Boise, Idaho
Boise, with a population of 185,787 and a metropolitan area population 432,345, is the capital and largest city of Idaho, and is the hub of commerce, banking and government for the state. Boise lies in the southwestern part of the state. It was named for the Boise River, which flows through it. Boise comes from the French word bois, which means wooded. French-Canadian fur trappers came to the area in the early 1800's. They gave the river its name because of the many trees along its banks. Boise is often called the City of Trees. 
Boise, the county seat of Ada County, covers 54 square miles (140 square kilometers). Its metropolitan area consists of Ada and Canyon counties. The city has a mayor-council government. It lies in a fertile valley, and the Boise Front Mountains rise just to the north. About 7,000 people of Basque descent live in the Boise area. Hundreds of Basques from northern Spain settled in Idaho during the late 1800's. Many had raised sheep in their homeland and had heard of Idaho's plentiful grazing land and its sheep industry. Boise became the chief center of the Basques in the United States. 
More than 60 federal agencies maintain regional offices in Boise, and government - federal, state, and local - is the city's largest employer. Several major corporations have their headquarters in Boise. They include manufacturers of computer microchips and companies in the construction, food processing, and forest products industries. The production of electronic equipment is Boise's largest industry. Factories in the Boise area also produce mobile homes, laminated beams, metal products, farm commodities, and paints. 
More than 60 federal agencies maintain regional officesin Boise, and government - federal, state, and local - is the city's largest employer. Many large regional, national and international companies are headquartered in Boise, including Simplot Corporation, Boise Cascade, Albertsons, Micron Technology and Hewlett-Packard. The production of electronic equipment is Boise's largest industry. Factories in the Boise area also produce mobile homes, laminated beams, metal products, farm commodities, and paints. 
Located along the Boise River and nestled against foothills of the Rocky Mountains, our city offers many outdoor activities to local residents, from skiing at Bogus Basin Ski Resort to biking on the Boise River Greenbelt to boating at nearby reservoirs. The Boise area has it all - desert, rivers, mountains and lakes for hiking, camping, kayaking, river rafting, hunting and fishing. Cultural attractions include the Boise Art Museum, the Boise City Zoo, the Idaho Historical Museum, the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Boise Opera. 
Boise State University is in the city. The Boise River Greenbelt, a system of parks along the river, extends more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) through Ada County. Boise is home to Boise State University, the state's largest university with an enrollment of over 15,000 students, as well as 34 grade schools, 9 junior high schools, and 5 high schools. Indians, among them the Shoshone and Paiute tribes, lived in the Boise area before white settlers arrived. Gold was discovered in the nearby mountains in 1862, and miners poured into the area. On July 4, 1863, the Army set up Fort Boise to protect the miners from Indian raids. The town was laid out a few days later. It became the capital of the Idaho Territory in 1864.
At first, Boise was a distribution center for miners' supplies. In the late 1800's, the community's economy shifted to agriculture as farmers started to irrigate land along the Boise River. The city's population grew from about 6,000 in 1900 to over 17,000 in 1910. By 1960, Boise had about 34,000 people. The population more than doubled when the city annexed suburban areas in the 1960's. Substantial population growth has continued.
Construction of tall bank and hotel buildings in the 1980's and 1990's changed Boise's downtown skyline. Old storefronts, the old penitentiary, and a railroad depot remain as landmarks.