South Dakota is a truly American province, where it is practically not found major cities, and the state capital, the city of Pyrrhus, ranks second to last in terms of the number of inhabitants among the administrative centers of American regions. South Dakota, like neighboring North Dakota, received its name from two Indian tribes - the Dakota and the Lakota, whose representatives to this day make up a significant percentage of the state's population.

One of the largest state parks in the state, Custer Park, hosts an annual “buffalo drive,” when anyone can participate in the drive of almost 1,500 bison into the central part of the massif. Unlike earlier times of the Wild West, it is forbidden to shoot animals, and driving has become just ordinary fun, a kind of tribute to the past.

South Dakota occupies the territory of the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, as well as part of the Mississippi River basin, which leads to extremely diverse terrain and picturesque areas. The most famous natural massif of the region is the Black Hills, which from time immemorial have been considered shrines for all Indian tribes living on the territory of the Great Plains. Legend says that this place has special magical energy, where you can gain powers and various abilities.

The state capital is the city of Pyrrhus.

The largest city is Sioux Falls.

How to get there

The central city of the state of Pierre can only be reached by air. The city has a small airport with regular commercial flights from Denver and Minneapolis; you can fly to these cities from Russia with transfers in London, Frankfurt am Main, Los Angeles or New York.

Search for flights to Pierre (the closest airport to South Dakota)

Black Hills Attractions

On the territory of the mountain range there is perhaps the main popularly recognized wonder of the Midwest - Mount Rushmore, on which is carved a huge bas-relief depicting the founding fathers of American statehood: the first President George Washington, the author of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson, the liberator of black slaves Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt , a prominent international peacemaker.

Theodore Roosevelt's head is carved into the rock a little deeper than the heads of other presidents, as explosives were used in the construction of the monument and too large a piece of rock was chipped off.

The approach to the mountain begins from the Avenue of Flags, along which it is very easy to get to the observation deck, from where you can see great view on mountain. Along the alley you can also walk to numerous cafes located at the foot. The Rushmore terrain itself is closed to climbing and is guarded by the complex's staff, although the neighboring rocks are very popular among climbers. Not far from the entrance there are several food outlets and souvenir shops. Entrance to the memorial site is free, and you only need to pay for a parking space in the parking lot.

On one of the peaks of the sacred Black Hills there is another similar memorial, which half a century ago became largest work art carved into the rock. The monument is dedicated to the deceased Indian Chief Crazy Horse, the main fighter for the independence of the Lakota tribes. Construction has been going on since 1948, mainly by enthusiasts. Once completed, Crazy Horse will “grow” to a height of 172 meters, almost 10 times the size of the American Presidential Memorial on Mount Rushmore.

In the film “The Reservation,” which is inspired by the dream of cultural independence of the Dakota Indians, a tribal policeman at the end of the film throws a bag of paint on the presidential memorial, approaching the mountain from the back side. The film caused a wave of indignation and the growth of national liberation sentiments among American Indians.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Once every two years, the world's largest biker race takes place in the town of Sturgis, South Dakota, which dates back to 1938. Surprisingly, only nine people came to the city then, whereas in 2005 the event was attended by more than 600,000 people! In addition to the stunning atmosphere and extremely colorful audience, you can see the world's leading rock musicians here, many of whom come as participants.

There is even a motorcycle museum in Sturgis, which presents the history of the development of motorcycle technology, covering the world's leading manufacturers of "iron horses".

In addition, the Sturgis motorcycle show is an excellent representative platform for bike and component manufacturers. Thus, many companies present their new products at this show. And recently the ranks festival events added another competition, this time among customizers who make motorcycles in the most amazing configurations and images. Over the past few years, the chopper (a motorcycle with an extended frame and front fork) has become one of the main figures of the festival.

Mysterious Jewel Cave

In South Dakota there is the second longest cave in the world, the labyrinths of which stretch for 257 kilometers at a depth of more than 190 meters. It is noteworthy that only one natural entrance leads to Jewel Cave, and strong winds constantly blow in the corridors and cavities, sometimes reaching speeds of 15 m/s.

In the center of the cave there is a second artificial entrance, through which excursions can be conducted throughout most of the speleological site. A visit to Jewel is divided into two stages, the first of which is designed to explore the halls closest to the exit. There is no need to have additional equipment or preparation, and the journey will take a little time. If you wish, you can book a tour of remote labyrinths in the company of a professional speleologist, who will tell you about the history of the discovery of each site.

The walls of the cave are almost everywhere covered with calcite - a mineral that, when illuminated, can take on a wide variety of colors, while creating an impressive spectacle. Brothers Frank and Albert Michaud, who discovered the cave in 1900, without thinking twice, called it Jewel Cave, which means “precious stone cave.”

