Oregon

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State in northwestern USA, bordered to the east by Idaho, to the north by Washington, to the south by California and Nevada, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean; area 248,631 sq km/95,997 sq mi; population 3,421,400; capital Salem. Oregon's nickname was coined because of the large beaver population that roamed the region in the early 19th century, when fur traders flocked there to seek their fortunes. The state features mountains, including the Cascade Range, including the state's highest point, Mount Hood, and the Klamath Mountains. More than half of the state is forested. After the fashion for fur faded, Oregon developed a timber industry, which sustained the area's economic growth until the early 1990s. The state's economy was then bolstered by a thriving high-tech industry, particularly in the Willamette Valley, home to Oregon's three largest cities, Portland, Eugene, and Salem. Other major cities include Gresham and Beaverton. Originally home to the Chinook and Tillamook in the northwest, the Bannock and Nez Percé in the northeast, and the Klamath in the southwest, the state saw heavy settlement by US pioneers heading west via the Oregon Trail. The introduction of a transcontinental railway link in 1833 increased industrialization and development. Oregon was admitted to the Union in 1859 as the 33rd US state.

Blue is the colour of the People's United Party. Sub umbra floreo, ‘I flourish in the shade’, is the national motto. Effective date: late 1980s. >>