Duluth

Early explorers and fur traders found Native American settlements in the region around present-day Duluth in the 1670's. One of the explorers was Frenchman Sieur Duluth for whom the city was named. Permanent settlement in the region started around 1852.

The city of Duluth was built largely on rocky bluffs overlooking Lake Superior. In the beginning, the city was a trade and shipping center for the timber country. Discovery of iron in 1865 in the Mesabi Range made it the chief ore-shipping point for the United States' steel mills. With the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1959, Duluth became one of the leading ports on the Great Lakes for the export of grain.

Duluth is the most important commercial, industrial and cultural center of northern Minnesota. It is also a major port on the Great Lakes, a convention headquarters and the gateway to a resort region. Large amounts of grain, iron ore (especially taconite), oil and bulk cargo are shipped on lake freighters and ocean vessels. The city's diverse industries include fish processing and grain elevator services, as well as the manufacture of steel, concrete, piping, chemical lime, paper and hand tools. Tourism is important and the military air-defense installation at Duluth International Airport is of great importance to the region's economy.

Duluth is the seat of the College of St. Scholastica, the Duluth Institute of Technology and a branch of the University of Minnesota. It has a symphony orchestra, a community theater and various museums. Of interest are the huge Aerial Lift Bridge, which spans the Duluth Ship Canal and links the city with Park Point. At Park Point you can find 11.3 km (7 miles) of sandy beach, as well as Leif Erikson Park and the Skyline Boulevard, which winds high above the city for 24 km (15 miles). Duluth also boasts the Great Lakes Aquarium, the only all-freshwater aquarium in the United States.

Other sites include the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, the North Shore Scenic Railroad operates between Duluth and Two Harbors. Fitger's Brewery Museum has a copper brew kettle from 1901. Glensheen Mansion is a beautiful building on the shore of Lake Superior. Lake Superior Zoo has many different animals from around the world. Enger Tower offers excellent views over Duluth.

There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Duluth. The city is at the western end of Lake Superior, at the head of lake navigation and opposite Superior in Wisconsin. Duluth is 220 km northeast from Saint Paul and 1500 km northwest from Washington D.C.