North Dakota

state of the United States of America

North Dakota is a state in the United States. About 780,000 people lived in North Dakota in the year 2020. The capital and seat of government is Bismarck and the largest city is Fargo.

North Dakota
State of North Dakota
Nickname(s)
Peace Garden State,
Roughrider State, Flickertail State
Motto(s)
Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable
Anthem: North Dakota Hymn
Map of the United States with North Dakota highlighted
Map of the United States with North Dakota highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodDakota Territory
Admitted to the UnionNovember 2, 1889 (39th or 40th)
CapitalBismarck
Largest cityFargo
Largest metro and urban areasFargo metropolitan area
Government
 • GovernorKelly Armstrong (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorMichelle Strinden (R)
LegislatureLegislative Assembly
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
U.S. senatorsJohn Hoeven (R)
Kevin Cramer (R)
U.S. House delegationVacant (R) (list)
Area
 • Total70,761 sq mi (183,843 km2)
 • Land59,708 sq mi (169,571 km2)
 • Water1,726 sq mi (4,435 km2)  2.4%
 • Rank19th
Dimensions
 • Length300 mi (482 km)
 • Width200 mi (321 km)
Elevation
1,900 ft (580 m)
Highest elevation3,606 ft (1,069 m)
Lowest elevation864 ft (216 m)
Population
 (2019)
 • Total762,062
 • Rank47th
 • Density10.73/sq mi (4.13/km2)
  • Rank47th
 • Median household income
$61,843 [3]
 • Income rank
19th
DemonymNorth Dakotan
Language
Time zones
most of stateUTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
southwestUTC−07:00 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
USPS abbreviation
ND
ISO 3166 codeUS-ND
Traditional abbreviationN.D., N.Dak., Nodak
Latitude45° 56′ N to 49° 00′ N
Longitude96° 33′ W to 104° 03′ W
Websitend.gov
North Dakota state symbols
Living insignia
BirdWestern meadowlark
FishNorthern pike
FlowerWild prairie rose
GrassWestern wheatgrass
InsectWestern honeybee
MammalNokota horse
TreeAmerican Elm
Inanimate insignia
BeverageMilk
DanceSquare dance Line dance
FossilTeredo petrified wood
OtherChokecherry (state fruit)
State route marker
North Dakota state route marker
Lists of United States state symbols

Geography

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North Dakota is south of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, east of Montana, north of South Dakota, and west of Minnesota. Manitoba and Saskatchewan are provinces - part of Canada. Montana, South Dakota, and Minnesota are other states in the United States.

Weather

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North Dakota is not close to any big bodies of water (oceans or seas). Because of this, temperatures in North Dakota are very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. In the summer, there are sometimes strong thunderstorms. These storms can have tornadoes and hail.

History

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Statue of Sakakawea (Sacagawea), the Shoshone Native American woman who guided Lewis and Clark when they mapped the Missouri River

Before European people came, Native American people lived in the area now called North Dakota. One important tribe was the Mandan.

North Dakota was one of the last US states to be settled by people of European ancestry. (To have people go there to make homes and live.) On November 2, 1889, North Dakota (and South Dakota) became part of the United States.

Economy

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Most of the economy is based on agriculture. The most important agricultural crops are durum, a type of wheat, which is grown all across the state. In the Red River Valley, there is more rain, and maize (corn) and sugar beets are grown as well. In the Badlands, there is less rain, and more cattle are raised than crops.

North Dakota has the only bank in the United States that is owned by the state. The Bank of North Dakota is where all of the money from all government agencies is held. Most banks in the United States are guaranteed by the FDIC (acronym for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.) The FDIC guarantees that people will not lose money if a bank fails. But the Bank of North Dakota is insured by the state of North Dakota.

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  3. "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  4. "North Dakota Century Code, CHAPTER 54–02–13" (PDF). September 13, 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2013.