History UsefulNotes / SouthDakota

The state, along with its northern counterpart, North Dakota, were originally part of the unified Dakota Territory, named for the Dakota Sioux nation that has lived in the area for hundreds of years (they originate further east in Minnesota and [[UsefulNotes/CanadianProvincesAndTerritories Manitoba]]). In 1889, the Dakota Territory was split into two states, partially due to size, partially due to differences between settlers in both regions, and partially due to a Republican political play; the entire territory was (and still is) strongly favorable towards Republicans, and splitting the state granted the Republican party two additional senators. Both states were admitted on Nov. 2, 1889. When signing the papers of admission, President UsefulNotes/BenjaminHarrison shuffled the papers so that no one would know which state was signed first. Since North Dakota comes before South Dakota alphabetically, North Dakota is officially listed as the 39th state, and South Dakota is listed as the 40th.

The state capital is Pierre, pronounced "peer" by the locals. The two largest cities are Sioux Falls in the southeast and Rapid City in the west. Other cities of note are Aberdeen, where Storybook Land pays tribute to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''; Brookings, which is home to South Dakota State University and a children's museum, and Sturgis, the site of an annual motorcycle gathering.

The state is divided into two halves by the Missouri River, and there is a cultural divide between those who live west of the river and east of the river. East River is more heavily populated, more agricultural, and home to the state's business hubs (the state is a popular choice for credit card companies due to its lack of usury laws, allowing them to charge what interest they desire). West River is more sparse, populated by ranchers (like neighboring Montana), and more heavily dependent on tourism, containing both the Black Hills region and Badlands National Park, both of which are known for their rock formations.

* Gail Mathius, comedian and voice actress

* Creator/LFrankBaum was born in New York, but spent much of his life in South Dakota

* Bruce Williams and Terry Ree, comedy musical duo

South Dakota is a state in the north central UsefulNotes/UnitedStates, located in the Great Plains Midwest region. It is bordered by UsefulNotes/NorthDakota to the north, UsefulNotes/{{Minnesota}} to the east, Iowa to the southeast, Nebraska to the south, and UsefulNotes/{{Wyoming}} and UsefulNotes/{{Montana}} to the west.

The state, along with its namesake, North Dakota, were originally part of the unified Dakota Territory, named for the Dakota Sioux nation that has lived in the area for hundreds of years (they originate further east in Minnesota and [[UsefulNotes/CanadianProvincesAndTerritories Manitoba]]). In 1889, the Dakota Territory was split into two states, partially due to size, partially due to differences between settlers in both regions, and partially due to a Republican political play; the entire territory was (and still is) strongly favorable towards Republicans, and splitting the state granted the Republican party two additional senators. Both states were admitted on Nov. 2, 1889. When signing the papers of admission, President UsefulNotes/BenjaminHarrison shuffled the papers so that no one would know which state was signed first. Since North Dakota comes before South Dakota alphabetically, North Dakota is officially listed as the 39th state, and South Dakota is listed as the 40th.

The state, along with its namesake, North Dakota, were originally part of the unified Dakota Territory, named for the Dakota Sioux nation that has lived in the area for hundreds of years (they originate further east in Minnesota and Manitoba). In 1889, the Dakota Territory was split into two states, partially due to size, partially due to differences between settlers in both regions, and partially due to a Republican political play; the entire territory was (and still is) strongly favorable towards Republicans, and splitting the state granted the Republican party two additional senators. Both states were admitted on Nov. 2, 1889. When signing the papers of admission, President UsefulNotes/BenjaminHarrison shuffled the papers so that no one would know which state was signed first. Since North Dakota comes before South Dakota alphabetically, North Dakota is officially listed as the 39th state, and South Dakota is listed as the 40th.

Famous people from South Dakota:

* LauraIngallsWilder, author of ''Literature/LittleHouseOnThePrairie''

South Dakota is a state in the north central UsefulNotes/UnitedStates. It is bordered by UsefulNotes/NorthDakota to the north, UsefulNotes/{{Minnesota}} to the east, UsefulNotes/{{Iowa}} to the southeast, UsefulNotes/{{Nebraska}} to the south, and UsefulNotes/{{Wyoming}} and UsefulNotes/{{Montana}} to the west.

The most famous tourist attraction in South Dakota is the Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Rapid City. It is a large mountain featuring the likenesses of [[UsefulNotes/ThePresidentsOfTheUnitedStates U.S. presidents]] UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington, UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson, UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln and UsefulNotes/TheodoreRoosevelt.

The most famous tourist attraction in South Dakota is the Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Rapid City. It is a large mountain featuring the likenesses of presidents UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington, UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson, UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln and UsefulNotes/TheodoreRoosevelt.