North Dakota is known as “The Peace Garden State” due to the International Peace Garden, located partially in North Dakota and Manitoba. Established in 1932, it commemorates peaceful relations between the US and Canada. The state also has unofficial nicknames, including “The Roughrider State” and “The Flickertail State.” The International Peace Garden has over 150,000 varieties of plants, a memorial to 9/11, a peace tower, and seven Peace Posts with the message “May Peace Prevail” in multiple languages.
North Dakota is most likely known as “The Peace Garden State” because it is partially home to the International Peace Garden, which overlaps the international border between the United States (USA) and Canada. Part of the garden is located in the US state of North Dakota, while part is located in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The garden was established in 1932 to commemorate the enduring state of peaceful affairs between these two nations. The state’s motor vehicle department is credited with spurring the dedication of “The Peace Garden State” as the official nickname of the state of North Dakota, as they put this slogan on state license plates in 1956. State residents liked the sound of “The Peace Garden State” so much so that the North Dakota Legislature made it the official state nickname a year later, in 1957.
Like most other US states, North Dakota also has a few unofficial state nicknames. These include “The Roughrider State,” a slogan paying homage to the Roughriders, a cavalry brigade that fought under Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War. Many of these riders were ranchers from North Dakota, hence the sense of state pride in the name and in the brigade itself. Some lobbied to officially change the state’s nickname to “The Roughrider State,” but these efforts failed.
Another unofficial state nickname for North Dakota is “The Flickertail State.” This nickname refers to the flickertail squirrel, or Richardson squirrel, a species prevalent in North Dakota. “The Peace Garden State,” however, remains the official nickname for the state of North Dakota and is perhaps a reflection of the strong pride that residents of this state feel in their status as home to the International Peace Garden.
The International Peace Garden contains at least 150,000 varieties of flowering plants, as well as lakes, hiking trails and a chapel. The garden also houses a memorial to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. This memorial was built from some of the original beams of the World Trade Center. The garden also boasts a peace tower, which is approximately 120 meters high and is made of concrete. There are seven Peace Posts in the garden bearing the inscription “May Peace Prevail” translated into approximately 36.6 world languages.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
