North Dakota State
North Dakota Facts
A few individual facts about the state of North Dakota:
- The state capitol is located in Bismarck. The current structure was built in the 1930s after fire destroyed the previous building.
- The official nickname for the state is the Peace Garden State. Unsuccessful attempts have been made to change the nickname to the Flickertail State and the Roughrider State.
- Moves to change the official name of the state to "Dakota" were defeated in the 1940s and 1980s.
- According to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the state of North Dakota has more national wildlife refuges than any other state (62).
- Approximately 1 million visitors enter North Dakota state parks each year. About half that number visit the main national park: Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
- The highest temperature (121°) and lowest (-60°) were measured in the same year: 1936.
- The tallest structure in North America is located near Blanchard (TV tower: 2063 feet)
- The smallest county seat in the USA is Amidon in Slope County (population: 26)
- Approximately 25% of all workers in North Dakota are involved in farming or agriculture-related businesses.
- The exact geographic center of the North American continent is located near Rugby.
North Dakota Politicians
North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple
Governor Dalrymple was born in Minneapolis in 1948. He is a member of the
Republican Party and was appointed to the governorship from the post of Lieutenant
Governor in the year 2010, following the resignation of Governor Hoeven to
take up a seat in the US Senate.
Official Website for Governor Dalrymple
US Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
Senator Hoeven was born in Bismarck in 1957. He is a member of the Republican
Party and was North Dakota governor for 10 years before
becoming a US Senator in 2010. Previously, he had been the President and
CEO of the state-run Bank of North Dakota from 1993.
Official Website for Senator Hoeven
US Senator for North Dakota Heidi Heitkamp
Born in Breckenridge, Minnesota, in 1955, Senator Heitkamp is the first woman senator from North Dakota and was sworn in in 2013 as a representative of the Democratic-NPL Party. She is a member of the
Agriculture Committee and the Committee on Indian Affairs.
Official Website for Senator Heitkamp
US Congressman for North Dakota Kevin Cramer
Born in Rolette in 1961, Congressman Cramer was
elected to the US House of Representatives in 2012 as a representative of
the Republican Party. He is a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Science, Space and Technology Committee.
Official Website for Congressman Cramer
North Dakota Colleges
North Dakota has a well-developed further education system with colleges dispersed across the state. Each individual main city featured on ND-Direct includes information on education at secondary and further levels. However, all the main colleges and universities in North Dakota are brought together on our North Dakota Colleges page.
City Information Sections
ND-Direct has several specialist city information pages for larger communities in North Dakota. The following links head direct to those pages: