Idaho is as well known for its potatoes, trout and precious stones as it is for its unspoiled, rugged landscapes.

BOSTON - AUGUST 29: Pedestrians walk through the intersection of Arch and Franklin Streets in Boston on Aug. 29, 2016. Boston Transportation Department is experimenting with widening sidewalks to create a plaza at the intersection and will temporarily install planters and fencing that will be filled with tables and chairs during the morning rush. (Photo by Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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Snowy mountains, deep valleys, lakes and rivers cover the 14th largest state in land mass, twice the size of the six New England states combined. A Rocky Mountain state, Idaho is bordered by Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and a small stretch of the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Though Spaniards began exploring the Northwest in 1592, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were the first European-Americans to enter Idaho in 1805. During the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, miners flocked to California and Idaho, where they found gold, copper and lead.

In the mid-19th century, Union and Confederate supporters alike fleeing the Civil War headed west to Idaho, and Mormons flocked to the region to avoid persecution. Today more Mormons live in Idaho than in almost any other state.

President Abraham Lincoln created the Idaho Territory, which included much of the land that would become Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. In 1868, modern Idaho was carved from the territory, and in 1890 admitted as the 43rd state. Just six years later, Idaho became the fourth state to give women the right to vote.

Idaho’s economy shifted away from mining toward agriculture after it achieved statehood. Some former mining towns began to host resorts, such as the Sun Valley ski resort, which opened in 1936.

Though Idaho was among the first states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, a white supremacy group, the Aryan Nations, was headquartered in the state from the 1970s through the turn of the century.

Today, about 1.7 million people call The Gem State home. The capital, Boise, ranks sixth in U.S. News’ Best Places to Live rankings, and is also the state’s most populous city with about 218,000 residents. The next most populous are Meridian, Nampa, Idaho Falls and Pocatello, with about 54,000 residents.

Just under 94 percent of Idahoans are white, and about 12 percent are Hispanic. Fewer than 3 percent of residents are black or Asian. Nearly 11 percent of Idahoans speak a language other than English at home, and about 6 percent were born outside the U.S.

Almost one in 10 residents served in the military.

The 2015 poverty rate was slightly higher in Idaho, and the median household income of $48,275 was just below the national average of $55,775.

Nine in 10 Idahoans graduated from high school, and 26 percent finished at least a bachelor’s degree. Idaho’s college offerings include the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, the College of Idaho, Boise State University and a campus of Utah’s Brigham Young University.

Idaho’s major industries include advanced manufacturing, aerospace, computer technology and innovation, energy, food production and recreation technology. The $3.4 billion tourism industry also plays a key role in Idaho’s economy, drawing in hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

Pew Research classifies about half of Idaho adults as highly religious. Idaho has retained its four electoral votes since 1912 and has given them to the Republican presidential nominee in every election but one – Lyndon B. Johnson’s landslide 1964 victory – since 1952.