Misplaced Pages

Dakotas

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jason Quinn (talk | contribs) at 01:59, 1 April 2022 (→Etymology: refers to). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 01:59, 1 April 2022 by Jason Quinn (talk | contribs) (→Etymology: refers to)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

For other uses, see The Dakotas (disambiguation) and Dakota (disambiguation). Not to be confused with The Dakota. Region
The Dakotas
Region
North and South Dakota in light greenNorth and South Dakota in light green
Country United States of America
States North Dakota
 South Dakota
Admission to UnionNovember 2, 1889 (both North and South Dakota)
Area
 • Total147,816 sq mi (382,840 km)
Population
 • Total1,670,324
 • Density11/sq mi (4.4/km)
DemonymDakotan

The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, economy, and cuisine among the two states.

Etymology

The name Dakota refers to the Dakota people.

In the aftermath of the Dakota War of 1862 and the largest mass execution in US history, the Santee Dakota people who were not executed were exiled by the US government to the Dakota Territory.

Overview

The two states combined have a population of 1,670,324, slightly less than Idaho, ranking at 39th place. The Dakotas have a total area of 147,878 square miles (383,177 square kilometers), which would rank 4th among U.S. states, right before Montana. The two states also have a population density of 9.8 per sq. mi (3.8 per km).

The Dakotas are within the Midwestern United States, with the western portion in the High Plains. The PBS miniseries New Perspectives on the West noted historically important areas within the Dakotas, including the Black Hills, the town of Deadwood, Fort Buford, Standing Rock Reservation and Wounded Knee. The Upper Missouri River and the Upper Missouri River Valley are important geological features in the area, as well.

The area is mostly inhabited by people of Northern European origin. 44.9% of the population are of German ancestry, 21.8% of Norwegian, and 9.6% are of Irish heritage.

Both of the Dakotas have humid continental climate, with warm to hot summers and cold to even subarctic temperatures in winter. Due to the difference in circle of latitude, temperatures differ by degrees between the southern and northern areas, even inside the respective states.

Main cities

The following are the top twenty-two most populous cities in The Dakotas. Pierre, South Dakota, and Bismarck, North Dakota, are the respective state capitals.

  1. Sioux Falls, South Dakota- 192,517
  2. Fargo, North Dakota- 125,990
  3. Rapid City, South Dakota- 74,703
  4. Bismarck, North Dakota- 73,622
  5. Grand Forks, North Dakota- 59,166
  6. Minot, North Dakota- 48,377
  7. West Fargo, North Dakota- 38,626
  8. Williston, North Dakota- 29,160
  9. Aberdeen, South Dakota- 28,495
  10. Dickinson, North Dakota- 25,679
  11. Mandan, North Dakota- 24,206
  12. Brookings, South Dakota- 23,377
  13. Watertown, South Dakota- 22,655
  14. Jamestown, North Dakota- 15,849
  15. Mitchell, South Dakota- 15,660
  16. Yankton, South Dakota- 15,411
  17. Huron, South Dakota- 14,263
  18. Pierre, South Dakota- 14,091
  19. Spearfish, South Dakota- 12,193
  20. Box Elder, South Dakota- 11,746
  21. Vermillion, South Dakota- 11,695
  22. Brandon, South Dakota- 11,048

See also

References

  1. "QuickFacts: North Dakota; South Dakota". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  2. "Serengeti in the Dakotas", Scientific American. May 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  3. "Prairie Basin Wetlands of the Dakotas: A Community Profile. USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  4. "Wild Horses in Montana and the Dakotas", Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  5. "Time Passages, Genealogy of the Dakotas". Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  6. "Dakotas rank high on congressional pork list", ArgusLeader.com. April 2, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  7. "Black Gold in the Dakotas", Dakota Voice. April 6, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  8. Wieland, K. (2007) The Dakota Diet: Health Secrets from the Great Plains. Basic Health Publications.
  9. "Definition of DAKOTA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  10. "Sioux | Tribes, Meaning, Languages, Religion, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  11. "New perspectives on the West: The Dakotas", PBS. Retrieved April 20, 2008.

Further reading

  • McMacken, R. (2006) Off the Beaten Path: The Dakotas. Globe Pequot.

External links

46°N 100°W / 46°N 100°W / 46; -100

Categories: