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Yankton,
South Dakota
Yankton is located along the Missouri River and
boasts affordable housing and great water
recreation. Is it also a great place to
retire?
The State of South Dakota
The
Missouri River bisects South Dakota, splitting it nearly evenly in
half. To the east of the Missouri, the land is fertile and
rich, and various crops are grown. Most of the population
lives in the "East River," with Sioux City and the
state's capital, Pierre, here. In the western section of the
state, knowmn as "West River," ranching and tourism are
the economic underpinnings. Mount Rushmore, the
Badlands, Custer State Park, and, of course, historic Deadwood,
once one of the most lawless towns in the American West, are
situated in the western section of South Dakota and attract
thousands of tourists each year. The Black Hills, in the
southwestern section of the state, are unique, different from much
of the rest of the South Dakota landscape, and they are sacred
land to the Sioux.
The
Dakota Territory, named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Indian
tribes, consisted of the northern most land that was acquired in
the Louisiana Purchase. The Territory existed from 1861
until 1889, at which time it was split and North Dakota and South
Dakota became U.S. states. South Dakota is considered part
of the upper Mid-West, although its culture and landscape have
more in common with the West than the Mid-West. It has
a population of 800,000, making it one of the least populated
states in the nation, and overall, it is a conservative, rural
place.
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