Difference between revisions of "Oregon" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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== Education ==
 
== Education ==
 
=== Primary and secondary ===
 
=== Primary and secondary ===
As of 2005, the state had 559,215 students in public primary and secondary schools.<ref name=facts>[http://bluebook.state.or.us/facts/almanac/almanac05 Oregon Blue Book: Oregon Almanac: Native Americans to Shoes, Oldest.] Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on March 28, 2008.</ref> There were 199 public school districts at that time, served by 20 education service districts.<ref name=facts/> The five largest school districts as of 2007 were: Portland Public Schools (46,262 students), Salem-Keizer School District (40,106), Beaverton School District (37,821), Hillsboro School District (20,401), and Eugene School District (18,025).<ref>[http://www.ode.state.or.us/news/releases/?yr=0000&kw=&rid=610 Oregon Public School Enrollment Increases during 2007-08.] Oregon Department of Education. Retrieved on March 28, 2008.</ref>
+
As of 2005, there were 199 public school districts.<ref name=facts/> The five largest as of 2007 were: Portland Public Schools (46,262 students), Salem-Keizer School District (40,106), Beaverton School District (37,821), Hillsboro School District (20,401), and Eugene School District (18,025).<ref>[http://www.ode.state.or.us/news/releases/?yr=0000&kw=&rid=610 Oregon Public School Enrollment Increases during 2007-08.] Oregon Department of Education. Retrieved on March 28, 2008.</ref>
  
 
=== Colleges and universities ===
 
=== Colleges and universities ===

Revision as of 01:48, 14 November 2008

Template:US state Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon is located on the Pacific coast between Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern boundaries, respectively.

The valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon is the most densely populated and agriculturally productive region of the state and is home to eight of the ten most populous cities.

Oregon has one of the largest salmon-fishing industries in the world, although ocean fisheries have reduced the river fisheries in recent years. Tourism is also strong in the state; Oregon's evergreen mountain forests, waterfalls, pristine lakes (including Crater Lake National Park), and scenic beaches draw visitors year round.

Oregon enjoys a diverse landscape including a scenic and windswept Pacific coastline, the volcanoes of a rugged and glaciated Cascade Mountain Range, dense evergreen forests, and high desert across much of the eastern portion of the state. The towering redwoods along the rainy western Oregon coast provide a dramatic contrast with the lower-density and fire-prone pine tree and juniper forests covering portions of the eastern half of the state. The eastern portion also includes semi-arid scrublands, prairies, deserts, and meadows. These drier areas stretch east from Central Oregon. Mount Hood is the highest point in the state at 11,239 feet (3,425 m) above sea-level. Crater Lake National Park is the only National Park in Oregon.

Name

The origin of the name "Oregon" is unknown. One theory is that French explorers called the Columbia River "Hurricane River" (le fleuve aux ouragans), because of the strong winds of the Columbia Gorge.

One account, endorsed as the "most plausible explanation" in the book Oregon Geographic Names, was advanced by George R. Stewart in a 1944 article in American Speech. According to Stewart, the name came from an engraver's error in a French map published in the early 1700s, on which the Ouisiconsink (Wisconsin) River was spelled "Ouaricon-sint," broken on two lines with the -sint below, so that there appeared to be a river flowing to the west named "Ouaricon."

According to the Oregon Tourism Commission (also known as Travel Oregon), present-day Oregonians pronounce the state's name as "OR-UH-GUN never OR-EE-GONE".[1]

Geography

Oregon's geography may be split roughly into seven areas:

  • Oregon Coast—west of the Coast Range
  • Willamette Valley
  • Rogue Valley
  • Cascade Mountains
  • Klamath Mountains
  • Columbia River Plateau
  • Basin and Range Region
An aerial View of Crater Lake in Oregon

The mountainous regions of western Oregon were formed by the volcanic activity of Juan de Fuca Plate, a tectonic plate that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region. The most recent major activity was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake; Washington's Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, an event which was visible from Portland.

Nearly half of Oregon's land is held by the National Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.[2]
Mount Hood, with Trillium Lake in the foreground.

The Columbia River, which constitutes much of the northern border of Oregon, also played a major role in the region's geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development. The Columbia is one of North America's largest rivers, and the only river to cut through the Cascades. About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the Missoula Floods; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely a result of those floods. Plentiful salmon made parts of the river, such as Celilo Falls, hubs of economic activity for thousands of years. In the 20th century, numerous hydroelectric dams were constructed along the Columbia, with major impacts on salmon, transportation and commerce, electric power, and flood control.

