   #copyright

Oregon

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   CAPTION: State of Oregon


   Flag of Oregon         State seal of Oregon
   Flag of Oregon (front) Seal of Oregon
   Nickname(s): Beaver State
   Motto(s): Alis volat propriis
   Map of the United States with Oregon highlighted
   Official language(s) None
   Capital              Salem
   Largest city         Portland
   Area^                Ranked 9^th
    - Total             98,466 sq mi
                        (255,026 km²)
    - Width             260 miles (420 km)
    - Length            360 miles (580 km)
    - % water           2.4
    - Latitude          42°N to 46°15'N
    - Longitude         116°45'W to 124°30'W
   Population^          Ranked 28^th
    - Total ( 2000)     3,421,399
    - Density           35.6/sq mi
                        13.76/km² (39^th)
   Elevation
    - Highest point     Mount Hood
                        11,239 ft  (3,425 m)
    - Mean              3,297 ft  (1,005 m)
    - Lowest point      Pacific Ocean
                        0 ft  (0 m)
   Admission to Union^  February 14, 1859 (33^rd)
   Governor             Ted Kulongoski (D)
   U.S. Senators        Ron Wyden (D)
                        Gordon Smith (R)
   Time zones
    - most of state     Pacific: UTC-8/ -7
    - Malheur County    Mountain: UTC-7/ -6
   Abbreviations        OR Ore. US-OR
   Web site             www.oregon.gov

   Oregon ( pronounced [ˈɔ.ɹɪ.ɡən], [ˈo.ɹɪ.ɡən]) is a state in the Pacific
   Northwest region of the United States. Oregon borders the Pacific Ocean
   on the west, Washington on the north, Idaho on the east, and California
   and Nevada on the south. The Columbia and Snake Rivers form,
   respectively, much of its northern and eastern borders. Between two
   north-south mountain ranges in western Oregon—the Pacific Coast Range
   and the Cascade Mountain Range—lies the Willamette Valley, the most
   densely populated and agriculturally productive region of the state.

   Oregon has one of the most diverse landscapes of any state in the U.S.
   It is well known for its tall, dense forests; its accessible, scenic
   Pacific coastline; and its rugged, glaciated Cascade volcanoes. Other
   areas include semiarid scrublands, prairies, and deserts that cover
   approximately half the state in eastern and north-central Oregon.

   Oregon's population in 2000 was 3,421,399, a 20.4% increase over 1990.
   The Census Bureau estimated Oregon's population to have reached
   3,594,586 by 2004.

History

   Mount Hood, with Trillium Lake in the foreground.
   Enlarge
   Mount Hood, with Trillium Lake in the foreground.

   Oregon's earliest residents were several Native American tribes,
   including the Bannock, Chinook, Klamath, and Nez Perce. James Cook
   explored the coast in 1778 in search of the Northwest Passage. The
   Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through the region during their
   expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase. They built their winter
   fort at Fort Clatsop, near the mouth of the Columbia River. Exploration
   by Lewis and Clark (1805–1806) and the United Kingdom's David Thompson
   (1811) publicized the abundance of fur-bearing animals in the area. In
   1811, New York financier John Jacob Astor established Fort Astoria at
   the mouth of the Columbia River as a western outpost to his Pacific Fur
   Company. Fort Astoria was the first permanent white settlement in
   Oregon. In the War of 1812, the British gained control of all of the
   Pacific Fur Company posts.

   By the 1820s and 1830s, the British Hudson's Bay Company dominated the
   Pacific Northwest. John McLoughlin, who was appointed the Company's
   Chief Factor of the Columbia District, built Fort Vancouver in 1825.

   In 1841, the master trapper and entrepreneur Ewing Young died with
   considerable wealth, with no apparent heir, and no system to probate
   his estate. A meeting followed Young's funeral at which a probate
   government was proposed. Doctor Ira Babcock of Jason Lee's Methodist
   Mission was elected Supreme Judge. Babcock chaired two meetings in 1842
   at Champoeg—half way between Lee's mission and Oregon City—to discuss
   wolves and other animals considered troublesome at the time. These
   meetings were precursors to an all-citizen meeting in 1843, which
   instituted a provisional government headed by an executive council made
   up of David Hill, Alanson Beers, and Joseph Gale. This government was
   first of several acting governments of the Oregon Country (also
   referred to as the Republic of Oregon) prior to American annexation.

