Fast Facts About Oregon
History, Culture, Geography and More
Just the facts about Oregon - a quick primer on basic information so you can sound like a native.
Oregon History
* Oregon became the 33rd state of the USA on February 14, 1859 and celebrated its sesquicentennial (150 years) in 2009.* The origin of the state name is unknown. Some people think it came from the early French explorers, who called the Columbia River "Hurricane River" (Rivière des ouragans) after the stormy winds of the Gorge. * Many historians estimate that about 400,000 people traveled the Oregon Trail between 1834-68 during the expansion of the western territory. * Portland, Oregon was named after Portland, Maine following a coin toss. The other choice would have been Boston. * The Oregon state flag is blue and gold, and is the only state flag to have different designs on front and back. The front is the state seal, the back is the state animal, the beaver. The flag dates from 1925.
The state flag of Oregon
Oregon Culture
* Locals pronounce the name as "OR-ih-guhn" or "OR-uh-guhn." * Oregon residents are called “Oregonians.” * The state is divided into 36 counties. * The capital city is Salem. * The largest cities are Portland, Eugene, Salem and Gresham. * The Oregon state bird is Western Meadowlark, the state tree is Douglas fir, the Oregon state flower is Oregon-grape (not a grape at all, really!), the state animal is American Beaver, the state fish is chinook salmon, and the Oregon state motto is “Alis Volat Propriis,” Latin for “She flies with her own wings.”
Oregon state bird is the western meadowlark
Oregon state flower is the Oregon-grape, which isn't a grape and doesn't have noticeable flowers
Oregon Geography
* Time zone – Pacific (UTC-8) for most of the state but the rural southeast area is Mountain (UTC-7)* The lowest elevation – 0 feet at Pacific Ocean. * The highest elevation is 11,239 feet at the top of Mt Hood. * Topography varies greatly from coastline to mountains, agricultural valleys, desert flatlands and canyons
Afternoon at Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast
Hell's Canyon in northeast Oregon
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