Facts about Oregon
According to the Oregon Tourism Commission, present-day Oregonians pronounce the state's name as "OR-UH-GUN never OR-EE-GONE," as sometimes pronounced in other parts of the country.
Oregon's population centers, which lie mostly in the western part of the state, are generally moist and mild, while the lightly populated high deserts of Central and Eastern Oregon are much drier.
Most Oregon counties are inhabited principally by residents of European ancestry.
One account, endorsed as the "most plausible explanation" in Oregon Geographic Names, was advanced by George R. Stewart in 1944.
During Oregon's history it has adopted many electoral reforms proposed during the Progressive Era, through the efforts of William S. U'Ren and his Direct Legislation League.
The valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon is the most densely populated and agriculturally productive region of the state and is home to eight of the ten most populous cities.
Due to regional similarities in climate and soil, the grapes planted in Oregon are often the same varieties found in the French regions of Alsace and Burgundy.
The highest point in Oregon is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,239 feet (3,428 m), and its lowest point is sea level at the Pacific Ocean along the coast.
Oregon has one of the largest salmon-fishing industries in the world, although ocean fisheries have reduced the river fisheries in recent years.
Oregon has been the largest producer of lumber in the United States since 1938, but environmental legislation has placed limits on cutting trees on federal land.
Oregon is also the home of large corporations in other industries.
Oregon voters have been resolute in their opposition to a sales tax, voting proposals down each of the nine times they have been presented.
Oregon is set amid great natural beauty and makes an effort to preserve and enhance it.
Oregon ranks 16th highest for population that is "white alone," with 86.1 percent in 2006.
Oregon State University holds the distinction of being the state's flagship in science, engineering and agricultural research and academics.
Oregon state ballots often include politically conservative proposals side-by-side with politically liberal ones, illustrating the wide spectrum of political thought in the state.
Other fish found in Oregon's rivers and streams include perch, bass, and steel head trout.
By the sixteenth century Oregon was home to many Native American groups, including the Bannock, Chasta, Chinook, Kalapuya, Klamath, Molalla, Nez Perce, Takelma, and Umpqua.
The most recent major activity was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake; Washington's Mount Saint Helens erupted in 1980, an event that was visible from the city of Portland, Oregon.
Despite these changes, Oregon still leads the United States in softwood lumber production.
Oregonians also try to restrict land purchases by individuals along the coast, preserving its beauties for the public.
Tourism is also strong in the state; Oregon's evergreen mountain forests, waterfalls, pristine lakes (including Crater Lake), and scenic beaches draw visitors year round.
Oregon also contains the largest community of Russian Old Believers to be found in the United States.
Oregon has no lieutenant governor; in the event that the office of governor is vacated, the Secretary of State is first in line for succession.
Oregon is home to a number of smaller breweries, and Portland has the largest number of breweries of any city in the world.
Oregon State University in Corvallis and the University of Oregon in Eugene are the two flagship universities of the state, while Portland State University has the largest enrollment.
Human habitation of the Pacific Northwest began at least 15,000 years ago, with the oldest evidence of habitation in Oregon found at Fort Rock Cave and the Paisley Caves in Lake County.
Oregonians have voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1988.
The towering redwood trees along the rain-prevalent Oregon coast provide a dramatic contrast with the lower-density and fire-prone pine tree and juniper forests covering parts of the eastern half of the state.
The Oregon Trail brought many new settlers to the region, starting in 1842–1843, after the United States agreed with the United Kingdom to jointly settle the Oregon Country.
The largest reported ancestry groups in Oregon are: German (20.5 percent), English (13.2 percent), Irish (11.9 percent), American (6.2 percent), and Mexican (5.5 percent).
Oregon's gross state product is $132.66 billion as of 2006, making it the 27th largest GSP in the nation.
Governors in Oregon serve four-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms, but an unlimited number of total terms.
Despite these measures, some Oregonians worry about the negative effects of too many tourists and the activities they engage in, such as snowmobiling, in the state's natural areas.
The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern boundaries, respectively.
The biennial Oregon Legislative Assembly consists of a 30-member Senate and a 60-member House.
Oregon is home to what is considered the largest single organism in the world, an Armillaria ostoyae fungus beneath the Malheur National Forest of eastern Oregon.
The state has three regional universities: Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Southern Oregon University in Ashland, and Eastern Oregon University in La Grande.
Oregon pioneered the American use of postal voting, beginning with experimentation authorized by the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1981 and culminating with a 1998 ballot measure mandating that all counties conduct elections by mail.
