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Oklahoma is a state located in the south-central region of the United States. Its nickname is the "Sooner State", and is part of a region commonly known as the American "Heartland." Oklahoma City is the state's capital and largest city. The Congressional Quarterly and Census report places Oklahoma in the Southern United States. Oklahoma became the 46th state in the Union on November 16th, 1907. The state's name comes from the Choctaw words okla meaning people and homma meaning red, literally meaning "red people"[3] and was chosen by Allen Wright, Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation during the 1866 treaty negotiations. [4] [5] Oklahoma was almost named Sequoyah in honor of Sequoyah, the Cherokee who created the Cherokee syllabary, which gave the Cherokees a way to write and read their own language.
The state's early history is dominated by the Trail of Tears, the forced removal of the Five Civilized Tribes from the southeastern United States to then Indian Territory. The western and native American heritage of the state is a large part of its cultural identity; for example, Tulsa is the home to the largest, most comprehensive collection of American Western art and artifacts in the world, housed in the Gilcrease Museum. Today, Oklahoma contains more native American tribal headquarters than any other state, as well as the nation's second largest American Indian population. [6]
Geography
Image:National-atlas-oklahoma.PNG Map of Oklahoma Oklahoma is one of the six states on the Frontier Strip. It is bounded on the east by Arkansas and Missouri, on the north by Kansas and northwest by Colorado (both at 37°N), on the far west by New Mexico (at 103°W), and on the south and near-west by Texas. The panhandle's southern boundary is at 36.5°N, then turning due south along 100°W to the southern fork of the Red River), completing the round trip back to Arkansas.
Along with the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Ozarks and the Ouachita Mountains are the only major highland regions between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians. The state's highest peak, Template:Convert/ftBlack Mesa, lies in the far northwestern corner of the panhandle near the town of Kenton. The lowest elevation is in the far southeastern of the state, near Idabel, at Template:Convert/ft. Oklahoma also has what is officially considered the highest hill in the world, Cavanal Hill, at Template:Convert/ft; this is considering the fact that a "mountain" is anything 2,000 feet or higher. It is located in Poteau, Oklahoma.[7] Oklahoma has six tripoints. (see list of Oklahoma tri-points) With 200 man-made lakes, Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state and boasts over one million surface-acres of water and 2,000 more miles (3,200 km) of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined. Lake Eufaula is the largest lake in the state, covering Template:Convert/acre of water. [7] Image:Bolin 15.jpg Bunch and Beaver Mountains in the Cookson Hills of eastern Oklahoma. Image:Wichita Canyon.jpg A canyon in the Wichita Mountains. TerrianAccording to the EPA, Oklahoma has the most diverse terrain in the United States. [8] The EPA recognizes Oklahoma as one of only four U.S. states to have more than 10 distinct ecological regions, with 11 within its borders. The high number of ecoregions coupled with the state's relative size and a durastic change in climate progressively from the northwest to southeast makes each Oklahoma region greatly distinctive from the the next. Image:Gloss Mountains.jpg The Glass Mountains, a range of mesas in Northwest Oklahoma. Located primarily in the northwest part of the state, the Southwest Tablelands Ecoregion is far more indicitive of the American-Southwest than the rest of Oklahoma, containing mesa ranges such as Black Mesa and the Glass Mountains, as well as canyons and grasslands, such as the Rita Blanca National Grassland. The Northwestern section of Oklahoma, including most of the panhandle, also contains nearly all of the state's "true plains," terrain indicitive of the Great Plains ecoregion, which contains few natural forests and rolling to flat semi-arid landscape. Partial plains interrupted by small mountain ranges such as the Antelope Hills and the rocky Wichita Mountains near Lawton make up the state's southwest quarter, while Central Oklahoma transitions to rolling more forested terrain and marks the eastern extent of the Great Plains in Oklahoma. Most of the region is dominated by the Cross Timbers ecoregion, which is a combination of prairie and forest which transitions to the wetter eastern third of the state. A portion of the prairie-covered Flint Hills stretching from Kansas, creeps into north-central Oklahoma and holds the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie in the world at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska. Eastern Oklahoma recieves for more rain than the western parts of the state and contains large number of Oklahoma's 200 man-made lakes, including large-scale water destinations such as Lake Eufalla and Grand Lake O' the Cherokees. Most of the Ouachita Mountains in Oklahoma are located in the southeast quarter of the state and hold the popular Talemina National Scenic Drive, which travels through the Ouachita National Forest. The heavily-wooded Ozark Mountains and their foothills dominate most of northeastern Oklahoma from the immediate Tulsa vicinity south and eastward towards the Arkansas border, containing heavy forests of pine and deciduous trees. RegionsThe Oklahoma Tourism Department divides the state down into six regions for tourism promotion purposes: Red Carpet Country (Northwestern Oklahoma and The Panhandle), Great Plains Country (Southwestern Oklahoma, including the Lawton Metropolitan area), Frontier Country (Central Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area), Green