Wisconsin became the 30th state admitted to the Union in 1848. Wisconsin is considered a Midwestern state and has borders with Michigan, Minnesota and Lake Superior to the north and Iowa and Illinois to the south. Large cities include Milwaukee and Madison, the capital. Wisconsin's topography is diverse with lowlands in the north near Lake Superior and near the Mississippi river on its eastern border. The remainder of the state is plains and highlands with ancient glaciers forging thousands of lakes and dramatic bluffs along the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. Much of the state is covered in dense forest. Wisconsin's climate is hot and humid in the south with milder summers to the north. Winters are cold to very cold in the north. State annual precipitation levels are average. Leading sectors in Wisconsin's economy are agriculture, particularly milk and cheese production, transportation equipment manufacturing and paper and packaging product production. Taxes in Wisconsin are higher than average. Wisconsin is a favorite of retirees and three places are included in our survey of best places to retire. Get video tours of these great cities at Wisconsin videos.