   The Oregon Trail infused the region with new settlers, starting in
   1842–43, after the United States agreed to jointly settle the Oregon
   Country with the United Kingdom. The border was resolved in 1846 by the
   Oregon Treaty after a period during which it seemed that the United
   States and the United Kingdom would go to war for a third time in 75
   years. Cooler heads prevailed, and the Oregon boundary dispute between
   the United States and British North America was set at the 49th
   parallel. The Oregon Territory was officially organized in 1848.

   Settlement increased due to the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, in
   conjunction with the forced relocation of the native population to
   Indian Reservations in Oregon. The state was admitted to the Union on
   February 14, 1859.

   At the outbreak of the American Civil War, regular U.S. troops were
   withdrawn and sent east. Volunteer cavalry were recruited in California
   and were sent north to Oregon to keep peace and protect the populace.
   The First Oregon Cavalry served until June 1865.

   In the 1880s, railroads enabled marketing of the state's lumber and
   wheat, as well as the more rapid growth of its cities.

   Industrial expansion began in earnest following the construction of the
   Bonneville Dam in 1943 on the Columbia River. The power, food, and
   lumber provided by Oregon helped fuel the development of the west,
   although the periodic fluctuations in the nation's building industry
   have hurt the state's economy on multiple occasions.

   The state has a long history of polarizing conflicts: Native Americans
   vs. British fur trappers, British vs. settlers from the U.S., ranchers
   vs. farmers, wealthy growing cities vs. established but poor rural
   areas, loggers vs. environmentalists, white supremacists vs.
   anti-racists, social progressivism vs. small-government conservatism,
   supporters of social spending vs. anti-tax activists, and native
   Oregonians vs. Californians (or outsiders in general). Oregonians also
   have a long history of secessionist ideas, ranging from varying parts
   of the population on all sides of the political spectrum attempting to
   form other states and even other countries. (See: State of Jefferson,
   State of Klamath, State of Shasta and Cascadia.) Oregon state ballots
   often include politically conservative proposals (e.g. anti-gay,
   pro-religious measures) side-by-side with politically liberal ones
   (e.g. drug decriminalization), illustrating the wide spectrum of
   political thought in the state.

Naming

   The origin of the state's name is something of a mystery. The earliest
   known use of this proper noun was in a 1765 petition by Major Robert
   Rogers to the Kingdom of Great Britain. The petition referred to
   Ouragon and asked for money to finance an expedition in search of the
   Northwest Passage. In 1766, Rogers commissioned Jonathan Carver to lead
   such an expedition and in 1778, Carver used Oregon to label the Great
   River of the West in his book Travels Through the Interior Parts of
   North America. The poet William Cullen Bryant took the name from
   Carver's book and used it in his poem Thanatopsis to refer to the
   recent discoveries of the Lewis and Clark Expedition; this use helped
   establish it in modern use.

   Why Rogers used the name has led to many theories, which include:
     * During the time of the Hudson's Bay Company and the voyages of
       Robert Gray, some say the indigenous peoples of the Pacific
       Northwest referred to the Columbia River as the great "Ouragon".
       Since the Columbia River is perhaps the most significant geographic
       feature of the region, it is plausible that the name was anglicized
       to Oregon and thence became known as such.
     * Others derive the name as a corruption of the French word ouragan
       (hurricane), referring to the tumultuous nature of the Columbia
       River.
     * George R. Stewart argued in a 1944 article in American Speech that
       the name came from an engraver's error in a French map published in
       the early 1700s, on which the Ouisiconsink ( Wisconsin River) was
       spelled "Ouaricon-sint", broken on two lines with the -sint below,
       so that there appeared to be a river flowing to the west named
       "Ouaricon". This theory was endorsed in Oregon Geographic Names as
       "the most plausible explanation".

