North Dakota is located in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. In the eastern part of the state lies the Red River Valley, once the bed of an ancient lake, Agassiz, formed by the meltwaters of the ice sheet that covered northern North America during the last Ice Ages. The fertile soils of this flat, treeless land are now intensively cultivated. Central North Dakota is a mixture of rolling hills, scattered lakes and fertile fields. To the west, beyond the Missouri Escarpment, lies the Great Plains, a plateau cut by deep gullies. The climate is drier and the cultivated fields give way to pasture.

Name

The Native American peoples who settled in the North Dakota region were the Lakota and Dakota (part of the Sioux group), Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Chippewa and Mandan. The word "Dakota" is a version of a Lakota word meaning "friends". Today’s states of North and South Dakota were once joined together as Dakota Territory. North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted to the union as separate states on 2nd November 1889.

Climate

North Dakota has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. The temperature differences are extreme because of the state’s location deep inland. The eastern half of North Dakota has fairly wet summers, while the western half has a semi-arid climate. East of the Missouri River winters are slightly colder than to the west. The risk of tornadoes is greatest in midsummer.

Economy

North Dakota is a rural state, with farmland covering more than 90% of its land area. North Dakota ranks first in the US’s production of wheat. Other products include maize, barley, rye, oats, oilseeds (including sunflower, safflower, mustard, flax and canola, a type of soya bean), peas and beans, honey, sugar beet, potatoes and hay. Western North Dakota is dominated by large cattle ranges. Sheep and pigs are also widely raised.

Most of the state’s manufacturing is also linked to agriculture: food processing and farm equipment are the most important. Oil, drilled in the Bakken Formation, is North Dakota’s leading mineral product; the state is the now the second largest oil producer in the US. There are also reserves of lignite (brown coal) and natural gas. Wind energy is becoming increasingly significant in a state that has vast, flat, tree-less plains and winds speeds rarely less than 10 mph. The Garrison Dam on the Missouri River provides extensive
​​irrigation and hydro-electricity for the surrounding areas.

Facts about North Dakota

Area 70,698 sq miles (183,108 sq km)

Highest point White Butte 3508 ft (1069 m)

Population 783,926

Capital Bismarck

Largest cities Fargo, 133,188; Bismarck, 75,092; Grand Forks, 58,921; Minot, 47,373; West Fargo, 40,400

Nicknames Sioux State, Flickertail State, Peace Garden State, Rough Rider State

State bird Western meadowlark

State flower Wild prairie rose

State tree American elm