Dakota. . . said the Sioux Indians when they meant “friends” or “allies. ” After centuries of Native Americans inhabiting the area, Europeans first arrived in 1738 with the Franco-Canadian trader La Vérendrye. Established on March 2, 1861, the Dakota Territory comprised the northernmost portion of the “Louisiana Purchase” in which the United States bought a vast tract of land from the French from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border in 1803. North Dakota belongs to the regions of the Midwest and the West of the United States of America and is assigned to the “Great Plains”. It is the 19th largest state by area, but only 48th by population. North Dakota and South Dakota joined the Union on November 2, 1889. However, it is not known which of the two new states’ instruments of accession was signed first. For example, North Dakota is listed alphabetically as the 39th state ahead of South Dakota. Although less than 10% of the labor force is employed in agriculture, it is North Dakota’s largest source of income. The state is the largest producer of barley, sunflower and wheat in the United States. Check topschoolsoflaw.com for brief history of the state of North Dakota.