   An abundance of Beavers gave Oregon the nickname the Beaver State.
   Enlarge
   An abundance of Beavers gave Oregon the nickname the Beaver State.
     * In 2001, archaeologist Scott Byram and David G. Lewis published an
       article in the Oregon Historical Quarterly arguing that the name
       Oregon came from the word oolighan, referring to grease made from
       fish, which the Native Americans of the region traded in. Those
       trade routes brought the term eastward.
     * In a 2004 article for the Oregon Historical Quarterly, Professor
       Thomas Love and Smithsonian linguist Ives Goddard argue that Rogers
       chose the word based on exposure to either of the Algonquian words
       wauregan and olighin, both meaning "good and beautiful".

   Less supported theories are based on it having a Spanish etymology. The
   theory that it comes from oregano, was dismissed years ago by Henry W.
   Scott, an early editor of The Oregonian. He wrote that it was "a mere
   conjecture absolutely without support. More than this, it is completely
   disproved by all that is known of the name." Others have speculated
   that the name is related to the kingdom of Aragon: the major part of
   the Spanish soldiers that conquered the West Coast from California to
   Vancouver Island in the 18th century were, in fact, from Catalonia, a
   principate of the ancient Crown of Aragon in Spain.

Geography

   Oregon's geography may be split roughly into six areas: the Coast
   Range, the Willamette Valley, the Cascade Mountains the Klamath
   Mountains, the Columbia River Plateau, and the Basin and Range Region.

   The state varies from rainforest in the Coast Range to barren desert in
   the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a
   frontier.
   Map of Oregon - PDF
   Enlarge
   Map of Oregon - PDF

   Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south at longest distance, and
   395 miles (636 km) east to west at longest distance. In terms of land
   and water area, Oregon is the ninth largest state, covering 97,073
   square miles (251,418 km²).

   Its highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,239 feet
   (3,428 m), and its lowest point is sea level of the Pacific Ocean. Its
   mean elevation is 3,300 feet (1,006 m).

   Crater Lake National Park is the state's only national park, and the
   site of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet
   (592 m). Similar federally owned, protected recreation areas that are
   entirely in Oregon include: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument,
   Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
   and Oregon Caves National Monument.

   Areas that are partly in Oregon and partly in neighboring states
   include the California National Historic Trail, Fort Vancouver National
   Historic Site, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the Lewis
   and Clark National and State Historical Parks, the Nez Perce National
   Historical Park, and the Oregon National Historic Trail.

   Oregon claims the D River is the shortest river in the world, though
   the American state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River.
   Guinness World Records has declared that the two rivers are the same
   length and can both claim the honour. Oregon is also home to the
   smallest park in the world, Mill Ends Park in Portland.

Climate

   The climate of the state is largely influenced by the Pacific Ocean,
   although much less so in the east than near the ocean. Generally, the
   climate is mild, although extreme weather can and does happen.
   Precipitation in the state varies widely with a low of 8 annual inches
   in some eastern plateaus and close to 200 inches on some western
   coastal slopes.

Adjacent states

     * Washington - north
     * Idaho - east
     * Nevada - southeast
     * California - south

Law and government

   The flags of the United States and Oregon flown side-by-side in
   downtown Portland.
   Enlarge
   The flags of the United States and Oregon flown side-by-side in
   downtown Portland.

   The Oregon Country functioned as an independent republic with a
   three-person executive office and a chief executive until August 13,
   1848, when Oregon was annexed by the United States, at which time a
   territorial government was established. Oregon maintained a territorial
   government until February 14, 1859, when it was granted statehood.

State government

   Oregon State Capitol.
   Enlarge
   Oregon State Capitol.

   Oregon state government has a separation of powers similar to the
   federal government. It has three branches, called departments by the
   state's constitution:
     * a legislative department (the bicameral Oregon Legislative
       Assembly),
     * an executive department which includes an "administrative
       department" and Oregon's governor serving as chief executive, and
     * a judicial department, headed by the Oregon Supreme Court.