Forests cover more than 40 percent of Oregon, thriving in its moist climate and rich soil.
Hydroelectric power, food, and lumber provided by Oregon helped fuel the development of the West, although the periodic fluctuations in the U.S. building industry have hurt the state's economy on multiple occasions.
Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south and 395 miles (636 km) east to west.
The mountainous regions of western Oregon were formed by the volcanic activity of Juan de Fuca Plate, a tectonic plate that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region.
Oregon's climate—especially in the western part of the state—is heavily influenced by the Pacific Ocean.
In 1902, Oregon introduced a system of direct legislation by the state’s citizens by way of initiative and referendum, known as the Oregon System.
Of the U.S. states, Oregon has the fourth largest percentage of people identifying themselves as "non-religious," at 21 percent, after Colorado, Washington, and Vermont.
The debate over whether to move to annual sessions is a long-standing battle in Oregon politics, but the voters have resisted the move from citizen legislators to professional lawmakers.
Oregon farmers and ranchers also produce cattle, sheep, dairy products, eggs and poultry.
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States located on the Pacific coast south of Washington and north of California.
In 1851, Salem became the territorial capital after it was moved from Oregon City.
The Columbia River, which constitutes much of the northern border of Oregon, also played a major role in the region's geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development.
In both 2000 and 2004, the Democratic presidential candidate won Oregon, but did so with majorities in only eight of Oregon's 36 counties.
About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely a result of those floods.
Oregon has supported Democratic candidates in the last six presidential elections.
Oregon is one of four major hazelnut-growing regions in the world and produces 95 percent of the domestic hazelnuts in the United States.
The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.
Oregon's a top vegetable-producing state and delivers a large potato crop. Green peas, onions, snap beans, sweet corn, hops, sugar beets and, of course, hazelnuts (filberts) are other Oregon crops. Oregon is also a top producer of berries, pears, plums and cherries. Apples are also grown in the state.
The flag of the state of Oregon is a two-sided flag in navy blue and gold with an optional gold fringe. On the front is the escutcheon from the state seal and on the reverse is a gold figure of a beaver, the state animal.
Oregon's state flag pictures a beaver on its reverse side. ... Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state.The Columbia River gorge is considered by many to be the best place in the world for windsurfing.Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is formed in the remains of an ancient volcano.More items...
In 1846, the Oregon boundary dispute between the U.S. and Britain was settled with the signing of the Oregon Treaty. The British gained sole possession of the land north of the 49th parallel and all of Vancouver Island, with the United States receiving the territory south of that line.
In 1846 the Oregon Treaty was signed between the US and Britain to settle the boundary dispute. The British gained the land north of the 49th parallel, including the Vancouver Island and the United States received the territory south of the parallel.
OREGON TREATY OF 1846. OREGON TREATY OF 1846. This agreement set the boundary between the United States and Canada at the 49th parallel west of the Rocky Mountains, veering around Vancouver Island and then proceeding through the Strait of San Juan de Fuca.
The Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C.
The Oregon Trail migration, more correctly known as the Oregon-California Trail migration, is one of the most important events in American History. The Oregon-California trail was a 2,170 mile route from Missouri to Oregon and California that enabled the migrating of the early pioneers to the western United States.
Mountain men fur trappers were the earliest to use the Oregon Trail. A few early missionaries came in the 1830s. Larger groups of American settlers began arriving in 1843. The California Trail, Mormon Trail, and Bozeman Trail overlapped much of the Oregon Trail and branched off it starting in 1846.Dec 23, 2017
The Oregon Trail is a 2,170-mile (3,490 km) historic East–West, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon.
In 1846, the Oregon boundary dispute between the U.S. and Britain was settled with the signing of the Oregon Treaty. The British gained sole possession of the land north of the 49th parallel and all of Vancouver Island, with the United States receiving the territory south of that line.
In 1846 the Oregon Treaty was signed between the US and Britain to settle the boundary dispute. The British gained the land north of the 49th parallel, including the Vancouver Island and the United States received the territory south of the parallel.
Snowfall is 3 inches. The average US city gets 26 inches of snow per year. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 100. On average, there are 144 sunny days per year in Portland, Oregon.
The high desert region of the state is much drier, with less rain, more snow, colder winters, and hotter summers. An oceanic climate (also called "marine west coast climate") predominates in Western Oregon, and a much drier semi-arid climate prevails east of the Cascade Range in Eastern Oregon.
Summer Weather. Summer in Portland really starts in July and ends in September. Summer temperatures average around 80 degrees but do go over a 100 for one or two days a year. Overnight temperatures average around 60 degrees.