Native Americans inhabited this land before white settlers – the word Dakota is Sioux for “friend.”

The land that comprises North Dakota today became U.S. territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It had been part of the Minnesota and Nebraska territories until it and South Dakota were combined to form the Dakota territory in 1861. It remained largely unsettled until the arrival of railroads. When both North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted to the Union, in November 1889, President Benjamin Harrison didn't reveal which bill he signed first.

Nearly 90 percent of the land in North Dakota is devoted to farming . One-fifth of the state's population is employed in agriculture – with North Dakota ranking as the nation's No. 1 producer of dry navy and pinto beans. The state provides more than 90 percent of the nation's canola and flaxseed.

As the nation was suffering the worst recession since the depression several years ago, an aggressive move into North Dakota oil exploration transformed remote regions of the state, attracting billions of dollars in investments and attracting workers in search of high pay. Then, global oil prices plummeted and Dakota drilling slowed – but the state’s overall oil production has held up as drillers have cut operational costs.