Editing North Dakota (section)

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of North Dakota}}
{{See also|List of North Dakota counties}}
{{See also|Geology of North Dakota}}
North Dakota is located in the [[Upper Midwest]] region of the United States. It lies at the center of the [[North American continent]] and borders [[Canada]] to the north. The geographic center of North America is near the town of [[Rugby, North Dakota|Rugby]]. [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]] is the capital of North Dakota, and [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]] is the most populous city.
[[File:Western North Dakota.JPG|thumb|left|View of western North Dakota]]
North Dakota is in the U.S. region known as the [[Great Plains]]. The state shares the [[Red River of the North]] with [[Minnesota]] to the east. [[South Dakota]] is to the south, [[Montana]] is to the west, and the Canadian provinces of [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Manitoba]] are to the north. North Dakota is near the middle of [[North America]] with a stone marker in [[Rugby, North Dakota]] marking the "Geographic Center of the North American Continent". With an area of {{convert|70762|sqmi|km2|0|sp=us}},<ref>{{cite web | title = Facts and figures | publisher = infoplease.com | url = http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0860033.html | access-date = June 22, 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060821082626/http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0860033.html | archive-date = August 21, 2006 | url-status = live }}</ref> {{convert|69001|sqmi|km2|0|sp=us}} of which is land,<ref>{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: North Dakota |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ND |website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 4, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722232614/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ND |url-status=live }}</ref> North Dakota is the 19th largest state.<ref>{{cite web| title = Land and Water Area of States, 2000| publisher = Information Please| year = 2006| url = http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108355.html| access-date = August 17, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130720013202/http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108355.html| archive-date = July 20, 2013| url-status = live}}</ref>

The western half of the state consists of the hilly [[Great Plains]] as well as the northern part of the [[Badlands]], which are to the west of the [[Missouri River]]. The state's high point, [[White Butte (North Dakota)|White Butte]] at {{convert|3506|ft|m|0|sp=us}}, and [[Theodore Roosevelt National Park]]<ref>{{cite web| title = Theodore Roosevelt National Park Virtual Tour| publisher = The Real North Dakota Project| year = 2007| url = http://www.realnd.com/badlandsindex.htm| access-date = August 17, 2007| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070925025734/http://www.realnd.com/badlandsindex.htm| archive-date = September 25, 2007| df = mdy-all}}</ref> are in the Badlands. The region is abundant in [[fossil fuel]]s including [[natural gas]], [[petroleum|crude oil]] and [[lignite]] coal. The [[Missouri River]] forms [[Lake Sakakawea]], the third largest artificial lake in the United States, behind the [[Garrison Dam]].<ref>{{cite web| title = History of Lake Sakakawea State Park| publisher=North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department| year = 2003| url = http://www.ndparks.com/Parks/Sakakawea/history.htm | access-date = August 17, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928061913/http://www.ndparks.com/Parks/Sakakawea/history.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 28, 2007}}</ref>

The central region of the state is divided into the [[Drift Prairie]] and the [[Missouri Plateau]]. The eastern part of the state consists of the flat [[Red River Valley]], the bottom of glacial [[Lake Agassiz]]. Its fertile soil, drained by the meandering [[Red River of the North|Red River]] flowing northward into [[Lake Winnipeg]], supports a large agriculture industry.<ref>{{cite web| title = A Glacier, A Lake, A Valley and Soil for the Future| publisher = University of Minnesota| year = 1979| url = http://mbbnet.umn.edu/hoff/hoff_agassiz.html| access-date = August 17, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070811093735/http://mbbnet.umn.edu/hoff/hoff_agassiz.html| archive-date = August 11, 2007| url-status = live}}</ref> [[Devils Lake (North Dakota)|Devils Lake]], the largest natural lake in the state, is also found in the east.<ref name="50states">{{cite web| title = North Dakota Facts and Trivia| publisher = 50States.com| year = 2007| url = http://www.50states.com/facts/ndakota.htm| access-date = August 17, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070711121322/http://www.50states.com/facts/ndakota.htm| archive-date = July 11, 2007| url-status = dead}}</ref>
[[File:2016-america-the-beautiful-quarters-coin-theodore-roosevelt-north-dakota-uncirculated-reverse.jpg|thumb|The [[Little Missouri River (North Dakota)|Little Missouri River]] and [[Theodore Roosevelt National Park]] appear with [[Theodore Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] on the reverse of the 2016 [[America the Beautiful quarters|America the Beautiful quarter]].]]
Most of the state is covered in [[grassland]]; crops cover most of eastern North Dakota but become increasingly sparse in the center and farther west. Natural trees in North Dakota are found usually where there is good drainage, such as the ravines and valley near the [[Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area|Pembina Gorge]] and [[Killdeer Mountains]], the [[Turtle Mountain (plateau)|Turtle Mountains]], the hills around Devils Lake, in the dunes area of McHenry County in central North Dakota, and along the Sheyenne Valley slopes and the Sheyenne delta. This diverse terrain supports nearly 2,000 species of plants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ashipunov.info/shipunov/fnddb/index.htm|title=Flora of North Dakota: Checklist|website=ashipunov.info|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924052523/http://ashipunov.info/shipunov/fnddb/index.htm|archive-date=September 24, 2017|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Flora of North Dakota Illustrated Checklist |url=http://ashipunov.info/shipunov/fnddb/shipunov20190220_flora_of_north_dakota_illustrated_checklist.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006121341/http://ashipunov.info/shipunov/fnddb/shipunov20190220_flora_of_north_dakota_illustrated_checklist.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |website=Ashipunov.info}}</ref>

