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The state flag,
adopted in 1992, bears the state seal. Golden rays encircling the
seal represent the blazing sun. On the seal, which was adopted in
1889, a farmer plowing and a field of corn symbolize agriculture.
Cattle feeding on the plain stand for ranching and dairying, and a
smelting furnace represents South Dakota's mining industry. A
riverboat, symbolizing transportation and commerce, steams along
on the Missouri River.
South Dakota is a Midwestern state of the United States. It has
many startling and beautiful contrasts. The wide Missouri River
flows southward through the middle of the state. Low hills, lakes
formed by ancient glaciers, and vast stretches of fertile cropland
lie east of the river. West of the river are deep canyons and
rolling plains. The enchanting Black Hills rise abruptly in the
southwest. Southeast of the Black Hills are the weirdly beautiful
Badlands. South Dakota is sometimes called the Land of Infinite
Variety because of the many great differences in its landscape. |
