FACTBOX: Minnesota and its presidential caucus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Minnesota holds a presidential caucus on February 5, one of 24 states that hold nominating contests on "Super Tuesday."

Following are some facts about the North Star State:

* Vice Presidents Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale earned Minnesota a reputation for progressive Democratic politics in the second half of the 20th century. But Republicans have gained ground in recent decades and Minnesota is now regarded as a swing state in presidential and statewide elections. Former professional wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura was elected governor in 1998 as an independent.

* A January 31 Minnesota Public Radio poll found New York Sen. Hillary Clinton leading Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination by 40 percent to 33 percent. Arizona Sen. John McCain led Republicans with 41 percent, trailed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 22 percent and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 17 percent.

* Caucuses start 7 p.m. CST (0100 GMT Wednesday) and are open to independent voters.

* The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul will host the Republican convention on September 1. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a McCain backer, has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate.

* Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," Minnesota has more shoreline than California, Hawaii and Florida combined. Not surprisingly, fishing is a passion: nearly half of the state's 5.2 million residents count themselves as anglers and the ratio of boats to people is the highest in the country.

* The state's frigid northern climate has led to many innovations. The United States' first enclosed shopping mall was built in Edina, while nearby Bloomington is home to the Mall of America, the largest in the country. Downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul feature an extensive network of "skyways" that enable workers to travel from one building to another without stepping outside.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Vicki Allen)

SOURCES: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Public Radio, American Almanac of Politics, U.S. Census Bureau

(For more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at http:/blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)