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''L'Étoile du Nord'' is a
File:Etoile du Nord Minnesota State Capitol.jpg, The brass and translucent glass eight-pointed star symbolizing Minnesota's motto, "L’Étoile du Nord" (The Star of the North)
File:Rotunda floor of the Minnesota State Capitol showing 8-pointed star.jpg, Rotunda floor showing 8-pointed star symbolizing Minnesota's motto, "L’Étoile du Nord" (The Star of the North)
File:AmCyc Minnesota - seal.jpg, Minnesota's state motto, L'Étoile du Nord, from an 1879 rendering of the state's official seal.
File:Stencil-L Etoile Du Nord-01.jpg, Stencil at the Minnesota State Capitol
File:Mural-The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota.jpg, Mural of the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota in the MN House of Representatives.
File:Railing-L Etoile Du Nord.jpg, Motto on iron railing at the MN Capitol.
''L'Étoile du Nord'' is a French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
phrase meaning "The Star of the North". It is the motto of the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, and the only U.S. state motto in French. It was chosen by the state's first governor, Henry Hastings Sibley, and was adopted in 1861, three years after admission of Minnesota to the union. The land that became Minnesota was the northernmost section in the Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...
, and Minnesota is the northernmost state in the contiguous United States. Because of this motto, one of Minnesota's nicknames is ''The North Star State''. The Minnesota North Stars ice hockey team chose the English translation for their name.
In the northern hemisphere, the North Star (Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude th ...
) is a part of the tip of the handle and the brightest star of the constellation Ursa Minor (known also as Little Bear and as the Little Dipper). Ursa Minor has traditionally been important for navigation, because of Polaris being the star that is closest to the North Celestial Pole.
See also
* List of place names of French origin in the United StatesReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Etoile du Nord, L' French words and phrases State mottos of the United States Symbols of Minnesota 1861 establishments in Minnesota