South Dakota is located in the North central part of the United States and is considered as a part of the Midwest. The great plain covers most of the regions of the state. South Dakota is also considered as part of the West. A river called the Missouri River stretches through the central part of the region.

South Dakota has a land area totaling up to 77,116 square miles, making it the seventeenth largest state in the union. The longest and largest river in the state is the Missouri River. Other South Dakota rivers include the James, White, Cheyenne and the Big Sioux.

South Dakota also have numerous natural lakes mostly found in the state’s eastern portion. The dams along the Missouri River are results of four gigantic reservoirs. These reservoirs include Lake Sharpe, Lewis Lake, Clark Lake and Lake Oahe. However, it is also noted that the Francis Case also contributes to this.

The Climate of South Dakota is described as continental. It has four distinct seasons that would range from hot summers to very cold winters. During the summer season, the average temperature of the state is nearly ninety degrees Fahrenheit. In South Dakota, it is not that unusual to have severe hot and dry spells, especially during the summer when temperatures rise above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

South Dakota also has an average annual precipitation ranging from semi arid to the north western part of the state, which is around fifteen inches or equivalent to three hundred eighty one millimeters. It is common to have semi humid conditions in some parts of the southeast region of the state. That is around 25 inches or 635 millimeters. There is a tiny area centered along the Black Hills and this has the highest recorded precipitation, going up to nearly 30 inches or 762 millimeters every year.

South Dakota is also home to several National Parks and Monuments. Their National Park Service are responsible for protecting these attractions for the sake of tourism and for future generations. It has two established National Parks, both of which are situated in the state’s south western regions.