明尼苏达州小档案：
人口：约500万
面积：约217，725平方公里，排名第12位
州府：圣·保罗St．Paul
明尼苏达州，名称来自印第安语，其意义是“乳蓝色的河水”milky blue water指（指本州南部明尼苏达河）。
1805年开始殖民。1858年5月11日成为美国第32州。以鲜艳的凤仙花Showy－Lady’s－slip－per为州花。本州别名叫做“北星之州”North Star State。本州箴言：“北方之星”Star of the North。
州府是圣·保罗St．Paul，位于东南部，跨密西西比河。以西之明尼亚波利斯Minneapolis，是本州第一大都市。两市区已互相连接。杜鲁司为本州大港。此港之海轮，可直达大西洋。附近的苏必略港，铁砂输出甚富。本州大专院校有55所。其中最著名的是明尼苏达大学，创于1851年，地点在明尼亚波利斯。
本州特征有二：第一，美国产铁最富之州。美国大铁矿麦沙比山位于本州东部。第二，美国密西西比河上源与加拿大温尼伯湖水系之天然分水岭。本州北部有许多小湖。西北部之伊塔斯加湖Itasca L．是密西西比河上源。此湖以北，许多小湖之水北流入加拿大。较大的河，叫做“北红河”Red River of the North，北流注入温尼伯湖。
本州地面波状起伏。可分为三区：（A）本州东北部是三角形，属于苏必略台地，岩层古老，是加拿大丘陵之一部。（B）本州最南部是无冰碛区，与威斯康星州无冰碛区互相连接。（C）低地区。除上两区外，全是低丘浅谷，冰碛层甚厚。本州气候冬季酷冷，常受北方冷气流吹袭。物产有小麦、玉蜀黍、大豆。也有乳牛、肉牛及猪。矿产有铁。高级铁矿（含铁成分超过60％）已渐枯竭。现今开采中级铁矿（今铁35％—50％），产量约占全美国产量之一半。
Introduction简介
本套书共50册，分为美国各州的小知识，七彩缤纷的音符，优美好看的小散文，开心时分的短文，经典流传的寓言，超级高效的短句，实际有用的词汇等等在这些书中，备有单词解释，相关简介，或中文翻译，便于同学们更好的阅读和理解，真正进入文字的内涵当中，准确地和文字进行交流。主要介绍马萨诸塞州、密歇根州、密苏里州和蒙大拿州的概况、州长、州鸟、州花、州旗、州歌以及相关资料，附有话里话外部分，主要介绍美国文学家（按出生年代从1783—1871）。
Native American Sioux and Chippewa Indians lived in Minnesota when French fur－traders landed in Two Harbors in 1660．Following the visits of several French explorers，fur traders，and missionaries（传教士），including Jacques Marquette，Louis Joliet，and sieur de la Salle，the region was claimed for Louis XIV by Daniel Greysolon，sieur［〈法〉n．先生，阁下（旧时法国对男子的尊称）］Duluth，in 1679．He claimed the entire region for France．
Spain receives Louisiana Territory（includes Minnesota west of the Mississippi River）from France in compensation（补偿，赔偿）for its loss（损失）of Florida during the Seven Years War．However，Spain did little to explore or settle the region and France continued fur trading．At the end of the French and Indian War in 1763，Great Britain wins claim to what is now eastern North America（east of the Mississippi River）and Canada，including eastern Minnesota．
The end of the Revolutionary War（美国之革命战争）in 1787the U．S．acquired eastern Minnesota from Great Britain and 20years later bought the western part from France in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803．Much of the region was explored by U．S．Army Lt．Zebulon M．Pike before the northern strip of Minnesota bordering Canada was ceded（放弃）by Britain in 1818．All of Minnesota was now owned by the United States．
In 1824Fort St．Anthony was built where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers meet．Fort St．Anthony completed．Name changed to Fort Snelling in Honor of Colonel Josiah Snelling’s work．Fort Snelling became a place of industry and growth rather than just a military post．In 1837，Land－cession（割让）treaties negotiated［（与某人）商议，谈判］with the Dakota Indians and the Chippewa（齐佩瓦族）Indians for United States rights to a portion of land between the Mississippi and St．Croix rivers．This new land stimulates（刺激，激励）the lumber（〈美〉木材）industry in Minnesota．Loggers and farmers settled the first small towns of Minnesota，including St．Paul，St．Anthony（Minneapolis），and Stillwater．
Minnesota belonged to many territories before it became its own on March 3，1849．with present day eastern and southern boundaries set．The population amounts to less than 4000people，not including persons of pure Native－American heritage（遗产，继承权，传统）．Law provides for free public schools to be open to all people between four and twenty－one years of age．Minnesota Historical Society formed to collect，publish，and educate people about Minnesota history．Soon afterward，at Traverse des Sioux and Mendota with the Dakota Indians whereby（凭什么，为何）the Dakota ceded their lands east of the Red River，Lake Traverse，and the Big Dakota River and south of a boundary line between the Dakota and Chippewa in 1825．In return the Dakota received 1，665，000US，1，360，000of which was set into a trust fund，of which the interest would be distributed to chiefs partly in cash（现金），partly in supplies，and partly in education and civilization funds
Minnesota became the 32nd state admitted to the Union of the United States of America．State on May 11，1858with St．Paul as the state capital and the seal adopted by the Minnesota Legislature．The Civil War began two years later and Minnesota became the first state to offer troops for the Union armies．Minnesota volunteers one thousand men for service in the Union Army．Minnesota eventually provides 24，000men for service in the Union Army for fighting in the Civil War（内战）or the Indian Outbreak．During this time，the Indians angry from lack of food went to war against Minnesota．With many of the men gone to fight for the Union，federal troops had to come help stop the war．
During the late 1800s，industrial development rapidly took place．Wheat farms were started in southern Minnesota and Minneapolis became one of the world’s leading flour centers．Railroads expanded and their advertisements brought thousands of immigrants from Europe to settle the state．Iron ore（铁矿石）was discovered and shipped from the Vermilion Range and the Mesabi Range．Duluth［德卢斯［美国明尼苏达州东北部港市］（在苏必利尔湖畔）］became a great port city and the Mayo Clinic，a general medical center that would become one of the world’s leading medical research centers，was founded．
In 1917，The United States of America enters World War I．118，497men from Minnesota serve in the war．The following year，a huge forest fire killed more than 400people and destroyed 25million in property．Minnesotans formed the Farmer－Labor party to help farmers and factory workers．
The Great Depression（〈美〉大萧条）left 70％of ironworkers（铁工场工人）without jobs．Farm income fell．State and federal governments helped people to keep their farms and provide them with jobs．World War Ⅱ（1939－1945）helped the economy to recover from the Depression．Factories were busy ****** parts for airplanes，weapons and ships．World War II ends with 6，255American servicemen from Minnesota giving their lives for their country．
Industry expanded and changed after the war．Some of these industries are electronic equipment，computers，chemicals，and heavy machinery．The iron ore industry changed and began to develop taconite ore（［地］铁燧岩）．Farms decreased and many people moved to the cities．