South Dakota

Sdflag.gif (1151 bytes) South Dakota entered the United States as the 40th state on November 2nd, 1889. Dakota is from a Sioux term. South was applied because of North Dakota. South Dakota’s nickname is the Coyote State and the Sunshine State. Each year tourists spend about $730 million in South Dakota. South Dakota’s main tourist attraction is Mount Rushmore. Almost 2 million people come to see it. South Dakota has 41 state parks. The capital of South Dakota is Pierre.

Need an idea for a school project? Here are some ideas from Challenge magazine, issue 79, you can use to show what you have learned about South Dakota.

	Many fossils can be found in the badlands. Go on a fossil expedition in your community. Display the fossils and rocks you find.
	Draw a picture of Mt Rushmore.
	Compare the population of South Dakota to other states. Make a graph showing the populations of the surrounding states.

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