North Dakota

Capital	Bismarck
Population	642,200 Source: U.S. Census Bureau GCT-PH1-R. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density (geographies ranked by total population): 2000 Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data
Governor	John Hoeven (R, to December 2008)
Entered the Union	November 2, 1889 as the 39th state
Motto	Liberty and union, now and forever: one and inseparable
Nickname	Sioux State, Flickertail State, Peace Garden state
Flower	Wild prairie rose
Bird	Western meadowlark
Song	North Dakota Hymn
Sports Teams (sport listing policy)
Origin of Name	From the Sioux tribe, meaning allies
Major Industries	Agriculture including Wheat, Cattle, and Barley; Minerals including Coal and Petroleum; Manufacturing including Machinery and Processed Foods
Historical Sites	Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
Points of Interest	International Peace Garden, the State capital at Bismarck, the Badlands, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Bordering States	North Dakota borders Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Canada to the North.
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Follow these links to read articles about North Dakota from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

• Encarta Concise Encyclopedia
• Columbia Encyclopedia
• Information Please Almanac

• Discover ND: North Dakota's Source for State Government Information
  http://discovernd.com/
  This is the official website for the State of North Dakota.
• North Dakota State Library
  http://ndsl.lib.state.nd.us/
  Here is the homepage for the North Dakota State Library.
• State Historical Society of North Dakota
  http://www.state.nd.us/hist/org.htm
  Here is the homepage for the North Dakota State Historical Society.
• The North Dakota Heritage Center
  http://www.state.nd.us/hist/hcenter.htm
  Here is the homepage for the North Dakota State Museum.
• North Dakota State Archives and Library
  http://www.state.nd.us/hist/sal.htm
  Here is the homepage for the North Dakota State Archives.
• North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department
  http://www.ndparks.com/
  Here is the homepage for North Dakota State Parks.
• North Dakota Tourism
  http://www.ndtourism.com/
  Here is the official state tourism website for North Dakota.
• Kids Activities: State Historical Society of North Dakota
  http://www.state.nd.us/hist/kids.htm
  Here is a North Dakota state history site just for kids.

• 50states.com: North Dakota
  http://www.50states.com/ndakota.htm
  The site provides a wealth of information about North Dakota. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
• Things To Do in North Dakota
  http://www.thingstodo.com/states/ND/index.htm
  ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about North Dakota's entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state's interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
• Roadside America: North Dakota Attractions
  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/nd.html
  Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of "weird sites along the highway" in North Dakota.
• RealND.com: the Real North Dakota Project
  http://www.realnd.com
  RealND.com strives to promote North Dakota to the world by offering web viewers the chance to experience immersive and interactive 360-degree virtual tours of the "real" North Dakota.
• The North Dakota State Heritage Center Museum Virtual Tour Map
  http://www.realnd.com/heritagecentermap.htm
  Visit more than a dozen virtual tours of the North Dakota State Heritage Center on this site, a part of North Dakota's "Real North Dakota Project".
• FedStats: MapStat: United States: North Dakota
  http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/38000.html
  Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on "economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more" in North Dakota.

• North Dakota is the most rural of all the states, with farms covering more than 90% of the land.
• The official drink of North Dakota is milk.
• Dedicated in 1932, the Peace Garden celebrates the good relations between the U.S. and Canada.
• Farther from a moderating body of water than any other state, ND is an extreme example of "continental climate". The temperatures range from -20° F (-29° C) to 90° F (32° C).
• The state is a bird watcher's paradise, with some 365 species of commonly seen songbirds, shorebirds, birds of prey, wading birds, upland birds, and more nesting waterfowl than any other state.
• The waters of Devil's Lake, the largest natural body of water in ND, are spring-fed and cover more than 70,000 prairie acres.
• Writing Rock, near Grenora, is a large glacial boulder covered with Indian picture writing.

• Louis L'Amour (1908-1988), author known for his vivid descriptions of frontier life.
• Sacajawea or Sakakawea (1784-1884?), Shoshoni Indian woman who, with her husband Toussaint Charbonneau, served as interpreter and guide for the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
• Norman Kittson (1814-1888), fur trader and transportation entrepreneur. His ventures helped open the Red River Valley to settlement.
• William H. Gass (1924- ), writer and philosopher. He wrote Omensetter's Luck and a book of short stories called In the Heart of the Heart of the Country.