'The Badger State'
State Animal is the Badger (Taxidea taxus) which is closely associated with Wisconsin since the territorial days. The many miners who worked in the state lived often in their own mines, not in houses. That reminded many people of the badgers and the nickname was born.
The ferocious Badger has lent its likeness to the state's coat of arms, flag, and song, and is even the proud mascot of the University of Wisconsin.
The name Wisconsin derives from an Indian dialekt and means something like 'homeland' and 'water' - the latter because of the many lakes.
Wisconsin, located in America’s heartland, is a four-season travel destination offering both urban and rural vacations. Ranked a top travel spot in the United States, Wisconsin owes much of its popularity to its natural beauty, with two Great Lakes, Superior and Michigan, and the world’s most famous river, the Mississippi, as well as 15,000 inland lakes.
Source: State of Wisconsin; Wisconsin Dep. of Tourism