The US state of North Dakota is located in the north-central United States on the border with Canada. North Dakota was admitted to the United States of America in 1889 as the 39th state. The state’s nickname is “Peace Garden State”, named after the International Peace Garden on the border with Canada near Dunseith.
The US state of North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
The name itself derives from the Indians of the Dakota tribe who used to live in this area. North Dakota has an area of just over 183,000 km², which is about half the area of Germany, which measures about 357,000 km².
Only around 640,000 people live here. Of these, 95% are White, 4% Native American and 1% Other.
The capital of the state is called Bismarck and is located on the Missouri River. It is home to 62,000 residents and the city is an important center of agricultural trade. The largest groups by ancestry are German (43.9%), Norwegian (30.1%), Irish (7.7%), Native American (5%) and Swede (5%).
To the west are the hilly Great Plains and Badlands. This area is home to White Butte, the highest point in the state at 1,069 meters. The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is also located there . The Missouri River flows through western North Dakota, forming Lake Sakakawea. Along with Garrison Dam, this is the third largest man-made lake in the United States.
The biggest cities
The population figures are based on the national census from 2010 and have been rounded.
- Fargo 106.000
- Bismarck 61.000
- Grand Forks 53.000
- Minot 41.000
- West Fargo 26.000
Climate and weather conditions
North Dakota has a continental climate. Here you can enjoy dry and hot summers as well as cold winter days and evenings. Warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold air from the polar regions often cause strong winds to blow in the region. Therefore, thunderstorms and storm fronts often appear in summer.
The thunderstorms can be very violent and lead to hailstorms or even tornadoes. Tornadoes mostly occur in the southeastern part of North Dakota. Winter is consistently dry and cool, with occasional snowfall. Despite this, the constant wind can cause snowstorms at any time during the winter. Blizzards also occur in late winter and early spring.