest of Angle Inlet and called Elm Point, is also an exclave. And then there's Buffalo Bay Point, an even smaller promontory west of Elm Point on the same part of the lake shore. Perhaps more interestingly, not only does Elm Point create a bit of international confusion as an exclave reachable only by land by passing through Canada, it's also the subject of jurisdictional dispute between two Minnesota counties. Both Roseau County and neighboring Lake of the Woods County can lay claim to the exclave, but jurisdiction over Elm Point has never been clearly established.
- Other exclaves in the United States include the town of Alburgh, Vermont, which is also only reachable over land by passing through Canada, and Point Roberts, Washington, as well as Hyder, Alaska (the whole state of Alaska, in fact, is an exclave, if we're getting technical), which suffer from similar land transportation issues.