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Wisconsin
The Badger State, between two Great Lakes
Wisconsin sits between two Great Lakes — Superior to the north and Michigan to the east — and the glaciers that shaped those lakes shaped the state as well. Most of Wisconsin is gently rolling country of woods, lakes, and dairy farms, scraped and dotted by the ice. The notable exception is the Driftless Area in the southwest, a rugged region the glaciers somehow missed, left with steep bluffs, deep valleys, and the unglaciated terrain that gives it its name.
Water and dairy define the state. Thousands of glacial lakes freckle the north woods, the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers drain the west, and the long Lake Michigan shoreline anchors the east around Milwaukee. Timms Hill, the high point at 1,951 feet (595 m), is a low rise in the northern forest. The cool climate and good pasture made Wisconsin "America's Dairyland," and its fields, forests, and lakeshores still set its rhythm. Milwaukee and Madison hold most of the population in the south.
Economy
Wisconsin is America's Dairyland, the leading producer of cheese and a top dairy state, but its economy is broader than the farm: heavy manufacturing of machinery, engines, paper, and food products, plus the iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Agriculture, food processing, and Great Lakes tourism remain central to the state.
Politics
Wisconsin carries 10 electoral votes and is one of the most evenly divided swing states in the country, repeatedly decided by margins of less than a percentage point. The Democratic-leaning cities of Madison and Milwaukee are balanced against strongly Republican rural areas, making the suburbs decisive.