South Dakota Details

South Dakota is a state located in the north central part of the United States. It borders North Dakota to the north, Minnesota and Iowa to the east, Nebraska to the south and Wyoming and Montana to the west. This state has a total land area of 75,885 sq mi. (196,542 sq km) and 66 counties. It is the 17th largest state in the confederate. It has a total population of 804,194 (2008 estimate).

South Dakota is derived from the Sioux tribe which means “allies”. This state is also called the Mount Rushmore State and the Coyote State. It became the 40th member of the confederate in Nov. 2, 1889.

South Dakota was discovered sometime in 1743 by Louis-Joseph and François Verendrye from France who were looking for a route to the Pacific. This state became a property of the US via the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. It was later explored by Lewis and Clark in 1804-1806. The first permanent settlement in this region occurred in 1817. This settlement grew in numbers after the construction of railroads in 1873 and the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874.

South Dakota’s main source of economy is agriculture and tourism. This state is the second-largest producer of flaxseed and sunflower seed in the United States. It is also the third-largest producer of hay and rye.

Major tourist attractions in South Dakota include Mount Rushmore on which the likenesses of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were carved in granite. Other tourist destinations in South Dakota include the Badlands; the World’s Only Corn Palace, in Mitchell; and the city of Deadwood, where Wild Bill Hickok was killed in 1876 and where gambling was recently legalized.

The state capital of South Dakota is Pierre which has a population of 13,876. Pierre is second least populous state capital after Montpelier, Vermont. Its largest city is Sioux Falls.

Residents of this state are called South Dakotan.