Klamath County, Oregon

Klamath County is a  located in the  of. The for the tribe of s living in the area at the time the first white explorers entered the region, the s., the population is 63,775. The county seat is located at.

History
The Klamath or "Clamitte" tribe of Indians, for which Klamath County was named, has had a presence for 10,000 years. White settlement began in 1846 along the, which precipitated clashes between the two cultures, and led to the of 1872. The created Klamath County on, , from the western part of. Linkville, later known as, was named county seat.

A treaty was signed with the Klamaths on, , which led to the establishment of the. At various times over the next 40 years, different individuals of the tribe were settled within the reservation. Because of the extensive tracts of forest, the Klamaths were very well off as a people until the of the reservation by the U.S. government in. As a result, much of the money received after the termination was lost due to squandering, theft or criminal deception, resulting in increased poverty and loss of tribal identity.

A few of the Klamath refused to accept the buyout money, most notably Edison Chiloquin (1924 - 2003). Instead of the cash, he insisted on receiving the title to ancestral land along the where he lived. On, , the Chiloquin Act was signed into law, giving him title to the properties he wanted.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 15,892 (6,136 ). 15,395 km² (5,944 sq mi) of it is land and 496 km² (192 sq mi) of it (3.12%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

 * - (west)
 * - (northwest)
 * - (northwest)
 * - (north)
 * - (east)
 * - (south)
 * - (south)

Economy
Historically, Klamath County's economy was based on timber and agriculture, and although these natural resource industries now contribute only a small fraction to the region's current economic activity and employment, their legacy lives on in local politics, community identity, and landscape. Euro-American settlement in the area was spurred in the early 1900s with the coming of the railroad and the heavily taxpayer-subsidized creation of a federal reclamation project. The drained much of the 128 square mile (331 km²) Lower Klamath Lake and Tule Lake to convert 188,000 acres (761 km²) of former lakebed and wetland into irrigated farmland.

Sky Lakes Medical Center is the largest employer in the area, followed by and, a manufacturer of doors and windows. The area is currently experiencing a boom in housing construction as its proximity to brings waves of retirees from population centers to the south. Outdoor recreation, such as hiking, hunting, and world-class trout fishing, as well as at, also contribute to the economy of the area. A complex of six National Wildlife Refuges——seasonally draw some of the largest concentrations of waterfowl in. The area is world-renowned as a birdwatcher's paradise. Natural hot wells provide heat for many homes, businesses, and the  campus. The full potential of this energy resource continues to be studied.

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 63,775 people, 25,205 households, and 17,290 families residing in the county. The was 4/km² (11/sq mi). There were 28,883 housing units at an average density of 2/km² (5/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 87.33%, 0.63% or , 4.19% , 0.80% , 0.12% , 3.45% from , and 3.47% from two or more races. 7.78% of the population were or  of any race. 16.7% were of, 10.8% , 10.7% and 9.8%  or American ancestry according to. 92.6% spoke and 6.1%  as their first language.

There were 25,205 households out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,537, and the median income for a family was $38,171. Males had a median income of $32,052 versus $22,382 for females. The for the county was $16,719. About 12.00% of families and 16.80% of the population were below the, including 22.40% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.