South Dakota: Facts and Figures

Area, 77,047 sq mi (199,552 sq km). Pop. (2020) 886,667, a 8.7% increase since the 2010 census. As of the 2020 census, the state's population was: White alone, 84.6%; Black alone, 2.3%; Hispanic or Latino, 4.2%; American Indian and Alaska native alone, 9%; Asian alone, 1.5%; Two or More Races, 2.5%. Capital, Pierre. Largest city, Sioux Falls. Statehood, Nov. 2, 1889 (40th state), simultaneously with North Dakota. Highest pt., Harney Peak, 7,242 ft (2,209 m); lowest pt., Big Stone Lake, 962 ft (293 m). Nicknames, Rushmore State; Coyote State. Motto, Under God the People Rule. State bird, ring-necked pheasant. State flower, pasqueflower. State tree, Black Hills spruce. Abbr., S.Dak.; SD

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Postwar Changes
• Railroads, Droughts, and the Great Depression
• The Dakota Land Boom, Statehood, and Agrarian Reform
• Gold Fever and the End of Sioux Resistance
• Settlement
• Early Inhabitants, European Exploration, and Fur Trading
• Government and Higher Education
• Economy
• Geography
• Facts and Figures
• Bibliography

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