North Dakota is a state in the north central part of the United States, one of the so-called “states of the Northwest Center”. Ethnic composition: Germans – 43.9%, Norwegians – 30.1%, Irish – 7.7%, Indians, Swedes, British and French – 5% each. Russians – 25 thousand people, in some cities and towns up to 10-30%. The average number of family members is 3. The state capital is the city of Bismarck. The largest city of the state is Fargo, other large cities are Grand Forks, Minot. There are two air bases of the US Air Force on the territory of the state – the US Air Force Minot Air Base, located 21 km north of the city of Minot and the US Air Force Grand Forks Air Base, located 26 km west of the city of Grand Forks. Official nicknames are Flickertail State, Sioux State, Peace Garden State
STATE NAME
The name of the state of North Dakota comes from the name of the US territory Dakota, which in 1889 was divided into two states: North Dakota and South Dakota. In turn, the Dakota territory was named after the Dakota Indians (one of the Sioux peoples) who lived on these lands.
GEOGRAPHY
The state of North Dakota is located in the Midwest of the United States and belongs to the northwestern central states of the United States. The area of North Dakota is 183,272 km2 (nineteenth among US states). North Dakota borders Canada in the north, Minnesota in the east, South Dakota in the south and Montana in the west. North Dakota is located in the central part of North America, in the city of Rugby there is even an obelisk symbolizing the “center of the continent”. Most of North Dakota is included in the US Central Time Zone, the southwestern districts are in the Mountain Time Zone. There are three main physical and geographical regions in North Dakota – the Great Plains, the Smooth Prairie and the Red River Valley. The eastern part of the state North Dakota is the valley of the Red River (sometimes referred to as the “Red River of the North” to distinguish it from ”
CLIMATE
North Dakota has a continental climate with pronounced seasons (long, cold winters and warm summers), arid in the west, and slightly more rainfall in the eastern counties. Located in the Red River Valley, the state’s largest city, Fargo, the average temperature of the coldest winter month varies from -18°C to -8°C, and the hottest summer – from 15°C to 28°C. In winter, a lot of snow falls here, and in summer, rains and thunderstorms are frequent. In the capital of North Dakota, Bismarck (on the Great Plains in the center of the state), in January, the thermometer usually ranges from -17°C to -5°C, and in July – from 14°C to 29°C. In the northwest, in the city of Williston, the average temperature in winter is from -19°C to -7°C, and in summer – from 13°C to 28°C.
ECONOMY
The economy of the state of North Dakota is based on agriculture, mining (primarily oil), and, to a much lesser extent, on industry and tourism. Despite the fact that the state has a very low unemployment rate, and the cities of Bismarck and Fargo were included in the magazine Forbes list of “best places for business and career”, a serious problem for the economy is the constant outflow of qualified professionals (mostly young people with higher education), mostly leaving for the industrial centers of US metropolitan areas. In recent years, large IT companies have opened their branches in North Dakota, for example, the Microsoft campus is located in Fargo. North Dakota is one of the first places in terms of agricultural production in the United States of America. The fertile land (especially in the east) and the temperate climate of North Dakota are great for growing grains. The state provides a significant part of the nationwide production of wheat (especially durum varieties), barley, buckwheat, oats, and corn. Oil fields in North Dakota were discovered in the middle of the 20th century, but for a long time they were considered unprofitable, and only in recent years, thanks to the emergence of new technologies, the state is experiencing a real “oil boom”. North Dakota has rapidly become one of the leaders in oil production in the United States, and drilling of new wells continues, providing jobs and investment. In addition to oil, North Dakota produces shale gas, coal (mostly brown), clay, building materials (gravel and sand).
TOURISM
North Dakota doesn’t have many tourist attractions, but at least two of them attract numerous tourists. This is Theodore Roosevelt National Park (in the “bad lands” in the southwest of the state), known for its picturesque landscapes, and located on the border with the Canadian province of Manitoba, the International Garden of Peace park.
Largest Counties in North Dakota
North Dakota became a state in 1889 and is known for its agricultural production and Native American history. It has 53 counties. 10 Largest Counties in North Dakota 1. Cass County County Facts Population: Approximately 190,000 Area Codes: 701 Zip…
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