The development and manufacture of health care devices and software is a growing sector of the state’s economy, with key players such as GE Healthcare, Epic Systems, and TomoTherapy.
Tourism:
Tourism is a major industry in Wisconsin; the state’s third largest. Tourist destinations such as the House on the Rock near Spring Green, Circus World Museum in Baraboo, and The Dells of the Wisconsin River draw thousands of visitors annually, and festivals such as Summerfest and the EAA Oshkosh Airshow draw international attention, along with hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Given the large number of lakes and rivers in the state, water recreation is very popular. In the North Country, what had been an industrial area focused on timber has largely been transformed into a vacation destination. Popular interest in the environment and environmentalism, added to traditional interests in hunting and fishing, has attracted a large urban audience within driving range.
The distinctive Door Peninsula, which extends off the eastern coast of the state, contains one of the state’s tourist destinations, Door County. Door County is a popular destination for boaters because of the large number of natural harbors, bays, and ports on the Green Bay and Lake Michigan side of the peninsula that forms the county. The area draws hundreds of thousands of visitors yearly to its quaint villages, seasonal cherry picking, and fish boils.
Transportation:
Air Travel:
Wisconsin is served by eight commercial service airports, in addition to a number of general aviation airports.
- Appleton (ATW)
- Eau Claire (EAU)
- Green Bay (GRB)
- La Crosse (LSE)
- Madison (MSN)
- Milwaukee (MKE)
- Mosinee (CWA)
- Rhinelander (RHI)
Major Highways:
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state’s highways. Five major Interstate Highways are located in the state.
Rail Service:
Amtrak provides daily passenger rail service between Chicago and Milwaukee. It also provides cross-country service via the Empire Builder with station stops in several cities in Wisconsin.
Flag of Wisconsin:
The flag of the state of Wisconsin is a blue flag.
The flag is charged with the state coat of arms.
Originally designed in 1866 when regiments from Wisconsin wanted a flag for battlefield use.
In 1913, state statutes specified the design of the state flag.
In order to distinguish it from the many other blue U.S. state flags, Wisconsin’s flag was modified in 1979 to add “Wisconsin” and “1848”, the year Wisconsin was admitted to the Union. All Wisconsin state flags manufactured after May 1, 1981, were required to use this design.
State Nickname:
The nickname for Wisconsin is “The Badger State.” The badger is featured on Wisconsin’s coat of arms, state seal, and state flag, and is also the official state animal.