South Dakota

South Dakota
State
State of South Dakota
Flag of South Dakota
Flag
Official seal of South Dakota
Seal
Nickname: 
The Mount Rushmore State (official)
Motto: 
Under God the People Rule
Anthem: Hail, South Dakota!
Map of the United States with South Dakota highlighted
Map of the United States with South Dakota highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodDakota Territory
Admitted to the UnionNovember 2, 1889 (39th or 40th)
CapitalPierre
Largest citySioux Falls
Largest metro and urban areasSioux Falls metropolitan area
Government
 • GovernorLarry Rhoden (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorTony Venhuizen (R)
LegislatureSouth Dakota Legislature
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
U.S. senatorsJohn Thune (R)
Mike Rounds (R)
U.S. House delegationDusty Johnson (R) (list)
Area
 • Total77,116 sq mi (199,729 km2)
 • Land75,811 sq mi (196,350 km2)
 • Water1,305 sq mi (3,379 km2)  1.7%
 • Rank17th
Dimensions
 • Length380 mi (610 km)
 • Width210 mi (340 km)
Elevation
2,200 ft (670 m)
Highest elevation
(Black Elk Peak)
7,244 ft (2,208 m)
Lowest elevation
(Big Stone Lake on Minnesota border)
968 ft (295 m)
Population
 (2019)
 • Total884,659
 • Rank46th
 • Density11.44/sq mi (4.42/km2)
  • Rank46th
 • Median household income
$56,521
 • Income rank
30th
DemonymSouth Dakotan
Language
 • Official languageEnglish • Sioux
Time zones
eastern halfUTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
western halfUTC−07:00 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
USPS abbreviation
SD
ISO 3166 codeUS-SD
Traditional abbreviationS.D., S.Dak.
Latitude42°29′ N to 45°56′ N
Longitude96°26′ W to 104°03′ W
Websitesd.gov
South Dakota state symbols
Flag of South Dakota
Living insignia
BirdRing-necked pheasant
FishWalleye
FlowerAmerican Pasque flower
GrassWestern wheat grass
InsectWestern honeybee
MammalCoyote
TreeBlack Hills Spruce
Inanimate insignia
BeverageMilk
DanceSquare dance
FossilTriceratops
GemstoneFairburn agate
RockRose quartz
SoilHoudek
OtherKuchen (state dessert)
State route marker
South Dakota state route marker
Lists of United States state symbols

South Dakota is a state in the United States. South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. Its capital is Pierre and most populous is Sioux Falls. Other important cities are Rapid City, Sturgis and Aberdeen. Famous attractions include Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, Crazy Horse mountain sculpture, The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and the Corn Palace. About 890,000 people lived there in 2020.

South Dakota is bordered to the north by North Dakota, to the south by Nebraska, to the east by Iowa and Minnesota, and to the west by Wyoming and Montana.

There are nine Native American tribes that live in South Dakota.

Most of South Dakota's land was bought in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. South Dakota and North Dakota both became states in 1889.

Many Democrats have represented South Dakota in Congress. However, most politicians in South Dakota are Republicans. More than 90% of the state legislature are Republicans.

Cities and towns

Sioux Falls is the largest city in South Dakota. In 2020, 192,517 people lived there. 281,958 people live in its metro area. The city was founded in 1856. It is in the southeast corner of the state. When the city was first founded, the economy was mostly agribusiness and quarrying. Today, retail, finance, and healthcare are most important to the city's economy.

Towns

Rapid City is the second-largest city in South Dakota. 74,703 lived there in 2020.144,558 people live in its metro area. It is located in the Black Hills, and was founded in 1876. The biggest part of the city's economy is government services. The biggest employers include Ellsworth Air Force Base, the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and the Indian Health Service. Tourism is also a big part of Rapid City's economy. It is close to Mount Rushmore, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and Deadwood, and other attractions

10 largest cities in South Dakota
2022 rank City County Population
in 2020
1 Sioux Falls Minnehaha
Lincoln		 192,517
2 Rapid City Pennington 74,703
3 Aberdeen Brown 28,495
4 Brookings Brookings 23,377
5 Watertown Codington 22,655
6 Mitchell Davison 15,660
7 Yankton Yankton 15,411
8 Huron Beadle 14,263
9 Pierre
(the capital)		 Hughes 14,091
10 Spearfish Lawrence 12,193

References

  1. ↑ "Black Elk Peak". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  4. ↑ "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  5. ↑ "South Dakota Codified Laws (1–27–20)". South Dakota State Legislature. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  6. ↑ "South Dakota recognizes official indigenous language". Argus Leader. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Stats for Stories: South Dakota 130th Anniversary (40th state): November 2, 2019". United States Census Bereau. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "2023 Legislator Listing". sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  9. 1 2 "South Dakota". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area population and estimated components of change: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 26, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  11. ↑ "History of Sioux Falls". City of Sioux Falls. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  12. ↑ Thompson (ed.), p. 554.
  13. ↑ Hasselstrom, p. 331.
  14. 1 2 "Rapid City: Economy". City-Data.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  15. ↑ "2020 Census Results". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Retrieved August 14, 2021.

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