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North Dakota is a Midwestern state in the United States. It is the northernmost of the Great Plains states and is the northern half of The Dakotas. During the 19th century, North Dakota was considered part of the Wild West. Formerly part of Dakota Territory (named after the Dakota tribe of Native Americans), North Dakota became the 39th state in 1889. The Missouri River flows through the western part of the state and forms Lake Sakakawea behind the Garrison Dam. The western half of the state is hilly and is home to natural resources including lignite coal and crude oil. In the east, the Red River of the North forms the Red River Valley. This region has rich farmland. Agriculture has long dominated the economy and culture of North Dakota. The state capital is Bismarck. The largest city in the state is Fargo. Large public universities are located at Grand Forks and Fargo. The United States Air Force operates bases at both Minot and Grand Forks. Geography
Climate North Dakota is a prime example of a continental climate — it is distant from major bodies of water that would otherwise serve to moderate the weather. Because of this, the climate of North Dakota can range from sweltering heat and humidity in the summers to bitter cold in the winters. Competing warm air masses from the Gulf of Mexico and cold air masses from the Arctic regions often produce strong winds as they move in and out of the region. In the summer, the clash of arctic and tropic systems occasionally leads to thunderstorms with the state averaging around 20-40 days of thunderstorm activity per year. Thunderstorms, when they occur can be very strong often leading to hail and sometimes tornadoes. Tornadoes are not rare in North Dakota, although they are most likely to occur in the southeast quarter of the state. In the winter, the weather tends to be more stable — cold and dry, with occasional flurries — though the constant wind can create blowing snow at any time of the season. Severe snowstorms — some of which are classified as blizzards — tend to occur late in the fall or early in the spring. Springtime flooding is a relatively common event in the extremely flat Red River Valley. The best known and most destructive flood in eastern North Dakota was the Flood of 1997. This flood devastated much of the Red River Valley and caused unprecedented damage in the city of Grand Forks. History Prior to European contact, Native Americans inhabited North Dakota for thousands of years. The first European to reach the area was the French-Canadian trader La Vérendrye, who led an exploration party to Mandan villages about 1738. The trading arrangement between tribes was such that North Dakota tribes rarely dealt directly with Europeans. However, the native tribes were in sufficient contact that by the time of Lewis and Clark, they were at least somewhat aware of the French and then Spanish claims to their territory. Dakota Territory was settled sparsely until the late 1800s, when the railroads pushed through the region and aggressively marketed the land. A bill for statehood for North Dakota and South Dakota (as well as Montana and Washington) titled the Enabling Act of 1889 was passed on February 22, 1889 during the Administration of Grover Cleveland. It was left to his successor, Benjamin Harrison, to sign proclamations formally admitting North and South Dakota to the Union on November 2, 1889. The rivalry between the two new states presented a dilemma of which was to be admitted first. So, Harrison directed his Secretary of State James G. Blaine to shuffle the papers and obscure from him which he was signing first and the actual order went unrecorded. However, since "North Dakota" alphabetically appears before "South Dakota", its proclamation was published first in the Statutes At Large and has traditionally been deemed admitted first. This makes North Dakota the 39th state. The territorial and early state governments were largely corrupt. Early in the 20th century, a wave of populism led by the Non Partisan League brought social reforms. The Great Depression was particularly hard on the state and came several years early with the 1920s farm crisis. The original North Dakota Capitol burned to the ground in the 1930s and was replaced by a limestone faced art deco "skyscraper" that still stands today. The 1950s brought a round of federal construction projects, including the Garrison Dam and the Minot and Grand Forks Air Force bases. There was an oil boom in the Williston basin in the 1980s, as skyrocketing petroleum prices made development profitable, driving the state population to a peak of near 700,000. Today, the population stands at around 640,000 (roughly the same population as in the 1920s). A few years ago, it was suggested by some North Dakota state legislators that the state should change its name to merely "Dakota" in an attempt to curb outmigration and encourage business investment. Their rationale was that, by including the "North" in North Dakota, it paints a picture of isolation and bitter cold. Nothing came of this proposal. Demographics
