In the 21st century, North Dakota's natural resources have played a major role in its economic performance, particularly with the oil extraction from the Bakken formation, which lies beneath the northwestern part of the state. Such development has led to population growth and reduced unemployment, resulting in North Dakota having the second-lowest unemployment rate in the nation, behind only Hawaii.
North Dakota contains the tallest human-made structure in the Western Hemisphere, the KVLY-TV mast.