   Governors in Oregon serve four-year terms and are limited to two
   consecutive terms, but an unlimited number of total terms. The
   Secretary of State serves as Lieutenant Governor for statutory
   purposes. The other constitutional officers are Treasurer, Attorney
   General, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Labor Commissioner.
   The Oregon Legislative Assembly consists of a thirty-member State
   Senate and sixty-member House. Senators serve four-year terms, and
   Representatives two. The state supreme court has seven elected
   justices, including the only openly gay state supreme court justice in
   the nation, Rives Kistler. They choose one of their own to serve a
   six-year term as Chief Justice. The only court that may reverse or
   modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the United States
   Supreme Court.

   Oregon is one of the few states whose legislature is biennial. 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. Because Oregon's state
   budget is written in two year increments and, having no sales tax, its
   revenue is based largely on income taxes, it is often significantly
   over- or under-budget. Recent legislatures have had to be called into
   special session repeatedly to address revenue shortfalls resulting from
   economic downturns, bringing to a head the need for more frequent
   legislative sessions. State legislators are personally liable for any
   deficit.

   The state maintains formal relationships with the nine federally
   recognized tribal governments in Oregon:
     * Burns Paiute Tribe
     * Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
     * Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
     * Confederated Tribes of Siletz
     * Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
     * Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
     * Coquille Tribe
     * Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians
     * Klamath Tribes

   Oregon is currently seen as a moderate Democratic-leaning state, which
   has voted for that party in every presidential election since 1988.
   However, in 2000, Gore won only eight of Oregon's 36 counties, and in
   2004, Kerry won just seven, losing in populous, traditionally
   Democratic Clackamas County. The politics of the state are largely
   similar to those of neighboring Washington, and like Washington, are
   closely divided between metropolitan and rural areas.

   The state legislature is split between the two parties, with
   Republicans dominating the House of Representatives and Democrats
   controlling the Senate. In the 2004 general election, the voters banned
   gay marriage by a vote of 57 to 43 percent, and weakened land use laws
   across the state. In 2002, voters narrowly elected a Democratic
   governor.

   The distribution, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages are
   regulated in the state by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Thus,
   Oregon is an Alcoholic beverage control state.

   Entering the Union at a time when the status of " Negroes" was very
   much in question, and wishing to stay out of the looming conflict
   between the Union and Confederate States, Oregon banned African
   Americans from moving into the state in the vote to adopt its
   Constitution (1858). This ban was not officially lifted until 1925; in
   2002, additional language now considered racist was struck from the
   Oregon Constitution by the voters of Oregon.

Federal government

   Like all U.S. states, Oregon is represented by two U.S. Senators. Since
   the 1980 census Oregon has had five Congressional districts.

   After Oregon was admitted to the Union, it began with a single member
   in the House of Representatives ( La Fayette Grover, who served in the
   35th United States Congress for less than a month). Congressional
   apportionment led to the addition of new members following the censuses
   of 1890, 1910, 1940, and 1980. A detailed list of the past and present
   Congressional delegations from Oregon is available.

   The United States District Court for the District of Oregon hears
   Federal cases in the state. Oregon (among other western states and
   territories) is in the 9th judicial circuit.

Elections

   Oregon adopted many electoral reforms proposed during the Progressive
   Era, due to the efforts of William S. U'Ren and his Direct Legislation
   League. Under his leadership, the state overwhelmingly approved a
   ballot measure in 1902 that created the initiative and referendum
   processes for citizens to directly introduce or approve proposed laws
   or amendments to the state constitution. In following years, the
   primary election to select party candidates was adopted in 1904, and in
   1908 the Oregon Constitution was amended to include recall of public
   officials. More recent amendments include the nation's only
   doctor-assisted suicide law, called the Death with Dignity law (which
   was challenged in 2005 by the Bush administration in the U.S. Supreme
   Court), legalization of medical marijuana, and among the nation's
   strongest anti-sprawl and pro-environment laws.

