Wikijunior:North America/United States/Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon became the 33rd state admitted to the union on February 14, 1859. Oregon is located on the Pacific coast between Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The state capital is Salem and its largest city is Portland. Residents are known as Oregonians.

History

Europeans began exploring the Oregon coast in the 1500s. The first American explorer to visit Oregon was Captain Robert Gray, who sailed up the Columbia River in 1792. Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent explorers Lewis and Clark to map out the new territory. They reached the mouth of the Columbia River in 1805 and spent the winter there before returning east in 1806.

The area that is now Oregon was claimed by Great Britain, Spain, the United States, and Russia. Russia and Spain both relinquished their claims on the territory in 1819 and 1820, leaving the dispute between the United States and Great Britain. The two nations agreed to peacefully share ownership of the territory, however Great Britain relinquished their claim as more Americans began arriving in the area via the Oregon Trail. The Oregon Territory was established in 1848, and Oregon officially became a state on February 14, 1859.

Geography

Oregon is the ninth largest state in the US with a total area of 98,381 square miles (254,810km²). It borders Washington to the north, Idaho to the east, California to the south, and Nevada to the southeast. Oregon also has approximately 362 miles (583 km) of coastline along the Pacific Ocean. Oregon's highest point is the summit of Mount Hood at 11,249 feet (3,429 m).

Oregon is home to Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States and the ninth-deepest in the world.

People

The United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Oregon was 4,217,871 in 2019.

In 2016, 85.1% of people in Oregon were White/Caucasian, 1.9% were black, 1.1% were Native American, 4.0% were Asian, and 0.4% were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

State Symbols

The state nickname is "The Beaver State" (unofficial)
The state motto is "Alis Volat Propriss." It is Latin for "She Flies With Her Own Wings."
The state animal is the American beaver
The state beverage is milk
The state bird is the Western meadowlark
The state crustacean is the Dungeness crab
The state dance is the square dance
The state father is Dr. John McLoughlin
The state fish is the Chinook salmon
The state flower is the Oregon grape
The state fossil is Metasequoia
The state fruit is the pear
The state gemstone is the Oregon sunstone
The state hostess is Miss Oregon
The state insect is the Oregon swallowtail
The state Microbe is Brewer's yeast
The state mother is Tabitha Brown
The state mushroom is the Pacific golden chanterelle
The state nut is the hazelnut
The state rock is the Thunderegg
The state seashell is the Oregon hairy triton
The state soil is Jory soil
The state song is "Oregon, My Oregon"
The state pageant is the Champoeg Historical Pageant
The state team is the Portland Trail Blazers of 1990-91
The state tree is the Douglas fir