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The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. The southern part of this region is sometimes referred to as North Central Idaho. The panhandle is bordered by Washington state to the west, Montana to the east and British Columbia to the north.
Coeur d'Alene is the region's largest city. Other important cities include Lewiston, Moscow, Sandpoint, St. Maries, and Bonners Ferry. The estimated population of the Idaho Panhandle as of 2004 was 295,160, or slightly more than 21% of Idaho's estimated population of 1,393,262.
The Panhandle region observes Pacific Time north of the Salmon River. The rest of the state observes Mountain Time. The Idaho Panhandle is also the only United States panhandle which borders both two US states and a foreign country.
History
The Idaho Panhandle was originally created when Montana Territory was organized from Idaho Territory in 1864. All territory west of the continental divide went to Idaho. However, the surveyors charged with carving out the new territory mistook the Bitteroot mountain range for the continental divide. By the time they realized their mistake they were as far north as modern day Sandpoint, so the thin panhandle was left intact.
When the seat of territorial government was moved to Boise from Lewiston in late 1864, it was thought that the panhandle region was hard to govern. A proposal was made to make the northern part of the state its own state. The proposal failed, but was attempted again in 1901. This time it was proposed to join the panhandle with Eastern Washington to form the "State of Lincoln", but failed a second time.
Influence
There are recent concerns about the waning political influence of the region. In 2006 neither the Republicans nor the Democrats nominated an Idaho Panhandle resident to a major statewide or federal office. * The region has not elected a governor since Cecil D. Andrus in the 1970s (Andrus was a resident of Boise during his later campaigns), or a member of the United States Congress since Compton I. White, Jr. in the 1960s.
Attractions
External links
"Idaho Panhandle"