Final answer:
Roanoke is known as the Lost Colony because its English settlers disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the word 'Croatoan' carved into a tree.
Step-by-step explanation:
Roaonoke is called the Lost Colony due to the mysterious disappearance of its settlers. In 1587, under the authority of Sir Walter Raleigh, a group of 117 English settlers established a colony on Roanoke Island. The governor, John White, left the colony to return to England for supplies but was delayed for three years. Upon his return in 1590, he found the settlement deserted with no trace of the colonists except for the word 'Croatoan' carved into a tree. This suggested that they might have gone to the nearby Croatoan Island (now Hatteras), but no definitive evidence of their fate was ever found. Relations with the local Native American tribes and poor planning were factors that led to the colony's end, heightening the mystery and earning its title as the lost colony.