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flag of South Dakota
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flag of South Dakota

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flag of South Dakota
flag of South Dakota U.S. state flag consisting of a blue field (background) with the state seal in the centre encircled with the name of the state and the inscription “The Mount Rushmore State.”

flag of South Dakota

United States state flag
Written by
Whitney Smith
Former Director, Flag Research Center, Winchester, Massachusetts. Author of Flags and Arms Across the World and others.
Whitney Smith
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

In the early 20th century the secretary of the state historical society, Doane Robinson, worked with the state senator Ernest May to develop a flag for South Dakota, the design for which was first painted by Robinson’s secretary, Ida Anding. The flag, influenced by a song written by Willis Johnson, had a sky-blue field featuring a yellow sun with rays, framed by the name of the state and its nickname “The Sunshine State.” After the...

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