Oregon

is a in the  region of the. The state lies on the coast between  on the north and  and  on the south;  lies to the east. The and  rivers form much of its northern and eastern boundaries, respectively. The the  in western Oregon is 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 and scenic Pacific coastline; and its rugged, glaciated volcanoes. Other areas include semiarid scrublands, prairies, and deserts that cover approximately half the state in eastern and north-central Oregon.

Oregon's was about 3.5 million, a 20.3% increase over 1990. It is estimated to have reached 3.7 million by 2006.

History

 * See also 

Although there is considerable evidence that humans lived in the 15,000 years ago, the first record of human activity in present day Oregon came from archaeologist 's 1938 discovery of  sage bark sandals near  that places human habitation in Oregon as early as 13,200 years ago. By 8000 B.C. there were settlements across the state, with the majority concentrated along the lower Columbia River, in the western valleys, and around coastal estuaries.

By the 16th century Oregon was home to many groups, including the, , , , , , ,Takelma, and.

explored the coast in 1778 in search of the. The traveled through the region during their expedition to explore the. They built their winter fort at, near the mouth of the. Exploration by Lewis and Clark (1805–1806) and the United Kingdom's (1811) publicized the abundance of fur-bearing animals in the area. In 1811, financier  established  at the mouth of the Columbia River as a western outpost to his. was the first permanent white settlement in Oregon.

In the, the gained control of all of the Pacific Fur Company posts. By the 1820s and 1830s, their dominated the Pacific Northwest from its Columbia District headquarters at  (built in 1825 by the District's Chief Factor  across the Columbia from present-day Portland).

In 1841, the master trapper and entrepreneur died with considerable wealth, with no apparent heir, and no system to  his estate. A meeting followed Young's funeral at which a probate government was proposed. Doctor of 's  Mission was elected Supreme Judge. Babcock chaired two meetings in 1842 at (half way between Lee's mission and ) to discuss  and other animals of contemporary concern. These meetings were precursors to an in 1843, which instituted a provisional government headed by an  made up of, , and. This government was the first acting public government of the before American. The infused the region with new settlers, starting in 1842–1843, after the United States agreed to jointly settle the  with the. The border was resolved in 1846 by the 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 between the United States and  was set at the. The was officially organized in 1848.

Settlement increased because of the, in conjunction with the of the native population to. The state was admitted to the Union on,.

At the outbreak of the, 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 served until June 1865.

In the 1880s, the proliferation of railroads assisted in marketing of the state's and, as well as the more rapid growth of its cities.

Industrial expansion began in earnest following the construction of the 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 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., vs. anti-racists, social  vs. small-government , supporters of  vs. , and native Oregonians vs. Californians (or ). Oregonians also have a long history of secessionist ideas, with people in various regions and on all sides of the political spectrum attempting to form other states and even other countries. (See:, and .) Oregon state ballots often include politically conservative proposals (e.g. anti-gay, pro-religious measures) side-by-side with politically liberal ones (e.g. ), illustrating the wide spectrum of political thought in the state.

Name of the state
The origin of the name "Oregon" is unknown. One account, advanced by in a 1944 article in American Speech, was endorsed as the "most plausible explanation" in the book . According to Stewart, 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". Other theories find the roots in the Spanish language, from words like Orejón ("big ear") or Aragón.

The pronunciation of the name "Oregon" is a matter of local pride; Oregonians (pronounced ) pronounce the name (in local pronunciation) as, and dutifully correct those from elsewhere, who often change the third syllable.

Geography
Oregon's geography may be split roughly into seven areas:
 * —west of the
 * Region
 * Region
 * Region
 * Region
 * Region
 * Region

The mountainous regions of western Oregon were formed by the volcanic activity of, a that poses a continued threat of  activity and s in the region. The most recent major activity was the ; 's erupted in 1980, an event which was visible from Portland.

The, 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. The Columbia is one of 's largest rivers, and the only river to cut through the Cascades. About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the ; the modern fertility of the is largely a result of those floods. Plentiful salmon made parts of the river, such as, hubs of economic activity for thousands of years. In the 20th century, numerous were constructed along the Columbia, with major impacts on salmon, transportation and commerce, electric power, and flood control. Today, Oregon's landscape varies from in the  to barren desert in the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a. 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). The highest point in Oregon is the summit of, at 11,239 feet (3,428 m), and its lowest point is of the  along the Oregon coast. Its mean elevation is 3,300 feet (1,006 m). is the state's only, and the site of , the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet (592 m). Oregon claims the is the shortest  in the world, though the American state of  makes the same claim of its. Oregon is also home to (in Portland), the smallest park in the world at 452 square inches (about 3 square feet, or 0.29 m²).

