South Dakota

South Dakota is in the middle of the USA.

It sits on the Great Plains.

A big river splits the land in two. The Missouri River runs right through it.

In the west, there are pine hills. These are the Black Hills.

They are very special to the Sioux people.

Many people live in the east. They grow crops in the good soil.

In the west, people raise animals. You can also visit Mount Rushmore there.

South Dakota is a state in the north-central United States.

It sits in the Great Plains region. The state has many neighbors. North Dakota is to the north. Minnesota is to the east. Iowa is to the southeast. Nebraska is to the south. Wyoming and Montana are to the west.

A large river called the Missouri River runs through the middle. It splits the state into two parts. People call these the East River and West River areas. Most people live in the east. The soil there is good for growing crops.

In the west, ranching is the main way people work with land.

The Black Hills are in the southwest.

These are low mountains covered in pine trees. The Sioux people find these hills sacred. You can also see Mount Rushmore there.

The state has four seasons. The weather can be wet in the east or dry in the west. In the 1930s, the state faced the Dust Bowl. This was a time of very little rain and high heat.

South Dakota is a state located in the north-central United States.

It is part of the Great Plains and the Midwest region. The state is landlocked, meaning it has no ocean nearby. It shares borders with many other places. North Dakota is to the north, and Minnesota is to the east. Iowa sits to the southeast, while Nebraska is to the south. Wyoming and Montana border the state to the west.

The landscape changes depending on where you stand. The Missouri River runs through the middle of the state.

This river splits the land into two distinct halves. People call the eastern side "East River" and the western side "West River." Most people live in the eastern part of the state. The soil there is fertile and good for growing many crops.

In the west, the land is drier and used mostly for ranching. The state has four seasons and a temperate climate.

Many different groups of people have lived here for a long time. Humans have inhabited this area for several millennia. The Sioux people became the dominant group by the early 19th century.

In the late 1800s, more people arrived from Europe and the eastern United States. This happened because of a gold rush in the Black Hills.

Railroads also helped more people move to the area. Sadly, these changes led to difficult wars between settlers and Native Americans. One such event was the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890.

South Dakota officially became a state on November 2, 1889. It joined the union at the same time as North Dakota. President Benjamin Harrison signed the papers for both states. He actually shuffled the papers so no one knew which was first. Pierre is the capital city of the state. Sioux Falls is the largest city with about 213,900 people.

The state is the 17th largest in the country by area.

Today, the state is known for many different things. The Black Hills are a famous place for visitors to see.

These pine-covered mountains are sacred to the Sioux. You can find the famous Mount Rushmore there.

The economy has changed from just farming to include tourism and finance. Some people work in defense or at research labs underground.

Even with these changes, the rural character of the state stays strong. In 2018, it was even named the happiest and healthiest state in the country.

South Dakota is a landlocked state in the north-central United States.

It sits within the Great Plains and the Midwest region. The state is bordered by North Dakota to the north and Minnesota to the east. Iowa is to the southeast, while Nebraska lies to the south. To the west, it borders Wyoming and Montana. South Dakota is the 17th-largest state by area in the country. However, it is the fifth-least populous and fifth-least densely populated state.

The geography of the state is divided by the Missouri River. This river bisects the land into two distinct halves. People colloquially call these regions "East River" and "West River." These two areas are geographically and socially different. The eastern part contains most of the population. The soil in the east is fertile and supports many crops.

In the west, the climate is more semiarid. Ranching is the main agricultural activity in West River. Most Native American reservations are located in this western region.

The state has a temperate continental climate. This means it has four distinct seasons. Precipitation levels vary across the landscape. The east receives more moisture than the west.

The ecology consists of species typical of a North American grassland biome. In the southwest, the Black Hills provide a different environment. These are low, pine-covered mountains. They are sacred to the Sioux people.

This area also contains Mount Rushmore, a major tourist destination.

Humans have inhabited this land for several millennia. Paleoindian hunter-gatherers lived here before 5000 BC. Later, the Mound Builders lived in the central and eastern areas between 500 AD and 800 AD. By 1500, the Arikara had settled in the Missouri River valley. The Sioux became the dominant group by the early 19th century. European contact began in 1743 with the LaVérendrye brothers. They claimed the region for France. Later, the region became part of Spanish Louisiana. The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803.

American settlement intensified in the late 19th century. This was driven by a gold rush in the Black Hills.

Railroad construction also helped people move east to west. The passage of the Homestead Acts increased settlement. In 1868, the Treaty of Laramie granted the Sioux the western half of the state. However, miners began entering the Black Hills illegally. This led to Indian wars between settlers and the Sioux. These conflicts ended with the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. This event resulted in at least 146 Sioux deaths.

South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. It was admitted to the union at the same time as North Dakota. President Benjamin Harrison signed the statehood papers. He shuffled them so no one knew which state was first. Pierre serves as the state capital. Sioux Falls is the most populous city. It has a population of about 213,900.

The 20th century brought challenges like the Dust Bowl. During the 1930s, low rainfall and high heat ruined harvests.

The population declined by over 7% between 1930 and 1940.

The economy has changed significantly over time. It was once dominated by agriculture and a rural lifestyle. Recently, the state has sought to diversify. Tourism has grown, especially around the Black Hills. The financial services industry also expanded. Citibank moved its credit card operations to Sioux Falls in 1981. Agriculture has become more industrial. This has reduced the number of small family farms. Today, the state also relies on defense spending and research. For example, the Homestake gold mine is now a research facility.