Southern view of the Oregon coast from Ecola State Park, with Haystack Rock in the distance.

Today, Oregon's landscape varies from rainforest in the Coast Range to barren desert in the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a frontier.

Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south at longest distance, and 395 miles (636 km) east to west at longest distance. In terms of land and water area, Oregon is the ninth largest state, covering 98,381 square miles (254,810 km²).[3]

The highest point in Oregon is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,239 feet (3,428 m), and its lowest point is sea level of the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon coast.[4] Its mean elevation is 3,300 feet (1,006 m). Crater Lake National Park is the state's only National Park, and the site of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet (592 m).[5] Oregon claims the D River is the shortest river in the world,[6] though the American state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River.[7] Oregon is also home to Mill Ends Park (in Portland),[8] the smallest park in the world at 452 square inches (0.29 m²).

Oregon is home to what is considered the largest single organism in the world, an Armillaria ostoyae fungus beneath the Malheur National Forest of eastern Oregon.[9]

Sunset over Malheur Butte near Vale, Oregon.
Map of Oregon's population density.
Portland

Oregon's population is largely concentrated in the Willamette Valley, which stretches from Eugene in the south (home of the University of Oregon, second largest city in Oregon) through Corvallis (home of Oregon State University) and Salem (the capital, third largest) to Portland (Oregon's largest city). Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River, was the first permanent English-speaking settlement west of the Rockies in what is now the United States.

Climate

Oregon's climate—especially in the western part of the state—is heavily influenced by the Pacific Ocean. The climate is generally mild, but periods of extreme hot and cold can affect parts of the state. Precipitation in the state varies widely: the deserts of eastern Oregon, such as the Alvord Desert (in the rain shadow of Steens Mountain), get as little as 200 mm (8 inches) annually, while some western coastal slopes approach 5000 mm (200 inches) annually. Oregon's population centers, which lie mostly in the western part of the state, are generally moist and mild, while the lightly populated high deserts of Central and Eastern Oregon are much drier.

History

Map of Oregon Country

Human habitation of the Pacific Northwest began at least 15,000 years ago, with the oldest evidence of habitation in Oregon found at Fort Rock Cave and the Paisley Caves in Lake County. Archaeologist Luther Cressman dated material from Fort Rock to 13,200 years ago.[10] By 8000 B.C.E. there were settlements throughout the state, with populations concentrated along the lower Columbia River, in the western valleys, and around coastal estuaries.

By the sixteenth century Oregon was home to many Native American groups, including the Bannock, Chasta, Chinook, Kalapuya, Klamath, Molalla, Nez Perce, Takelma, and Umpqua.[11][12][13][14]

James Cook explored the coast in 1778 in search of the Northwest Passage. The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through the region during their expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase. They built their winter fort at Fort Clatsop, near the mouth of the Columbia River. Exploration by Lewis and Clark (1805–1806) and the United Kingdom's David Thompson (1811) publicized the abundance of fur-bearing animals in the area. Also in 1811, New Yorker John Jacob Astor financed the establishment of Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River as a western outpost to his Pacific Fur Company;[15] this was the first permanent Caucasian settlement in Oregon.

In the War of 1812, the British gained control of all of the Pacific Fur Company posts. By the 1820s and 1830s, the Hudson's Bay Company dominated the Pacific Northwest from its Columbia District headquarters at Fort Vancouver (built in 1825 by the District's Chief Factor John McLoughlin across the Columbia from present-day Portland).

In 1841, the master trapper and entrepreneur Ewing Young died leaving considerable wealth and no apparent heir, and no system to probate his estate. A meeting followed Young's funeral at which a probate government was proposed. The meetings that followed were precursors to an all-citizen meeting in 1843, which instituted a provisional government headed by an executive committee. This government was the first acting public government of the Oregon Country before annexation by the government of the United States.

The Oregon Trail brought many new settlers to the region, starting in 1842–1843, after the United States agreed with the United Kingdom to jointly settle the Oregon Country. For some time, it seemed that these two nations would go to war for a third time in 75 years, but the border was defined peacefully in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty. The border between the United States and British North America was set at the 49th parallel. The Oregon Territory was officially organized in 1848.

Settlement increased because of the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, in conjunction with the forced relocation of the Native American population to reservations. The state was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, regular U.S. troops were withdrawn and sent east. Volunteer cavalry were recruited in California and sent north to Oregon to keep peace and protect the populace. The First Oregon Cavalry served until June 1865.