Major cities and towns


Oregon's population is largely concentrated in the, which stretches from (home of the , 3rd largest city) through  (the , 2nd largest) and  (home of ) to  (Oregon's largest city.)

, at the mouth of the Columbia River, was the first permanent English-speaking settlement west of. was the 's first incorporated city, and its first capital (from 1848 until 1852, when the capital was moved to Salem.) It was also the end of the and the site of the first public library established west of the, stocked with only 300 volumes. , near the geographic center of the state, is one of the ten fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. To the Southern part of the state, the area is a rapidly growing metro area and culturally rich part of the state. It it home to The, the third busiest airport in the state. Further to the south, near the California-Oregon border, is the community of, home of the winning.

Climate
Oregon's climate—especially in the western part of the state—is heavily influenced by the. The climate is generally mild, but periods of extreme hot and cold can affect parts of the state. Precipitation in the state varies widely: the deserts of eastern Oregon, such as the (in the  of ), get as little as 200 mm (8 inches) annually, while some western coastal slopes approach 5000 mm (200 inches) annually. Oregon's population centers, which lie mostly in the western part of the state, are generally wet and soggy, while the s of Central and Eastern Oregon are much drier.

Law and government
The functioned as an independent  with a three-person executive office and a chief executive until ,, when Oregon was  by the, at which time a territorial government was established. Oregon maintained a territorial government until, , when it was granted. Oregon was the last state to enter the union before the outbreak of the.

State government
Oregon state government has a similar to the. It has three branches, called departments by the :
 * a (the  ),
 * an which includes an "administrative department" and  serving as, and
 * a, headed by the Chief Justice of the.

Governors in Oregon serve four year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms, but an unlimited number of total terms. The serves as Lieutenant Governor for statutory purposes. The other statewide officers are, , , and. The  consists of a thirty-member  and a sixty-member. The state has seven elected justices, currently including the only two openly gay state supreme court justices in the nation. 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.

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.

The state maintains formal relationships with the nine in Oregon:
 * Burns Tribe
 * Band of
 * Band of
 * Band of
 * Band of
 * Band of
 * Band of
 * Band of

Oregonians have voted for the Presidential candidate in every election since 1988. In 2004 and 2006, Democrats won control of the state Senate and then the House. Since the late 1990s, Oregon has been represented by four Democrats and one in the U.S. House of Representatives, and by one U.S. Senator from each party. Democratic  defeated Republicans in 2002 and 2006, defeating conservative  and the more moderate  respectively.

The base of Democratic support is largely concentrated in the urban centers of the Willamette Valley. In both 2000 and 2004, the Democratic Presidential candidate won Oregon, but did so with majorities in only eight of Oregon's 36 counties.

Oregon's politics are largely similar to those of neighboring, for instance in the contrast between urban and rural issues.

In the 2004 general election, Oregon voters passed s, and. In the, voters restricted the use of and extended the state's discount prescription drug coverage.

The distribution, sales and consumption of s are regulated in the state by the. Thus, Oregon is an. While wine and beer are available in most grocery stores, comparatively few stores sell hard liquor.

Entering the Union at a time when the status of "" was very much in question, and wishing to stay out of the looming conflict between the and  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 by the voters of Oregon.

Federal government
Like all s, Oregon is represented by two U.S. Senators. Since the Oregon has had five.

After Oregon was admitted to the Union, it began with a single member in the House of Representatives (, who served in the for less than a month). led to the addition of new members following the censuses of, , , and. A is available.

The hears Federal cases in the state. Oregon (among other western states and territories) is in the.

Elections


Oregon adopted many electoral reforms proposed during the, through the efforts of and his. Under his leadership, the state overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in 1902 that created the and  processes for citizens to directly introduce or approve proposed laws or amendments to the state constitution, making Oregon the first state to adopt such a system. Today, roughly half of U.S. states do so. In following years, the to select party candidates was adopted in 1904, and in 1908 the  was amended to include recall of public officials. More recent amendments include the nation's only doctor-assisted suicide law, called the (which was challenged, unsuccessfully, in 2005 by the  in a case heard by the ), legalization of medical marijuana, and among the nation's strongest anti-sprawl and pro-environment laws. More recently, reflects a backlash against such land use laws.

