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Some South Dakota Trivia
| Capital - Pierre |  |
| Nickname – The Mount Rushmore State | |
| Motto – "Under God the People Rule" | |
| Admitted To Union – November 2, 1889 -- 40th State | |
| Size – 77,121 square miles | |
| Highest Point - Harney Peak; 7,242 feet | |
| Lowest Point - Big Stone Lake; 962 feet | |
| Geographic Center - Hughes, 8 miles northeast of Pierre | |
| Topography - Prairie in the east; rolling hills of the Great Plains in the west; Black Hills in the southwest. | |
| Population – (2000 census) 754,844 | |
| State Flower– Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla hirsutissima) | |
| State Mammal – Coyote | |
| State Bird - Ring-necked Pheasant | |
| State Tree – Black Hills Spruce (Picea glauca) | |
| Song – Hail, South Dakota | |
| State Mineral – Rose Quartz | |
| State Gemstone – Fairburn Agate | |
| State Jewelry – Black Hills Gold | |
| State Fish - Walleye | |
| State Fossil – Triceratops | |
| Largest Cities - Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, Mitchell, Pierre, Yankton, Huron, Vermillion | |
| Economy - Agriculture: Cattle, hogs, wheat, soybeans, milk, corn | |
| Industry - Food processing, lumber and wood products, tourism | |
| Flag - The South Dakota flag features the state seal surrounded by a golden blazing sun in a field of sky blue. Letters reading "South Dakota, The Mount Rushmore State" -- the official state nickname -- are arranged in a circle around the sun. | |
| Origin of state's name - Dakota is the Sioux Indian word for "friend" | |
| Famous South Dakotans - | |
Sparky Anderson - baseball manager, Bridgewater |
Russell Means - American Indian activist, Pine Ridge |