pop (2000e) 754 800; area 199 723 km²/77 116 sq mi. State in NC USA, divided into 66 counties; the Sunshine State or Coyote State; part of the USA as a result of the Louisiana Purchase, 1803; included in Dakota Territory, 1861; population swelled when gold was discovered in the Black Hills, 1874; separated from North Dakota and became the 40th state of the Union, 1889; capital, Pierre; other chief cities, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen; crossed by the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers; the Bois de Sioux and Minnesota Rivers form part of the E border; the Black Hills rise in the SW corner of the state; highest point, Mt Harney Peak (2207 m/7241 ft); W of Missouri R is a semi-arid, treeless plain, one-third owned by Sioux Indians; severe erosion has formed the barren Bad Lands, where there are many ancient marine and land fossils; E of the R Missouri are rich, fertile plains; cattle, wheat, hogs, dairy products, corn, soybeans, oats; meat packing, food processing; town of Lead in the Black Hills is the nation's leading gold-mining centre; second largest gold and beryllium producer in the USA; Mt Rushmore (in the Black Hills); Indian reservations at Crow Creek, Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Cheyenne.
background: none;">| Flag of South Dakota | Seal of South Dakota |
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Nickname(s): The Mount Rushmore State (official), The Sunshine State |
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| Motto(s): Under God the people rule | |
| Official language(s) | English |
| Capital | Pierre |
| Largest city | Sioux Falls |
| Area | Ranked 17th |
| - Total |
77,163 sq mi (199,905 km²) |
| - Width | 210 miles (340 km) |
| - Length | 380 miles (610 km) |
| - % water | 1.6 |
| - Latitude | 42°29'30"N to 45°56'N |
| - Longitude | 98°28'33"W to 104°3'W |
| Population | Ranked 46th |
| - Total (2000) | 754,844 |
| - Density |
9.9/sq mi 3.84/km² (46th) |
| Elevation | |
| - Highest point |
Harney Peak 7,242 ft (2,209 m) |
| - Mean | 2,200 ft (670 m) |
| - Lowest point |
Big Stone Lake 966 ft (295 m) |
| Admission to Union | November 2, 1889 (40th) |
| Governor | Mike Rounds (R) |
| U.S. Senators |
Tim Johnson (D) John Thune (R) |
| Time zones | |
| - eastern half | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| - western half | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Abbreviations | SD US-SD |
| Web site | http://www.state.sd.us |
South Dakota is a Midwestern state in the United States. In 1861, Dakota Territory was recognized by the United States government (this initially included North Dakota, South Dakota, and parts of Montana and Wyoming).
Just over a year earlier, on November 2, 1889, Dakota Territory was incorporated into the United States as the modern states of North Dakota and South Dakota.
| Demographics of South Dakota (csv) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By race | White | Black | AIAN | Asian | NHPI |
| AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | |||||
| 2000 (total population) | 90.36% | 0.90% | 9.06% | 0.80% | 0.07% |
| 2000 (hispanic only) | 1.21% | 0.04% | 0.24% | 0.02% | 0.01% |
| 2005 (total population) | 89.64% | 1.17% | 9.43% | 0.92% | 0.06% |
| 2005 (hispanic only) | 1.83% | 0.07% | 0.23% | 0.02% | 0.00% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (total population) | 1.98% | 33.36% | 7.02% | 17.99% | -9.87% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (non-hispanic only) | 1.25% | 31.10% | 7.20% | 18.58% | -5.69% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (hispanic only) | 55.60% | 78.64% | 0.17% | -6.21% | -41.54% |
The five largest ancestry groups in South Dakota are: German (40.7%), Norwegian (15.3%), Irish (10.4%), Native American (8.3%), English (7.1%).
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of South Dakota are:
Christian – 91% Protestant – 65% Lutheran – 28% Methodist – 13% Presbyterian – 4% Baptist – 4% United Church of Christ – 2% Pentecostal – 2% Other Protestant or general Protestant – 12% Roman Catholic – 25% Other Christian – 1% Other Religions – 1% Non-Religious – 8%Economy
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the gross state product of South Dakota was $29.4 billion as of 2004.
