Facts about Oklahoma
Situated along an integral point in the United States Interstate network, Oklahoma contains three interstate highways and four auxiliary interstate highways.
The University of Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys are rated in the top college sports programs in the nation by Sports Illustrated magazine.
Among the most ecologically diverse states, Oklahoma is one of four to harbor more than 10 distinct ecological regions, containing eleven within its borders, more per square mile than in any other state.
Marshlands, cypress forests and mixtures of southern pine and deciduous forests dominate the state's southeastern quarter, while mixtures of largely post oak, elm, cedar and pine forests cover the Ozark Mountains in northeastern Oklahoma.
Oklahoma was the destination of the Native American Cherokee tribes who, in 1838, were forced to trek westward from their homelands on the east coast.
The government of Oklahoma is a liberal democracy modeled after the Federal Government of the United States, with executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
In 1927, Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the Father of Route 66. began a campaign to create Route 66.
On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City became the scene of one of the worst acts of terrorism ever committed in American history.
Oklahoma has a voter demographic weighted towards the Democratic Party as of 2007.
Oklahoma is located in a temperate region and experiences occasional extremes of temperature and precipitation typical in a continental climate.
When Indian Territory was opened to settlers, an estimated 3,000 African-Americans joined the 1889 rush to settle the Oklahoma Territory.
The area, already long occupied by Osage and Quapaw tribes in Oklahoma, was designated Indian Territory by the Indian Removal Act and the Indian Intercourse Act of 1834.
The territory was split in half, and the western half became Oklahoma Territory.
Following the 2000 census, the Oklahoma delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives was reduced from six to five representatives, each serving one congressional district.
The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University are the largest public institutions of higher education in Oklahoma, both operating through one primary campus and satellite campuses throughout the state.
The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman, one of the largest university-based art and history museums in the country, documents the natural history of the region.
Oil accounted for 17 percent of Oklahoma's economic impact in 2005, and employment in the state's oil industry was outpaced by five other sectors in 2007.
Of Oklahoma's federally protected park or recreational sites, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area is the largest, with 4,500 acres (18 kmІ).
Sportsfishing is quite popular for the large northern pike and muskellunge, as these fish combine size with strength.
Three of the nation's largest private oil companies are located in Oklahoma, and all six of the state's Fortune 500 companies are oil-related.
Oklahoma is ranked in the bottom three states in the nation for retaining high school seniors, with a drop-out rate of 3.2 percent.
The name Oklahoma comes from the Native Choctaw phrase okla humma, literally meaning red people.
Three third parties have substantial influence in state politics: Oklahoma Libertarian Party, Green Party of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Constitution Party.
Oklahoma is the nation's second-largest producer of natural gas, fifth-largest producer of crude oil, has the second greatest number of active drilling rigs, and ranks fifth in crude oil reserves.
On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma was established as the 46th state in the Union.
The Legislature of Oklahoma consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Approximately 5.5 percent of American beef comes from Oklahoma, while the state produces 6.1 percent of American wheat, 4.2 percent of American pig products, and 2.2 percent of dairy products.
Oklahoma is home to large populations of white-tailed deer, coyotes, bobcats, elk, and migrating birds such as quail, doves, cardinals, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and pheasants.
Two seaports on rivers serve Oklahoma: the Port of Muskogee and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa.
The state's judicial branch consists of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and 77 District Courts that each serves one county.
Within 10 years the population had doubled in what became a permanent settlement and the future capital of Oklahoma.
In 2006, Tulsa-based Semgroup ranked 5th on Fortune Magazine's list of largest private companies, Tulsa-based QuikTrip ranked 46th, and Oklahoma City-based Love's Travel Shops ranked 132nd.
In 1889 some 10,000 homesteaders settled what is now downtown Oklahoma City, creating a tent city in a single day.
Oklahoma City's National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum documents the heritage of the American Western frontier.
Transportation in Oklahoma is generated by an anchor system of interstate highways, commuter rail lines, airports, seaports, and mass transit networks.
Many southern newspapers of the 1880s urged blacks to move west to escape Jim Crow oppression, often specifically mentioning Oklahoma.
Due to its position in the center of the United States, Oklahoma is among the top states for logistic centers, and a leader in weather-related research.
During the 1830s, thousands of Native Americans, including those comprising the "Five Civilized Tribes," were removed from their lands in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee and transported to Oklahoma 1830s.
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America.
Partial plains interrupted by small mountain ranges like the Antelope Hills and the Wichita Mountains dot southwestern Oklahoma, and transitional prairie and woodlands cover the central portion of the state.