Country (Northeastern Oklahoma, including the Tulsa Metropolitan area), Kiamichi country (Southeastern Oklahoma), and Lake & Trail Country (South Central Oklahoma). Popular but "unofficial" regional designations include "Green Country" (deemed "unofficial" when used outside of its official Tourism definition, such as refering to all of Eastern Oklahoma or the Tulsa Metropolitan Area), Little Dixie (Southeastern Oklahoma), Western Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Panhandle. ClimateOklahoma is a state dominated by contrasting cold and warm air masses which collide east of the Rocky Mountains. As can be expected, this results in a wide range of weather throughout the state, ranging from a borderline humid subtropical climate zone near the southeast part of the state to a semi-arid climate in the High Plains of the panhandle. While there is some variation in temperature in the state, with the south portion on the Texas border averaging an annual mean temperature of Template:Convert/°F, and the panhandle averaging under Template:Convert/°F, the main climatic difference in Oklahoma is precipitation. The southeast corner of the state near the Ouachita Mountains averages over Template:Convert/in of precipitation a year. Moving west from that point, the precipitation decreases rapidly- for each 10 miles (16 km) traveled west, the precipitation is approximately Template:Convert/in less. The driest part of the state is the extreme western panhandle with less than Template:Convert/in annually. The most notable feature of Oklahoma's climate is its thunderstorms. While Oklahoma averages from 40-60 days of thunderstorms throughout the entire state, which is less frequent than thunderstorm activity in parts of the Southeast United States and the central Colorado Rockies, Oklahoma thunderstorms, which occur in what locals call a "fifth season" from April through July tend to be among the most severe in the world. During this "fifth season" colliding cold and warm air masses turn the entire state, especially the central part, into the heart of Tornado Alley. Central Oklahoma is the most tornado-prone area in the world, not only in terms of number of tornadoes (which exceeds 10 per 10,000 square miles), but also in terms of intensity.[9] Some of the most severe tornadoes in history have occurred in Oklahoma, and it is no accident that the National Severe Weather Forecast Center is located in Norman. While central Oklahoma is the epicenter of Tornado Alley, other parts of the state are not immune. The highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was measured during the 3 May 1999 tornado outbreak. Template:Convert/mi:h winds hit areas near Oklahoma City during this outbreak. Snowfall is common in Oklahoma every winter, although it is not extreme, ranging from an average of less than Template:Convert/in inches in the southern part of the state to just over 20 inches on the Colorado border in the panhandle. HistoryLaw and governmentState governmentThe capital of the state is Oklahoma City and the Governor of Oklahoma is Brad Henry (Democrat). Other Executive Branch elected officials include Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma Jari Askins (Democrat), State Auditor Jeff McMahan (Democrat), Attorney General Drew Edmondson (Democrat), State Treasurer Scott Meacham (Democrat), State School Superintendent Sandy Garrett (Democrat), Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields (Democrat), Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland (Democrat), and the three member State Corporation Commission which currently consists of Bob Anthony (Republican), Jeff Cloud (Republican), and Denise Bode (Republican). The Governor appoints the Secretary of State, currently M. Susan Savage (Democrat). As a result of the 2006 elections, the Lieutenant Governor became Jari Askins (Democrat) and the new Labor Commissioner became Lloyd Fields. They took office on January 8, 2007. Image:Oklahoma Capitol building with oil derrick.JPG Oklahoma Capitol building with oil derrick. The Legislature of Oklahoma consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 48 members serving four-year terms, while the House has 101 members with two year terms. The state has term limits for their legislature that restrict any one person to a total of twelve years service in both the House and Senate. In the 2007–2008 state legislature, the Republicans control the House of Representatives (57 to 44) and the Senate is currently evenly divided (24 to 24). This changes the government's make-up; before the 2004 election the Democrats had controlled both chambers since 1921. Republicans have never controlled the State Senate outright. The state's judicial branch consists of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and 77 District Courts which serve one county apiece. The Oklahoma judiciary also contains two independent courts: a Court of Impeachment (which is the Senate sitting) and the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary. Oklahoma is unusual in that it has two courts of last resort, the state Supreme Court hears civil cases, and the state Court of Criminal Appeals hears criminal cases (the state of Texas uses a similar system). Judges of those two courts, as well as the Court of Civil Appeals are appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the state Judicial Nominating Commission, and are subject to a non-partisan retention vote on a six-year rotating schedule. Due to Oklahoma's restrictive ballot access laws (deemed by many to be the most restrictive in the nation), third parties have very limited access to the primary ballots. However, the state does have the following active third parties: Oklahoma Libertarian Party, Green Party of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Constitution Party. There are also organizers from the Communist Party USA working in the state.