Transportation
List of South Dakota railroads Category: Transportation in South DakotaSouth Dakota license plates are numbered by county, with the first digit referring to the county of origin.
Politics
Presidential elections results| Year | GOP | Dems |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 59.91% 232,584 | 38.44% 149,244 |
| 2000 | 60.3% 190,700 | 37.56% 118,804 |
| 1996 | 46.49% 150,543 | 43.03% 139,333 |
| 1992 | 40.66% 136,718 | 37.14% 124,888 |
| 1988 | 52.85% 165,415 | 46.51% 145,560 |
| 1984 | 63.0% 200,267 | 36.53% 116,113 |
| 1980 | 60.53% 198,343 | 31.69% 103,855 |
| 1976 | 50.39% 151,505 | 48.91% 147,068 |
| 1972 | 54.15% 166,467 | 45.52% 139,945 |
| 1968 | 53.27% 149,841 | 41.96% 118,023 |
| 1964 | 44.39% 130,108 | 55.61% 163,010 |
| 1960 | 58.21% 178,417 | 41.79% 128,070 |
South Dakota politics are generally dominated by the Republican Party, and the state has not supported a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964 — especially notable when one considers
that George McGovern, the Democratic nominee in 1972, was from South Dakota.
U.S. Senators
Seat 1| Senator | Took Office | Left Office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Johnson | 1997 | present | Democrat |
| Larry Pressler | 1979 | 1997 | Republican |
| James Abourezk | 1973 | 1979 | Democrat |
| Karl E. Mundt | 1949 | 1973 | Republican |
| Vera C. Bushfield | 1947 | 1949 | Republican |
| Harlan J. Bushfield | 1943 | 1947 | Republican |
| William J. Bulow | 1931 | 1943 | Democrat |
| William H. McMaster | 1925 | 1931 | Republican |
| Thomas Sterling | 1913 | 1925 | Republican |
| Robert J. Gamble | 1901 | 1913 | Republican |
| Richard F. Pettigrew | 1889 | 1901 | Republican |
| Senator | Took Office | Left Office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Thune | 2005 | present | Republican |
| Tom Daschle | 1987 | 2005 | Democrat |
| James Abdnor | 1981 | 1987 | Republican |
| George McGovern | 1963 | 1981 | Democrat |
| Joseph H. Bottum | 1961 | 1963 | Republican |
| Francis H. Case | 1951 | 1961 | Republican |
| J. Chandler Gurney | 1939 | 1951 | Republican |
| Gladys Pyle | 1937 | 1939 | Republican |
| Herbert E. Hitchcock | 1935 | 1937 | Democrat |
| Peter Norbeck | 1921 | 1935 | Republican |
| Edwin S. Johnson | 1915 | 1921 | Democrat |
| Coe I. Crawford | 1909 | 1915 | Republican |
| Alfred B. Kittredge | 1901 | 1909 | Republican |
| James H. Kyle | 1891 | 1901 | Populist |
| Gideon C. Moody | 1889 | 1891 | Republican |
Important cities and towns
Aberdeen - 3rd largest city Belle Fourche - Center of the Nation Brookings - 5th largest city & South Dakota State University Deadwood De Smet Huron Lead Madison Mitchell Pierre - State Capital Rapid City - 2nd largest city Sioux Falls - Largest City Spearfish - Black Hills State University Sturgis Vermillion - The University of South Dakota Watertown - 4th largest city YanktonEducation
Augustana College — Sioux Falls Black Hills State University Dakota State University Dakota Wesleyan University Mount Marty College National American University Northern State University Oglala Lakota College Presentation College Sinte Gleska University South Dakota School of Mines and Technology South Dakota State University University of Sioux Falls University of South Dakota USDSUMiscellaneous topics
A bill for statehood for North and South Dakota (and Montana, and Washington), the Enabling Act of 1889, was passed on February 22, 1889 during the Administration of Grover Cleveland.
Citibank rechartered itself as a South Dakota bank in 1981 to take advantage of a new law that set South Dakota's maximum permissible interest rate on loans to 25%, then the highest in the nation (New York had refused to raise its interest rate even after prolonged lobbying).
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