- The seal of Oregon was designed by a legislative committee in 1857 and officially adopted in 1903. …
At the heart of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States is the state of Oregon. A land of magnificent scenery, Oregon has mountain ranges, gorges, canyons, waterfalls, beaches, and many lakes. To preserve its natural beauty, Oregon has created many environmental protection laws. The name Oregon was first given to the river that English explorers were looking for when they traveled to the area. Early English requests to explore the region used the spellings Ouragon (1765) and Ourigan (1772). The current spelling first appeared in a 1778 travel book about the West. The capital of Oregon is Salem. GeographyOregon is a roughly rectangular state with an area of 97,073 square miles (251,419 square kilometers). It is bordered by Washington to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, California and Nevada to the south, and Idaho to the east. The Columbia River forms most of Oregon's northern boundary, and the Snake River forms part of the eastern boundary. - Farmland near Newberg, Ore., in the Willamette River valley
The Cascade Range in west-central Oregon divides the state into two geographical sections. To the west of the Cascades are moist rain forests, mountains, and fertile valleys. Along the edge of the Pacific are a series of low, rolling mountains called the Coast Ranges. The Klamath Mountains occupy the southwestern corner of the state. The Willamette River valley is a narrow plain between the Coast Ranges and the Cascades in northern Oregon. It contains rich farmland as well as the state's major cities. East of the Cascades the land is drier. The physical features of this part of the state include plateaus, deserts, and the Blue and Wallowa Mountains in the northeast. Mount Hood in the Cascades, with a height of 11,239 feet (3,428 meters), is the state's highest peak. The climate in Oregon varies from region to region. The western part of the state has cool summers and mild winters. In eastern Oregon summers are much hotter and can be very cold. Rain and snow are plentiful in most of western Oregon. Precipitation amounts are much lower in the east. Plants and animalsOregon is the country's chief timber-producing state. Forests cover almost half the land. Douglas fir, the state tree, and ponderosa pine are abundant. The state flower is the Oregon grape, which has leaves that look like holly. Oregon is nicknamed the Beaver State because that animal was very important to the fur trade in the area's early years. Oregon's animal life also includes deer, elk, antelope, bear, and fox. The lakes are breeding grounds for waterfowl and also contain many fish. People and cultureLong before white settlers arrived, an estimated 100,000 to 180,000 Native Americans lived in the Oregon region. The first white settlers were fur trappers and traders who arrived in the early 19th century. They came from the eastern United States and from Canada. In the mid-19th century settlers from every state traveled to the area along the famous Oregon Trail. The population of Oregon increased by more than 20 percent between 1990 and 2000. This rate of growth was much higher than that of the United States as a whole. Hispanics are the largest minority group, making up about 8 percent of the state's population at the start of the 21st century. The African American, Asian, and Native American communities are small. CitiesMost of Oregon's people live west of the Cascades in the Willamette River valley. The state's three largest cities—Portland, Eugene, and Salem, the capital—are located in this area. The largest cities outside of the valley are Medford, in the southwest, and Bend, in the central part of the state. RecreationRecreational sites in Oregon include Pacific beaches, snowcapped peaks, and mountain lakes. Tourists can visit more than 200 state parks. Hell's Canyon on the Snake River is the deepest gorge in North America. Spectacular waterfalls can be seen at Multnomah Falls in the northwest. Crater Lake, in the southern Cascades, is one of the finest natural wonders in the United States. Oregon has a number of attractions related to its history and location. The Pendleton Round-Up is an annual rodeo that recaptures the days of the Old West. Other yearly events include Albany's World Championship Timber Carnival, Portland's Rose Festival, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Professional sports teams in the state include the Portland Trail Blazers (men's basketball) and the Portland Fire (women's basketball). EducationThe first schools in the region opened in the 1830s. The legislature of Oregon Territory set up a free public school system in 1849. The University of Oregon, at Eugene, and Oregon State University, at Corvallis, are the leading state-supported institutions of higher learning. EconomyIndustryOregon's economy has traditionally been dependent on natural resources. The production of forest products such as lumber, plywood, and pulp and paper remains a major industry. In the late 20th century, however, high-technology and service industries became increasingly important in the state. The production of electronic equipment and services such as health care, real estate, and tourism are major sources of income. Food processing and the manufacture of metal products are also important. The mining industry produces sand, gravel, stone, and cement. Agriculture and fishingLivestock products account for a major part of Oregon's agricultural income, with cattle and calves the main moneymakers. Dairy products and poultry are also important. Greenhouse and nursery plants are a leading source of income as well. The state's other crops include wheat, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, hazelnuts, hops, pears, plums, and hay. Salmon, rockfish, sole, tuna, Pacific whiting, and shellfish are major products of the fishing industry. HistoryThe Native Americans who lived in what is now Oregon before the arrival of white settlers belonged to about 125 tribes. Among them were the Chinook, the Nez Percé, the Umatilla, the Paiute, and the Klamath and Modoc. ExplorationThe first Europeans to see the Oregon coast were Spanish sailors looking for a northwest passage to the Far East. In 1579 the English pirate Francis Drake claimed the region for his country. The land remained unexplored for two centuries, however. In 1792 Boston merchants made the first United States claim to the Pacific Northwest. Shortly afterward British fur companies approached by land. The explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark reached the mouth of the Columbia River in 1805 (see Lewis and Clark Expedition). The first white settlement was founded at Astoria in 1811 by the fur trader John Jacob Astor. The United States, Britain, Spain, and Russia competed for control of the region for decades. StatehoodMore Americans began moving to the Oregon region during the 1830s and 1840s. This wave of settlers increased the pressure to resolve the issue of which country owned the land. Although Spain and Russia had given up their claims earlier in the century, conflicts between the United States and Britain went on until 1846. The two countries settled their boundary dispute in 1846, and the United States Congress created the Oregon Territory in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state in 1859. DevelopmentA long series of wars between whites and Native Americans in Oregon lasted from 1847 to 1880. By the early 1880s most of the state's Native Americans had been moved to reservations. Around this time railroads were built that linked Oregon with the rest of the country. This led to expansion of the lumber industry. During the 20th century Oregon's cities grew rapidly, and by the late 20th century more than two thirds of the people were living in urban areas. Since the 1950s Oregon's economy has become more diverse, with more emphasis on international trade. EnvironmentOregon has passed many laws to protect its environment. New trees are planted to replace mature ones that are cut on both public and private land. To reduce pollution, in 1977 Oregon became the first state to make a law against selling aerosol sprays. Land-use planning helped to preserve the environment even as the state's population grew rapidly in the late 20th century. Population (2000 census), 3,421,399. |