SOUTH DAKOTA, a State in the North Central Division of the North American Union; bounded by North Da kota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyo ming, and Montana; admitted to the Union, Nov. 2, 1889; number of counties, 78; capital, Pierre; area, 76,850 square miles; pop. (1910) 583,888; (1920) 636, 547.
Topography.—The surface of the E. portion of the State is a level plain, in cluding the great plateau of the Missouri and a similar plateau E. of the James river. W. of the Missouri river the sur face is broken, and contains the Black Hills, averaging 6,000 feet in height. This region covers an area of 3,200 square miles, and reaches its greatest altitude in Harney's Peak, 7,368 feet. The chief rivers in the E. section of the State are the Dakota or James, entering from North Dakota, and the Big Sioux, forming part of the E. boundary; both emptying into the Missouri river. W. of the Mis souri and also emptying into it are the White, Cheyenne, Grand, and Moreau.
There are but few large lakes, Big Stone and Traverse, forming part of the N. E. boundary, being the only ones of any size.
Geology and Mineralogy.—The Black Hills, of Archxan formation, form the center of a system of concentric circles of geological ages. The Palaeozoic sur rounds the Archaean core, and consists of beds of Potsdam sand and Trenton lime. Around this is a circle of Jurassic and Triassic formations. The Miocene period covers the region W. of the Missouri and S. of the Bad river. The Black Hills con tain some of the most valuable mineral deposits in the United States. Gold is the most important mineral production in the State. It comes almost entirely from the Black Hills. The production in 1919 was 254,820 ounces, valued at $5,267,600. Other mineral products in clude copper, lead, stone, and clay products.
Soil and Agriculture.—The soil is a light but rich loam overlying a fertile clay sub-soil, and is especially adapted to raising cereals. Wild fruits grow in great abundance, rich grass covers the prairies in the E. and Black Hills and Bad Lands afford excellent advantages for dairy farming and stock raising.
The acreage, production, and value of the principal crops in 1919 was as follows: corn, 3,200,000 acres, production 91,200, 000 bushels, value $108,528,000; oats, 1,850,000 acres, production, 53,650,000 bushels, value $33,800,000; barley, 875, 000 acres, production, 19,250,000 bushels, value $22,138,000; wheat, 3,725,000 acres, production 30,175,000 bushels, value $72, 420,000; rye, 500,000 acres, production 6,500,000 bushels, value $8,125,000; hay, 890,000 acres, production 1,558,000 tons, value $21,033,000; potatoes, 90,000 acres, production 4,500,000 bushels, value $8, 550,000.
Manufactures.—There were in 1914 898 manufacturing establishments in the State, giving employment to 3,788 wage earners. The capital invested was $15, 060,000, the amount paid in wages $2,628, 000, the value of the materials used $17,080,000, and the value of the finished product $24,139,000.
Banking.—On Oct. 31, 1919, there were reported 126 National banks in operation, having $5,675,000 in capital; $4,109,000 outstanding circulation; and $13,496, 000 in United States bonds. There were also 519 State banks, with $10,038,000 capital.
Education.—Both elementary and sec ondary education are free to all persons from 6 to 21 years of age. Attendance between the ages of 8 and 16 at a public day school is compulsory. There were in 1918, 88,848 pupils enrolled in 5,296 elementary schools. The teachers num bered 5,493. There were 326 secondary schools, with 1,947 teachers and 49,637 pupils. The colleges include the Univer sity of South Dakota, at Vermilion; Agricultural College at Brookings; Au gustana College, at Canton; Dakota Uni versity, at Mitchell; Yankton College, at Yankton; Huron College, at Huron; Red field College, at Redfield; and Baptist College, at Sioux Falls.
Churches.—The strongest denomina tions in the State are the Roman Catholic; Lutheran, Independent Synod; Methodist Episcopal; Congregational; Lutheran, General Synod; Presbyterian; Regular Baptist; Lutheran, Synodical Conference; Protestant Episcopal; Reformed; and Evangelical Association.