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Block Island or Manisses〔http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode-island/2015/08/31/since-denali-got-its-real-name-back-should-block-island-next/gUDjWThDIEhLdcilSQIIeO/story.html〕 is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean about south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block Island as Census Tract 415 of Washington County, Rhode Island. As of the 2010 census the population of 1,051 lived on a land area of .〔(Census Tract 415, Washington County ) United States Census Bureau〕 The island is part of the Outer Lands region, a coastal archipelago made by the recessional and terminal moraine that resulted from the Wisconsonian Laurentide glacier retreat, about 22,000 years ago. The Nature Conservancy added Block Island to its list of "The Last Great Places"; the list consists of twelve sites in the Western Hemisphere. About 40 percent of the island is set aside for conservation. Presidents Bill Clinton,〔, pages 128-129〕 Dwight D. Eisenhower,〔, pages 214–215〕 Franklin Delano Roosevelt,〔, pages 130–131〕 and Ulysses S. Grant〔, page 19〕〔, page 81〕 have visited Block Island. Other famous visitors include Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh, who each made separate trips to the island in 1929.〔, pages 170-175〕 Block Island is coextensive with the town of New Shoreham. The island is a popular summer tourist destination and is known for its bicycling, hiking, sailing, fishing, and beaches. The island hosts two historic lighthouses: Block Island North Light, on the northern tip of the island, and Block Island Southeast Light, on the southeastern side. Much of the northwestern tip of the island is an undeveloped natural area and resting stop for birds along the Atlantic Flyway.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url=http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=53541 )〕 Every summer the island hosts Block Island Race Week, a competitive, week-long sailboat race. On odd years, the event is held by the Storm Trysail Club, and on even years by the Block Island Race Week. Yachts compete in various classes, sailing courses in Block Island Sound and circumnavigating the island. Other popular events include the annual Fourth of July Parade and celebration. During these times the island's population can triple over the normal summer vacation crowd. ==Early History== The Niantic Indians〔The Niantic people eventually merged with the Narragansett people.〕 called the island "Manisses", "little island of Manitou" or simply, "little island".〔(Encyclopædia Britannica; Block Island )〕〔(Providence, RI : The Islands )〕 Archaeological sites indicate that these people lived largely by hunting deer, catching fish and shellfish, and growing corn, beans, and squash, presumably with the Three Sisters technique. They migrated from forest to coastal areas to take advantage of seasonal resources.〔(The Pages of Shades : Native Americans )〕 Artifacts found in the area suggest that American Indians visited the area as far back as 8000 BC and as a permanent settlement since 500 AD, initially supporting around 600 inhabitants.〔(Jamestown & Newport, RI History )〕〔http://www.blockislandtimes.com/article/first-winters-what-archeologists-have-found/13119〕 In 1524, what later became known as Block Island was sighted by Giovanni da Verrazzano who named it "Claudia" in honor of Claude, Duchess of Brittany, queen consort of France and the wife of Francis I. However, several contemporaneous maps identified the same island as "Luisa," after Louise of Savoy, the Queen Mother of France and the mother of Francis I. Verrazano's ship log stated that the island was "full of hilles, covered with trees, well-peopled for we saw fires all along the coaste." In 1614, Block Island was charted by the Dutch explorer Adrian Block, who named it for himself.〔(Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State ); ''Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State''; retrieved on October 23, 2007〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Block Island」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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