   Of the measures placed on the ballot since 1902, the people have passed
   99 of the 288 initiatives and 25 of the 61 referenda on the ballot,
   though not all of them survived challenges in courts (see Pierce v.
   Society of Sisters, for example). During the same period, the
   legislature has referred 363 measures to the people, of which 206 have
   passed.

   Oregon has been a pioneer in the use of vote-by-mail:
     * 1981 The Oregon Legislative Assembly approves experimentation with
       vote-by-mail for local elections.
     * 1987 Vote-by-mail becomes permanent, with the majority of Oregon's
       counties making use of it.
     * 1995 Oregon becomes the first state to conduct a federal primary
       election totally by mail.
     * 1996 Ron Wyden, Bob Packwood's replacement, is elected by mail with
       a 66% turnout.
     * 1998 Through a voter initiative, Oregonians confirm their
       overwhelming support for vote-by-mail.
     * 2000 Oregon becomes the first state in the nation to conduct a
       presidential election entirely by mail. About 80% of registered
       voters participated.

   In the U.S. Electoral College, Oregon casts seven votes. Oregon has
   supported Democratic candidates in the last five elections. Democratic
   presidential candidate John Kerry won the state in 2004 by a margin of
   four percentage points, with 51.4% of the popular vote. Urban Multnomah
   County's strong support of the Democratic candidate was slightly
   greater than the support for Republican candidate George W. Bush in the
   rest of the state.

Economy

   A warehouse in Halsey storing grass seed, one of the state's largest
   crops.
   Enlarge
   A warehouse in Halsey storing grass seed, one of the state's largest
   crops.

   The Willamette Valley is very fertile and, coupled with Oregon's famous
   rain, gives the state a wealth of agricultural products, including
   cattle, dairy products, potatoes, peppermint, hops and apples and other
   fruits. Oregon is also one of four major world hazelnut growing
   regions, and produces 95% of the domestic hazelnuts in the United
   States. While the history of the wine production in Oregon can be
   traced to before Prohibition, it became a significant industry
   beginning in the 1970s and in 2005 had the third most wineries in the
   U.S. with 303. Due to regional similarities of climate and soil, the
   grapes planted in Oregon are often the same varieties found in the
   French regions of Alsace and Burgundy.

   Vast forests have historically made Oregon one of the nation's major
   timber production and logging states, but forest fires (such as the
   Tillamook Burn), over-harvesting, and lawsuits over the proper
   management of the extensive federal forest holdings have reduced the
   amount of timber produced. According to the Oregon Forest Resources
   Institute, timber harvested from federal lands dropped some 96% from
   1989 from 4,333 million to 173 million board feet (10,000,000 to
   408,000 m³) in 2001. Even the shift in recent years towards finished
   goods such as paper and building materials has not slowed the decline
   of the timber industry. Examples include Weyerhaeuser's acquisition of
   Willamette Industries in January, 2002, the announcement by Louisiana
   Pacific in September, 2003 that they will relocate their corporate
   headquarters from Portland to Nashville, and the experiences of small
   lumber towns like Gilchrist. Despite these changes, Oregon still leads
   the United States in softwood lumber production; in 2001 6,056 million
   board feet (14,000,000 m³) was produced in Oregon, against 4,5257 mbf.
   in Washington, 2,731 in California, 2,413 in Georgia, and 2,327 in
   Mississippi. The effect of the forest industry crunch is still
   extensive unemployment in rural Oregon and is a bone of contention
   between rural and urban Oregon.

   Oregon is a popular location for shooting movies and television
   commercials. Movies wholly or partially filmed in Oregon include The
   Goonies, National Lampoon's Animal House, Stand By Me, Kindergarten
   Cop, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Paint Your Wagon, The Hunted,
   Sometimes a Great Notion, Elephant, Bandits, The Ring 2, Short Circuit,
   Come See the Paradise, The Shining, Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private
   Idaho and The Postman. Oregon native Matt Groening, creator of The
   Simpsons, has incorporated many references from his hometown of
   Portland into the TV series.