Terry Peak Ski Resort

The slope of Mount Terry Peak is a real paradise for snowboarders and skiers, because the length of the track here is 3219 meters with a height difference of almost 351 meters. Ski slopes are open from November to April. The resort has two ski lifts, and at the foot of the mountain there is a service where you can rent houses or sit in a cafe. On the territory of the ski resort there is a snow park, where numerous obstacles and jumps have been erected, which allows famous athletes to train here.

One of the quietest and most uncrowded regions of the USA is the state of South Dakota.
(South Dakota) got its name in honor of the Lakota Indian tribes
and Dakota (Sioux).

South Dakota is the place for those who want to spend their holidays among
natural beauty and far from the noise of big cities. On one side the state is surrounded
The Rocky Mountains, and on the other, the High Plains.

The state is known for its numerous attractions. Every year
in South Dakota there are hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world who want to see
with your own eyes places that are often found in popular films.

Mount Rushmore is rightfully considered the state's most famous landmark.
(Mount Rushmore), on which are carved images of four presidents "fathers
America" ​​- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt
and Abraham Lincoln.

Work on the project was entrusted to the sculptor Gutzon Borglum, but the idea
the idea of ​​erecting a memorial in the rock came to the mind of John Robinson, President
South Dakota State Historical Society. The memorial took about
15 years old, and its opening was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of US history.

The entrance to the foot of the mountain is through the Avenue of Flags of all 50 states.
Walking along the alley, you come to observation deck, from where it opens
view of the 18 meter high monument.

17 miles from Mount Rushmore there is a lesser known one because of its...
incomplete, but no less popular in terms of attendance,
Memorial to Indian Chief Crazy Horse
Memorial). Crazy Horse was an outstanding Indian - a brave warrior
and a brilliant military strategist. The authors of the rock memorial, work on
which is currently ongoing, they decided to make a monument
Crazy Horse is the largest in the world.

At the foot of the mountain with a sculpture of Crazy Horse there is a building
Training Center and Museum of North American Indians.

The Museum houses a rich collection of Indian relics and artifacts,
telling about the life of the Indian tribes of North America.

Here you can see products made by the Indians - national clothes,
jewelry, ceramics.

The second most visited in South Dakota is National Park Badlands
(Badlands National Park), which means Bad Lands.

The road winds between gray, yellow and crimson hills with almost
missing vegetation.

These ridges and canyons were formed about five thousand years ago when
water penetrated through layers of rock. Many paleontological
finds were made in these places.

Thanks to unusual color combinations and picturesque shapes, Bad
earths with their Martian landscapes are one of the most popular
tourist routes.

Tourists are also attracted here by wild animals: bison, antelope and meadow
dogs that live in the National Park.

Animals are not at all afraid of cars and often go out onto the road,
to the delight of photographers.

In the prairies, which make up a significant part of the National Park,
rodents of the squirrel family live: "prairie dogs" - prairie dogs. These are
the nickname was given to them in the old days by Canadian fur miners, because
The voices of the animals are like barking.

And a few hours drive from National Park Badlands, located
the legendary gold mining city of Deadwood city.

Its population is only 1000 people. Victorian architecture roots
this city is considered unique. Deadwood became the first small community in the USA,
which tried to openly introduce gambling into life. This type of entertainment
was legalized in 1989 and the result was obvious: extremely
a short time The city's infrastructure has improved, and the time has come for its prosperity.

In the evening all active life bustles on Deadwood's main street.
atmosphere of adrenaline, fun and excitement.

In addition to all the entertainment, there are many interesting places in Deadwood that will stay for a long time
will be remembered by travelers. Here you can get acquainted with the history of life
and the death of the famous gangster Wild Bill, who found his last
resting place at Mount Moriah Cemetery.

You can book a tour of the Deadwood gold mines, travel around
to this beautiful city in a green excursion trolleybus (which is what we did)
and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Wild West.

Mitchell is a city and county seat of Davison County in South Dakota with a population of
15,000 people. In Mitchell there is a unique Corn Palace, built
in 1892, as a showroom for the fertility of state soils. At first it was
just a wooden building, however, after the attraction began to be used
popular with tourists, it was decided to add a “zest” to the building – and decorate
its walls are decorated with frescoes and tapestries made from corn cobs.

The interior and façade of Mitchell's Palace are certainly impressive. The paintings on the walls of the palace
are updated every year, which is understandable, because corn is short-lived
material. Thousands of ripened corn cobs are painted in various colors:
from bright yellow to gray. Grown specifically for decorating the walls of the Palace,
corn cobs are mounted on huge rolls of roofing felt with pre-
printed pattern.

