North Dakota is one of the particularly sparsely populated US states, but has a very strong economy and a low unemployment rate.
According to Acronymmonster, North Dakota is a very sparsely populated state in the northwestern United States. Its capital is Bismarck.
Name, location and residents of North Dakota
The eastern tribal and dialect group of the Sioux called Dakota, who lived and still lives in the area before the arrival of Europeans, served as the namesake for the state. North Dakota borders the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the US states of Montana and South Dakota. To the west across the Bois de Sioux River and the Red River of the North lies Minnesota. An estimated 760,077 residents live in an area of 183,112 km² (as of 2018). This puts North Dakota in third from last place in the United States in terms of population density. 41% of residents state that they have German roots (as of 2014). In some areas there are quite large numbers of Indian communities.
A brief history of North Dakota
When the fur trader La Vérendrye set foot in what is now North Dakota at the beginning of the 18th century, he met Indian tribes with whom a modest trade was established in the following years. In March 1861, the Dakota Territory was established. After the separation of several territories and the division of the area into a northern and southern part, North Dakota received its current borders. Settlement was slow at first because the Indian tribes were considered hostile. After the subjugation of the Sioux, more and more settlers came to the area, especially from Western and Northern Europe. In November 1889, North Dakota became the 39th state to join the Union.
North Dakota today
North Dakota is an economically strong state. Real GDP per capita in 2016 was well above the national average (5th out of 50) and the unemployment rate was the second lowest in the United States at 2.6% in November 2017. Agriculture is an important industry. Important products are potatoes, cereals and flax. The state is also the largest producer of wheat, barley, and sunflower seeds in the United States.
Largest Counties in North Dakota by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in North Dakota are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | McKenzie County | 7,102 km2 |
| 2 | Stutsman County | 5,755 km2 |
| 3 | McLean County | 5,465 km2 |
| 4 | Williams County | 5,364 km2 |
| 5 | Ward County | 5,214 km2 |
| 6 | Dunn County | 5,206 km2 |
| 7 | Morton County | 4,988 km2 |
| 8 | McHenry County | 4,854 km2 |
| 9 | Mountrail County | 4,724 km2 |
| 10 | Cass County | 4,574 km2 |
| 11 | Bottineau County | 4,323 km2 |
| 12 | Grant County | 4,299 km2 |
| 13 | Burleigh County | 4,229 km2 |
| 14 | Emmons County | 3,911 km2 |
| 15 | Barnes County | 3,864 km2 |
| 16 | Cavalier County | 3,856 km2 |
| 17 | Grand Forks County | 3,724 km2 |
| 18 | Richland County | 3,722 km2 |
| 19 | Benson County | 3,597 km2 |
| 20 | Kidder County | 3,502 km2 |
| 21 | Stark County | 3,465 km2 |
| 22 | Walsh County | 3,320 km2 |
| 23 | Wells County | 3,292 km2 |
| 24 | Divide County | 3,261 km2 |
| 25 | Slope County | 3,155 km2 |
| 26 | Ramsey County | 3,072 km2 |
| 27 | Bowman County | 3,010 km2 |
| 28 | Billings County | 2,984 km2 |
| 29 | LaMoure County | 2,971 km2 |
| 30 | Hettinger County | 2,932 km2 |
| 31 | Dickey County | 2,929 km2 |
| 32 | Pembina County | 2,898 km2 |
| 33 | Burke County | 2,859 km2 |
| 34 | Sioux County | 2,833 km2 |
| 35 | Mercer County | 2,707 km2 |
| 36 | Towner County | 2,655 km2 |
| 37 | Pierce County | 2,637 km2 |
| 38 | Golden Valley County | 2,595 km2 |
| 39 | Logan County | 2,572 km2 |
| 40 | Adams County | 2,559 km2 |
| 41 | Nelson County | 2,543 km2 |
| 42 | McIntosh County | 2,525 km2 |
| 43 | Sheridan County | 2,517 km2 |
| 44 | Rolette County | 2,336 km2 |
| 45 | Renville County | 2,266 km2 |
| 46 | Ransom County | 2,235 km2 |
| 47 | Traill County | 2,233 km2 |
| 48 | Sargent County | 2,225 km2 |
| 49 | Oliver County | 1,875 km2 |
| 50 | Steele County | 1,844 km2 |
| 51 | Griggs County | 1,834 km2 |
| 52 | Foster County | 1,645 km2 |
| 53 | Eddy County | 1,637 km2 |