學習英文地理知識：美國五十個州簡介：
1. Alabama ( Capital: Montgomery )
Often called "The Heart of Dixie" for its southern heritage, the state of Alabama is mostly plains, with northern mountains and the second-largest inland waterway system in the U.S. Birmingham is home to The Vulcan, which is the world's largest cast iron statue at 56 feet tall and weighing 120,000 pounds. The city of Magnolia Springs delivers mail by boat in the only all-water mail route in the U.S.
2. Alaska ( Capital: Juneau )
Alaska is America's largest and most northern state. It is almost as wide as the continental United States. It is made up of ice fields, tundra, mountains, water bodies, and glaciers. There are more than 3 million lakes in Alaska. It has 17 of America's 20 highest mountains, including Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in America at 20,320 feet.
3. Arizona ( Capital: Phoenix )
Arizona is home to many of America's Wild West stories, including the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and battles with Indian chiefs Geronimo and Cochise. Arizona is also home to many of nature's greatest wonders, including the one-mile-deep Grand Canyon, the beautiful colors of the Painted Desert, and the Petrified Forest, where wood has turned to stone! You will also see many different kinds of prickly cactuses in the hot and dry Arizona deserts.
4. Arkansas ( Capital: Little Rock )
America's only diamond mine is in Arkansas, nicknamed the "Natural State ." The Ozark Mountains are another natural wonder; they are made of limestone that wears away easily and creates unusual features such as Arkansas' many sinkholes caves, underground streams. and hot springs.
William Jefferson Clinton was an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001.
5. California ( Capital: Sacramento )
The third largest state, California, was nicknamed the "Golden State" after thousands of people called "forty-niners" went there to find gold in 1849. More people live in California than any other state in the nation. Your favorite actor or actress probably lives in Hollywood, where many movies and TV shows are made. At 282 feet below sea level, Death Valley ( in the Mojave Desert ) is the lowest and driest point in North America.
6. Colorado ( Capital: Denver )
Colorado is known for the great Rocky Mountains that pass through it as part of the Continetal Divide ( a vast mountain range that runs 3,000miles from canada to Mexico ) . "Colorado" is from a Spanish word for "red" and was named for its red land. The Red Rocks is a large, open-air theater surrounded by giant, red rocks. Colorado has huge cattle farms and many snow-covered mountains for winter sports like skiing.
7. Connecticut ( Capital: Hartford )
The name Connecticut comes from the Native American word "Quinatucquet," which means "Beside the Long Tidal River." Connecticut is callled the "Constitution state " and is one of America's first 13 states. The famous authors Noah Webster and Mark Twain both lived and wrote here.
8. Delaware ( Capital: Dover )
Delaware is called " The First State " because it was the first of the original 13 colonies to accept the U.S. Constitution. It is the second smallest state in America--only nine miles wide at one point! Delaware is known for its chickens, crabs, clams, and manufacturing of chemicals, rubber, and plastics.
9. Florida ( Capital: Tallahassee )
Florida , the " Sunshine State ," is known for its warm, sunny weather and sandy beaches. It hosts almost 90 million visitors every year. Florida has thousands of islands and lakes. It produces almost half of the world's orange juice supply.
10. Georgia ( Capital: Atlanta )
Georgia , the "Peach State," is the last of the original 13 English colonies. It is known for peaches, peanuts, pecans, and Vidalia onions (considered the sweetest in the world). Historic Saint Marys is the second-oldest city in the country. During the Civil War, the fall of Atlanta defeated the Sough. The Girl Scouts were founded in Savannah by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912. Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta in 1886.
11. Hawaii ( Capital: Honolulu )
Thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean lies the group of volcanic islands that make up the state of Hawaii . Its hot, tropical weather makes it a beautiful vacation place. Many people here wear flowery necklaces called"leis." The hula dance was created in Hawaii a long time ago. It uses hand motions to tell a story. Do you know how to surf? It is a common activity for people who live in Hawaii. Early kings and queens in the Hawaiian islands used to surf on boards in the ocean waters.
12. Idaho ( Capital: Boise )
Idaho means "gem of the mountains". Idaho potatoes are known for being the world's best. Idaho grows the most potatoes in the country: 27 billion each year! The deepest river gorge on the North American continent is Hells Canyon. At 7,900 feet deep, it's deeper than the Grand Canyon!
13. Illinois ( Capital: Spingfield )
Illinois is known as the "Land of LincoIn" because President Abraham LincoIn spent most of his life there. In 1871, the "Great Chicago Fire"started in a barn, destroying most of Chicago. It took many years to rebuild after this disaster. The first Ferris wheel was displayed at the World's exposition of 1893 in Chicago. Have you ever eaten at a Dairy Queen? The first one opened in Joliet in 1940. Illinois Senator Barack Obama was elected the first African American U.S. President in 2008.