In addition to corn, to create your own unusual drawings, artists use
ears of wheat and other grains. Every year the Corn Palace is visited by about
500 thousand tourists.

The city of 1880 is another tourist place that must be visited in
South Dakota.

In 1969, a certain Richard Hallinger bought a 94-acre plot of land to
build a gas station. While the station was being built, he had an idea
use the area for an old-time style amusement park and he
bought another 80 acres of land. At this time in a small town located
next door, a film company arrived to shoot a film, the plot of which
unfolded in the 1880s.

The filmmakers built a set of the main street with ancient buildings,
corresponding to the spirit of that time, and for the interior furnishings they borrowed
antique furniture and Indian utensils from Richard's father, a lover of antiques
relics. At the end of filming, the film company left, as a sign of gratitude,
all the decorations to the Hullinger family. This was the beginning of the birth of the City in 1880.

Directly from the entrance, visitors find themselves on the main street of the city, which abuts
to the Church of St. Stephen, built in 1915. It was transported here from the city
Dixon, saving the stained glass windows and bells from damage, which can now be
put into action.

"Wall Drug" is just a godsend for those who want to leave a lot of money here.

In 1931, from Nebraska to Wall, then still a very small town with a population of
a little over 200 people, young pharmacist Tedd Huster arrived. He decided
to start a business and was looking for just such a small, cozy town in which there was
would be the Catholic Church. So a pharmacy called “Wall Drug” appeared in Wall.

Business was very slow until his wife Dorothy suggested
write an advertisement and place a sign by the road for travelers,
that there is always a free glass of water for them at the Wall Drug pharmacy
with ice. And enough travelers began to appear in these places.
They traveled here from all over the country to the recently opened Monument of the 4
presidents on Mount Rochemore and a glass of water on a hot day was just right for many
very handy.

Soon posters and signs were hung along the route, offering
free ice water.

Currently, Tedd Hasted's provincial pharmacy has become a large retail outlet.
And entertainment complex former Wild West. Numerous restaurants,
cafes, art and pharmacy museums and even a prayer room for visitors
travelers.

Ice water will still be served to you for free, and they will also offer you a cup of coffee.
for a nominal fee of 5 cents.

In addition to selling Western and Indian souvenirs, you can see interactive
exhibitions that are dedicated to cowboys, hunters, farmers and pharmacists.

Numerous shopping pavilions with a huge variety of goods for
buyers of all ages are located here under one roof.Every
Those who come here for the first time will certainly want to take souvenirs with them.
with the image of a jackalope and take a photo riding on it. And see
it is only possible on backyard"Wall Drag". More precisely, not himself,
and his sculpture. This is such a cute rabbit with deer antlers.
Hence the name - a combination of the words jackrabbit (in Russian - hare)
and antilope (antelope).

It’s absolutely incredible, but in the summer “Wall Drug” receives up to 20 thousand (!!) daily.
visitors per day.

These are not all the attractions of South Dakota that we visited,
but I'll tell you about the rest some other time...

Post compiled for

The state of South Dakota became part of the United States on November 2, 1889. It is located in the Midwest of the country. The origin of its name is connected with the name of one of the tribes that lived in this territory several centuries ago. The local economy is dominated by the agricultural-industrial complex.

Short story

Before the advent of the colonialists, several warring peoples lived here. The most numerous among them were the Dakota, Lakota and Arikara aboriginal groups. The bloodiest conflict between them occurred in the fourteenth century. It went down in history as the Crow Creek Massacre. The first Europeans to arrive here in 1743 were the French. The expedition was led by the La Veredie brothers, who immediately declared the territory French property. After this, the region became part of the Louisiana Colony. Sixty years later, South Dakota was included in the list of lands that France sold to the United States. In the fifties of the nineteenth century, according to a treaty signed by representatives of the Sioux Indians with the American authorities, the aborigines ceded the right to own these lands. The state was officially incorporated into the United States on November 2, 1889.

Geography

The total area of ​​the state is almost 200 thousand square kilometers. It is bordered by Nebraska to the south, Minnesota to the east, North Dakota to the north, Montana to the northwest, and Wyoming to the southwest. The capital of South Dakota is Pierre, and its largest city is Sioux Falls. The state's population is 844,877 people (as of 2013). Its topography is distinguished by three key physiographic regions - the Great Plains in the western part, the lowlands in the east, and the Black Hills mountain range covered with ancient forests. represents a natural boundary between the first two of them. In addition to it, the White River, Cheyenne and James are considered major local waterways.

