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Facts about Idaho
- Idaho became a territory when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Territorial Act on March 4, 1863.
- Idaho became the 43rd state of the United States on July 3, 1890 when President Benjamin Harrison signed the Act.
- Idaho's nickname is “The Gem State.”
State Symbols
- Motto: Esto Perpetua (“It is perpetuated” or “May it endure forever”). Appears on the State Seal which was designed by Emma Edwards Green—the only State seal designed by a woman. The seal was adopted by the legislature on March 14, 1891. Gov. Willey awarded her the honorarium for the design on March 5th.
- Bird: Mountain Bluebird (1931)
- Flower: Syringa (1931)
- Song: Here We Have Idaho (1931)
- Tree: Western White Pine (1935)
- Gem: Star Garnet (1967)
- Horse: Appaloosa (1975)
- Fossil: Hagerman Horse Fossil (1988)
- American Folk Dance: Square Dance (1989)
- Fish: Cutthroat Trout (1990)
- Insect: Monarch Butterfly (1992)
- Fruit: Huckleberry (2000)
- Vegetable: Potato (2002)
- Raptor: Peregrine Falcon (2004)
Idaho's Elected Officials
Idaho's Congressional Delegation
Idaho's Geography
- Land Area: 83,557 square miles (13th in land area)
- Water Area: 880 square miles
- Highest Point: 12,662 feet above sea level at the summit of Mt. Borah, located in the Lost River Range, Custer County
- Lowest Point: 770 feet above sea level on the Snake River at Lewiston
- Length: 479 miles
- Width: 305 miles
- Geographic Center: Settlement of Custer on the Yankee Fork River, Custer County
- Number of Lakes: more than 2,000
- Navigable Rivers: Snake, Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe, St. Maries, and Kootenai
- Largest Lake: Lake Pend Oreille, 180 square miles
- Temperature Extremes: Highest, 118° F at Orofino (July 28, 1934); Lowest, -60° F at Island Park Dam (January 18, 1943)
- Population: 1,466,465 (2006 census estimates)
