South Dakota

South Dakota is a state in the northern Great Plains of the United States. It is most famous for Mount Rushmore, where the faces of four presidents are carved into a mountain. South Dakota also has the beautiful Badlands and wide open prairies. The state is called the Mount Rushmore State.

Land and People

Only about 900,000 people live in South Dakota. The capital is Pierre, and the largest city is Sioux Falls. The Missouri River divides the state into two halves. The eastern side has fertile farmland, while the western side has ranches and rugged landscapes.

Culture and Fun Facts

Mount Rushmore shows the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The Crazy Horse Memorial nearby is being carved to honor Native American history. The Badlands have amazing rock formations shaped by wind and rain over millions of years.

Fun Facts

• Mount Rushmore took 14 years to carve and the faces are about 60 feet tall.
• The Crazy Horse Memorial, when finished, will be the largest mountain carving in the world.
• South Dakota and North Dakota became states on the same day in 1889.

Did You Know?

The faces on Mount Rushmore were carved using dynamite to blast away the rock. Workers removed about 450,000 tons of rock from the mountainside.