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

Oregon pioneered the American use of, beginning with experimentation authorized by the in 1981 and culminating with a  mandating that all counties conduct elections by mail.

In the, 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.

Economy
Land in the Willamette Valley owes its fertility to the, which deposited lake sediment from in western  onto the valley floor. This soil is the source of a wealth of agricultural products, including es,, , and s and other s.

Oregon is also one of four major world growing regions, and produces 95% of the domestic hazelnuts in the United States. While the history of the production in Oregon can be traced to before, it became a  beginning in the 1970s. In 2005, Oregon ranked third among U.S. states with 303 wineries. Due to regional similarities in climate and soil, the grapes planted in Oregon are often the same varieties found in the French regions of and. In the northeastern region of the state, particularly around, both irrigated and dryland is grown. Oregon farmers and ranchers also produce, sheep, products, eggs and poultry.

Vast forests have historically made Oregon one of the nation's major production and  states, but forest fires (such as the ), over-harvesting, and lawsuits over the proper management of the extensive federal forest holdings have reduced the amount of timber produced. According to the, between 1989 and 2001 the amount of timber harvested from federal lands dropped some 96%, from 4,333 million to 173 million (10,000,000 to 408,000 m³), although harvest levels on private land have remained relatively constant. Even the shift in recent years towards finished goods such as paper and building materials has not slowed the decline of the timber industry in the state. The effects of this decline have included 's acquisition of Portland-based in January 2002, the relocation of 's corporate headquarters from Portland to, and the decline of former lumber s such as. Despite these changes, Oregon still leads the United States in lumber production; in 2001, 6,056 million board feet (14,000,000 m³) was produced in Oregon, compared to 4,257 million board feet (10,050,000 m³). in Washington, 2,731 million board feet (6,444,000 m³) in California, 2,413 million board feet (5,694,000 m³) in, and 2,327 million board feet (5,491,000 m³) in. 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 occasionally hosts. Movies wholly or partially filmed in Oregon include ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', ', and . Oregon native, creator of , 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. was the largest private employer in Oregon until the late 1980s. 's creation and expansion of several facilities in eastern 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. The spinoffs and startups that were produced by these two companies led to the establishment in that area of the so-called. The recession and hit the region hard; many high technology employers reduced the number of their employees or went out of business. made news in 2004 when they hired, developer of the. Recently, giant  purchased several acres of land in Hillsboro in an effort to expand its production capabilities.

Oregon is also the home of large corporations in other industries. The world headquarters of are located near. is home to two of the largest mail order companies in the country: which sells gift items under several brands, and, an international catalog and Internet retailer of s and related products. is also home to the national headquarters of the company,. Portland is home to one of the West's largest trade book houses,.

Oregon has one of the largest -fishing industries in the world, although ocean fisheries have reduced the river fisheries in recent years. is also strong in the state; Oregon's evergreen mountain forests, waterfalls, pristine lakes (including ), and scenic beaches draw visitors year round. The, held in , is a tourist draw which complements the southern region of the state's scenic beauty and opportunity for outdoor activities.

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

Oregon's is $132.66 billion as of 2006, making it the 27th largest GSP in the nation.

Taxes and budgets
Oregon's state budget, $42.4 billion as of 2007, comprises General Funds, Federal Funds, Lottery Funds, and Other Funds. Personal es account for 88% of the General Fund's projected funds. The Lottery Fund, which has grown steadily since the lottery was approved in 1984, exceeded expectations in the 2007 fiscal years, at $604 million.

Oregon is one of that have no. Oregon voters have been resolute in their opposition to a sales tax, voting proposals down each of the 9 times they have been presented. The last vote, for 1993's Measure 1, was defeated by a 72–24% margin.

The state also has a minimum corporate tax of only $10 per year, amounting to 5.6% of the General Fund in the 2005–2007 biennium; data about what businesses pay the minimum is not available to the public. As a result, the state relies almost entirely on and es for its revenue. Oregon has the 5th highest personal income tax per person in the nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Oregon ranked 41st out of the 50 states in taxes per person in 2005. The average paid of $1,791.45 is higher than only nine other states.

