Oklahoma (pronounced /ˌoʊkləˈhoʊmə/)[24] is a state in the southern part of the CentralUnited States. It had a population of about 3,751,351 people in 2010. The state has a land area of about 68,667 sq mi (177,847 km2).[25] Oklahoma is the 28th largest state by population and the 20th largest state by area. The name of the state comes from the Choctaw words okla and humma. It means "Red People".[26] It is also known by its nickname, The Sooner State. The state was formed from Indian Territory on November 16, 1907. It was the 46th state to become part of the United States. The people who live in the state are known as Oklahomans or Okies. The state's capital and largest city is Oklahoma City.
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), several Indian tribes sided with the Confederacy. The tribes owned slaves. They agreed with the ideas of the states that seceded from the United States. Also, the tribes were not happy that the federal government did not do what it told them it would do. Not all the tribes sided with the Confederacy. Some tribes had taken control of several forts. This caused much of the Indian Territory to be under Confederate control, but Oklahoma did not become a Confederate state. The Battle of Honey Springs near Fort Gibson on July 17, 1863 was won by the Union forces. This ended the Confederate control of Indian Territory.[37]
On April 22, 1890, the western part of the state was opened to almost 50,000 settlers for the Oklahoma Land Run. During this land run Oklahoma got its nickname, "The Sooner State". The nickname came from the settlers who crossed the territory's borders before the land was opened by the government. A year later, the western part of the territory was turned into Oklahoma territory. The northeastern part, which was home to the Five Civilized Tribes, stayed under the control of the tribes.[38][39] On November 16, 1907, the western and eastern territories joined together. They became the 46th state of the United States.[38]
The newly formed state became an important place for the oil industry. The oil pools in the area caused the population of towns to grow very quickly. Tulsa became known as the "Oil Capital of the World" for most of the 20th century. The oil was a large part of the state's early economy.[40]
In 1927, Tulsa businessmanCyrus Avery, known as the "Father of Route 66", began a movement to make U.S. Route 66. Avery used section of highway that was already built between Tulsa and Amarillo, Texas to make the original portion of Highway 66. He was the main person responsible for making the U.S. Highway 66 Association to watch over the building of Route 66.[41]
During the 1930s, northwestern Oklahoma went through a period of time called the Dust Bowl. The area had little rainfall and high temperatures. This caused thousands of farmers to go into poverty and forced them to move to other parts of the United States.[42] From 1930 to 1950, the state saw its only loss in population. It lost 6.9 percent of the people who lived there. Because of the Dust Bowl, the state made hundreds of reservoirs and man-made lakes. By the 1960s, more than 200 man-made lakes had been made. This is the most in the United States.[31][43]
The name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw phrase oklahumma. This means red (humma) people (okla).[26] Choctaw Chief Allen Wright gave it that name in 1866 during treaty talks with the federal government about the use of Indian Territory. He dreamed of an all-Indian state with power held by the United States Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Okla humma was a phrase in the Choctaw language that meant the same as the English word Indian. It was used to describe the Native American people all together. Oklahoma later became the de facto name for Oklahoma Territory. It was officially accepted in 1890, two years after the area was opened to white settlers.[50][51][52]
Geography
A map showing Oklahoma's physical features
Oklahoma is the 20th-largest state in the United States. It covers an area of 89,678 sq mi (232,265 km2) (68,603 sq mi (177,681 km2) are land and 1,296 sq mi (3,357 km2) are water).[53] The state is shaped like a pan with a long, thin section on the west side. This section, known as the Panhandle, is 165 miles (266 km) from west to east, and 34 miles (55 km) from north to south.[54]
The highest point in the state is the Black Mesa, in the Panhandle at 4,973 ft (1,516 m). The lowest point is Little River east of Idabel in the southeast part of the state at 289 ft (88 m) above sea level.[55] There are four mountain ranges in Oklahoma. They are the Ouachita, Arbuckle, Wichita and Kiamichi ranges. All of the ranges are in the southern part of the state. Forests make up about 24 percent of the state.[56] The state is also known for having more man-made lakes than any other state in the country. These lakes cover more than 1,000,000 acres (404,686 ha) with water.[56]
Politics
By the start of the 21st century, conservative Republicans are the growing force in Oklahoma, but Democrats are still a major factor in statewide politics. In 2006, the incumbent Democrat governor won re-election by 66% over a former Republican Congressman. Despite the landslide victory for the Democrats, the Republicans gained two seats in the State Senate, making a 24 Democrat, 24 Republican tie in the senate, and increased their lead in the house of 57-44.
Weather
A tornado in central Oklahoma
Oklahoma is in a temperate area of the country. It is also extremely dry, with many people complaining daily about not ever getting rain. The state sometimes sees extreme temperatures and rain that is commonly found in a continental climate.[57] All of the state frequently has temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) or below 0 °F (−18 °C).[57]
It snows in Oklahoma. In the northwest near the Colorado border, the area can get nearly 30 in (76 cm) in snowfall during the winter. The southeastern part of the state usually gets less than 2 in (5 cm) in snowfall.[58]
Oklahoma City is the state's capital and largest city by population and land area.
Oklahoma had 549 populated places in 2006. It had three cities over 100,000 in population and 40 over 10,000. Two of the fifty largest cities in the United States are in Oklahoma. They are Oklahoma City and Tulsa. More than half of Oklahomans (58%) live in the metropolitan areas of the two cities.[30][63]
Oklahoma City is the state's capital and largest city. It had 1,269,907 people living inside its metropolitan area in 2008. Tulsa, the second largest city, had a metropolitan area population of 905,755.[64]
Between 2005 and 2006, the Tulsa suburbs of Jenks, Bixby, and Owasso had the biggest population growth in the state. The population of Jenks grew by 47.9%, Bixby grew by 44.56%, and Owasso grew by 34.31%.[65]
Oklahoma's largest cities in 2007 were: Oklahoma City (547,274), Tulsa (384,037), Norman (106,707), Lawton (91,568), Broken Arrow (90,714), Edmond (78,226), Midwest City (55,935), and Moore (51,106). Seven of the state's ten largest cities are in the metropolitan areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Only Lawton has a metropolitan area of its own.[65]
Oklahoma law says that populated areas are divided into two groups. Cities are areas with more than 1,000 people. Towns have fewer than 1,000 people. Both have legislative, judicial, and public power inside their populated areas. Cities can choose between a mayor-council, council-manager, or strong mayor form of government. Towns are run through an elected officer system.[66]
↑Greymorning, Stephen. "Profiles of Native American Education Programs". Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Archived from the original on 2009-03-29. Retrieved 2008-09-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
↑"Religious Groups". pewforum.org. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
↑"Tulsa Area History". Tulsa County Library. Archived from the original on 2009-01-11. Retrieved 2008-08-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
↑"Oklahoma State History and Information". A Look at Oklahoma. Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation. 2008. Archived from the original on 2007-07-29. Retrieved 2008-09-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
↑Merserve, John (1941). "Chief Allen Wright". Chronicles of Oklahoma. Archived from the original on 2006-05-07. Retrieved 2008-08-10.