Nebraska

Nebraska is a  located on the  of the. Nebraska gets its name from a word meaning "flat water," after the  that flows through the state. Once considered part of the, it is now a leading state. Nebraskans are sometimes colloquially referred to as "Cornhuskers" (which is derived from the state nickname).

Geography
Nebraska is bordered by to the north;  to the east and  to the southeast, across the ;  to the south;  to the southwest; and  to the west. Nebraska has ; it also occupies the central portion of the.

Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the and the. The easternmost portion of the state was scoured by s; the Dissected Till Plains were left behind after the glaciers retreated. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of gently rolling hills; and  are located within this region.

The Great Plains occupy the majority of western Nebraska. The Great Plains itself consists of several smaller, diverse land regions, including the, the , the , the and the. , at 5,424 feet (1,653 m), is the highest point in Nebraska; despite its name and elevation, it is merely a low rise near the Colorado and Wyoming borders.

A past Nebraska slogan was "Where the West Begins"; locations given for the beginning of the "West" include the Missouri River, the intersection of 13th and O Streets in Lincoln (where it is marked by a red brick star), the, and.

Nebraska claims to have more miles of river than any other state.

Areas under the management of the include:
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 * in
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Climate
Two major s are represented in Nebraska: the eastern two-thirds of the state has a, and the western third of the state has a  climate. The entire state experiences wide seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation. Average temperatures are fairly uniform across Nebraska, while average annual precipitation decreases from about 31.5 es (800 ) in the southeast corner of the state to about 13.8 inches (350 mm) in the. Snowfall across the state is fairly even, with most of Nebraska receiving between 25 and 35 inches (650 to 900 mm) of snow annually.  Nebraska is located in ; s are common in the spring and summer months. The s from the provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in western Nebraska during the winter months. , 

The has found that  could have a harmful effect on Nebraska's ecology and economy, promoting the kinds of  that led to the  conditions of the 1930s and increasing the population and active season of disease-carrying s.

History
On, , the created the  and the , divided by the. The territorial capital of Nebraska was.

In the 1860s, the first great wave of s poured into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government. Many of the first farm settlers built their homes out of because they found so few trees on the grassy land.

Nebraska became the 37th state in 1867, shortly after the. At that time, the capital was moved from to Lancaster, later renamed  after the recently assassinated.

The holiday began in Nebraska, and the  is still headquartered in.

Nebraska has a long history of, starting in 1912 with the foundation of Omaha's chapter. Recent legislation proposed by Senator continues a legacy that includes the,  and 's unique.

Demographics
As of 2006, Nebraska has an estimated population of 1,768,331, which is an increase of 10,168, or 0.6%, from the prior year and an increase of 57,066, or 3.3%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 65,881 people (that is 160,471 births minus 94,590 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 5,233 people out of the state. from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 26,224 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 31,457 people.

The of Nebraska is located in, in the city of.

As of 2004, the population of Nebraska included about 84,000 foreign-born residents (4.8% of the population).

The five largest ancestry groups in Nebraska are (38.6%),  (12.4%),  (9.6%),  (4.9%), and  (4.9%).

Nebraska has the largest population (as a percentage of the total population) in the nation. are the largest ancestry group in most of the state, particularly in the eastern counties. (made up entirely of the and  reservations) has a  majority, and  is one of only two counties in the nation with a Czech-American plurality.

Rural flight
Eighty-nine percent of the cities in Nebraska have fewer than 3,000 people. Nebraska shares this characteristic with five other Midwest states (,, and , and ). Hundreds of towns have a population of fewer than 1,000.

Fifty-three of Nebraska's 93 counties reported declining populations between 1990 and 2000, ranging from a 0.06% loss to a 17.04% loss. While many areas of the state continue to suffer, others have experienced substantial growth. In 2000, the city of Omaha had a population of 390,007; in 2005, the city's estimated population was 414,521, a 6.3% increase over five years. The city of Lincoln had a 2000 population of 225,581 and a 2005 estimated population of 239,213, a 6.0% change.

This rural flight has also had an impact on schools with many schools needing to consolidate in order to survive.

Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are:


 * – 90%
 * – 61%
 * – 16%
 * – 11%
 * – 9%
 * – 4%
 * Other Protestant – 21%
 * – 28%
 * Other Christian – 1%
 * Other religions – 1%
 * Non-religious – 9%

Economy
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates of Nebraska's gross state product in 2004 was $68 billion. Per capita personal income in 2004 was $31,339, 25th in the nation.

Nebraska has a large sector, and is an important producer of, , , and s. Other important economic sectors include   (by  and ), , , , and.

