State of SOUTH DAKOTASymbols |
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The "Mount Rushmore State" celebrates the epic sculpture of the faces of four exalted American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. South Dakota's Black Hills provide the back-drop for Mount Rushmore, the world's greatest mountain carving. These 60-foot high faces, 500-feet up, look out over a setting of pine, spruce, birch, and aspen in the clear western air.
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State Flag:
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The South Dakota flag features the state seal surrounded by a golden blazing sun in a field of sky blue. Letters reading "South Dakota,
The Mount Rushmore State", the official state nickname, are arranged in a circle around the sun.
Even before South Dakota officially gained statehood, the state had adopted the design for an official seal. South Dakota became a state in 1889, and the seal was
defined in 1885. The official seal is a picturesque representation of South Dakota's commerce, industry, and natural resources. The state's motto "Under God the
People Rule", appears over the inner circle. Within the circle is a background of sky and hills. A river runs through agricultural and industrial land. Mining is
represented with a smelting furnace. A steam ship plies the waters of the river. A farmer plows a field in front of a herd of cattle and a cornfield.
The outer circle of the seal bears the words "State of South Dakota", and "Great Seal 1889".
