What is the Upper Midwest?

[Docere]

There seems to be two different conceptions of what constitutes the Upper Midwest.

The more common one seems to be centered in Minnesota and is characterized by its large Scandinavian/German and Lutheran presence

The other definition seems to be defined by Yankee culture and lakes.

Pretty much every definition I think includes Minnesota and Wisconsin. The "Yankees and lakes" definition obviously takes in Michigan, while the "Greater Minnesota" one would take in the Dakotas and perhaps Iowa.