North Dakota got its name from the Dakota division of the Sioux Indians who lived on the plains before the Europeans arrived. "Dakota" means "friend." In 1889, North Dakota was admitted to the Union as the 39th state. On the same day, South Dakota was admitted. North Dakota lies in the center of the North American continent. It is mainly a farm state and most of its industries (food processing and farm equipment) are connected to farming. Farms and ranches stretch from the flat Red River Valley, in the east, across rolling plains, to the rugged Badlands in the west.  North Dakota's crisp autumn days attract hunters to streams and lakes where migrating fowl pause on their way south. Summer visitors to the state enjoy the exciting rodeos that are held in numerous communities and colorful Indian ceremonies that are conducted on reservations in the state.

GOVERNMENT
Capital: Bismarck
Governor: John Hoeven, R (to Dec. 15, 2004)
Senators: Kent Conrad, D (to Jan. 2007); Byron L. Dorgan, D (to Jan. 2005)
House of Representatives: 1 district | Search by zip code

ECONOMY
Total Gross State Product 1999 (millions of dollars): 16,991; National rank: 51; Percent change since 1990: 48%; National Rank based on Growth Rate: 43 (Including Washington, DC)
Per Capita Personal Income 2001: $25,798; National Rank: 39 (85% of the national average)
State Exports 2001 (millions of dollars): 806; National Rank: 46
Agriculture: Wheat, cattle, barley, sunflowers, milk, sugar beets.
Industry: Food processing, machinery, mining, tourism.