North Dakota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th most extensive but the 3rd least populous and the 4th least densely populated of the 50 United States. North Dakota was created from the northern portion of the Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, simultaneously with South Dakota. The state capitol is located in Bismarck and the largest city is Fargo. The primary public universities are located in Grand Forks and Fargo. The U.S. Air Force operates air bases near Minot and Grand Forks. North Dakota weathered the Great Recession with a boom in natural resources, particularly oil extraction from the Bakken formation, which lies beneath the western part of the state. The development has driven strong job and population growth, and low unemployment.