Emigration / Outmigration Since the 1980s, North Dakota has experienced virtually constant decline in population, particularly among younger people with university degrees. This emigration, called outmigration in North Dakota, has become a major political issue. Among the aspects of the problem is a lack of skilled jobs for graduates. Some propose the expansion of economic development programs to create skilled and high-tech jobs, however, the effectiveness of such programs has been open to debate. Minot's MAGIC Fund was particularly scandalized in 2002. Others propose providing incentives directly to students; for example, a 2002 ballot measure would have forgiven the student loans of all college graduates who reside in the state for a certain period of time following graduation. A similar program limited to health and education graduates has had some degree of success. As the issue is common to several High Plains states, some federal politicians, including North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan, have proposed "The New Homestead Act of 2005" (compare to the original United States Homestead Act of 1862) to encourage living in areas losing population through incentives such as tax breaks, but these have also made little headway. Religion A very large majority of North Dakotans self-identify as Christian. North Dakota has the lowest percentage of non-religious people of any state, and it also has the most churches per capita of any state. An estimate of the religious affiliations of the people of North Dakota (source: * CUNY, 2001): Culture See also: Music of North Dakota, Cuisine of North Dakota As most residents of North Dakota are descendants of Scandinavian and German immigrants, North Dakotans are sometimes stereotyped similarly as Minnesotans. Stereotypical traits include Lutheranism (35 percent of the state's population is Lutheran) "Minnesota nice," "hot dish" (a Midwestern term for casserole),"lutefisk" (a pungent preparation of fish from Scandinavian recipes that include soaking in lye), very close family ties (and a strong sense of duty to their families, healthy and dysfunctional alike), a strong sense of community and shared culture with many other North Dakotans instead of just with one's town or city, North Dakota often shares Minnesota's form of Upper Midwest American English (including Scandinavian-sounding words like "uff-da"), and a distinctive type of upper Midwestern accent. Along with having the most churches per capita of any state, North Dakota has the highest percentage of church-going population of any state. Native American traditions are still practiced by the Native American population of North Dakota, especially on Indian reservation land. Pow-wows and traditional Native American dancing are still found across the state. Outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing are hobbies for many North Dakotans. Ice fishing is also popular during the winter months. Residents of North Dakota may own or visit a cabin along a lake. Weekend trips to lake cabins are common during the summer months. Popular sport fish are walleye, perch, and northern pike. The mosquito is an annoyance in North Dakota as well as neighboring states during the summer months. Economy The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that North Dakota's total state product in 2005 was $24.178 billion. Per capita personal income in 2005 was $31 395, 32nd in the nation. North Dakota leads the nation in production of several crops. Agricultural activity is largely dependent on rainfall. Wheat (particularly the durum variety used for pasta), barley, canola, soybeans, sunflowers, and flax are present throughout the state. The wetter Red River Valley is dominated by farms, with the chief crops being sugar beets, soybeans and corn. Cattle ranches are more common in the dry southwest, though dairy ranches are more common toward the east. Honey is produced in the central part of the state. Small quantities of juneberries and grapes support a modest domestic winery industry. The state's relatively small industrial output includes electric power, food processing, machinery, lignite mining, petroleum extraction, and tourism. North Dakota has the only state-owned bank in the United States, the Bank of North Dakota. The bank, by law, holds all funds of all state and local government agencies in North Dakota. Its deposits are not guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation but by the state itself. The state also operates the only state-owned mill in the country, the North Dakota Mill and Elevator. North Dakota's reputation for severe weather has been cited by many as a motivating factor behind emigration and the failure of outside industry to locate in the state, though some have found this to be a secondary factor to the overall economic situation in the state. State income taxes are collected through 5 different tax brackets, ranging from 2.1 percent to 5.54 percent. North Dakota allows a credit for the net amount of tax paid to