South Dakota
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| Abbreviation | SD Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations |
|---|---|
| Capital | Pierre |
| Population | 814,180 Source: Resident Population Data – 2010 Census |
| Governor | Dennis Daugaard (Republican, to January 2015) |
| Entered the Union | Nov. 2, 1889 as the 40th state |
| Motto | Under God the people rule |
| Nickname | The Mount Rushmore State, The Coyote State |
| Flower | American pasqueflower |
| Bird | Ring-necked pheasant |
| Song | Hail! South Dakota |
| Professional Sports Teams | No NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, or NHL teams. (sports listing policy) |
| Origin of Name | From the Sioux tribe, meaning allies |
| Historical Sites | Mt. Rushmore is famous for its likenesses of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt |
| Points of Interest | The World’s Only Corn Palace in Mitchell; The city of Deadwood where Wild Bill Hickok was killed in 1876 and where gambling was recently legalized to recapture the city’s Old West flavor |
| Bordering States | South Dakota borders North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. |
| Flag |  |
Follow these links to read articles about South Dakota from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:
Official State Links
- State of South Dakota Official Home Page
http://www.state.sd.us/
This is the official website for the State of South Dakota. - South Dakota State Library
http://www.sdstatelibrary.com/
Here is the homepage for the South Dakota State Library. - South Dakota State Historical Society
Here is the homepage for the South Dakota State Historical Society. - mus/museum.htm
Here is the homepage for the South Dakota State Historical Society Museum. - South Dakota State Archives
arc/archives.htm
Here is the homepage for the South Dakota State Archives. - South Dakota State Parks & Recreation Areas
http://www.sdgfp.info/parks/Index.htm
Here is the homepage for South Dakota State Parks. - Travel SD.com
http://www.travelsd.com/
Here is the official state tourism website for South Dakota. - South Dakota Kids Korner For Little Kids
Here is a state site for kids from the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.
Other State Links
- 50states.com: South Dakota
http://www.50states.com/sdakota.htm
The site provides a wealth of information about South Dakota. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate. - Things To Do in South Dakota
http://www.thingstodo.com/states/SD/index.htm
ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about South Dakota’s entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state’s interesting facts, famous people, and special events. - Roadside America: South Dakota Attractions
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/sd.html
Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of “weird sites along the highway” in South Dakota. - Black Hills.com
http://www.blackhills.com/
This is an online directory linking dozens of websites related to the state of South Dakota. - Mount Rushmore National Monument
http://www.nps.gov/moru/
Here is the official National Park Service website for the famous South Dakota landmark. - FedStats: MapStat: United States: South Dakota
http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/46000.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 South Dakota.
- The Black Hills are the highest mountains east of the Rockies.
- A memorial to Crazy Horse is being carved in granite near Custer.
- The Badlands of SD, a region of barren ravines and cliffs, were created by volcanic action as well as by wind and water erosion.
- The Spirit Mound near Vermillion served as a vantage point for Lewis and Clark as they viewed the Prairie Plains.
- The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs has 100 Columbian and Woolly Mammoth fossils buried there.
- Some of the logs in Petrified Wood Park in Lemmon weigh more than 10,000 pounds. Others contain the fossilized remains of snakes and early marine life.
- Sitting Bull’s grave sits on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River near Mobridge. It wasn’t always there. In 1953 under the cover of darkness, a group of South Dakotans snuck into ND, exhumed his bones (with his relatives’ permission) and reburied them in their rightful home.
Some Famous People from this State
- Sitting Bull (1834?-1890), Chief of Hunkpappa Sioux. He defended Black HIlls, led the Teton Sioux to Canada, and was killed during arrest.
- Tom Brokaw (1940- ), TV newscaster. He is the anchor of “NBC Nightly News”.
- Crazy Horse (1840?-1877), Oglala chief. He led the Teton Sioux in defense of Black HIlls and died resisting arrest.
- Gertrude Bonnin (Zitkala-Sa), Sioux writer and pan-Indian activist.
- Cheryl Ladd (1951- ), actress. She was famous for her role in the TV series, Charlie’s Angels.