Wisconsin's natural

Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state of the United States, (54,314 square miles) and 18th greatest population (5,453,896 as of 2002). The state's name is an English version of a French adaptation of an Indian name said to mean "the place where we live."
Wisconsin's natural beauty has made the state a favorite playground of the nation. Vacationers enjoy the state's clean lakes, rolling hills, quiet valleys, deep forests and cool, pine-scented breezes. So many Chicago residents own summer homes in upper-central Wisconsin (mainly between Wisconsin Dells and Adams-Friendship) that local residents nickname the area "Little Chicago". More affluent Chicago residents own lake-side summer homes on Lake Geneva in southeast Wisconsin.
The winters are ideal for skating, skiing, snowmobiling and tobogganing. Many communities stage curling matches during the winter and others hold snowmobile derbies. Many annual events celebrate the state's rich ethnic heritage and diversity.
Known as "The Dairy State", Wisconsin is mainly known for cheese. Wisconsinites humorously nickname themselves "Cheeseheads" and commonly wear orange foam hats that look like wedges of an orange Swiss cheese to sports events, concerts, and other public gatherings. In addition to cheese, Wisconsin is known for its beer, bratwursts, cranberries and many festivals, such as Summerfest and the EAA Oshkosh Airshow.
USS Wisconsin was named in honor of this state.
Wisconsin's political history encompasses, on the one hand, Fighting Bob La Follette and the Progressive movement; and on the other, Joe McCarthy, the anti-communist "witch-hunter" of the 1950s. The first Socialist mayor of a large city in the United States was Emil Seidel, elected mayor of Milwaukee in 1910; another Socialist, Daniel Hoan, was mayor of Milwaukee from 1916 to 1940. During the 2004 presidential election, Wisconsin was considered a "swing" state due to its residents being relatively equally split between voting for candidates in the Democratic Party and Republican Party. The state just barely went for the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, who lost the national election.