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You are here: Home / Geography / Why Is Idaho Called the Gem State and How Did Idaho Get Its Nickname?

Why Is Idaho Called the Gem State and How Did Idaho Get Its Nickname?

April 25, 2020 by Karen Hill

Idaho is called the Gem State because it produces 72 different types of precious and semiprecious gemstones, including star garnets, opals, jade, and agate.

Idaho is the 14th largest state by land area, and is one of only two places in the world where star garnets can be found.

The Thousand Springs area of Idaho’s Hagerman Valley, in the Snake River Canyon, produces more than 80 percent of all the commercial fresh and frozen rainbow trout sold in the United States.

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Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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