北达科他州小档案：
人口：约65万
面积：约182，996平方公里，排名第17位
州府：俾斯麦Bismarck
北达科他州，名称来自印第安语（苏族Sioux之语），其意义为“与友联盟”Alliance with Friends。
1780年开始殖民。1889年11月2日南达科他州同时成为美国第39州和第40州。以草原玫瑰Prairie Rose为州花。本州别名叫做“苏族之州”Sioux State（苏族是印地安人中之一族，住在本州）或“金翼啄木鸟尾之州”Flickertail State。
州府是俾斯麦Bismarck，位于本州中南部。州内最大的都市法哥Fargo，农业机械制造业很盛，在本州东境，人口只有5万。因此，都市化进行的速度非常缓慢。本州高等学府有14所。其中最著名的是北达科他大学，创立于1883年，地点在本州东境之格蓝福克Grand Forks。
本州特征有二：第一，本州是美国内进行都市化最慢的州。州内充分显示农村景色。第二，本州春小麦产量在各州中列第一位。本州出产的杜鲁麦durum（可制通心粉）、大麦及亚麻，产量也为各州之冠。本州东部为大平原区。西部受流水刻蚀及风蚀，出现恶地badlands，坡陡谷深，缺乏土壤，不易发展农业。近年来，把通过本州的密苏里河开辟成为两个狭长的大湖，既可美化地方风景，又可用以灌溉，并可发展水电事业。本州矿产甚富，有石油、天然气及煤，尚未大量开发。北境中部有国际和平公园International Peace Garden，跨美、加两国领土，面积880公顷。
Introduction简介
When North Dakota entered the Federal Union in 1889，its leaders prophesied（预报）a glorious future for the Northern Prairie State．Great cities and prosperous（繁荣的）farms，said the promoters（促进者），would make Dakota the “jewel”in the crown of Democracy（民主主义）．The ensuing（继起）century has proven the “boomers（赶往新兴地区安家的人）”both right and wrong．North Dakota has enjoyed prosperity，but it has also seen devastatingly hard times．In 1989，the essential problem remains the same as a century earlier—finding the capital necessary to provide services and benefits of a modern society to a far－flung population．As it was in 1889，North Dakota remains a social，cultural，and economic colony，a producer of raw materials，a consumer of manufactures and capital，and an exporter of educated young people．
On November 2，1889，President Benjamin Harrison approved the admission of North Dakota to the Union．The new state was a Republican Party stronghold（要塞，据点）．The first Governor，John Miller，presided over a turbulent initial legislative session that，among other issues，fought about the question of legalizing lotteries and prohibition（禁止，阻止，〈美〉禁酒令）．
Political life revealed an insurgent（起义的）tendency that has continued to the present day．In 1890，the cooperative Farmers Alliance formed an Independent Party to challenge the “McKenzie Gang”that dominated the Republican Party．The Independents fused with the minority Democratic Party in 1892and captured state government with a platform promising significant reforms．Their efforts，however，were frustrated（挫败，感到灰心）by political inexperience，and in 1894the Republican Party regained power．Controlled by conservatives，North Dakota government encouraged investment by establishing liberal banking，regulatory，and taxation policies；to support their policies，conservatives argued that capitalists would not invest in North Dakota unless state government did its part to diminish risk and enhance profits．
Though severely criticized by progressives，the strategy did result in some industrial development．Large lignite（［地］褐煤）mines opened near Beulah and Wilton，and local brickworks（砌砖）and flour mills soon dotted the state．The railroad industry，bolstered（支持）by completion of both James J．Hill’s Great Northern Railway in 1887and the Soo Line in 1893，built branch lines and fostered new towns．Rail expansion peaked in 1905when the GN and Soo squared off in a “railway war”in northern North Dakota．
Evidence of development，however，did not quiet the progressive opposition．In their opinion，the state provided too many incentives（动机），and they pointed out that huge profits were being taken from North Dakota，that the distant leadership of rail and commodities companies were often arrogant（傲慢的，自大的）and unresponsive（无答复的）to the needs of their customers，and that rural people were often taxed out of proportion to their means．Most galling，however，was the frequent evidence that out－of－state corporate interests dominated North Dakota government，using it to further private goals rather than the general welfare of the citizens．
By 1905，the swelling（河水猛涨，涨水）chorus of protest caused a political upheaval（剧变）．Republican progressives united with Democrats to elect John Burke as Governor，and his election commenced a reform era．In the next decade，a series of other movements surfaced．For example，in 1907，a new cooperative movement，the American Society of Equity，came to North Dakota and by 1913had procreated（产生）well over 400marketing and purchasing locals throughout the state．Among the many new settlers who immigrated（移来）during the second Dakota “boom”after 1905were radicals（激进分子），and they united into the North Dakota Socialist Party．Both the cooperative and radical movements questioned the preference given to out－of－state corporations，called for fair taxation，and demanded better services from state government．For these movements，the goal was returning control of North Dakota’s government and economy to the people，and they were not afraid to demand that state government organize and operate banking，insurances，and processing businesses in order to bring the benefits of competition，lower costs，and better services to the people．
The Great Depression of the 1930s both slowed progress and sped change．Heavy farm debt loads and low commodity（日用品）prices caused a crises of farm foreclosures（丧失抵押品赎回权，排斥）and bank failures．Those farmers in a better financial position enlarged their holdings（财产）．Rural population diminished while cities grew．North Dakota reached its peak population in 1930，but the total thereafter dropped steadily until 1950．
