Oregon

Oregon (English pronunciation [ˈɔrɪɡən]) is a state of the United States of America. It is located in the western United States in the Pacific Northwest region and was admitted as the 33rd state in 1859.

By area, Oregon is the ninth largest state, but with a population of just over 4.2 million (2020), it ranks only 27th among the states. Much of the population is concentrated in the Willamette Valley in the northwest of the state. This is also where Oregon's three largest cities, Portland, Eugene and the capital Salem, are located.

Name

The etymological origin and meaning of the choronym "Oregon" is disputed. The Columbia River was called "Ouragan" (French hurricane, storm) by Indians there because of the high velocity of the river, while the Wisconsin River was called "Ouaricon-sink" on maps (which gave rise to the name Wisconsin). The Shoshone words for "river of the west" ("ogwa pe-on") or "land of plenty" ("oyer-un-gon") may also be a source. The name Oregon first appeared in 1778, when explorer Jonathan Carver wrote of the "Oregon or River of the West," possibly as a corruption of the words "Ouragan" or "Ouaricon."

Oregon bears the nickname Beaver State. The formerly dominant forestry industry has lost its strong influence, and today Oregon's economy is shaped primarily by the technology companies in the so-called Silicon Forest.

Geography

With an area of 255,000 square kilometres, Oregon is the ninth largest state in the USA. This makes it slightly larger than the United Kingdom excluding overseas territories. The east-west extent of Oregon is 640 kilometers, while the distance from the northern to the southern border is about 580 kilometers. Approximately 98 percent of the state's territory is land area.

Oregon is located in the northwestern United States (also known as the Pacific Northwest). Oregon's neighboring states are Washington to the north, Idaho to the east, and Nevada and California to the south. To the west is the Pacific Ocean. Most of the northern border is formed by the Columbia River, and part of the eastern border is formed by the Snake River. The two north-south trending mountain ranges, the Oregon Coast Range running along the coast and the Cascade Range, enclose the extremely fertile Willamette Valley. The highest elevation is Mount Hood at 3425 meters above sea level. At the same time, Oregon is one of the highest states in the U.S. due to the mountainous landscape that covers almost the entire state. The average height above sea level is just over 1000 meters.

Western and northern Oregon is one of the most fertile and agriculturally productive areas on earth. In western Oregon the precipitation is very high, in the high desert located in the southeastern part of Oregon, which is partly part of the Great Basin, the climate is rather arid.