The official nickname of South Dakota is the
Mount Rushmore State and appears referring to the fantastic mountain sculpture created by Gutzon Borglum over a period of 14 years. South Dakota has been also knows with the following nicknames.
- The Sunshine State because of the great percentage of sunshine that is present during the year.
- The Coyote State because of the large coyote population in the state. Coyotes were so numerous in South Dakota that they were adopted as the official state animal in 1949. Coyotes occur in greatest numbers along the Missouri River and its tributaries and in the Black Hills.
- The Artesian State because of the large number of artesian wells that were found in the state.
- The severe winter weather of South Dakota led to another nickname; The Blizzard State.
South Dakota has also been referred to as "The Land of Plenty" and "The Land of Infinite Variety."