Capital: Pierre
Population: 754,844
Governor: Mike Rounds(R, to January 2011)
Entered the Union: Nov. 2, 1889 as the 40th state
Motto: Under God the people rule
Nickname: Mount Rushmore State; Coyote state
Flower: American pasqueflower
Bird: Ring-necked pheasant
Song: Hail! South Dakota
Sports Teams: None
Origin of Name: From the Sioux tribe, meaning allies
Major Industries: Agriculture (Grains and Cattle, Dairy and Hogs), Tourism, Food Manufacturing
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.
Source: State of South Dakota
Population, 2006 estimate: 781,919
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 3.6%
Population, 2000: 754,844
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2006: 7.0%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2006: 24.9%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2006: 14.2%
Female persons, percent, 2006: 50.0%
White persons, percent, 2006 (a): 88.4%
Black persons, percent, 2006 (a): 0.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2006 (a): 8.5%
Asian persons, percent, 2006 (a): 0.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2006 (a): NA
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2006: 1.4%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b): 2.1%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2006: 86.6%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 55.7%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 1.8%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 6.5%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 84.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 21.5%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 114,619
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 16.6
Housing units, 2006: 352,813
Homeownership rate, 2000: 68.2%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000: 18.9%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $79,600
Households, 2000: 290,245
Persons per household, 2000: 2.50
Median household income, 2004: $39,265
Per capita money income, 1999: $17,562
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004: 12.9%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
Total Gross Domestic Product by State: 30,541
Private industries: 26,493
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 1,955
Crop and animal production (Farms): 1,855
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 100
Mining: 139
Oil and gas extraction: 31
Mining, except oil and gas: 94
Support activities for mining: 14
Utilities: 543
Construction: 1,288
Manufacturing: 3,104
Durable goods: 2,333
Wood product manufacturing: 170
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 122
Primary metal manufacturing: 65
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 235
Machinery manufacturing: 422
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 237
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 56
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 84
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 15
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 161
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 764
Nondurable goods: 772
Food product manufacturing: 425
Textile and textile product mills: 18
Apparel manufacturing: 7
Paper manufacturing: 62
Printing and related support activities: 85
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 1
Chemical manufacturing: 78
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 97
Wholesale trade: 1,740
Retail trade: 2,232
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 813
Air transportation: 17
Rail transportation: 154
Water transportation: 1
Truck transportation: 448
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 27
Pipeline transportation: 10
Other transportation and support activities: 133
Warehousing and storage: 21
Information: 824
Publishing including software: 131
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 14
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 648
Information and data processing services: 31
Finance and insurance: 5,047
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 4,412
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 82
Insurance carriers and related activities: 549
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 4
Real estate and rental and leasing: 2,660
Real estate: 2,534
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 125
Professional and technical services: 764
Legal services: 172
Computer systems design and related services: 66
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 526
Management of companies and enterprises: 237
Administrative and waste services: 468
Administrative and support services: 427
Waste management and remediation services: 41
Educational services: 224
Health care and social assistance: 2,659
Ambulatory health care services: 1,218
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities: 1,213
Social assistance: 229
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 293
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 131
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 162
Accommodation and food services: 800
Accommodation: 291
Food services and drinking places: 509
Other services, except government: 702
Government: 4,048
Federal civilian: 767
Federal military: 505
State and local: 2,776
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Longitude: 98° 28' 33"W to 104° 3'W
Latitude: 42° 29' 30"N to 45° 56'N
Length / Width: South Dakota is about 380 miles long and 210 miles wide.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of South Dakota is located in Hughes County, 8 miles NE of Pierre.
Borders: South Dakota is bordered by North Dakota on the north and by Nebraska on the south. On the east, South Dakota is bordered by Minnesota and Iowa. On the west, South Dakota is bordered by Montana and Wyoming.
Total Area: South Dakota covers 77,121 square miles, making it the 17th largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 75,898 square miles of South Dakota are land areas.
Water Area: 1,224 square miles of South Dakota are covered by water.
Highest Point: The highest point in South Dakota is Harney Peak at 7,242 feet above sea level.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in South Dakota is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet above sea level.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of South Dakota is 2,200 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: Cheyenne River, Missouri River, James River, White River
Major Lakes: Lake Oahe, Lake Francis Case, Lewis and Clark Lake
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Interactive
Campaign 2008A glimpse at presidential hopefuls and a fund-raising overview as the campaign gears up.
Interactive
America On GuardThe Homeland Security Department, the terror alert system, preparedness quiz and more.
More In-depth