According to abbreviationfinder, North Dakota is a vast, empty country that has retained much of its originality. The Dakota Indians from the great Sioux tribe, whose descendants are still at home here today, once lived here – mostly on reservations.
For anyone interested in the Native Americans and their struggles with settlers from Europe, North Dakota is an ideal travel destination. But there are a few other reasons that speak for a trip to North Dakota. Although the country cannot boast spectacularly high mountain ranges, it does offer rough low mountain ranges with heights of up to 1000 meters. There are also interesting rivers, beautiful lakes and wide, deserted prairies. These are ideal conditions for a nature-oriented vacation with great opportunities for sports and outdoor activities.
Location and landscapes
North Dakota is located in the north-central part of the United States of America and forms part of the state border with Canada. The country borders on the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In the west it is called Montana, in the south it is South Dakota and in the east is Minnesota the neighbor – beyond the “Red River of the North” and the “Bois de Sioux River”. Large parts of North Dakota are comparatively flat to at most gently hilly. But the land is fertile and there are many farms there that produce good yields. Still, the emigration of young people to other states is a problem that politics has yet to get under control. For the tourist, this only means that he will find a country that is neither sprawled nor overcrowded. Only the states of Vermont and Wyoming have fewer people per square kilometer than North Dakota.
The Theodore Roosevelt National Park
A visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park should definitely be on the agenda of every visitor. On the one hand, it is worthwhile because of the extraordinary landscape that can be admired here. On 285 square kilometers you get to see wasteland, prairies and the wetlands around the river “Little Missouri”. American bison, mustangs, coyotes and prairie dogs are living in this natural paradise again. The visit is also worthwhile because of the legacy of its namesake. Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States and he owned a ranch in what is now the national park. The “Elkhorn Ranch” can still be visited today. In memory of Roosevelt, a herd of Longhorn cattle is still kept around the property; The President particularly valued these animals. His stays at the ranch and the observations he made here turned the politician into a staunch conservationist. During his presidency, he founded five national parks and the US Forest Service, which today maintains around 110 national forests.
The memorials of the indigenous people
The Indian legacy lives on in North Dakota. Perhaps it is because of the unchanged landscape in many places that her spirit seems to have been preserved so clearly here. But maybe it is also due to the memorials that you can visit here. Many of them are concentrated around today’s capital Bismarck, so it makes sense to combine a visit to the capital and the memorials. An ancient sacred site of the Indians awaits you under the name “Medicine Rock State Historic Site”today on visitors. The ruins of an Indian village, which is signposted as the “Double Ditch Indian Village”, date from around 1550. An Indian settlement near Bismarck, which can be found under the name “Menoken Indian Village State History Site”, even dates back to the 13th century. One of the most moving monuments is the tomb of the legendary chief “Sitting Bull” near Mobridge – at the bend of a river. It is not certain whether his remains are actually buried there; but at least the site is a very impressive reminder of him and the sufferings of his people.
Interesting museums
You can deepen all of these impressions in the museum. In the city of Bismarck, for example, the “North Dakota Heritage Center” exhibits many objects from the former Indian everyday life. The “Tofthagen Library and Museum” near Grand Forks is exhibiting Chief Sitting Bull’s pipe of peace as a showpiece. Contemporary American art can then be admired directly in Grand Forks in the “North Dakota Museum of Art”. One of the most famous industries in the USA, the film industry, sends its regards to Dickinson. The “Mystic Theater” there was built in 1914, making it one of the oldest cinemas in the United States.
According to countryaah, North Dakota has the following main cities:
Bismarck
City of the USA (57,377 in 2005), capital of North Dakota and river port on the river Missouri. Founded in 1873, it is an important commercial, cultural and financial center.
