Other meanings of North Dakota
U.S. States
North Dakota is a state in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, bordered by Canada to the north and Minnesota to the east. It is the 19th-largest state by area but the fourth-least populous, with a population of about 779,000. The state capital is Bismarck, and the largest city is Fargo. Known for its vast prairies, the Missouri River, and the Badlands, North Dakota is a leading producer of agricultural commodities and, since the early 21st century, a major center of oil extraction from the Bakken formation.
North Dakota's landscape is predominantly flat prairie, part of the Great Plains, with the Missouri River cutting through the center and the rugged Badlands in the west. The state's highest point is White Butte at 3,506 feet, and the lowest is along the Red River in the east. The climate is continental, with cold winters and warm summers; the record low is -60°F, set in 1936, and the record high is 121°F, set in 1936 as well. The state experiences frequent blizzards and, in summer, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, though less frequently than states to the south. The Red River, which forms the eastern border, is prone to severe spring flooding, notably in 1997 and 2009.
Before European contact, the region was inhabited by various Native American tribes, including the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara, who lived in earth-lodge villages along the Missouri. The first Europeans to explore the area were French fur traders in the 18th century; the region was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Lewis and Clark wintered at Fort Mandan in 1804–05. Settlement accelerated with the Homestead Act and the arrival of the railroad in the 1870s, attracting Scandinavian and German immigrants. North Dakota became the 39th state on November 2, 1889, along with South Dakota; the two were admitted on the same day, and the order is officially unknown. The state's history includes the rise of the Nonpartisan League in the early 20th century, which led to the creation of state-owned industries, including the Bank of North Dakota, the only state-owned bank in the U.S.
Agriculture has long been the backbone of the economy; North Dakota leads the nation in production of spring wheat, durum wheat, flaxseed, and canola. The state also produces significant amounts of barley, sunflowers, and dry edible beans. Since the late 2000s, the Bakken Formation in the western part of the state has driven an oil boom, making North Dakota the second-largest oil-producing state in the U.S. after Texas. The boom brought rapid population growth to cities like Williston and Dickinson, but also challenges such as housing shortages and increased traffic accidents. The state also has substantial coal reserves and is a leader in wind energy, generating over 30% of its electricity from wind. The Bank of North Dakota, established in 1919, is a unique state-owned financial institution that supports economic development.
North Dakota is home to the International Peace Garden, a 2,300-acre botanical garden straddling the U.S.-Canada border, symbolizing the peaceful relationship between the two nations. The state's geographic center is in Pierce County, near the town of Rugby, marked by a monument. The Enchanted Highway, a 32-mile stretch of road between Regent and Gladstone, features giant scrap-metal sculptures, including the world's largest metal sculpture of a grasshopper. The state is also known for its strong tradition of community-owned cooperatives, particularly in agriculture and rural electrification. The town of Stanley is the birthplace of the famous bandleader Lawrence Welk. North Dakota has the highest percentage of Norwegian Americans of any state, and the Norsk Høstfest in Minot is the largest Scandinavian festival in North America. The state's official state beverage is milk, and its state fossil is the shipworm Teredo, a marine clam found in the region's ancient seabed.
Population figures are from the 2020 United States Census.
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