South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota (Sioux) American Indian tribes. It was admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889. The 1990 movie Dances With Wolves, starring Kevin Costner as Lt. John Dunbar, was shot entirely in South Dakota.

The deepest mine in the United States, the Homestake gold mine (now defunct), is in the Black Hills of South Dakota, near the town of Lead. South Dakota is also the site of the largest naturally heated, indoor swimming pool in the world. Evans Plunge, heated from natural mineral springs, is in Hot Springs. The largest and most complete fossil of Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found was uncovered near the city of Faith, in 1990. Named "Sue," the remains are over 90 percent complete.

Mount Rushmore, the world's most grandiose mountain monument is located in Black Hills. The 60-foot high faces of four illustrious American presidents -- Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson look out over a background of pine, birch, and aspen in the cloudless western air.

Another prominent South Dakota landmark is the Crazy Horse Memorial, honoring American Indian heroes. Started in 1939 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, the statue is a work in progress. Ziolkowski's family carries on his initial endeavor. Crazy Horse will stand 641 feet long and 563 feet high when completed.

Winter in South Dakota is an exhilarating experience. The state offers terrific winter vacation spots. One can go skiing, snowboarding and riding a snow mobile in the following places: Terry Peak Ski Area, Great Bear Recreation Park, and Deer Mountain Ski Area.

• South Dakota Department of Transportation