Nebraska has four personal brackets, ranging from 2.56% to 6.84%. Nebraska has a state of 5.5%. In addition to the state tax, some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax, up to a maximum of 1.5%. One county in Nebraska,, levies a sales tax. All located within the state of Nebraska is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Since 1992, only depreciable personal property is subject to tax and all other personal property is exempt from tax. is collected at the county level.

Industry
was created in 1927 by in the city of ; it is the official soft drink of Nebraska. were invented in, Nebraska by. His pamphlets were based on the original idea, "."

Omaha is home to, whose CEO was ranked the  as of April 2007. This city is also home to, , , and. , and Duncan Aviation reside in Lincoln while  is based out of Kearney. Sidney is the national headquarters for, a specialty retailer of outdoor goods.

The world's largest train yard, 's, is located in. The was invented and is still manufactured in. on the campus in  holds 85,157 people. During football games, it holds almost twice the population of Bellevue (47,954) the third-most populous city in the state. The second-largest payout was on. It was $365 million and was split 8 ways by workers from a Lincoln food plant operated by.

Railroads
Nebraska has a rich railroad history. The, headquartered in Omaha, was incorporated on , , in the wake of the. The route of the runs through the state.

Other major railroads with operations in the state are: ; ; ; and.

Roads and highways
s through the State of Nebraska

The in Nebraska

Law and government
Nebraska's government operates under the framework of the Nebraska Constitution, adopted in 1875 and is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The head of the executive branch is the. Other elected officials in the executive branch are the  (elected on the same ticket as the Governor), ,   ,  , and. All elected officials in the executive branch serve four-year terms.

Nebraska is the only state in the with a  legislature; that is, a legislature with only one house. Although this house is officially known simply as the "", and more commonly called the "Unicameral", its members still call themselves "senators". Nebraska's Legislature is also the only in the United States that is. The senators are elected with no party affiliation next to their names on the ballot, and the speaker and committee chairs are chosen at large, so that members of any party can be chosen for these positions. The Nebraska Legislature can also override a governor's veto with a three-fifths majority, in contrast to the two-thirds majority required in some other states.

The meets in the third  building, built between 1922 and 1932.

For years,  and other Nebraskans encouraged the idea of a unicameral legislature, and demanded the issue be decided in a. Norris argued: The constitutions of our various states are built upon the idea that there is but one class. If this be true, there is no sense or reason in having the same thing done twice, especially if it is to be done by two bodies of men elected in the same way and having the same jurisdiction.

Unicameral supporters also argued that a legislature had a significant undemocratic feature in the committees that reconciled Assembly and Senate legislation. Votes in these committees were secretive, and would sometimes add provisions to bills that neither house had approved. Nebraska's unicameral legislature today has rules that bills can contain only one subject, and must be given at least five days of consideration.

Finally, in 1934, due in part to the budgetary pressure of the, Nebraska's unicameral legislature was put in place by a state initiative. In effect, the Assembly (the house) was abolished; as noted, today's Nebraska state legislators are commonly referred to as "Senators."

The judicial system in Nebraska is unified, with the having administrative authority over all Nebraska courts. Nebraska uses the for the selection of judges at all levels. The lowest courts in Nebraska are the county courts, above that are twelve district courts (containing one or more counties). The hears appeals from the district courts, juvenile courts, and workers' compensation courts. The Nebraska Supreme Court is the final court of appeal.

Nebraska allows for ; the sole method of execution is the, making Nebraska the only place in the world to use only this mode of execution. However, executions in Nebraska have been infrequent; none have been carried out in the 21st century, and the state has strongly flirted with the idea of a moratorium on, or complete of, capital punishment.

Federal government representation
Nebraska's are  (R) and  (D). Nebraska has three representatives in the. They are: (R, );  (R, ); and  (R, ).

Nebraska is one of two states (the other being ) that allow for a split in the electoral vote. Since 1991, two of Nebraska's five are awarded based on the winner of the statewide election while the other three go to the highest vote-getter in each of the state's three congressional districts. Although possible, a split in the electoral vote has not occurred in any election.

Nebraska politics
For most of its history, Nebraska has been a solidly state. Republicans have carried the state in all but one presidential election since 1940&mdash;the 1964 landslide election of. In the, won the state's five electoral votes by a 33% margin (the fourth-most Republican vote among states) with 65.9% of the overall vote; only , which includes two American s, voted for.

Despite the current Republican domination of Nebraska politics, the state has a long tradition of electing centrist members of both parties to state and federal office; examples include George Norris (who served his last few years in the Senate as an independent),, and. This tradition is illustrated by Nebraska's current senators: is considered a maverick within his party, while  is arguably one of the most  member of his party in the Senate.

Important cities and towns
All population figures are 2006 estimates.

Urban areas
Other areas


 * Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney comprise the “” area.
 * The northeast corner of Nebraska is part of the region.