Some local governments levy sales taxes on services: the city of, for example, collects a 5% sales tax on prepared food.

Oregon is one of 6 states with a revenue limit. The "kicker" law stipulates that when income tax collections exceed state economists' estimates by 2 percent or more, all of the excess must be returned to taxpayers. Since the inception of the law in 1979, refunds have been issued for seven of the eleven biennia. In 2000, Ballot Measure 86 converted the "kicker" law from statute to the, and changed some of its provisions.

Federal payments to county governments, which were granted to replace timber revenues when logging in National Forests was restricted in the 1990s, have been under threat of suspension for several years. This issue dominates the future revenue of rural counties, which have come to rely on the payments in providing essential services.

Most of state revenues are spent on public education.

Demographics
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. 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 of Oregon is located in, in the city of.

As of 2004, Oregon's population included 309,700 foreign-born residents (accounting for 8.7% of the state population) and an estimated 90,000 illegal aliens (2.5% of the state population).

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

Most Oregon counties are inhabited principally by residents of. Concentrations of are highest in  and  counties.

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

Religion
Of the U.S. states, Oregon has the third largest percentage of people identifying themselves as "non-religious" (tied with at 21 percent), after  and.

2000–2003 population trends
Estimates released show double-digit growth in  and  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.

Public
The Oregon University System supports seven public universities and one affiliate in the state. The in Eugene is Oregon's flagship liberal arts institution, and was the state's only nationally ranked university by. is located in Corvallis and holds the distinction of being the state's flagship in science, engineering and agricultural research and academics. The university is also the state's highest ranking university/college in a world survey of academic merit.

The State has three regional universities: in Monmouth,  in Ashland, and  in La Grande. is Oregon's largest. The has its campus in Klamath Falls. The affiliate (OHSU) comprises a medical, dental, and nursing school in Portland and a science and engineering school in Hillsboro.

Oregon has historically struggled to fund higher education. Recently, Oregon has cut its higher education budget over 2002–2006 and now Oregon ranks 46th in the country in state spending per student. However, 2007 legislation forced tuition increases to cap at 3% per year, and funded the OUS far beyond the requested governor's budget.

Private
Oregon is home to a wide variety of private colleges. The and  are Catholic institutions in the Portland area. ,, , , , , and the are also in Portland. is in the Portland suburb of.

There are also private colleges further south in the Willamette Valley. McMinnville has, while nearby Newberg is home to. Salem is home to two private schools, (the state's oldest, established during the provisional period) and. Eugene is home to two private colleges: and.

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:
 * in Pendleton
 * in Bend
 * in Salem
 * in Oregon City
 * in Astoria
 * in The Dalles
 * in Klamath Falls
 * in Eugene
 * in Albany, with a campus in Corvallis
 * in Gresham
 * in Newport
 * in Portland
 * in Medford and Grants Pass
 * in Coos Bay
 * in Bay City
 * in Ontario
 * in Roseburg

Sports
The only major professional sports team in Oregon is the of the. 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 declined. The Blazers play in the in Portland's Lloyd District. The Rose Garden's other tenants include the, a longstanding and popular team, and the , an expansion  team.

In addition to the Winter Hawks and LumberJax, Portland has two more minor-league sports teams who play at. The of the  are a very popular soccer team, and the  of the  are the Triple-A affiliate of the. Portland has actively pursued a team.

Eugene and Salem also have minor-league baseball teams. The and the  both play in the Single-A. Oregon also has four teams in the fledgling : the, , , and the.

The and the University of  football teams meet once a year at the  which has been an ongoing tradition since 1894.

State symbols


Oregon has 22 official state symbols. They are:
 * (since 1899)
 * "" (written in 1920 and adopted in 1927)
 * (chosen by the state's children in 1927)
 * (since 1939)
 * (since 1961)
 * (like a but formed in a  ; since 1965)
 * (since 1969)
 * (Adopted in 1977)
 * Oregon (Papilio oregonius; since 1979)
 * (since 2005)
 * , a type of (since 1987)
 * State nut: (since 1989)
 * (Fusitriton oregonensis, a in the  family; since 1991)
 * State mushroom: Pacific Golden (since 1999)
 * (since 1997)
 * (since 2005)
 * , 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: (since 1969)
 * State team: of 1990–1991 (since 1991)
 * State father: Dr. (since 1957)
 * State mother: (since 1987)
 * Statehood pageant: (since 1987)