another state on income that is subject to tax by both North Dakota and that other state. North Dakota's sales tax rate is 5 percent. Local subdivisions are also allowed to levy a sales and use tax. This tax rate generally ranges from 1 percent to 3 percent. For the most part, personal property is exempt from property tax. Transportation See also: List of North Dakota numbered highways, List of North Dakota railroads The major east-west highways are US 2 and Interstate 94. North Dakota Highways 5 and 200 are also significant east-west routes. The major north-south highways are Interstate 29, US 81, US 281, US 83, and US 85. US 52 runs northwest-southeast from Portal to Jamestown, then to Fargo via I-94. US 12 cuts across the southwest corner of the state, intersecting US 85 in Bowman. BNSF and the Canadian Pacific Railway operate the most extensive rail systems in the state. Minor lines include the Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad and the Red River Valley and Western Railroad, mostly operating on leased branch lines BNSF and CP were to abandon. North Dakota has 90 public airports. Scheduled passenger airline service is offered in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot, and Williston. Law and government
Politics The major political parties in North Dakota are the Republican Party and the North Dakota Democratic NPL Party. North Dakota does have some active third parties, but none of them have had ballot status on any state office race for some time. The Republican Party holds large majorities in the state legislature and generally wins the state's 3-member electoral college delegation. Since 1964, no Democratic presidential candidate has carried North Dakota. In 2004, George W. Bush won with 62.9% of the vote. On the other hand, Dem-NPL candidates for North Dakota's federal Senate and Congressional seats have won every election since 1986. Important cities and towns See also: List of cities in North Dakota By population, the ten largest urban centers in the state are: The population trends in the state are noting a distinct shift from the rural areas to the larger cities. Most of North Dakota's largest communities grew between 1990 and 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, the U.S. as a whole grew by 13.1%, yet North Dakota grew a mere 0.5%. It is the only state (along with Washington DC) whose population declined (by 1.3%) between April 1, 2000 and July 1, 2003; this decline has become a major political issue. Education North Dakota's leaders frequently state that the educational scene in the state is excellent. However, because the economic situation is no match for it, many skilled graduates leave the state. Higher education The state has 11 public colleges and universities, five tribal community colleges, and four private schools. The largest and oldest among them is the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. The higher education system consists of the following institutions: North Dakota University System (Public schools) Bismarck State College in Bismarck Dickinson State University in Dickinson Lake Region State College in Devils Lake Mayville State University in Mayville Minot State University in Minot Minot State University-Bottineau in Bottineau North Dakota State University in Fargo North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton University of North Dakota in Grand Forks Valley City State University in Valley City Williston State College in Williston Tribal colleges Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten Fort Berthold Community College in New Town Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck Private schools Aakers College in Fargo and Bismarck Jamestown College in Jamestown University of Mary in Bismarck Trinity Bible College in Ellendale State symbols State bird: Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta State fish: Northern pike, Esox lucius State horse: Nokota horse Horse State flower: Wild Prairie Rose, Rosa arkansana State tree: American Elm, Ulmus americana State fossil: Teredo Petrified wood State grass: Western Wheatgrass, Pascopyrum smithii (Rydb.) A. Löve State nicknames: Roughrider State, Flickertail State, Peace Garden State State mottos: (Great Seal of North Dakota) Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable (Coat of Arms of North Dakota) Strength from the Soil State song: North Dakota Hymn State dance: Square Dance State march: Flickertail March State beverage: Milk State license plate: see the different types over time * "The Flickertail State" is one of North Dakota's nicknames and is derived from Richardson's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii), a very common animal in the region. The ground squirrel constantly flicks its tail in a distinctive manner. In 1953, legislation to make the ground squirrel the state animal was voted down in the state legislature. Attractions Major events Museums Arenas Golf courses Casinos Various attractions Notable North Dakotans See also | |||||||||||||
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