   Oregon's scenic coastal and mountain highways are frequently seen in
   automobile commercials.

   High technology industries and services have been a major employer
   since the 1970s. Tektronix was the largest private employer in Oregon
   until the late 1980s. Intel's creation and expansion of several
   facilities in eastern Washington County continued the growth that
   Tektronix had started. Intel, the state's largest private employer,
   operates four large facilities, with Ronler Acres, Jones Farm and
   Hawthorn Farm all located in Hillsboro. The spinoffs and startups that
   were produced by these two companies led to the establishment in that
   area of the so-called Silicon Forest. The recession and dot-com bust of
   2001 hit the region hard; many high technology employers reduced the
   number of their employees or went out of business. OSDL made news in
   2004 when they hired Linus Torvalds, developer of the Linux kernel.
   Recently, biotech giant Genentech purchased several acres of land in
   Hillsboro in an effort to expand its production capabilities.

   Oregon also is the home of large corporations in other industries such
   as shoemaker Nike, whose world headquarters is located in Beaverton.
   Medford is home to two of the largest mail order companies in the
   country: Harry and David Operations Corp. which sells gift items under
   several brands, and Musician's Friend an international catalog and
   Internet retailer of music gear. Portland is home to one of the West's
   largest trade book publishing houses, Graphic Arts Centre Publishing.

   Oregon had one of the largest salmon-fishing industries in the world,
   although ocean fisheries have reduced the river fisheries in recent
   years. Tourism is also strong in the state; Oregon's evergreen mountain
   forests, waterfalls, pristine lakes (including Crater Lake National
   Park), and scenic beaches draw visitors year round. The Oregon
   Shakespeare Festival, held in Ashland, is a tourist draw near its
   Californian border which complements the area's scenic beauty and
   opportunity for outdoor activities.

   Oregon is home to a number of smaller breweries and Portland has the
   largest number of breweries of any city in the world.

   Oregon's gross state product is $145.35 billion as of 2005.

Demographics

                                                    Historical populations
                                                           Census Pop. %±
     __________________________________________________________________

                                                             1850 12,093 -
                                                        1860 52,465 333.8%
                                                         1870 90,923 73.3%
                                                        1880 174,768 92.2%
                                                        1890 317,704 81.8%
                                                        1900 413,536 30.2%
                                                        1910 672,765 62.7%
                                                        1920 783,389 16.4%
                                                        1930 953,786 21.8%
                                                      1940 1,089,684 14.2%
                                                      1950 1,521,341 39.6%
                                                      1960 1,768,687 16.3%
                                                      1970 2,091,385 18.2%
                                                      1980 2,633,105 25.9%
                                                       1990 2,842,321 7.9%
                                                      2000 3,421,399 20.4%

   Map of Oregon's population density.
   Enlarge
   Map of Oregon's population density.

   As of 2005, Oregon has an estimated population of 3,641,056, which is
   an increase of 49,693, or 1.4%, from the prior year and an increase of
   219,620, or 6.4%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase
   since the last census of 75,196 people (that is 236,557 births minus
   161,361 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 150,084 people
   into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in
   a net increase of 72,263 people, and migration within the country
   produced a net increase of 77,821 people.

   The centre of population of Oregon is located in Linn County, in the
   city of Lyons.

   As of 2004, Oregon's population included 309,700 foreign-born
   (accounting for 8.7% of the state population) and an estimated 90,000
   illegal aliens (2.5% of the state population).
   Demographics of Oregon (csv)
   By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
   [AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native
   Hawaiian or Pacific Islander]
   2000 (total population) 93.45% 2.17% 2.54% 3.75% 0.48%
   2000 (Hispanic only) 7.63% 0.17% 0.32% 0.10% 0.05%
   2005 (total population) 92.95% 2.38% 2.44% 4.25% 0.50%
   2005 (Hispanic only) 9.38% 0.24% 0.34% 0.11% 0.05%
   Growth 2000-2005 (total population) 5.85% 16.64% 2.45% 20.78% 10.87%
   Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only) 3.63% 13.63% 0.62% 20.75% 10.26%
   Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only) 30.84% 52.63% 15.25% 21.84% 16.42%

   The largest reported ancestry groups in Oregon are: German (20.5%),
   English (13.2%), Irish (11.9%), American (6.2%), and Mexican (5.5%).

