[sodak]

Its an interesting discussion certainly, but it's hard when you have states on the edge of the definition - like South Dakota or Missouri. South Dakota has two very distinct regions termed "East River and West River" by the locals. West River feels very "western" with ranching and the Black Hills, while East River is very farm and business centered. Rapid City feels more like Denver, while Sioux Falls feels more like Minneapolis (obviously both are much smaller).

If you've been here, you probably know that the people are very different from one side of the state to the other, I would wager that residents of Sioux Falls have more in common with people in Des Moines/Rochester (MN) than they do with those in Rapid City. So where does "South Dakota" fit? The west is west and the east is midwest - in league with Iowa and Minnesota? It's tough to define, much like Missouri and KC/STL/Ozarks.