State Capitol: Pierre
Population: 708,400 (1992)
Area: 77,116 square miles
State Flower: Pasque Flower
State Tree: Black Hills spruce
State Bird: Chinese ring-necked pheasant
State Animal: Coyote
Main Products: Cattle, Wheat, Lumber, Gold
South Dakota is located in the Great Plains region of the united states. It is bordered by North Dakota to the north, Montana and Wyoming to the West, Nebraska to the south, and Minnesota and Iowa to the East.
South Dakota is known for its mild to harsh winters and warm to hot summers. Blizzards during the winter are not uncommon and in 1997 South Dakota suffered its worst blizzard in several years. Tornados and thunderstorms are common in the summer months.
The state is divided into four distinct geographical regions. The Glacial Lakes region in the northeastern part of the state is a low lying area dotted with lakes carved out after the last of the glaciers receded thousands of years ago. The Missouri valley region covers the area in the central part of the state. It's main feature and the several reservoirs of the Missouri River fertile farmland. The fourth and final region in South Dakota is the Black Hills and Badlands region. Starting with the Badlands in the west central part of the state and ending with the Black Hills on the extreme west end of the state the area consists of forests, mountains and canyons in the Black Hills and colorful, rolling hills carved out by centuries of erosion in the Badlands.
South Dakota has been home to the several tribes of the Sioux Nation, the Native American peoples indigenous to the area. The most notable of these being the Oglala Sioux, whose famous people include Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Exploration of the area first started in 1802 when Lewis and Clark traveled throughout the area under orders from then President Thomas Jefferson to find a river route to the Pacific Ocean. General George Armstrong Custer first came to the area in the mid 1870s and after gold was discovered in the Black Hills, clashes between the US Army and the Sioux soon erupted. The Wounded Knee Massacre near Wounded Knee, South Dakota and the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana are two well known conflicts.
South Dakota also has its share of festivals in the summer in the form of the State Fair in Huron, the Central States Fair in Rapid City, and the most famous of all, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis. This annual event attracts thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts every year from around the country and the world. South Dakota also supports many museums including the Journey Museum and the Museum of Geology in Rapid City.
Industry in South Dakota is quite diverse. In the northern Black Hills, the town of Lead supports the largest active gold mine in the Western Hemisphere and the gold mined there is turned into famous Black Hills Gold jewelry which is then sold around the country. In the farming regions, corn and wheat are the main agricultural products produced. Dairy and beef cattle are also raised here as well as hogs. Tourism to South Dakota's many national and state parks is also a large industry. Deadwood, South Dakota, also has limited gambling with greatly contributes to the local economy.
South Dakota is well known for its many national and state Parks, such as the Badlands National Park and Custer State Park. In Black Hills National Forest there are Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and the Crazy Horse Monument with carving currently in progress. In the eastern part of the state there is the Sioux Falls Zoo, Sioux Park, and the Home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of "Little House on the Prairie." Former President Calvin Coolidge loved the area so much that he kept is summer White House at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park.