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The Dakotas
Region
North and South Dakota in light green
Country	United States of America
States	North Dakota  South Dakota
Admission to Union	November 2, 1889 (both North and South Dakota)
Area
• Total	147,816 sq mi (382,840 km)
Population
• Total	1,670,324
• Density	11/sq mi (4.4/km)
Demonym	Dakotan

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.

History

The territory now known as the Dakotas includes a large portion of the ancestral land of Native American tribes, in particular the Dakota people. The United States government stakes its claim to the land through the Louisiana Purchase and Rupert's Land accusation. The region historically involved a complex series of conflicts between the US government and Native American tribes (and among themselves).

For a while the region consisted of the Minnesota and Nebraska territories until in 1861, the US government formed the Dakota Territory, which includes both the modern states of North and South Dakota but also large swaths of present day Montana and Wyoming. The fall of 1961 resulting in a poor harvest and was followed by a harsh winter, leading to extreme hardship for the Dakota in the region. Desperate for food and money, they were denied loans by local traders. A series of raids in the spring of 1962 ultimately resulted in Dakota War of 1862 between the US government and the Dakota people. The US won the war, the aftermath which included a mass hanging of 38 people on December 26, 1862, the largest mass execution in US history. The remaining Santee Dakota people were exiled by the US government to the Dakota Territory.

Before he left office, President Cleveland signed a bill on February 22, 1889 halving the Dakota Territory along their modern borders. This bill was ratified by Congress, and President Harrison eventually signed the paper work create the US states of North Dakota and South Dakota on November 2, 1889, deliberately signing such that it was unknown which was officially created first.

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

• The Californias
• The Canadas
• The Carolinas
• The Floridas
• The Virginias

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

• Historic map of the Dakotas

46°N 100°W / 46°N 100°W / 46; -100

• Divided regions
• Midwestern United States
• Regions of the United States
• Geography of North Dakota
• Geography of South Dakota