WISCONSIN, one of the most northern of the United States of North America, extends between 30' and N. lat., and W. long. It is bounded E. by Lake Michigan and the large inlet at its south-western extremity kuown as Green Bay, which divides it from the state of Michigan; N.E. by the state of Michigan; N. by Lake Superior, which divides it from Upper Canada; N.W. and W. by the territory of Minnesota; S.W. by the state of Iowa; and S. by that of Illinois. The extreme length from north to south is 285 miles, the greatest width 255 miles. The area is 53,924 square miles. The population in 1850 was 305,391, of whom 635 were free-coloured persons : the density of population was to the square mile. The inhabitants being all free, the federal representative population is the same as the entire population in 1850. This, according to the present ratio of represeutatiou, entitles the state to send three representatives to Congress. To the Senate, like each of the other states, Wisconsin sends two members.
Surface, Hydrography, and Communications.—The surface of this state is for the most part gently undulating. No portion of it is mountainous, but the northern and north-western parts are very much broken, and some of the hills known as the Wisconsin Mountains attain a considerable elevation. The most northern part is a wild rocky country containing immense forests of white pine and other evergreen trees, from which vast quantities of lumber are annually sent down the St. Croix River to the Mississippi. This region is wholly one of primitive rocks, and affords scenes of striking grandeur. It is in this district that the extensive copper deposits of Wisconsin are fonnd. Along Lake Superior the cliffs are very steep and mostly bare, or only covered with low bushes. In the immediate vicinity of the lake forest trees rarely occur, except in the recesses of some of the bays, or along the river bottoms. All the rivers in this northern portion of the state are very rapid, and afford abundant water-power; those which flow into Lake Superior generally have rapids 'or falls a few miles above their mouths.
That portion of the state which borders on the Mississippi is described tinder Mississippi Rrree. From the junction of the St.
Croix the Mississippi runs along a bottom,' which below Lake Pepin widens from 3 to 10 or 12 miles. This bottom is uniformly bounded by limestone cliffs, or which are generally abrupt and often precipitous, rising to a height of from 300 to 500 or 600 feet, and occasionally atilt higher; south of the 'Wisconsin River they sink much lower. Within the bottom, especially in the vicinity of Lake Pepin, isolated hills and knobs of considerable magnitude, based upon horizontal strata of rock and towering to various heights, are frequently met with. The valley consists of alternate prairie and woodlands. The prairies are usually elevated above the reach of floods, and richly covered with herbage and flowers ; while the woodlands sustain a heavy growth of trees, but are inundated in flood-time. The high lands bounding the river are intersected by deep and numerous rivers and watercourses, which give to that part of the country a hilly and broken aspect. At the back of them the country is diversified by hills and valleys: the hills are high and rugged, and partly covered with timber ; the valleys often present extensive fiats, abounding in lakes, swamps, and ponds. The soil is Gandy, and the vegetation not vigorous; the trees do not attain their full growth. This eonntry is bounded on the east, about W. long., by a lofty range of hills called the Ocooch and Smokey Mountains. In this hilly region origi nate the head-waters of a great number of rivers and numerous lakes. The country east of this ridge, extending by Fox River to Green Bay, is less broken and rugged ; the soil is less sandy, the vegetation more luxuriant, and the forest-trees attain a more stately growth. A large part of it consists of wide rolling prairies, and there are several lakes and extensive swamps having an abundant growth of cranberries and wild rice. The foresta in these parts consist chiefly of yellow-pine, pitch-pine, and white-pine of excellent quality ; but white-birch, white oedar, spruce, and juniper are also common.