South Dakota

South Dakota Map Quiz/Printout South Dakota Outline Map Printout

South Dakota Facts, Map and State Symbols

South Dakota Flag Printout/Quiz Large Flag Printable

South Dakota was the 40^th state in the USA; it became a state on November 2, 1889.

State Abbreviation - SD
State Capital - Pierre
Largest City - Sioux Falls
Area - 77,121 square miles [South Dakota is the 17th biggest state in the USA]
Population - 754,844 (as of 2000) [South Dakota is the 46th most populous state in the USA]Name for Residents - South Dakotans

Major Rivers - Cheyenne River, Missouri River, James River, White River
Major Lakes - Lake Oahe, Lake Francis Case, Lewis and Clark Lake
Highest Point - Harney Peak - 7,242 feet (2,207 m) above sea level
Lowest Point - Big Stone lake - 962 feet (29.5 m) above sea level
Number of Counties - 64
Bordering States - Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming 

Origin of the Name South Dakota - Dakota was what the Sioux Indians called themselves.
State Nickname - Mount Rushmore State
State Motto - "Under God the people rule"
State Song - Hail, South Dakota

Dinosaur Fossils Found in South Dakota - Anatotitan, Camptosaurus, Denversaurus,Edmontosaurus, Hoplitosaurus, Iguanodon, Nanotyrannus, Pachycephalosaurus,Thescelosaurus, Thespesius, Torosaurus, Triceratops (state fossil), Tyrannosaurus 

South Dakota State Symbols and Emblems:

State FlagSouth Dakota's official flag was adopted in 1963. The flag is sky blue with state seal in the center (surrounded by yellow rays are the words, "South Dakota" and "The Mount Rushmore State"). South Dakota's state seal pictures a farmer plowing a field, a river, forests, mountains, a steamboat, and the motto, "Under God the People Rule." South Dakota's original flag (adopted in 1909) had an image of the sun on the front and the state's seal on the back. In 1963, the state's seal and the sun's rays were both placed on the front of the flag (with nothing on the back of the flag). In 1992 the old motto, "The Sunshine State," was changed to "The Mount Rushmore State" (this is because Florida is commonly known as the Sunshine State). The original flag's design was by Senator Ernest May and Doane Robinson, secretary of the State Historical Society. Will Robinson, Doane Robinson's son, redesigned the flag in 1963.

Animal Symbols:

State BirdChinese ring-necked pheasant

State Mammal Coyote

State FishWalleye

State Insect Honey bee (Apis mellifera)

State Fossil Triceratops (A three-horned plant-eating dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period)

Plant Symbols:

State FlowerAmerican pasqueflower The May day flower

State TreeBlack Hills Spruce

Earth Symbols:

State MineralRose quartz

State GemstoneFairburn agate (First discovered near Fairburn, S.D.)

State JewelryBlack Hills gold

State SoilHoudek

Related Pages:

South Dakota: Map/Quiz PrintoutAnswer geography questions about South Dakota using the map on this quiz. Answers	South Dakota: Outline Map PrintoutAn outline map of South Dakota state to print.	South Dakota: US State Dot to Dot Mystery MapConnect the dots to draw the borders of a mystery state of the USA. Then use a globe or atlas to figure out which state you have drawn. You might want to give students clues, such as that it where Mt. Rushmore is, that its capital is Pierre, or that its name starts with "S." Answer: South Dakota.	South Dakota: Label Me! PrintoutLabel the major features of South Dakota. Answers
South Dakota's Flag Printout/Quiz Read about and answer questions on the flag of South Dakota.	South Dakota's Flag: Large Coloring PrintableA large black-and-white printable of the flag of South Dakota.	Mt. Rushmore National MemorialRead about Mt. Rushmore, how it was built, what it represents, and the composition of the rocks. Read about this huge statue or go to a printout on Mt. Rushmore.	Tornado AlleyRead about Tornado Alley, an area in Mid-USA that is prone to dangerous tornadoes.
Tornado Quiz + Label Tornado Alley PrintoutAnswer five questions about tornadoes and label the states in the heart of Tornado Alley. Or go to the answers.	Lewis and Clark: Follow the InstructionsColor the trail that Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery followed in their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase according to simple directions, such as, "They sailed up the Missouri River, passing through what is now Nebraska and South Dakota. Color Nebrask gdark green. Color South Dakota gray." For beginning readers. Or go to the answers.	Lewis and Clark: Follow the Instructions #2Color the trail that Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery followed in their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase according to simple directions, such as, "The Corps barely avoided a conflict with the Teton Sioux in what is now South Dakota. Color South Dakota gray." For fluent readers. Or go to the answers.

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Census: Printable Read-and-Answer WorksheetA printable worksheet on the census, with a short text to read, a map to color, and questions to answer. Or go to the answers. Or go to a pdf file with the worksheet and the answers.