   Most Oregon counties are inhabited principally by residents of European
   ancestry. Concentrations of Mexican-Americans are highest in Malheur
   and Jefferson counties.

   6.5% of Oregon's population were reported as under 5 years old, 24.7%
   under 18, and 12.8% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately
   50.4% of the population.

Religion

   The religious affiliations of the people of Oregon are:
     * Christian – 75%
          + Protestant – 54%
               o Baptist – 6%
               o Lutheran – 6%
               o Methodist – 4%
               o Presbyterian – 3%
               o Episcopal – 2%
               o Pentecostal – 2%
               o Church of Christ – 2%
               o Other Protestant or general Protestant – 30%
          + Roman Catholic – 15%
          + Mormon – 5%
          + Other Christian – 1%
     * Other Religions – 1%
     * Non-Religious – 24%

   Typical of the Northwestern part of the United States, Oregon is second
   to only Washington State in percentage of people identifying themselves
   as "non-religious". Compare these values with the average values for
   the United States.

2000-2003 population trends

   Estimates released September 2004 show double-digit growth in Latino
   and Asian American populations since the 2000 Census. About 60% of the
   138,197 new residents come from ethnic and racial minorities. Asian
   growth is located mostly in the metropolitan areas of Portland, Salem,
   and Eugene; Hispanic population growth is across the state.

Major cities and towns

   Portland.
   Enlarge
   Portland.

   The capital is Salem and the largest city is Portland. Eugene, home of
   the University of Oregon, is the third largest city, closely following
   Salem.

   Oregon City was the first incorporated city west of the Rockies and
   later, the first capital of the Oregon Territory, from 1848 to 1852,
   when the territorial capital was moved to Salem, Oregon. It was also
   the end of the Oregon Trail and the site of the first public library
   established west of the Rocky Mountains, stocked with only 300 volumes.

Education

Colleges and universities

   OSU's Bell Tower.
   Enlarge
   OSU's Bell Tower.

   The Oregon University System supports seven public universities and one
   affiliate in the state. The University of Oregon in Eugene is Oregon's
   flagship liberal arts institution, while Oregon State University in
   Corvallis is the flagship agricultural school. The State also has three
   regional universities: Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Southern
   Oregon University in Ashland, and Eastern Oregon University in La
   Grande. Portland State University is Oregon's largest and serves as the
   State's urban school in the Portland Metropolitan Area. The Oregon
   Institute of Technology has its campus in Klamath Falls. The affiliate
   Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) comprises a medical,
   dental, and nursing school in Portland and a science and engineering
   school in Hillsboro (both graduate-only).

   Willamette University is the state's oldest university, established
   during the territorial period.

   Oregon has historically struggled to fund higher education. Recently,
   Oregon has cut its higher education budget over the last 5 years and
   now Oregon ranks 46th in the country in state spending per student.

   Oregon is home to a wide variety of private colleges, especially in the
   Portland area. The University of Portland is Oregon's Catholic
   university. Concordia University, Lewis & Clark College, Marylhurst
   University, Multnomah Bible College, Reed College, Warner Pacific
   College, and the National College of Natural Medicine are also in
   Portland. Pacific University is in the suburb of Forest Grove.

   There are also private colleges further south in the Willamette Valley.
   McMinnville has Linfield College, while nearby Newberg is home to
   George Fox University. Salem is home to two private schools, Willamette
   University and Corban College. In addition to the University of Oregon,
   Eugene is home to the campuses of Northwest Christian College and
   Eugene Bible College.

