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South Dakota Facts

South Dakota Facts
The State of South Dakota is located in the mid-west United States. It shares state borders with Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Minnesota and Iowa. South Dakota is the 17th largest U.S. state with 77,116 square miles. It is the 46th most populated state with approximately 844,877 residents and it is ranked as the 46th most densely populated state. Prior to European settlement in the late 1800s the region was inhabited by Sioux Indians. A gold rush in the Black Hills triggered several Indian wars, ending in 1890 with the Wounded Knee Massacre. South Dakota was admitted to the Union in 1889, becoming the 40th U.S. state.
Interesting South Dakota Facts:
The name Dakota is the word that the Sioux Indians used referred to themselves as.
South Dakota's state nickname is the Mount Rushmore State.
South Dakota's state motto is 'Under God the People Rule'.
The state song for South Dakota is 'Hail, South Dakota'.
Residents of South Dakota are referred to as South Dakotans.
The capital city of South Dakota is Pierre, and its largest city is Sioux Falls.
South Dakota's state fag with its state seal in the center was officially adopted in 1963.
South Dakota's state bird is the Chinese ring-necked pheasant.
The state mammal for South Dakota is the coyote and the state fish is the walleye.
South Dakota's state flower is the American pasqueflower and the state tree is the Black Hills spruce.
South Dakota's state musical instrument is the fiddle.
Major rivers in South Dakota are the White River, James River, Missouri River and the Cheyenne River.
Major lakes in South Dakota include Lewis and Clark Lake, Lake Francis Case and Lake Oahe.
Major industry in South Dakota includes tourism, agriculture, and durable goods.
Major agriculture in South Dakota includes sunflower oil and seeds, oats, barley, rye, alfalfa, sorghum and flaxseed.
Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota is a carved granite memorial to former U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt. The carving was done in the side of Mount Rushmore. Work began in 1927 and was completed 14 years later.
Crazy Horse Mountain, a memorial similar to Mount Rushmore, is being carved to honor North American Indians.
Clarke, South Dakota holds a Mashed Potato Wrestling contest which is world famous.
There are approximately 1,500 free-roaming bison in Custer State Park.
The third-longest cave in the world is Jewel Cave in South Dakota. The cave got its name from its glittering calcite crystals.
There are more than 250 rare automobiles in the Pioneer Auto Museum in Murdo, South Dakota.
The most preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur remains in history were excavated north of Faith, South Dakota.
There is a cemetery in South Dakota called the Black Hills National Cemetery. It is considered to be the Arlington of the West, honoring U.S. veterans.
There is only one venomous snake native to South Dakota = the prairie rattlesnake.
The highest point in the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, is Harney Peak in South Dakota. It is 7242 feet above sea level.
The most endangered land mammal in the U.S. is the black-footed ferret. It is being reintroduced into Sage Creek Wilderness in an attempt to build its numbers again.


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