South Dakota

South Dakota is a midwestern state of the United States.

The capital of South Dakota is Pierre, but the largest city in the state, by a rather considerably margin, is Sioux Falls, which has over 140,000 residents. Other cities in South Dakota include: Aberdeen, Brookings, Huron, Mithcell. Rapid City, Vermillion, Watertown and Yankton.

The state is best known as the location of Mount Rushmore, which contains four giant sculptures of American Presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln). Each of the sculptures is approximately 60 feet (18 meters) high. It took 14 years (from 1927 and 1941) to create the sculptures, even though 400 workers were working on them. The sculpture is controversial with some Native Americans, because the land on which it is built was seized by the United States during the Black Hills War (1876 to 1877), even though the previous Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) had granted the hills to the Lakota Tribe in perpetuity. Partly as a result of this controversy, a separate Crazy Horse Monument is currently under construction elsewhere in South Dakota's Black Hills (and has been for some years now).

Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The sculptures depict (left to right) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The sculptures depict (left to right) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Although the state's best known tourist attractions are Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument, there are other attractions and places to see in South Dakota. For example, if you ever visit Box Elder, you will want to check out the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, which is home to a large number of aircraft, including B-29 and B-52 bombers. Another interesting place to visit is Wall Drug (in Wall), which is a cowboy-themed mall, which has become famous, in large part, due to a quite incredible promotional campaign.

Probably the best known educational institution in South Dakota is the University of South Dakota which is in Vermillion

Here are some pages with more detailed information about South Dakota:

Attractions
Places of interest in South Dakota.
Calendars
Calendars of South Dakota
Camping
Camping in South Dakota
Cycling
Cycling in South Dakota
Flag
Information about the flag of the state. (Pictures of the flag of South Dakota)
General Information
General information about the state including population, symbols, etc.
Guide Books
Books containing travel information for South Dakota.
Hiking
Hiking in South Dakota
History
Information and books about the history of South Dakota.
Maps
Maps of South Dakota.
Posters
Posters of South Dakota.
Towns and Cities
Towns and cities in South Dakota.