馬京利

密蘇里(Missouri)

美國中西部一州。面積180,514平方公里。首府傑佛遜城。密蘇里河由西至東流貫該州，北部地區是起伏的丘陵和肥沃的平原，南部地區有深的谷地和湍急的溪流。該地的原始住民是數個印第安部落，密蘇里人是其中一支，也是該州名稱的由來。1735年法國獵人和鉛礦工人在聖吉納維夫設立第一個歐洲永久居民點。1764年建立聖路易。1803年因為路易斯安那購地的一部分，美國取得該地區的控制權。1805年屬路易斯安那準州，1812年則屬密蘇里準州。1812年戰爭後大批美國居民移入。1821年密蘇里成為美國第二十四州，但密蘇里妥協案通過後，准許該州成為奴隸州。該州常苦於蓄奴者和廢奴者間的關係緊張，1857年的德雷德.司各脫裁決便是一項證明。美國南北戰爭期間密蘇里仍留在聯邦內，雖然其居民為雙方作戰。戰後，其經濟成長擴大，1904年舉行聖路易博覽會。第二次世界大戰後，該州經濟從農業移轉為製造業。主要以奧沙克地區為基礎的鉛製品居全國領導地位。人口約5,592,211（2000）。

English version：

Missouri

State (pop.,1997 est.: 5,402,000),midwestern U.S. It covers 69,697 sq mi (180,515 sq km); its capital is Jefferson City. The Missouri River runs from west to east across the state. The area north of it has rolling hills and fertile plains,the area south has deep valleys and swift streams. The region was originally inhabited by different Indian tribes,one of which,the Missouri,gave the state its name. The first permanent European settlement was made in 1735 at Ste. Genevieve by French hunters and lead miners. St. Louis was founded in 1764. The U.S. gained control of the region in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. It was part of Louisiana Territory in 1805 and Missouri Territory in 1812. An influx of U.S. settlers occurred after the War of 1812. Missouri became the 24th state in 1821,but only after the Missouri Compromise allowed its admission as a slave state. It suffered much tension between slaveholders and abolitionists,evidenced in the Dred Scott decision in 1857. Missouri remained in the Union during the American Civil War,though its citizens fought on both sides. After the war,its economic growth expanded and was celebrated in the St. Louis Exhibition of 1904. After World War II,its economy shifted from agriculture to manufacturing. It leads the nation in lead production,based mainly in the Ozarks region.