Higher Education  

South Dakota has about a dozen colleges and universities, as well as six two-year community and technical colleges. State institutions include the University of South Dakota, in Vermillion; South Dakota State University, in Brookings; South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, in Rapid City; Black Hills State University, in Spearfish; Dakota State University, in Madison; and Northern State University, in Aberdeen. Private institutions include Augustana College and University of Sioux Falls, both in Sioux Falls; Dakota Wesleyan University, in Mitchell; Mount Marty College, in Yankton; National American University, in Rapid City; and Presentation College, in Aberdeen.

Geography

South Dakota's area is 199,730 square kilometers. The state can be divided into three main regions: the East River Prairie Plains, the West River Great Plains, and the Black Hills. Covering the eastern one-third of South Dakota, the East River Prairie Plains is a known for its fertile soil suitable for raising a variety of crops and livestock. The West River Great Plains region, which covers most of the western two-thirds of the state, contains many glacial hills and canyon-like valleys. Located at the southwestern corner of the state, the Black Hills region has forestland as well as rich veins of gold and other minerals. The state's major river is the Missouri, which flows from north through south through the middle of the state. Important cities include Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Watertown, Huron, Yankton, and Pierre (capital). The population of South Dakota is around 800,000.

Climate

Characterized by extremes, South Dakota's climate is sometimes very hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter. Sioux Falls, in the southeastern part of the state, has average temperatures ranging from -4° C to -16° C in January and from 31° C to 17° C in July. In the southwestern part of the state, Rapid City experiences temperatures ranging from 1° C to -13° C in January and from 30° C to 15° C in July. Annual precipitation ranges from approximately 33 cm in the northeast to 64 cm in the southeast.

Cultural Profile

South Dakota's museums include the W. H. Over Museum at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion; the Shrine to Music Museum, in Vermillion; the Museum of Geology at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; the Agricultural Heritage Museum at South Dakota State University; the Adams Memorial Museum, in Deadwood; the Sioux Indian Museum and Crafts Center, in Rapid City; the Delbridge Museum of Natural History, in Sioux Falls; and the Old West Museum, in Chamberlain.

Performing arts organizations in the state include Sioux Falls' Sioux Empire Youth Orchestra and the South Dakota Symphony, and Rapid City's Black Hills Symphony Orchestra. Country-and western music is performed at the Mountain Music Show in Custer, the Day County Fair in Webster, and the South Dakota Open Fiddle Contest and Jamboree in Yankton. Traditional Sioux music can be heard at powwows throughout the state. The annual Black Hills Passion Play draws audiences from all over the world.

Recreation

South Dakota has two national parks (Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park), two national forests (Black Hills National Forest and Custer National Forest), three national grasslands, and numerous state parks and recreation areas. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is the state's most famous tourist attraction. Other interesting places to visit include Hot Springs Historic District, in Hot Springs; Prehistoric Indian Village, near Mitchell; Corn Palace, in Mitchell; Crazy Horse Memorial, near Crazy Horse; Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial, in De Smet; Wounded Knee Battlefield, at Wounded Knee; and Wall Drug Store, in Wall.

Interesting Facts

Located near Rapid City, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial features large-scale sculptures of the faces of four American presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt). South Dakota has the world's oldest continuously worked gold mine. Famous South Dakotans include Tom Brokaw (broadcast journalist), Shawn Colvin (musician), Hubert H. Humphrey (vice-president of the US), Cheryl Ladd (actress), Ernest O. Lawrence (physicist), Billy Mills (Olympic athlete), Sitting Bull (American Indian leader), Casey Tibbs (champion rodeo cowboy), and Mamie Van Doren (actress).