How did South Dakota get its shape?

Answer 1

There were many factors that went in to determining the shape of South Dakota.

The original Dakota Territory, formed in 1861, was formed by the area that was leftover when Minnesota became a state. The 1861 Dakota Territory also included most of present-day Montana and Wyoming.

As new territories were formed, land was split off and added to the Dakota Territory so that, in 1868, the final Dakota Territory was formed.

In 1889, the Dakota Territory was again split and formed two states, North Dakota and South Dakota. In an attempt to make the states a similar size, the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas were all created by the US Congress to have approximately 3 degrees of latitude (about 207 miles in height). The Enabling Act of February 22, 1889 stated that the Dakota Territory "be divided on the line of the seventh standard parallel produced due west to the western boundary of said Territory" (45°50′N).

Landforms were also a factor in forming South Dakota's border. The Missouri River forms a portion of the southeast corner of South Dakota. Lake Traverse, the Bois de Sioux River, and Big Stone Lake form a portion of South Dakota's eastern border with Minnesota.

Answer 2

The four major land regions of South Dakota are the Drift Prairie, the Dissected Till Plains, the Great Plains, and the Black Hills.

Almost 75% of South Dakota is covered by the Great Plains. Much of the Great Plains in South Dakota consist of rolling hills, plains, canyons, and buttes.

The Missouri River runs through the center of South Dakota.

The Black Hills are a low range of mountains.

The Dissected Till Plains are an area of rolling hills dissected by many streams.

The Drift Prairie is an area of low hills and glacial lakes.

Answer 3

South Dakota's shape was determined by a combination of historical factors such as treaties with Native American tribes, surveying errors, and political negotiations. The state's boundaries were set through a series of agreements and legislation, resulting in its current shape.

Answer 4

The shape of the state of South Dakota is an irregular rectangle.