Climate

The state's territory is dominated by continental climate, which is characterized by hot summers and cold, long winters. Spring and autumn here are very short-lived and at the same time pronounced. In January, temperatures range from 16 to 2 degrees below zero. In July, the thermometers show from 16 to 32 degrees Celsius. In the west, South Dakota is very arid, but average annual precipitation increases as it approaches eastern regions. It should also be noted that the eastern part of the state is located on the so-called tornado alley - destructive whirlwinds can pass through its territory up to thirty times a year.

Economy

Agriculture is the basis of the local economy. The most common crops grown here are wheat, beans and corn. There are no large mineral deposits in the region. Despite this, South Dakota boasts well-established mining of sand, coal, limestone and gravel. The leading direction of industry has become the processing of agricultural products, as well as the production ethyl alcohol. Among other things, the state produces cement, plastic products, metal structures, jewelry, and firefighting equipment.

Tourist attraction

The most significant attractions of the state are located in the mountains. The most famous and popular national memorial is Rock Rushmore. In the thirties of the twentieth century, bas-reliefs of four were carved on one of its slopes. It should be noted that this is one of the most visited sites throughout the country. More than three million travelers from all over the world come here every year. Others interesting places are Badlands and Wind Cave. If the first of them boasts unique landscapes, then the second has a cave whose length exceeds 220 kilometers (this is the fifth largest in the world). Among other things, South Dakota is famous for the annual rally of bikers, which is held in local city Sturgis is over seventy years old. Several hundred thousand motorcyclists usually take part in it.

South Dakota State Map:

South Dakota (English: South Dakota, IPA: /ˌsɑʊθ dəˈkoʊtə/ (i)) is a state located in the Midwestern United States. Named after the Lakota and Dakota (Sioux) Indian tribes. South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889 (at the same time as North Dakota). The state capital is the city of Pyrrhus, The largest city- Sioux Falls.

Official name: State of South Dakota

State capital: Pyrrhus

Largest city: Sioux Falls

Other major cities: Aberdeen, Brookings, Brandon, Vermilion, Huron, Mitchell, Madison, Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis, Watertown, Yankton.

State nicknames: Mount Rushmore State; Sunshine State

State Motto: Under God the People Rule

South Dakota Zip Code: SD

State formation date: 1889 (40th in order)

Area: 200 thousand sq. km. (17th place in the country.)

Population: more than 800 thousand people (46th place in the country).

History of the State of South Dakota

The French were the first to explore the territory of modern South Dakota in the 18th century. In 1743, this territory was declared French. It became part of the large colony of Louisiana. In 1803, France sells Louisiana to the United States. South Dakota becomes part of the United States. Mass settlement of this territory began in the 70s of the 19th century, when gold reserves were discovered in the Black Hills. In 1889, South Dakota received official status as a US state.

Geography of South Dakota

South Dakota is located in the north-central United States. The state's area is 199,905 km². In the north, South Dakota is bordered by North Dakota, in the east by Minnesota and Iowa, in the south by Nebraska, and in the west by Wyoming and Montana.

The Missouri River flows through the territory of South Dakota from north to south, forming a canyon up to 150 m deep. To the east of the river there are black soil prairies, to the west - the Great Plains) Also in the western part of the state there are the sacred Black Hills mountains. Their name means: “stone islands among a sea of ​​grass.”

South Dakota- a state in the north central part of the United States, one of the so-called Northwest Central states. Population 844 8 people (data for 2013). The capital is Pierre, the largest city is Sioux Falls.

Motto: "The power of the people by the will of God."

Official nickname: "Mount Rushmore State", "Coyote State".

The area of ​​the state is 199.9 thousand km. In the north, South Dakota is bordered by North Dakota, in the east by Minnesota and Iowa, in the south by Nebraska, and in the west by Wyoming and Montana.

Flag	Coat of arms	Map

The Missouri River flows through the territory of South Dakota from north to south, forming a canyon up to 150 m deep. To the east of the river there are black soil prairies, to the west - the Great Plains.

South Dakota is home to the famous monument to 4 presidents , located in the Black Hills Valley of Mount Rushmore.

South Dakota Climate

South Dakota has a continental climate with four seasons. Winters are cold and dry, summers are hot and moderately humid. In summer, the average maximum temperature across the state is close to 32 °C, although night temperatures are close to 15 °C. Winters in most of the state are cold with an average January temperature of −12 °C. The most heat was recorded on July 15, 2006 (49 °C), the lowest was on February 17, 1936 (-50 °C).
Average annual precipitation varies from 381 mm in the arid western part of the state to 635 mm in the wetter eastern part. Storms often occur in summer strong winds, thunder and hail. The east of the state is part of the so-called Tornado Alley, with about 30 tornadoes recorded in the state every year. Blizzards and snow storms are frequent in winter.