Oregon State Facts, Symbols and History

Oregon Fast Facts

Capital: Salem (popularity). 151,913 (2008 est.)

Oregon Population: 3,899,353 ( 2012 est.) (27th)

The Oregon Quarter is the third quarter released in 2005 honors Oregon and is 33rd in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program.Oregon was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859, becoming our National 33rd State. The Oregon Quarter features part of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States. The design also includes Magic Watchman and Island Peaks and Highlander on the rim of the Lake. The coin bears the inscriptions “Crater Lake” and “1859”.

Language: English, others

Largest Cities: (by population) Portland, Eugene, Salem, Gresham, Hillsborough, Beaverton

Name: The origin of the name Oregon has not been proven. Many theories include derivation from the French Canadian word “ouragan” meaning “storm” or hurricane” or possibly the Spanish word “orejon” meaning “big ear” or finally the Spanish word “origanum” for wild sagebrush that grows in the eastern part of the state.

Statehood: February 14, 1859 (33rd state)

Oregon symbols

• Animal: American beaver
• Bird: Western Meadowlark
• Flag of Oregon
• Flower: Oregon grape
• Motto: “Alice Folat Propiis”
  (She flies with her wings),
• Nicknames: (most used) Beaver State
• Song: “Oregon, my Oregon”
• State seal
• Tree: Douglas fir

Oregon is a mountainous state in the northwestern United States, one of the so-called Pacific states. Population 3,899,353 (2012 data). The capital is Salem, the largest city is Portland. Other major cities are Eugene, Gresham, Beaverton, Medford, Corvallis, Springfield, Astoria. See cities and towns in Oregon.

The official nickname is Beaver State.

Oregon occupies an area of 255,026 thousand km (ninth place among the states). It borders the state of Washington to the north, Idaho to the east, and Nevada and California to the south. In the west, its territory is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

In the western part, the Coast Range stretches parallel to the Pacific coast, in the southwest are the Klamath Mountains (the name, like a number of other local toponyms, gave the name to one of the Intel products) and the Cascade Mountains. To the northeast are the Blue Mountains. The central regions of the state are occupied by lowlands. The main rivers are the Willamette, Snake, Deschutes.

Oregon is home to many lakes, including the country’s deepest lake, Crater Lake. The climate in the western part of the state is mild and rainy, while in the interior it is continental.

• AbbreviationFinder: Demonstrates how the two-letter acronym of OR stands for Oregon and a list of frequently used abbreviations related to the state of Oregon.

Oregon is rich in minerals such as gold, silver, zinc, chromium, and nickel. Developed industries such as the woodworking industry, agriculture, the information technology sector.

In 2004, Oregon had 309,700 foreigners, representing 8.7% of the state’s population, and about 90,000 illegal immigrants (2.5% of the state’s population).

Most of Oregon’s counties are populated primarily by citizens of British origin, as well as Germans in the northwest of the state. A large number of Mexicans live in Malur and Jefferson counties.

Although most people in the state identify themselves as Christians, Oregon has the lowest church attendance nationwide. For example, in some states, about 80% of the population attends churches, while in Oregon their number is 12%. Nearly one in four people in the state consider themselves non-believers.

The state capital is Salem and the state’s largest city is Portland. Eugene, home to the University of Oregon, is the state’s third most populated city, ahead of Salem.

In ancient times, the Indian tribes of Bannock, Chinook, Klamath, Modoc, Nez Perce (from the French Nez Perce – pierced nose) lived on the territory of Oregon.

In 1788, James Cook surveyed the coast of the province, looking for a northwestern passage here.

In 1792, Boston captain Robert Gray passed along the lower reaches of the Columbia River. It was he who named the river after his ship. In 1805 – 1806. The Lewis and Clark Expedition explored the mouth of the Columbia River and founded Fort Clatsop there.

In 1811, the American Fur Company founded the city of Astoria. Soon the Hudson’s Bay Company began to operate here. A massive influx of settlers into Oregon began in the 1830s. The first Europeans who appeared in the region in the 18th century were met by local Indians friendly, but then they began to actively resist attempts to resettle them on reservations, and active hostilities were going on in the province.

In 1846, the Oregon conflict between Great Britain and the United States was settled, as a result, the border of the future Oregon Territory (it was established in 1848) passed along the 49th parallel. In 1857, the Oregon Constitution was adopted, which, with a number of amendments, is still in force today. On February 14, 1859, Oregon was admitted to the Union, becoming the 33rd state.

Oregon is the only US state to have a double-sided flag. One side features the state seal, while the reverse side features a beaver, the state’s animal.

Oregon is home to the smallest park in the world: Mill Ends Park in Portland.

There is no sales tax in Oregon.

Oregon is one of only two US states (the other being New Jersey) that bans self-service gas stations.