Go to 51voa.com for more...Now, the VOA Special Englishprogram, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.Today, we tell aboutmore interesting nicknamesof American states.The mid-Atlantic state of Marylandis called the Free State.A Baltimore newspaper firstcalled it thatduring the nineteen twentieswhen the manufactureand sale of alcoholwere banned for a time.Maryland said it wanted to be freefrom this prohibition.Mississippi is The Magnolia State.It is named for a tree with big,beautiful white flowers that growsin that hot, southern state.The midwestern state of Missouriis called The Show Me State.The people of that frontier statewere once famous for not believingeverything people told them.If you visit the western mountainand plains state of Montana you will know why it is knownas Big Sky Country.Nebraska is the only stateto have a nicknamethat honors sports teams!The state university's athletic teamsare nicknamed Cornhuskersin recognition of one ofthe area's chief crops.The state borrowed the Cornhusker nicknamefrom the university.The western desert state of Nevadais called The Silver State.It was once home to many silver minesand towns that grew up around them.Today, most of them areempty "ghost towns."New Hampshire, in the northeast areacalled New England, is The Granite Statebecause of that colorful rock.New Jersey is between the big citiesof New York, New York and Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. It got its nickname,The Garden State, because New Jerseytruck farms once provided vegetablesto those big cities.New York, which always thinks big,was called The Empire Statebecause of its natural wealth.The most famous Manhattan skyscrapergot its name from the state.It is, of course,the Empire State Building.If you get a chance to see a red sunsetover the Sangre de Cristo Mountainsof New Mexico, you will know whythat southwestern stateis called The Land of Enchantment.North and South Carolina were one colonyuntil seventeen twenty-nine.South Carolina's nicknameis the easier of the two:It is The Palmetto Statebecause of a fan-leafed palm treethat grows there.North Carolina is the Tar Heel State.That is because many of the menwho worked to gather substancesfrom trees wore no shoes.They would make turpentinefrom tar and get the black,sticky tar on the heels of their feet.Next week, we will finish tellingabout the colorful nicknamesof American states.(MUSIC)This VOA Special English programwas written by Ted Landphair.You can find moreWORDS AND THEIR STORIES at 51voa.com.