| South Dakota is a large state with 77,000 square miles | | | | Aberdeen, closer to the Canadian border, there is the |
| and 750,000 people. It is known for farming and some | | | | state school, Northern University. Nearby is the |
| of its tourist atrractions, particularly the Mt. Rushmore | | | | Richmond Lake Recreational area, with cabins and |
| sculptures, in the Black Hills, and its national parks. | | | | other camping facilities. It has over 10 miles of trails for |
| There is also a large banking sector in the state, | | | | hikers and bikers, and there is extensive fishing and |
| something to keep in mind when choosing your South | | | | wildlife in the area. |
| Dakota Incorporation. Its largest city is Sioux Falls, with | | | | South Dakota is also known for its National Parks and |
| 145,000 people, and the capital is Pierre. Other larger | | | | Monuments. In 1978 the Badlands National Park was |
| cities are Rapid City and Aberdeen. South Dakota also | | | | formed, and before that in 1903, the Wind Cave |
| has casinos at Deadwood and various Indian | | | | National Park. Wind Cave has nearly 120 miles of |
| reservations. | | | | explored underground passageways. |
| The Missouri River runs through the center of the | | | | Mt. Rushmore is truly a unique American monument. It |
| state. Four dams on the Missouri River have created | | | | shows the faces of four American Presidents, George |
| flood control and hydropower and recreational | | | | Washington. Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt |
| opportunities. Overall, South Dakota is a fairly dry state, | | | | and Abraham Lincoln. It was begun in 1927 by the |
| with most of the state averaging 25-inches or less. | | | | sculptor Gutson Borglum, and took 14-years to |
| This does create periodic problems with drought. | | | | complete. The faces are 60 feet high, 500 feet up the |
| Agricultural production includes beef, wheat, corn, | | | | mountain side. Mt. Rushmore goes up 5.725 feet. |
| soybeans, sheep and poultry. | | | | There is also the Lincoln Borglum museum at the site, |
| There are no personal or corporate taxes in the state, | | | | with exhibits and a film shown. |
| which has made the state known as very business | | | | Badlands National Park has its famous moonscape, |
| friendly. Due to the state?s corporate policies, such | | | | which is created by eons of erosion. There are also |
| financial giants such as Citigroup have moved into the | | | | rich deposits of fossils here. Badlands National Park is |
| state, and are large employers, mainly in Sioux City. | | | | located in Southwestern South Dakota. |
| Other banks active in the state are Great Western | | | | More than 62,000 American Indians live in South |
| Bank, Bank First, HSBC and Wells Fargo. Many of | | | | Dakota, mostly of the Sioux peoples. Most of these |
| these banks moved into South Dakota in 1981 when | | | | tribes operate casinos. There is the Dakota Sioux |
| the usury ceiling on interest rates was raised, and | | | | Casino, near Watertown, north of Sioux Falls. It has |
| moved their credit card divisions here. Other industries | | | | blackjack, slot machines, poker, as well as fine dining |
| in Sioux City are John Morrell meat packing plant, and | | | | and entertainment. Another casino is in Lower Brule, |
| Hutchinson Tech- a manufacturer of close-tolerance | | | | called the Golden Buffalo Casino and Motel. There are |
| products and precise metal-springs that hold disk | | | | slot machines here. It is by the Crow Creek Indian |
| drive?s recording heads. Tyco has an electronic | | | | Reservation, southeast of Pierre, the state capital. |
| power component in Watertown, South Dakota. In | | | | |