North Dakota is often narrowed down to misconceptions about it being just flat, empty fields, having harsh winters, and more recently, just around for oil. We North Dakotans, of course, are a bit wiser than these assumptions and know a little better. This state is full of great things to be proud of – here are 10 of them.
- We have a love of the arts.
Katie Wheeler/Flickr North Dakota might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of the arts, and that’s a shame! We have amazing local artists and works of all types of media - whether it be prairie-inspired paintings, photography of our state and the people in it, larger-than-life sculptures along the Enchanted Highway, amazing theatre companies doing fantastic shows, or even making art out of hay bales - we embrace the arts and love them. You can find many art museums and traveling exhibitions all over the state.
- There are beautiful landscapes all over, whether flat….
Andrew Filer/Flickr
- ….or full of hills and jagged canyons.
Jasperdo/Flickr North Dakota is certainly not just flat, and who said a bit of flat land was that bad anyway? The prairies are beautiful either way!
- We have amazing college sports.
Tony Webster/Flickr Just because we don’t have many major league teams doesn’t mean we don’t have sports. We pretty much have the best college hockey team ever. Case closed.
- We have great job opportunities for anyone - and the most in the country.
Brenda Gottsabend/Flickr North Dakota has had the lowest unemployment rate out of any state for quite a while. The oil boom helped, but there are plenty of other types of job opportunities in this state in nearly every field. Okay, maybe not deep sea fishing tour guide positions, since we’re also the most landlocked state. But other than ocean-related jobs, we’re set!
- There is an immense amount of history.
bowmanlibrary/Flickr Back to the earliest native tribes, to the land rush, to being a large part of one of the most influential president’s life, to today - we have so much history in this state. You can find remnants of it all over, still preserved and celebrated.
- North Dakota has so much wildlife and a respect for it.
Amber Lien/Flickr We have more wildlife refuges than any other state, if that is any indicator. We don’t have just bison - we have bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, even a huge population of migrating pelicans in Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Everyone here respects the wildlife and works hard to keep their populations healthy with responsible hunting and our refuges.
- We play a vital role in the entire nation’s agriculture.
locosteve/Flickr Sometimes it’s hard to understand just how much the rest of the country relies on our crops. To put it in perspective, North Dakota produces enough soy beans to create 483 billion crayons each year, enough wheat to make 12.6 billion loaves of bread, is the number one producer in honey, durum wheat, and sunflowers, and produces more than 38 million gallons of milk annually. You’re welcome, everyone else.
- It’s anything but cramped here, so there’s always room to breathe.
Roderick Eime/Flickr Even if you live in one of our bigger cities, you’re never too far from a space to just relax and enjoy the wide open skies.
- People here are awesome!
Chuck Simmins/Flickr There is always a huge sense of community that never seems to lose its strength, even during harder times. North Dakotans are great - enough said.
This is barely scratching the surface of why North Dakota is seriously underrated. What else do you love about this state?
Katie Wheeler/Flickr
North Dakota might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of the arts, and that’s a shame! We have amazing local artists and works of all types of media - whether it be prairie-inspired paintings, photography of our state and the people in it, larger-than-life sculptures along the Enchanted Highway, amazing theatre companies doing fantastic shows, or even making art out of hay bales - we embrace the arts and love them. You can find many art museums and traveling exhibitions all over the state.
Andrew Filer/Flickr
Jasperdo/Flickr
North Dakota is certainly not just flat, and who said a bit of flat land was that bad anyway? The prairies are beautiful either way!
Tony Webster/Flickr
Just because we don’t have many major league teams doesn’t mean we don’t have sports. We pretty much have the best college hockey team ever. Case closed.
Brenda Gottsabend/Flickr
North Dakota has had the lowest unemployment rate out of any state for quite a while. The oil boom helped, but there are plenty of other types of job opportunities in this state in nearly every field. Okay, maybe not deep sea fishing tour guide positions, since we’re also the most landlocked state. But other than ocean-related jobs, we’re set!
bowmanlibrary/Flickr
Back to the earliest native tribes, to the land rush, to being a large part of one of the most influential president’s life, to today - we have so much history in this state. You can find remnants of it all over, still preserved and celebrated.
Amber Lien/Flickr
We have more wildlife refuges than any other state, if that is any indicator. We don’t have just bison - we have bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, even a huge population of migrating pelicans in Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Everyone here respects the wildlife and works hard to keep their populations healthy with responsible hunting and our refuges.
locosteve/Flickr
Sometimes it’s hard to understand just how much the rest of the country relies on our crops. To put it in perspective, North Dakota produces enough soy beans to create 483 billion crayons each year, enough wheat to make 12.6 billion loaves of bread, is the number one producer in honey, durum wheat, and sunflowers, and produces more than 38 million gallons of milk annually. You’re welcome, everyone else.
Roderick Eime/Flickr
Even if you live in one of our bigger cities, you’re never too far from a space to just relax and enjoy the wide open skies.
Chuck Simmins/Flickr
There is always a huge sense of community that never seems to lose its strength, even during harder times. North Dakotans are great - enough said.
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