Soon after, the capital was moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City.
Some residents of the Plains, in especially Kansas and Oklahoma, fell prey to illnesses and death from dust pneumonia and the effects of malnutrition.
Part of the Bible Belt, widespread beliefs in evangelical Christianity make Oklahoma one of the most conservative states, though voter registration in the Democratic Party tends to exceed that of the Republican Party.
By the time Oklahoma was admitted to the Union in 1907, Oklahoma City had already supplanted Guthrie, the territorial capital, as the population center and commercial hub of the new state.
Known at the "Oklahoma City bombing" the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killed 168 people, including 19 children.
Oklahoma is the 20th-largest state in the United States, covering an area of 69,898 square miles (181,196 kmІ), with 68,667 square miles (110,508.8 kmІ) of land and 1,231 square miles (1,981.1 kmІ) of water.
Other federal protected sites include the Santa Fe and Trail of Tears national historic trails, the Fort Smith and Washita Battlefield national historic sites, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
Ten percent of the nation's natural gas supply is held in Oklahoma, with 1.662 trillion cubic feet.
The National Institute for Early Education Research rated Oklahoma first in the nation with regard to standards, quality, and access to pre-kindergarten education in 2004, calling it a model for early childhood schooling.
Marked by differences in geographical diversity between its western and eastern halves, eastern Oklahoma touches eight ecological regions, while its western half holds three.
Sportsfishing is quite popular for the large northern pike and muskellunge, as these fish combine size with strength.
Oklahoma later became the de-facto name for Oklahoma Territory, and it was officially approved in 1890, two years after the area was opened to white settlers.
Oklahoma ranks 17th in per capita spending on the arts and contains more than 300 museums.
Oklahoma is part of a geographical region characterized by widespread beliefs in Biblical Christianity and Evangelical Protestantism known as the "Bible Belt."
Oklahoma City's Devon Energy is the second-largest crude oil company in the nation.
In 1902 there was an effort to make Oklahoma an all Indian state to be named Sequoyah.
Oklahoma has 50 state parks, six national parks or protected regions, two national protected forests or grasslands, and a network of wildlife preserves and conservation areas.
Oklahoma's largest commercial airport is Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, averaging a yearly passenger count of more than 3.5 million in 2005.
A number of exclusively black towns sprang up in Oklahoma and the State’s population centers, such as Oklahoma City and Tulsa, also had considerable black populations.
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America.
Based in the sectors of aviation, energy, transportation equipment, food processing, electronics, and telecommunications, Oklahoma is an important producer of natural gas, aircraft, and food.
Oklahoma's heritage as a pioneer state is depicted with the Pioneer Woman statue in Ponca City.
The Oklahoma judiciary also contains two independent courts: a Court of Impeachment and the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary.
The 27th-most agriculturally productive state, Oklahoma is fifth in both cattle and wheat production.
Originally, the state of Oklahoma was set aside for the exclusive use of the Indians and was called Indian Territory. However, in 1889, the land was opened to settlers in what became known as the "Oklahoma Land Rush." ... Oklahoma has produced more astronauts than any other state.
Oklahoma City lies along one of the primary corridors into Texas and Mexico, and is a three-hour drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The city is in the Frontier Country region in the center of the state, making it an ideal location for state government.
The official state meal of Oklahoma consists of fried okra, cornbread, barbecue pork, squash, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries (state fruit), chicken fried steak, pecan pie, and black-eyed peas.
Etymology. The name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw phrase okla humma, literally meaning red people. ... Oklahoma later became the de facto name for Oklahoma Territory, and it was officially approved in 1890, two years after the area was opened to white settlers.
Most of Oklahoma was set aside as Indian Territory before the Civil War. It was opened for general settlement around 1890—the "Sooners" were settlers who jumped the gun. Statehood came to the poor ranching and farming state in Oklahoma, but soon oil was discovered and new wealth poured in.
The state's name is from the Choctaw words "okla" and "humma," meaning "red people." The Choctaw Nation website says following the trail of tears, it was a Choctaw Chief who suggested the Oklahoma name during treaty negotiations - and he was referring to the people's skin color.Jun 19, 2014
On September 17, 1907 the people of the Indian and Oklahoma Territories voted favorably on statehood. The vote was certified and delivered to the President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt and on November 16, 1907, Roosevelt issued Presidential Proclamation 780 admitting Oklahoma as the forty-sixth state.Aug 15, 2016
The South Atlantic States: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The East South Central States: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. The West South Central States: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.