Perceptual Regions of South Dakota

The state of South Dakota has been divided into many different regions. Some of these regions are the result of formal classification by professionals such as geographers, geologists and pedologists, whereas others reflect the informal opinion of a layman or nonprofessional. Some distinctions exist, perhaps, for convenience, whereas others express a sense of pride and belonging in community or territory. Regardless of the motivation, the resulting perceptual regions are abstractions of space that illustrate how the residents of South Dakota interpret their environment. This paper is a cultural study. The objective of this study is to determine whether South Dakota residents perceive distinct regions within their state. Thus, the following hypothesis was investigated: Specific perceptual regions are recognized by the residents of South Dakota