Since the 1870s when the juncture of the Red River of the North and the Red Lake River became a crossroads for people and their river-oriented business, the cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks have been a focal point of trade and services between the plains of North Dakota and the pine forests of northern Minnesota. Located 75 miles south of the Canadian border, the city is centered in one of the world's richest agricultural regions. The business community is deeply rooted in agriculture and its related enterprises. Today more than 300,000 people in an 18-county area come to Greater Grand Forks for the commercial, recreational, and cultural services it has to offer, which include nearly 40 arts organizations. The city is headquarters for a major university and boasts a key military installation that has an important economic impact on the local economy.