South Dakota is a state in the north central United States, located in the Great Plains Midwest region. It is bordered by North Dakota to the north (obviously), Minnesota to the east, Iowa to the southeast, Nebraska to the south, and Wyoming and Montana to the west.
The state, along with its northern counterpart, North Dakota, was 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 Benjamin Harrison 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 The Wizard of Oz; Brookings, which is home to South Dakota State University and a children's museum; Vermillion, home to the University of South Dakota; and Sturgis, the site of an annual motorcycle gathering.
As mentioned before, South Dakota is a strong Republican state, having only voted for Democrats three times in Presidential elections (William Jennings Bryan in 1896, Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, and Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Currently, the Republican Party has a lock on the governorship, the State House of Representatives and State Senate, as well as the state's Congressional delegation.
The state is divided into two halves by the Missouri River, and there is a cultural divide between those who live on each side 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.
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 U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. The state is also infamously known for Wall Drug, a tourist trap known for its billboards advertising free ice water that can be seen on every major road that enters and leaves the state.
Famous people from South Dakota:
- Shayna Baszler
- Brian Cummings
- January Jones
- Cheryl Ladd
- Brock Lesnar
- Gail Mathius, comedian and voice actress.
- Russell Means
- Kristi Noem, the state's current governor.
- Gary Owens
- Eddie Spears
- Michael Spears
- Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie
- Bruce Williams and Terry Ree, comedy musical duo
- L. Frank Baum was born in New York, but spent much of his life in South Dakota.
