9781422286166

Idaho

I daho, as many people are aware, is the nation’s leading pro- ducer of potatoes. In a typical year, Idaho farmers will har- vest more than 12 billion pounds of the tuberous vegetable. An amazing variety of potatoes are grown in Idaho. There’s the Yukon Gold and the Yellow Finn, the Ruby Crescent and the Ida Rose, the Premier Russet, the Ranger Russet, the Clearwater Russet, and many more. Idaho yields something else in astonishing variety: gemstones . Seventy-two types of precious and semiprecious stones are found in Idaho. That’s the basis for Idaho’s nickname, the Gem State. It’s also a reflection of Idaho’s diverse geology . Geography Located in the northwestern United States, Idaho borders the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. On the east, Idaho is bounded by Montana and Wyoming. Utah and Nevada lie to the south. Oregon and Washington form Idaho’s western border. At a little more than 83,500 square miles (216,443 sq km), Idaho ranks as the 14th largest state by total area. Public lands

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