Local governanceThe state is divided into 77 counties which deliver local government. Each is governed by a three member commission. Other county elected officials are the tax assessor, clerk, court clerk, treasurer, and sheriff. Cities and towns are established under the rights granted in the Oklahoma statutes (in comparison, Oklahoma gives municipal governments a great deal of latitude in chartering new governments). Towns are municipalities of under 1000 residents, while cities have more than 1000 residents. Major cities are also allowed to form "charter governments," in which the voters choose the form of government they want to use in place of the statutory forms. Other local government units in Oklahoma include independent and dependent school districts, Technology Center Districts (known as CareerTech), community college districts, rural fire departments, rural water districts, and other special use districts. National politicsAfter the 2000 census the Oklahoma delegation to the U.S. House was reduced from six to five representatives. For the 110th Congress (2007–2009) there are no changes in party strength, and the delegation has four Republicans and one Democrat. Oklahoma's two U.S. senators are Jim Inhofe (Republican) and Tom Coburn (Republican). The U.S. Representatives are John Sullivan (Republican) of District 1, Dan Boren (Democrat) of District 2, Frank D. Lucas (Republican) of District 3, Tom Cole (Republican) of District 4, and Mary Fallin (Republican) of District 5. Although there are more registered Democrats in Oklahoma than registered Republicans,[citation needed] it has become a solidly Republican state in presidential elections, voting for the Republican in every election from 1968 forward. (The 1976 Carter-Ford race was close, however.) In 2004, George W. Bush carried every county in the state and 65.6% of the statewide vote. EconomyOklahoma is a major fuel and food-producing state; thousands of oil and natural gas wells dot the Oklahoma landscape, and the state is among the highest food producing states in the nation. Its main agricultural outputs are soy, wheat, cattle, dairy, poultry, and cotton. Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation in the production of all wheat, fourth in cattle and calf production; fifth in the production of pecans; sixth in peanuts and eighth in peaches. Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment, machinery, electric products, rubber and plastic products, and food processing. Its 1999 total gross state product was $86 billion, placing it 29th in the nation. Its 2000 per capita personal income was $23,517, 43rd in the nation. Oklahoma City suburb Nichols Hills is ranked first on Oklahoma locations by per capita income at $73,661. Image:Bb lake spillway.jpg Dam forming Broken Bow Lake. Oklahoma City is one of the primary economic engines of the state, centered on the finance, retail, governance, entertainment, and tourism sectors. The city has numerous manufacturing and processing plants as well as a growing biotech research and health center. Oklahoma City has a large aviation market and its location at the intersection of I-35, I-40, and I-44 makes Oklahoma City an important distribution point. Oklahoma City is home to many corporate and regional headquarters including Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy, Sonic Drive-In, AT&T, The Hertz Corporation, BancFirst, OGE Energy, Midfirst Bank, Hobby Lobby, Dobson Communications, Express Personnel Services, Oklahoma Publishing Company, Spectro Wire & Cable, Inc., Rainbo Manufacturing, Globe Life and Accident Insurance, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., and Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce. Tulsa is another primary economic engine of the state, centered on energy, aerospace, telecommunications, and transportation. The city has the nation's most inland sea port and Oklahoma's only connection to the ocean, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa [3], which connects the state with international ocean trade routes through the Arkansas River and Mississippi River. Despite an oil bust that plagued the entire state in the 1980's, Tulsa is still among the top cities in the nation for the number of oil and energy related company headquarters. Tulsa is also home to an extensive aviation market, exemplified by its American Airlines maintenance center, the largest airline maintenance base in the world. Recently, Forbes magazine rated Tulsa as second in the nation in job income growth, and one of the best 50 cities to do business in the country. [10] Companies based in Tulsa include The NORDAM Group, BOK Financial Corporation (BOKF), Bank of Oklahoma, Williams Companies, Oneok, Wiltel, QuikTrip, Public Service of Oklahoma, Mazzio's Corporation, RibCrib, SemGroup, Dollar-Thrifty, Hilti USA, and Vanguard. Both of Oklahoma's major metropolitan areas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, are engaged in large-scale economic development and tourism initiatives. TransportationOklahoma is an integral point on the U.S. Interstate Network. Three major interstates connect at a point in Oklahoma City known as "The Crossroads of America." These interstates are: Interstate 35, Interstate 40, and Interstate 44. Interstate 35 traverses the state from north to south across the center of the state. Interstate 40 runs thorugh the center of Oklahoma in a bisecting fashion, traversing in a east/west direction. Interstate 44 runs through Tulsa, bisecting the state from the northeast to the southwest. Interstate 44 is a turnpike for most of its duration through the state, with exceptions within the cities of Tulsa and Oklahoma City. In addition, the state has 10 major turnpikes. Oklahoma