Culture
was founded by. The has its headquarters near his home in. The swing in the city park at 5th and Jefferson streets is claimed to be the world's largest porch swing, long enough to fit 18 adults or 24 children.

Sports

 * – (independent )
 * – (AAA ; affiliate of the )
 * college sports
 * college sports
 * Lopers
 * Mavericks
 * Wildcats
 * Eagles
 * Mavericks Hockey Team
 * Junior-level sports
 * – United States Hockey League (home games played in )
 * – United States Hockey League
 * Mavericks Hockey Team
 * Junior-level sports
 * – United States Hockey League (home games played in )
 * – United States Hockey League
 * – United States Hockey League (home games played in )
 * – United States Hockey League

Surveys

 * Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7.
 * Olson James C. and Ronald C. Naugle History of Nebraska 2nd ed (1997)
 * Andreas, Alfred T. History of the State of Nebraska (1882 highly detailed history
 * Creigh, Dorothy Weyers. Nebraska: A Bicentennial History (1977)
 * Faulkner, Virginia, ed. Roundup: A Nebraska Reader (1957)
 * Hickey, Donald R. Nebraska Moments: Glimpses of Nebraska's Past (1992).
 * Miewald, Robert D. Nebraska Government & Politics (1984)
 * Luebke Frederick C. Nebraska: An Illustrated History (1995)
 * Morton, J. Sterling, ed. Illustrated History of Nebraska: A History of Nebraska from the Earliest Explorations of the Trans-Mississippi Region. 3 vols. (1905-13)
 * Wishart, David J. ed. Encyclopedia of the Great Plains (2004), 900 pages of scholarly articles

Scholarly special studies

 * Barnhart, John D. "Rainfall and the Populist Party in Nebraska." American Political Science Review 19 (1925): 527-40. in JSTOR
 * Beezley, William H. "Homesteading in Nebraska, 1862-1872," Nebraska History 53 (spring 1972): 59-75.
 * Bentley, Arthur F. "The Condition of the Western Farmer as Illustrated by the Economic History of a Nebraska Township." Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science 11 (1893): 285-370.
 * Cherny, Robert W. Populism, Progressivism, and the Transformation of Nebraska Politics, 1885-1915 (1981)
 * Bogue Allen G. Money at Interest: The Farm Mortgage on the Middle Border (1955)
 * Brunner, Edmund de S. Immigrant Farmers and Their Children (1929)
 * Chudacoff, Howard P. Mobile Americans: Residential and Social Mobility in Omaha, 1880-1920 (1972)
 * Chudacoff, Howard P. "A New Look at Ethnic Neighborhoods: Residential Dispersion and the Concept of Visibility in a Medium-sized City." Journal of American History 60 (1973): 76-93. about Omaha; in JSTOR
 * Coletta, Paolo E. William Jennings Bryan. 3 vols. 1964-69.
 * Dick, Everett. The Sod-House Frontier: 1854-1890 (1937)
 * Farragher, John Mack. Women and Men on the Overland Trail (1979)
 * Fuller, Wayne E. The Old Country School: The Story of Rural Education in the Midwest (1982)
 * Grant, Michael Johnston. "Down and Out on the Family Farm" (2002)
 * Harper, Ivy. Walzing Matilda: Life and Times of Nebraska Senator Robert Kerrey (1992).
 * Holter, Don W. Flames on the Plains: A History of United Methodism in Nebraska (1983).
 * Jeffrey, Julie Roy. Frontier Women: The Trans-Mississippi West, 1840-1880 (1979)
 * Klein, Maury. Union Pacific: The Birth of a Railroad, 1862-1893 (1986)
 * Klein, Maury. Union Pacific: The Rebirth, 1894-1969 (1989).
 * Larsen, Lawrence H. The Gate City: A History of Omaha (1982)
 * Lowitt, Richard. George W. Norris 3 vols. 1971.
 * Luebke, Frederick C. Immigrants and Politics: The Germans of Nebraska, 1880-1900 (1969)
 * Luebke, Frederick C. "The German-American Alliance in Nebraska, 1910-1917." Nebraska History 49 (1969): 165-85.
 * Olson, James C. J. Sterling Morton (1942)
 * Overton, Richard C. Burlington West: A Colonization History of the Burlington Railroad (1941)
 * Parsons Stanley B. "Who Were the Nebraska Populists?" Nebraska History 44 (1963): 83-99.
 * Pierce, Neal. The Great Plains States (1973)
 * Pederson, James F., and Kenneth D. Wald. Shall the People Rule? A History of the Democratic Party in Nebraska Politics (1972)
 * Riley, Glenda. The Female Frontier. A Comparative View of Women on the Prairie and the Plains (1978)
 * Wenger, Robert W. "The Anti-Saloon League in Nebraska Politics, 1898-1910." Nebraska History 52 (1971): 267-92.