North Dakota (IPAThe International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of phonetic notation based on the Latin alphabet, devised by the International Phonetic Association as a standardized representation of the sounds of spoken language.International Phonetic Association ...IPA: /nɔːɹθ dəˈkoʊ.təThis chart shows concisely the most common way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is applied to represent the English language. See International Phonetic Alphabet for English for a more complete version and Pronunciation respelling for English for phonetic transcriptions used in different dictionaries. ...nɔːɹθ dəˈkoʊ.tə/) is a stateA U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States, although four states use the official title "commonwealth". The separate state governments and the federal government share sovereignty, in that an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. However, state ...state in both the MidwesternThe Midwestern United States (or Midwest) refers to the north-central states of the United States of America, specifically Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.http://www.census.gov/con st/regionmap.pdf A 2006 Census Bureau estimate put the population at 66,217,736. Both the geographic center of the contiguous U.S. and the population center of the U.S. are in the Midwest. The United States ...Midwestern and Western:If you have been redirected here after viewing any statistical information, note that as defined by the Census Bureau, the western United States includes 13 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,New Mexico,Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. In the map to the right, this would correspond to the eight dark red states and the three striped states bordering the Pacific Ocean, plus Alaska and Hawaii. Also see Eastern United States. The Western United States—commonly referred to as the ...Western regions of the United States of AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states, one federal district, and fourteen territories. The country is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere: its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie in central North America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south; the state of Alaska ...United States of America. It is the northernmost of the Great PlainsThe Great Plains are the broad expanse of prairie and steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In Canada the term prairie is more common, and the region is known as the Prairie Provinces or simply "the Prairies".Great Plains states and is the northern half of The DakotasThe Dakotas is a collective term used in the United States to refer to the states of North Dakota and South Dakota together. North Dakota and South Dakota were both part of Dakota Territory until their organization as separate states in 1889. The name "Dakota" comes from the name of a Native American group, a branch of the Lakota. It is a sub-region of the Frontier Strip and also of the Midwestern United States.The Dakotas which also includes South Dakota{{nowrap|[[South Dakota. During the 19th century, North Dakota was considered part of the Wild WestThe American Old West is comprised of the myths, legends, stories, and beliefs that collected around the Western United States from 1865 to 1890. Most often the term refers to the late 19th century, between the American Civil War and the 1890 closing of the frontier. Terms Old West and Wild West refer to life beyond ...Wild West. Formerly part of Dakota TerritoryDakota Territory was the name from 1861 to 1889 of the northernmost part of the land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase of the United States. Most of Dakota Territory was formerly part of the Minnesota and Nebraska territories. When Minnesota became a state in 1858, the leftover area east of the Missouri River fell unorganized. When the Yankton Treaty was signed later that year, ceding much of what had been Lakota land ...Dakota Territory (named after the DakotaThe Sioux (IPA ) are a Native American people. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many dialects. The Sioux comprise three major divisions based on dialect and subculture: *Teton (translation uncertain): the westernmost Sioux, known for their hunting and warrior culture. Often referred to as the Lakota. *Isanti ("Knife," originating from the name of a lake in present-day Minnesota): residing in the extreme east of the Dakotas, Minnesota, ...Dakota tribe of Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which are still enduring as political communities. There is controversy surrounding the names used: they are also known as American Indians, Indians, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Indigenous, Aboriginal or Original Americans. In Canada they are known as First Nations peoples. Not all ...Native Americans), North Dakota became a state in 1889.

The Missouri RiverThe Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. The Missouri begins at the confluence of the Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin rivers in Montana, and flows into the Mississippi north of St. Louis, Missouri. At 2,341 mi (3,767 km)The Missouri River Story - USGS in length, it drains about one-sixth of ...Missouri River flows through the western part of the state and forms Lake SakakaweaLake Sakakawea is a reservoir in the Missouri River basin in central North Dakota. Named for the Shoshone-Hidatsa woman Sakakawea, it is the third largest man-made lake in the United States, after Lake Mead and Lake Powell. It is located about 80 km (50 mi) from Bismarck, ...Lake Sakakawea behind the Garrison DamGarrison Dam is an earth embankment dam on the Missouri River in North Dakota, and is the fifth-largest earthen dam in the world . The reservoir impounded by this dam is Lake Sakakawea. Construction on the $294 million dam project began in 1947 and closure of the embankment occurred in April 1953. Earthwork was completed in the fall of 1954 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of a flood control and power generation project along the river. The dam is between Riverdale and Pick City, North Dakota. The dam is named after Garrison, ...Garrison Dam. The western half of the state is hilly and is home to natural resources including ligniteLignite, often referred to as brown coal, is the lowest rank of coal and used almost exclusively as fuel for steam-electric power generation. It is brownish-black and has a high inherent moisture content, sometimes as high as 66 percent, and very high ash content compared with bituminous coal. It is also a heterogeneous mixture of compounds for which no single structural ...lignite coal and crude oilPetroleum (Latin Petroleum derived from Greek πέτρα (Latin petra) - rock + έλαιον (Latin oleum) - oil) or crude oil is a naturally occurring liquid found in formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons (mostly alkanes) of various lengths. The approximate length range is C5H12 to C18H38. Any shorter ...crude oil. In the east, the Red River: For other things named Red River, see the Red River disambiguation page. The Red River (French: rivière Rouge), one of several by that name, is a Central North American river. Formed by the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers, it flows northward through the Red River ...Red River forms the Red River ValleyThe Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North. It is significant in the geography of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba for its relatively fertile lands and the population centres of Fargo, Grand Forks, and Winnipeg. Paleogeographic Lake Agassiz laid down the Red River Valley silts.Red River Valley, which holds rich farmland. Agriculture has long dominated the economy and culture of North Dakota.

The state capital is BismarckBismarck is the capital of the State of North Dakota, the county seat of Burleigh County, and the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The population was 55,532 at the 2000 census. Bismarck was founded in 1872. Bismarck sits on the Missouri Plateau directly across the Missouri River from Mandan, North Dakota. The two cities make up the core urban area of the "Bismarck, ND Metropolitan Statistical Area" or "Bismarck-Mandan." The North Dakota State Capitol, the tallest building in the city, towers over ...Bismarck and the largest city in the state is FargoFargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota in the United States. It is the county seat of Cass County, located in the Red River Valley region. The population was 90,599 at the 2000 census (2004 city estimate: 98,084) (2005 Census Bureau estimate: 90,934), which makes it the largest city in ...Fargo. Large public universities are located at Grand ForksGrand Forks is the third largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. In 2005, the city had an estimated population of 53,230 and an estimated metropolitan population of 96,523 in 2006. Grand Forks, along with its twin city of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, forms the center of the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is often called Greater Grand Forks or The Grand Cities. Located on the western banks of the Red River of the North in an ...Grand Forks and Fargo. The United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. Previously part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947.80 P.L. 235, 61 Stat. 495 (1947); Air Force Link, (2006)Factsheets: The ...United States Air Force operates bases at both MinotMinot (IPA, ) is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. With 36,567 people, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state. The city is the county seat of Ward County and the trading center of a large portion of northern North Dakota, southwestern Manitoba, and southeastern Saskatchewan. Minot is also known as the "Magic City", and was founded in 1886 during the construction of the Great Northern Railroad.Minot and Grand Forks.