Soil is North Dakota's most precious resource. It is the base of the state's great agricultural wealth. North Dakota also has enormous mineral resources. These mineral resources include billions of tons of lignite coal. In addition, North Dakota has large oil reserves. [[Petroleum]] was discovered in the state in 1951 and quickly became one of North Dakota's most valuable mineral resources. In the early 2000s, the emergence of hydraulic fracturing technologies enabled mining companies to extract huge amounts of oil from the Bakken shale rock formation in the western part of the state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bakken Oil Boom, North Dakota, USA |url=https://eros.usgs.gov/media-gallery/earthshot/bakken-oil-boom-north-dakota-usa |website=USGS}}</ref>

'''North Dakota public lands'''
5 national parks, 5 state forests, 63 national wildlife refuges, 3 national grassland, and 13 state parks<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 30 Backyard Birds in North Dakota |url=https://www.birdadvisors.com/backyard-birds-north-dakota/ |website=Bird advisors|date=January 25, 2021 }}</ref> plus there are state trust land, bureau of land management, waterfowl production areas, bureau of reclamation, bureau of land management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state wildlife management areas<ref>{{Cite web |title=North Dakota plots guide |url=https://geocortex.gf.nd.gov/Html5Viewer/?viewer=PLOTS |website=North Dakota Game and Fish}}</ref>

'''North Dakota wildlife'''
Currently there are 36 Level I species, 44 Level II species, and 35 Level III species.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Species of Conservation Priority |url=https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/scp |website=North Dakota Game and Fish}}</ref>

'''[[List of birds of North Dakota]]''' The basic NDGFD list contains 420 confirmed and extant species, two extinct species. Three additional species have been added from the North Dakota Bird Records Committee (NDBRC) review list with some additions from [[Avibase]]. The combined lists contain 420 species. Of them, 194 and a subspecies are on the review list (see below). The NDGFD list considers 44 species to be accidental, and eight species have been [[Introduced species|introduced]] to North America.<ref>{{Cite web |last=birdy |date=2023-03-03 |title=10 Species Of Hawks In North Dakota [Images + Ids] |url=https://birdsology.com/hawks-in-north-dakota/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=birdsology |language=en-US |archive-date=May 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503204809/https://birdsology.com/hawks-in-north-dakota/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

'''[[List of mammals of North Dakota]]''' 87 species are known to live in the state. This includes mammals that are currently extirpated or locally extinct in North Dakota such as the [[gray wolf]], [[swift fox]], [[caribou]] and [[grizzly bear]].

'''[https://www.insectidentification.org/insects-by-state.php?thisState=North%20Dakota List of insects of North Dakota]'''   <ref>{{Cite web |title=BUGS Listing of bugs and other insects that can be found in North Dakota |url=https://www.insectidentification.org/insects-by-state.php?thisState=North%20Dakota |website=Insect identification}}</ref> 1,126 Species known in North Dakota

'''[https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/id/fish/state-list List of fish of North Dakota]''' <ref>{{Cite web |title=Current North Dakota Fish Species Listing |url=https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/id/fish/state-list |website=North Dakota Game and Fish}}</ref> 98 Species are currently known in North Dakota

[https://gf.nd.gov/sites/default/files/publications/t-44-r-final.pdf '''List of reptiles and amphibians of North Dakota'''] <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Reptile and Amphibians of North Dakota |url=https://gf.nd.gov/gnf/conservation/docs/amphibian-reptile-brochure.pdf |website=North Dakota Game and Fish |access-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302054713/https://gf.nd.gov/gnf/conservation/docs/amphibian-reptile-brochure.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

16 Species of Reptiles and 12 Amphibians found in the state.

'''[https://www.library.nd.gov/statedocs/GeologicalSurvey/RI-7820150213.pdf List of crustaceans/mussels of North Dakota]'''

<ref>{{Cite web |title=Distribution of crayfish species in select North Dakota streams |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1096&context=tpn |website=Digital commons}}</ref> Three species of crawfish are found in North Dakota: Devil, Calico, and Virile

North Dakota is home to three freshwater shrimp species, gammarus, hyalella and mysis. The latter is an introduced species stocked in Lake Sakakawea in the early 1970s to add to the forage base.

<ref>{{Cite web |title=Giant floater clams |url=https://news.prairiepublic.org/natural-north-dakota/2019-08-03/giant-floater-clam |website=Prairie Public| date=August 3, 2019 }}</ref> Cvancara's ''Aquatic Mussels of North Dakota'' from 1983. He documented 13 species of what are generally referred to as clams in the state along with 13 species of pill clams, which are very small clams, in the order of a few millimeters in length. He also documented 22 species of snails in the state.

