The state seal serves as a symbol of life in South Dakota. It depicts the state's diversity of commerce and resources: farming, ranching, industries, lumbering, manufacturing and mining. It bears the motto: "Under God the People Rule." The seal was adopted in 1885, four years before the state was admitted to the Union.

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The Chinese ring-necked pheasant is the state bird. It was introduced to South Dakota in 1898 and is easily recognized by its colorful plumage. It is also known for its delicious meat. Since it is primarily a midwestern bird, pheasant is considered a delicacy in many other states.

The walleye is the most sought-after game fish in South Dakota. Walleye populate all four Missouri River reservoirs, and many South Dakota's glacial lakes.

South Dakota is a leader in honey production. In recognition of its importance to the state's farm economy, the honey bee (Apis Mellifera L.) was adopted as the state insect in 1978. Our mild, clear clover honey is often shipped out-of-state to be blended with darker honey

The state animal is the coyote, a natural predator of small game and rodents. The adaptable coyote hunts the open prairies and fields over the entire state, but occurs in greatest numbers along the Missouri River, its tributaries and in the Black Hills.

The pasque is a small lavender flower that is a member of the buttercup family. It grows wild throughout the state, and its blooming is one of the

first signs of spring in South Dakota.

The Black Hills spruce, a member of the evergreen family, is the state tree. The pyramid-shaped tree is characterized by dense foliage of short, blue-green needles and slender cones.

Marble balustrades, scagiola pillars stained glass skylights and mosaic floors lavish the rotunda of South Dakota’s state capitol in Pierre. Today, this striking limestone structure looks much as it did when it was completed in 1910.

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.

Mount Rushmore is a memorial to the birth, growth, preservation and development of the United States of America. Gutzon Borglum sculpted busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln high in the Black Hills to represent the first 150 years of American history.

Hail! South Dakota, A great state of the land,
Health, wealth and beauty, That's what makes her grand;
She has her Black Hills, And mines with gold so rare,
And with her scenery, No other state can compare.

Come where the sun shines, And where life's worth your while,
You won't be here long, 'Till you'll wear a smile;
No state's so healthy, and no folk quite so true,
To South Dakota. We welcome you.

Hail! South Dakota, The state we love the best,
Land of our fathers, Builders of the west;
Home of the Badlands, and Rushmore's ageless shrine,
Black Hills and prairies, Farmland and Sunshine.
Hills, farms and prairies, Blessed with bright Sunshine.