MINOT

city, seat of Ward county, northwestern North Dakota, U.S. It lies on the south bank of the Souris (Mouse) River, 50 miles (80 km) south of the Canadian border. The settlement originated in 1886 as a tent town of the Great Northern Railway. Incorporated in 1887, it was named to honour Henry D. Minot, an Eastern railroad investor. The city is now an important shipping point, a regional trade centre, and the site of the annual North Dakota State Fair. Its economy is based largely upon the processing and distribution of agricultural products. Lignite strip mines and a major oil field are in the vicinity. The city is the seat of Minot State College (1913). Minot Air Force Base and the Upper Souris and J. Clark Salyer national wildlife refuges are nearby. Pop. (1990) 34,544; (1994 est.) 35,352.