Community colleges

   The state supports seventeen regional community colleges around the
   state. They offer community education as well as two-year degrees.
   Colleges belonging to the state are:
     * Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton
     * Central Oregon Community College in Bend
     * Chemeketa Community College in Salem
     * Clackamas Community College in Oregon City
     * Clatsop Community College in Astoria
     * Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles
     * Klamath Community College in Klamath Falls
     * Lane Community College in Eugene
     * Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, with a campus in Corvallis
     * Mount Hood Community College in Gresham
     * Oregon Coast Community College in Newport
     * Portland Community College in Portland
     * Rogue Community College in Grants Pass
     * Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay
     * Tillamook Bay Community College in Bay City
     * Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario
     * Umpqua Community College in Roseburg

Professional sports teams

   The Rose Garden, home of the Portland Trail Blazers
   Enlarge
   The Rose Garden, home of the Portland Trail Blazers

   The only major professional sports team in Oregon is the Portland Trail
   Blazers of the National Basketball Association. Traditionally, they
   have been one of the most successful teams in the NBA in terms of both
   win-loss record and attendance. However, the team has run into
   personnel and financial issues in recent seasons, and the team's
   popularity has taken a hit. The Blazers play in the Rose Garden in
   Portland's Lloyd District. The Rose Garden's other tenants include the
   Portland Winter Hawks, a longstanding and popular Western Hockey League
   team, and the Portland LumberJax, an expansion National Lacrosse League
   team.

   In addition to the Winter Hawks and LumberJax, Portland has two more
   minor-league sports teams who play at PGE Park. The Portland Timbers of
   the USL First Division are a very popular soccer team, and the Portland
   Beavers of the Pacific Coast League are the Triple-A club of the San
   Diego Padres. There has been recent talk of Portland trying to get
   their own Major League Baseball team.

   Eugene and Salem also have minor-league baseball teams. The Eugene
   Emeralds and the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes both play in the Single-A
   Northwest League. Oregon also has four teams in the fledgling
   International Basketball League: the Portland Chinooks, Central Oregon
   Hotshots, Salem Stampede, and the Eugene Chargers.

   Even with all of these professional options available, the state's two
   major college teams, the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers remain
   the most popular sports entities in the state.

State symbols

   The Oregon-grape, Oregon's state flower.
   Enlarge
   The Oregon-grape, Oregon's state flower.

   Oregon has a total of 19 official state symbols. They are:

          State flower: Oregon-grape (since 1899)
          State song: " Oregon, My Oregon" (written in 1920 and adopted in
          1927)
          State bird: Western Meadowlark (chosen by the state's children
          in 1927)
          State tree: Douglas-fir (since 1939)
          State fish: Chinook salmon (since 1961)
          State rock: Thunderegg (like a geode but formed in a rhyolitic
          lava flow; since 1965)
          State animal: American Beaver (since 1969)
          State dance: Square dance (Adopted in 1977)
          State insect: Oregon Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio oregonius;
          since 1979)
          State fossil: Metasequoia (since 2005)
          State gemstone: Oregon sunstone, a type of feldspar (since 1987)
          State nut: Hazelnut (since 1989)
          State seashell: Oregon hairy triton (Fusitriton oregonensis, a
          gastropod in the cymatiidae family; since 1991)
          State mushroom: Pacific Golden Chanterelle (since 1999)
          State beverage: Milk (since 1997)
          State fruit: Pear (since 2005)
          State motto: Alis Volat Propriis, Latin for “She Flies With Her
          Own Wings” (since 1987; This was the original motto of Oregon,
          but had been changed to “The Union” in 1957.
          State hostess: Miss Oregon (since 1969)
          State team: Portland Trail Blazers of 1990–1991 (since 1991)

   Columbia River Gorge near Crown Point, Oregon, looking upstream into
   the gorge, past the Vista House, from Portland Women's Forum Viewpoint
   (Chanticleer Point)
   Enlarge
   Columbia River Gorge near Crown Point, Oregon, looking upstream into
   the gorge, past the Vista House, from Portland Women's Forum Viewpoint
   ( Chanticleer Point)

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
