n.
City (pop., 2000: 208,054), capital of Wisconsin, U.S. It is located in the south-central part of the state, on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona.
Founded in 1836 and named for James Madison , it became the capital of Wisconsin Territory the same year. It was incorporated as a village in 1846 and as a city in 1856. Steady development followed the 1854 arrival of the railroad. Noted for its parks and wooded lakeshore, it is the commercial centre of an agricultural region. Educational and governmental services are economically important; it is the seat of the University of Wisconsin's main campus.