South Dakota

South Dakota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who compose a large portion of the population and historically dominated the territory. South Dakota is the seventeenth largest by area, but the fifth smallest by population and the 5th least densely populated of the 50 United States. South Dakota is bordered by the states of North Dakota (to the north), Minnesota (to the east), Iowa (to the southeast), Nebraska (to the south), Wyoming (to the west), and Montana (to the northwest). The state is bisected by the Missouri River, dividing South Dakota into two geographically and socially distinct halves, known to residents as "East River" and "West River". Eastern South Dakota is home to most of the state's population, and the area's fertile soil is used to grow a variety of crops. West of the Missouri, ranching is the predominant agricultural activity, and the economy is more dependent on tourism and defense spending. Most of the Native American reservations are in West River. The Black Hills, a group of low pine-covered mountains sacred to the Sioux, are in the southwest part of the state. Mount Rushmore, a major tourist destination, is there. South Dakota has a temperate continental climate, with four distinct seasons and precipitation ranging from moderate in the east to semi-arid in the west.

South Dakota is known under different nicknames; aka Artesian State, or Blizzard State, or Coyote State, or Land of Infinite Variety, or The Mount Rushmore State, or Sunshine State and detailed official information about South Dakota can be found on the homepage at www. sd.gov.

As shown in the given South Dakota location map that South Dakota is located in the Mid-western region of the United States. South Dakota map also shows that it shares its border with North Dakota in the north, Montana in the north-west, Wyoming in the west, Nebraska in the south, Iowa in the south-east, and Minnesota in the east. Interestingly, the name South Dakota is derived from the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian Tribes.

Sioux Falls is the largest and capital city of South Dakota. Geographically, Missouri River divides the state into two halves i.e. east and west. These two parts is not only geographically but these are also socially distinct from each other. The residents known as “East River,” it homes most of the state’s population as well as the available fertile soil facilitates people to cultivate verities of crops; and the second part is “West River,” it is sparsely populated region and the main occupation in this region is ranching and other agriculture activities.

Besides, this part also generates revenue from the tourism industries. The most significant tourist point in the state is Mount Rushmore; some other points of interests are Badlands and Wind Cave national parks, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and historic Deadwood. Black Hills located in this region is quite significant for religious purpose.

Climb aboard the 1880 Train for a ride back in time! During the two-hour trek, you'll learn about the history of the Black Hills and its famous monuments - including the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore.

The US State South Dakota occupies 196,349 m², about 2,15 % of the total territory of the USA of 9,148,020 m². The total population of the US State South Dakota with 869,666 inhabitants (in 2017) has already increased by 15,21 % in this millennium. Almost 40 years ago there were 178,898 fewer people. The capital Pierre alone has 14,004 inhabitants.

Pierre became the permanent capital of South Dakota in 1890. Sioux Falls has just over 174,360 residents.

The state's ecology features species typical of a North American grassland biome. Humans have inhabited the area for several millennia, with the Sioux becoming dominant by the early 19th century. In the late 19th century, European-American settlement intensified after a gold rush in the Black Hills and the construction of railroads from the east. The culture, economy, and geography of western South Dakota have more in common with the West than the Midwest. South Dakota has a total area of 77,116 square miles (199,730 km²), making the state the 17th largest in the Union. The Missouri River is the largest and longest river in the state. Other major South Dakota rivers include the Cheyenne, James, Big Sioux, and White Rivers. Eastern South Dakota has many natural lakes, mostly created by periods of glaciation. Additionally, dams on the Missouri River create four large reservoirs: Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case, and Lewis and Clark Lake. South Dakota has a continental climate with four distinct seasons, ranging from cold, dry winters to hot and semi-humid summers. During the summers, the state's average high temperature is often close to 90 °F (32 °C), although it cools to near 60 °F (16 °C) at night. It is not unusual for South Dakota to have severe hot, dry spells in the summer with the temperature climbing above 100 °F (38 °C) several times a year.