俄克拉荷马州小档案：
人口：约330万
面积：约181，089平方公里，排名第18位
州府：俄克拉荷马城Okalahoma City
俄克拉荷马州，名称来自印第安语，其意义为“红种人”Red people。
1889年，开始殖民。1907年11月16日成为美国第46州。以桷寄生mistletoe为州花。本州别名叫做“抢先之州”Sooner State。本州箴言：“劳动征服一切”Labor Conquers All Things。
州府是俄克拉荷马城Oklahoma City，位于本州中部加拿丁河Canatian River之北，本州第一大都市。本州大专院校有40所。其中最著名的是俄克拉荷马大学，创于1890年，地点在州府附近之诺曼城Norman。
本州特征有二：第一，州的轮廊很像长柄锅，锅柄向西。第二，石油与天然气产量均富，氯产量最富，为各州之冠。
本北界堪萨斯及科罗拉多两州，东邻密苏里及阿肯色两州，南隔红河Red R．与德克萨斯州相望，西连德克萨斯州及新墨西哥。
本州南部是高平原。地势西北高，东南低，有许多河流平行流下。阿肯色河上游流域及红河流域，依据地形，可分四区：（A）西北角是黑台地Black Mesa（高平原之一部）高1200公尺。（B）中部是平原区，已被切割，高度约4公尺。（C）东北部是奥沙克高地。（D）东南部是奥赤塔山地。主要作物为冬小麦，主要畜牧为肉牛，主要矿产为石油。这三种物产是本州的经济基础。本州已兴建多座水库，发展灌溉及水电，并美化地面，成为风景区。旅游业也跟着发达起来。
Introduction简介
Although one of the youngest states in the nation，Oklahoma is a land that reaches far back in time．Oklahoma’s recorded history began in 1541when Spanish explorer Coronado ventured（冒险）through the area on his quest for the “Lost City of Gold．”The land that would eventually be known as Oklahoma was part of the 1803Louisiana Purchase．
Beginning in the 1820s，the Five Civilized Tribes from the southeastern United States were relocated（重新部署）to Indian Territory over numerous routes，the most famous being the Cherokee “Trail of Tears．”Forced off their ancestral（祖先的，祖传的）lands by state and federal governments，the tribes suffered great hardships（艰难，辛苦）during the rigorous trips west．The survivors eventually recovered from the dislocation（混乱，断层）through hard work and communal（公共的，公社的）support．Gradually，new institutions and cultural adaptations emerged and began a period of rapid developments often called the “Golden Age”of Indian Territory．Following the destruction of the Civil War，Oklahoma became a part of the booming cattle industry，ushering（引导）in the era of the cowboy（〈美〉牛仔，牧童）．Western expansion reached the territory in the late 1800s，sparking a controversy（辩论，论战）over the fate of the land．Treaties enacted after the Civil War by the U．S．government forced the tribes to give up their communal lands and accept individual property allotments（分配）to make way for expansion．There was talk of using Indian Territory for settlement by African－Americans emancipated（释放，解放）from slavery．However，the government relented to pressure，much of it coming from a group know as “Boomers，”who wanted the rich lands opened to non－Indian settlement．
The government decided to open the western parts of the territory to settlers by holding a total of six land runs between 1889and 1895．Settlers came from across the nation and even other countries like Poland，Germany，Ireland and Slavic nations to stake their claims．And African－Americans，some who were former slaves of Indians，took part in the runs or accepted their allotments as tribal members．In the years that followed，black pioneers founded and settled entire communities in or near Arcadia（阿卡狄亚，世外桃源），Boley，Langston and Taft．
On November 16，1907，Oklahoma became the 46th state．Statehood had become a sure thing，in part due to a discovery which made Oklahoma the “place to go to strike it rich”—oil．People came from all parts of the world to seek their fortunes in Oklahoma’s teeming（丰富的）oil fields．Cities like Tulsa，Ponca City，Bartlesville and Oklahoma City flourished（繁荣，兴旺）．
Governor州长
Brad Henry在2003年正式成为俄克拉荷马州第26任州长。他出生在肖尼，在那儿上了小学并毕业于肖尼高中。之后便考上俄克拉荷马州大学，获得了总统奖学金。1985年，他获得了经济学博士学位。1988年Henry又获得该大学法学院的法律学位，他在那里做过《法律视察》的责任编辑。
Brad Henry was officially sworn in as Oklahoma’s 26th governor on January 13，2003．
A third generation Oklahoman，he was born in Shawnee（肖尼（美国城市）），Oklahoma，where he attended public schools and graduated from Shawnee High School．The governor attended the University of Oklahoma as a President’s Leadership Scholar and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1985．In 1988，Governor Henry was awarded his law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law，where he served as managing editor of the Law Review．
Governor Henry returned to Shawnee to practice law with his father，Charles，and start a family．He married the former Kim Blain，a Shawnee school teacher，and they have three lovely daughters，Leah，Laynie and Baylee．
Before his election as governor，Brad Henry served ten years in the Oklahoma State Senate，chairing（使入座，使就任要职）the Senate Judiciary（司法的，法院的）Committee and serving as vice－chair of the Senate Economic Development Committee．As a gubernatorial（州长的）candidate in 2002，his campaign themes focused on strengthening education，providing quality health care，and ensuring greater economic opportunities．His refreshing approach connected with voters．Brad Henry surprised many political pundits（博学者），winning the election in November，2002．
Governor Henry took office in the midst of the worst budget crisis in state history，but forged a historic bipartisan（两党连立的）agreement among legislative leaders that shielded education and health care from massive cuts．He also successfully fought to let voters decide whether to establish an education lottery to benefit the state’s classrooms；voters overwhelmingly（压倒性地，不可抵抗地）passed the lottery in November，2004．
Other highlights of his first year in office include augmenting（增加，增大）early childhood education，medical malpractice（玩忽职守）tort（［律］民事侵权行为）reform，sensible restrictions on public smoking，zero－based budgeting，and a funding solution to retain the state’s only level－one trauma（［医］外伤，损伤）center．
Governor Henry’s second－year agenda proved to be even more ambitious．Bolstering（支撑，支持）public education，he crafted a five－year strategy to raise the pay of Oklahoma teachers to at least match the regional average．Additionally，the governor successfully fought for a statewide vote in which Oklahomans approved a tribal gaming（赌博，赌胜负）regulation act that will pump millions of dollars into state classrooms while helping revive the beleaguered（围，围攻）horserace industry．
