North Dakota

Located in the upper Midwest, North Dakota is the 19th largest and the 48th most populous state in the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north, South Dakota to the south, Montana to the west and Minnesota to the east.

The Red River, running through Minnesota and North Dakota, caused major floods in several areas of North Dakota after heavy rain, which started on March 22, 2009. The Red River crested on March 28, 2009. Hundreds of homes in North Dakota have been evacuated and two people have been confirmed dead. Smaller creeks and rivers in Minnesota and North Dakota are also overflowing.RTE: North Dakota braces for massive flood (March 26, 2009) Conde Nast Portfolio: Cold weather helps Fargo fight Red River flooding (March 30, 2009)

The climate of North Dakota is characterized by cold winters and hot summers. Its location near the center of the North American continent causes it to experience a variety of extreme meteorological events such as blizzards, tornadoes and thunderstorms. The geography of the state varies from the arid, fossil fuel-rich Badlands in the west through the hilly Great Plains and Drift Prairie to the Missouri Plateau. The eastern Red River Valley provides fertile agricultural areas.