===Climate===
{{main|Climate of North Dakota}}
[[File:North Dakota Köppen.svg|thumb|390px|upright=1.25|Köppen climate types of North Dakota|left]]

North Dakota has a [[continental climate]] with warm summers and cold winters. The temperature differences are significant because of its far inland position and being roughly equal distance from the North Pole and the Equator.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|+Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in North Dakota<ref name="North Dakota climate averages">{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=ND&statename=North-Dakota-United-States-of-America|title=North Dakota climate averages|publisher=Weatherbase|access-date=November 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009031459/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=ND&statename=North-Dakota-United-States-of-America|archive-date=October 9, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
!Location
!July (°F)
!July (°C)
!January (°F)
!January (°C)
|-
|[[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]] || 82/59 || 28/15 || 18/0 || −7/−17
|-
|[[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]] || 84/57 || 29/14 || 23/2 || −5/−16
|-
|[[Grand Forks, North Dakota|Grand Forks]] || 81/56 || 27/13 || 16/−3 || −8/−19
|-
|[[Minot, North Dakota|Minot]] || 81/58 || 27/14 || 21/3 || −6/−16
|-
|[[West Fargo, North Dakota|West Fargo]] || 82/59 || 28/15 || 16/-2 || −9/−19
|-
|[[Williston, North Dakota|Williston]] || 84/56 || 29/13 || 22/0 || −5/−17
|-
|[[Dickinson, North Dakota|Dickinson]] || 83/55 || 28/12 || 26/6 || −3/−14
|-
|[[Mandan, North Dakota|Mandan]] || 84/57 || 29/14 || 20/−1 || −6/−18
|}
{{clear|left}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Monthly maximum and minimum temperatures (°F/°C) in North Dakota<ref>{{Cite web |title=North Dakota temperature extremes |url=https://www.infoplease.com/math-science/weather/north-dakota-temperature-extremes |website=Info please}}</ref>
|-
!Month
!Maximum
°F (°C)
!Year
!Place
!Minimum
°F (°C)
!Year
!Place
|-
!Jan
|70/21
|1908
|Chilcot
| -56/-49
|1916
|Goodall
|-
!Feb
|72/22
|1992
|[[Fort Yates, North Dakota|Fort Yates]]{{efn|Also on earlier dates at the same time or other places}}
| -60/-51
|1936
|[[Parshall, North Dakota|Parshall]]
|-
!Mar
|90/32
|1910
|[[Edmore, North Dakota|Edmore]]
| -48/-44
|1897
|[[McKinney Cemetery|McKinney]]
|-
!Apr
|101/38
|1980
|[[Oakes, North Dakota|Oakes]]
| -24/-31
|1975
|[[Powers Lake, North Dakota|Powers Lake]]
|-
!May
|111/44
|1934
|[[Langdon, North Dakota|Langdon]]
| -3/-19
|1967
|[[Larimore, North Dakota|Larimore]]
|-
!Jun
|112/44
|2002
|Brien/[[Flasher, North Dakota|Flasher]]
|18/-8
|1969
|Belcourt Indian Reservation
|-
!Jul
|121/49
|1936
|[[Steele County, North Dakota|Steele]]
|23/-5
|1911
|Manfred
|-
!Aug
|115/46
|1922
|[[Cando, North Dakota|Cando]]
|19/-7
|1915
|[[New Rockford, North Dakota|New Rockford]]
|-
!Sep
|109/43
|1906
|[[Larimore, North Dakota|Larimore]]
|4/-16
|1942
|[[Parshall, North Dakota|Parshall]]
|-
!Oct
|98/37
|1963
|[[Watford City, North Dakota|Watford City]]
| -18/-28
|1919
|[[Zap, North Dakota|Zap]]
|-
!Nov
|88/31
|1909
|Haley
| -39/-39
|1985
|[[Pembina, North Dakota|Pembina]]
|-
!Dec
|70/21
|1939
|[[New England, North Dakota|New England]]
| -50/-46
|1983
|[[Tioga, North Dakota|Tioga]]/Williston
|}

On February 21, 1918, [[Granville, North Dakota]] experienced a record-breaking 83&nbsp;°F temperature increase over a 12-hour period, from a low of -33&nbsp;°F to a high of 50&nbsp;°F.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Some outstanding temperature rises |url=https://www.infoplease.com/math-science/weather/some-outstanding-temperature-rises |website=Infoplease}}</ref> Another weather record  set in [[Langdon, North Dakota|Langdon]] in the winter of 1935–36, with the temperature staying below 0&nbsp;°F (−17.8&nbsp;°C) for 41 consecutive days, January 11 though February 20. This is a record for any location in the contiguous United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Most Anomalous Weather Events in U.S. History: Part 2 |url=https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Most-Anomalous-Weather-Events-US-History-Part-2 |website=Weather underground}}</ref>