also has the longest drivable stretch of Route 66 in the country. The state is connected to the nation's rail network via the Heartland Flyer, an Amtrak-operated rail line which stretches from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas. There are also plans to connect the Heartland Flyer to Tulsa. Two major airports serve Oklahoma: Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City and Tulsa International Airport. There are also numerous other regional and general aviation airports. See List of airports in Oklahoma for further information. In addition, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, the nation's most inland seaport, is the state's primary connection to international ocean trade routes. EducationCultureImage:OklahomaPrairie.jpg Oklahoma Prairie Because of Oklahoma's central location in the United States, the cultures of the Midwest, the Southwest, the West, and the Southeast all have a distinct impact. For example, Guymon, in the state's panhandle, hosts one of the largest rodeos in the nation[11], typifying western Oklahoma's Southwest cultural influence. Meanwhile, Northeast Oklahoma is influenced in large by midwestern and western cultures, while Southeast Oklahoma is known as Little Dixie because of its heavy southern cultural influence. Most of Oklahoma, furthermore, shares some degree of Native American cultural influence, dating to pre-statehood Indian Territory. The various government sponsored arts, community, and tourism programs emphasize Oklahoma's Native American heritage heavily. There are many central areas of Native American heritage in Oklahoma, including one of the most notable, Tahlequah which is near Muskogee in eastern Oklahoma. Native American culture runs deep in the lives of Oklahomans and one may experience it through various cultural programs including pow wows, the Tsa-La-Gi village in Tahlequah, and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Oklahoma is a center for Native American culture with a rich history before and after statehood in 1907, quickly developing a tradition of strongly embracing the state's roots, and there are 10 Native American languages with over 10,000 speakers.[citation needed] Other ethnic celebrations include those of the large Irish-American community, most notably during the month of March for St. Patrick's Day, also Yukon and Prague (celebrating the towns' Czech heritage of some early immigrants), Tulsa's Greek Holiday, the Tulsa Scottish Games, Shalomfest (in Tulsa) celebrates Jewish culture, Tulsa's German Oktoberfest, the Mennonite Relief Sale (in Enid) but Mennonite communities are located in the northwest and eastern parts of the state, Italian festivals and neighborhoods in the McAlester and Krebs area, traditional Asian (East Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern), African American, and Hispanic (Mexican and other Latin American) celebrations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, as well as the Oklahoma City pride parade and festival in the city's GLBT district, and the Juneteenth African American celebrations found all across the state. SportsImage:Fordcenter-outside.jpg Ford Center in Oklahoma City. Because of the devastation of New Orleans, Louisiana in 2005, the NBA's New Orleans Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City and are currently known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The Hornets are the first major professional sports league franchise to play in the state. The owner of the Hornets announced in December of 2006, that the team would be returning to New Orleans for the 2007-2008 season. The recent purchase of the Seattle Supersonics NBA Basketball team, by a group of Oklahoma businessmen, has led to speculation that the team will be relocated to Oklahoma City in the near future. However, Tulsa had the Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL in 1983-85 and Oklahoma City had the Arena Football Oklahoma Wranglers in 2000-02. The minor league baseball teams are:
Other Oklahoma City teams include
Other Enid teams include Other Tulsa teams include
Oklahoma's major college teams are
According to Major League Soccer, Oklahoma is a possible site for a future professional soccer team, in Tulsa, which was home of the Tulsa Roughnecks of the Major American Soccer League in 1983 and 1984.[citation needed] Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Other Important CitiesImage:Photo-okc6.jpg Downtown Oklahoma City. Image:Tulsa Skyline Night.jpg Downtown Tulsa. Oklahoma CityOklahoma City, the capital of Oklahoma has a population of 523,303 in the immediate city limits[8] and 1.1 million in the metro area,[12] is the principal city of the eight-county Oklahoma City Metroplex and is Oklahoma's largest urbanized area. As of 2000, it was the 47th largest metro in the nation.[13] Some of the major cities comprising the Oklahoma City Metro include Norman, Edmond, Guthrie, Moore, Mustang, Yukon, Shawnee, Del City, Midwest City. TulsaTulsa is the second largest city in Oklahoma, with 387,807 within the city limits[8] and 890,000 in the statistical metropolitan area.[14]. The city is an important Southern and Midwest regional economic hub, and is the architectural center of the state. It is Oklahoma's second largest urbanized area. As of 2000, it was the 53rd largest metropolitan area in the nation.[13] LawtonLawton is the 4th largest city in Oklahoma and is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city limits contain a population of 92,757 and a metropolitan population of 114,916, making Lawton the smallest of the 3 Oklahoma urbanized areas and the 342nd largest metropolitan area in the nation. Other important cities
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