14. Indiana ( Capital: indianapolis )
The world's most famous car race is the Indianapolis 500. It is a 500-mile race that takes place every year on a 2.5-mile track. Drivers have to race around the track 200 miles! The Speedway is the largest spectator sporting arena in the world. Almost half of all Indiana farmland is planted with corn, producing more than 20 percent of the United States popcorn.
15. Iowa ( Capital: Des Moines )
Iowa is famous for its corn, soybeans, and hogs. Effigy Mounds National Monument has more than 200 prehistoric mounds built in the shape of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Herbert Hoove, 31 st President, was the first president born west of the Mississippi River.
16. Kansas ( Capital: Topeka )
Kansas means "people of the south wind." Kansas is famous for sunflowers, wheat, jazz music, barbecue, and the story "The Wizard of Oz."
17. Kentucky ( Capital: Frankfort )
Kentucky "Land of tomorrow." Kentucky is nicknamed the "Bluegrass State" because most of the grass has blue flowers that bloom in the spring . Bluegrass is also the name given to the state's local folk music. Daniel Boone was one of Kentucky's famous explorers. Many settlers followed his trail, "Wilderness Road," to go west. Fort Knox has a big building that holds gold for the U.S. government. Kentucky is known for its coal mines, thoroughbred horse farms, and horse racing. The world's most famous horse race, the Kentucky Derby, has been held at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville every May since 1875.
18. Louisiana ( Capital: Baton Rouge )
The French settled in Louisiana during the 1700s. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of America by buying the Louisiana Territory from the French. The French influence is still seen in the state's many French names, foods, buildings, and descendants. Ninety -eight percent of the world's crayfish come from Louisiana.
19. Maine ( Capital: Augusta )
Famous for lobster caught off its rocky Atlantic Ocean shore , Maine is the largest New England state. Nicknamed the "Pine Tree State," 90 percent of it is covered by thick woods. Sail Rock is the easternmost point in the U.S. The sun rises here first.
20. Maryland ( Capital: Annapolis )
One of the original 13 colonies, Maryland has Appalachian mountain foothills, rolling hills, meadows , and flat farmlands. Maryland is famous worldwide for its blue crab. In 1814, while watching the British bomb Fort McHenry as they tried to capture Baltimore during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner." In 1931, America adopted the song as its national anthem.
21. Massachusetts ( Capital: Boston )
Massachusetts is one of the first 13 colonies. It is the sixth-smallest U.S. state. Massachusetts was the landing place for the Mayflower ship and its Pilgrims. In 1773, people held The Boston Tea Party where they threw boxes of tea into Boston Harbor.
22. Michigan ( Capital: Lansing)
The state of Michigan is split into two pieces of land: an upper and lower peninsula that are mostly surrounded by water. Michigan is called "Great Lakes State" because it borders four of the five Great Lakes. Detroit is nicknamed "Motor Town" because it is the home of the U.S. car industry. The city Battle Creek is naicknamed "Cereal Bowl of America."
23. Minnesota ( Capital: St.Paul )
The name Minnesota is from Native American words meaning "Land of sky-blue waters." Minnesota has too many lakes to count! More than 15,000 of the lakes are over 10 acres in size. Do you know what spam is? This famous canned meat is made in Austin. Spam has a mascot named "Spammy," the miniature pig.
24. Mississippi ( Capital: Jackson )
Mississippi is fun to spell out loud. The name Mississippi means"father of waters." Belzoni is called the "Catfish Capital of the World." The Old Spanish Fort Museum in Pascagoula displays the world's largest shrimp. The stuffed toy known as the "Teddy Bear" was created after President Theodore "Teddy"Roosevelt would not shoot a bear during a bear hunt in Mississippi.
25. Missouri ( Capital: Jefferson City )
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis was completed in 1965. It celebrates that city's role in developing the western frontier. Missouri was the headquarter for the Pony Express. It used to take six months for a letter to travel from east coast to the west coast. To go faster, mail was carried on horseback from Missouri to California in 10 days. When the telegraph was invented, it was able to send messages faster and cheaper, which closed the Pony Express forever.
--Those informations are from a book《America's 50 States》.
無論是在旅行的時候，還是在看新聞節目的時候，經常會看到美國州的名字和省會的名字。以前在學美國經濟地理的時候，曾經學習過一些知識。可是隨着歲月的流逝，有些學過的知識忘記了不少。最近在一本有關美國50州的畫冊介紹中，覺得簡明扼要。可以幫助熟悉各州的名字及省會的名字。所以就轉引在這里。
美國是一個偉大的國家，無論在建設家園方面，還是在主張保護環境方面，都做出了不懈的努力和貢獻。
在過去的數年里，曾經去過一些州觀光旅行。雖然屬于走馬觀花般的旅行，但是沿途所見的美麗自然風景不僅讓人感到賞心悅目，而且還讓人從中學到知識。總結几個字就是：欣賞，感恩和珍惜。
待續
