In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory
from Napoleon.
The area now known as
South Dakota was part
of this purchase.
The name comes from the Lakota and Dakota tribes of the
Sioux Nation.
South Dakota has 5 counties
that lie entirely within Native reservations.
South Dakota was admitted to
the USA on Nov 2, 1889.
Missouri River divides the state
into 2 separate socially and economically
distinct regions,
known as "West River" and "East River."
East of the river is covered by fertile farm country,
with low hills and lakes formed by glaciers.
West of the river the land consists of deep canyons and rolling plains.
South Dakota
has a total land area of 77116 mi² (199905 km²),
with an estimated population of 775 thousand.
The state is bordered to the north
by North Dakota,
to the south by Nebraska,
to the east by Iowa
and Minnesota,
and to the west by Wyoming.
and Montana.
WEATHER
South Dakota lies in the northwestern continental interior of
the USA.
It has a continental climate with 4 very distinct seasons.
Summers are hot with low humidity.
During summer, the average high temperature
throughout the state is close to 90 ° F, cooling down to
near 60 ° F overnight.
The record high temperature is 120 ° F (49 ° C).
South Dakota
has a broad range of temperatures during the winter,
but generally winters are very cold.
The northeast has the coldest weather.
Temperatures are highest in the southeast.
High temperatures in January averaging below freezing.
The record low is –58 ° F (–50 ° C).
Western South Dakota
generally has the least amount of precipitation.
The east is the wettest portion of
the state. Annual precipitation averages 25 in (63 cm) in the southeast,
decreasing to less than 13 in (33 cm) in the northwest,
with high winds and periodic droughts.
Occasionally blizzards happen in the winter.
The bulk of the snow falls in late autumn and early spring.
Summers bring
frequent thunderstorms, with severe high winds and hail.
South Dakota experiences an average of 23 tornadoes per year.
ECONOMY
The South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry
is focused on making sure that South Dakota is well
prepared for the economic transitions that could
prove to be either a great boon or a tremendous
disaster for our citizens.
This work has included responding to crises such as workers compensation coverage,
attempts to pass corporate income taxes and
countless regulations on business.
South Dakota has
a stable economy, dominated by wholesale/retail trade
and agriculture.
Cattle and sheep ranching provide a major source of income.
Livestock and livestock products dominate the state economy.
South Dakota is a leading producer of
beef, hogs, lambs, sheep,
chickens, eggs, geese, turkeys, and wool.
Corn, soybeans, oats, and wheat are important cash crops.
Sunflowers, oats, hay, sorghum, flaxseed, rye, and barley are also grown.
Leading industries include manufacturing,
computers & components,
health care, social assistance, meat~packing, food processing,
retail trade, real estate, finance, insurance, forestry,
fishing, and hunting.
The finance, insurance, and real estate industries generate the most value.
Gold was once South Dakota's most important mineral.
Gold mining still exists in the state but on a much smaller scale.
Other mined products are gypsum, granite, clay,
limestone, crushed stone, sand, gravel, petroleum, and natural gas.
The state has no personal or corporate income tax,
and enjoys the 2nd lowest crime rate in the country.
The unemployment rate is significantly lower than
the unemployment rate of the United States,
and is expected to stay that way.
Government, educational and health services, and retail trade
sectors provide most of the employment.
SCHOOLS
The South Dakota Education Association members work in
public schools,
colleges and universities to help improve
the lives of South Dakota's children
They do this by:
• Providing a wide range of
professional education services in communities throughout the state.
• Teaching in kindergarten classrooms and college lecture halls.
• Counselling adolescents, assisting in carving out career aspirations.
• Driving school buses, directing school plays and coaching soccer.
• Providing professional services that benefit students,
schools and the public.
The South Dakota Board of Regents has constitutional authority to
govern the system of public higher education in South Dakota.
The Board controls the 6 public
universities within the state,
provides leadership, and sets policies for the programs and services.
South Dakota has a total
primary and secondary school enrollment of over 135 thousand students.
There are 703 public schools in 168 school districts,
giving South Dakota the highest number of schools
per capita in the United States.
For more details please contact the
South Dakota Department of Education.
HOSPITALITY
South Dakota has
something for everyone...
the outdoor enthusiast, the golfer, the beach comber,
the history buff, and the explorer.
South Dakota’s unique national
treasures include Mount Rushmore,
fairytale castles,
the largest naturally heated indoor swimming pool in the world,
and a tropical jungle filled with exotic birds.
These are just
a few of the family~friendly attractions you can experience
in South Dakota.
Hiking, biking, rock climbing, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing...
the list of adventures goes on forever.
There are millions of acres designated as state parks and
recreation areas.
South Dakota is known for its
world~class hunting, and the fishing season never ends.
The outdoor fun in South Dakota doesn’t stop when the snow falls.
Downhill and cross~country skiing, snow~mobiling,
skating, and ice~fishing make winter worthwhile.
South Dakota has a variety of
options for your group, meeting, convention, wedding,
conference or special event.
The state is divided into 4 travel regions.
Each region has its own association that can provide
detailed information on attractions and tourism businesses
in their area.
For more details please contact the
South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development.
NEWS
South Dakota State 
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