In the 1880s, the proliferation of railroads assisted in marketing the state's lumber and wheat, as well as the more rapid growth of its cities.

Industrial expansion began in earnest following the construction of the Bonneville Dam in 1933-1937 on the Columbia River. Hydroelectric power, food, and lumber provided by Oregon helped fuel the development of the West, although the periodic fluctuations in the U.S. building industry have hurt the state's economy on multiple occasions.

The state has a long history of polarizing conflicts: American Indians vs. British fur trappers, British vs. U.S. settlers, ranchers vs. farmers, wealthy growing cities vs. established but poor rural areas, loggers vs. environmentalists, white supremacists vs. anti-racists, social progressivism vs. small-government conservatism, supporters of social spending vs. anti-tax activists, and native Oregonians vs. Californians (or outsiders in general). Oregonians also have a long history of secessionist ideas, with people in various regions and on all sides of the political spectrum attempting to form other states and even other countries.

In 1902, Oregon introduced a system of direct legislation by the state’s citizens by way of initiative and referendum, known as the Oregon System. Oregon state ballots often include politically conservative proposals side-by-side with politically liberal ones, illustrating the wide spectrum of political thought in the state.

Law and government

The flags of the United States and Oregon flown side-by-side in downtown Portland.

State government

Oregon state government has three branches, called departments by the state's constitution:

  • a legislative department (the bicameral Oregon Legislative Assembly),
  • an executive department, which includes an "administrative department" and Oregon's governor serving as chief executive, and
  • a judicial department, headed by the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.

Governors in Oregon serve four-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms, but an unlimited number of total terms. Oregon has no lieutenant governor; in the event that the office of governor is vacated, the Secretary of State is first in line for succession.[16] The other statewide officers are Treasurer, Attorney General, Superintendent, and Labor Commissioner.

The biennial Oregon Legislative Assembly consists of a 30-member Senate and a 60-member House. The state supreme court has seven elected justices, currently including the only two openly gay state supreme court justices in the nation. They choose one of their own to serve a six-year term as Chief Justice. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.

The debate over whether to move to annual sessions is a long-standing battle in Oregon politics, but the voters have resisted the move from citizen legislators to professional lawmakers. Because Oregon's state budget is written in two-year increments and its revenue is based largely on income taxes, it is often significantly over- or under-budget. Recent legislatures have had to be called into special session repeatedly to address revenue shortfalls.

Oregonians have voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1988. In 2004 and 2006, Democrats won control of the state Senate and then the House. Since the late 1990s, Oregon has been represented by four Democrats and one Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, and by one U.S. senator from each party. Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski defeated Republicans in 2002 and 2006, defeating conservative Kevin Mannix and the more moderate Ron Saxton respectively.

The base of Democratic support is largely concentrated in the urban centers of the Willamette Valley. In both 2000 and 2004, the Democratic presidential candidate won Oregon, but did so with majorities in only eight of Oregon's 36 counties. The eastern two-thirds of the state beyond the Cascade Mountains often votes Republican; in 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush carried every county east of the Cascades. However, the region's sparse population means that the more populous counties in the Willamette Valley usually carry the day in statewide elections.

Oregon State Capitol

Oregon's politics are largely similar to those of neighboring Washington, for instance in the contrast between urban and rural issues.

In the 2004 general election, Oregon voters passed ballot measures banning gay marriage, and restricting land use regulation. In the 2006 general election, voters restricted the use of eminent domain and extended the state's discount prescription drug coverage.

The distribution, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages are regulated in the state by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Thus, Oregon is an alcoholic beverage control state. While wine and beer are available in most grocery stores, comparatively few stores sell hard liquor.

Racial discrimination

Entering the Union at a time when the status of African Americans was very much in question, and wishing to stay out of the looming conflict between the Union and Confederate States, Oregon banned African Americans from moving into the state in the vote to adopt its Constitution (1858). This ban was not officially lifted until 1925; in 2002, additional language now considered racist was struck from the Oregon Constitution by the voters of Oregon.

The historical policies of racial discrimination have had long-term effects on Oregon's population. A 1994 report from an Oregon Supreme Court task force found minorities more likely to be arrested, charged, convicted, incarcerated, and on probation than "similarly situated nonminorities."[17] The report does not place blame on individuals, but instead points out the problems of institutional racism. The report recommends multicultural training of the existing justice system personnel and also recommends diversifying the perspectives, backgrounds, and demographics of future hires.

Politics

Oregon voter registration by party, 1950–2006

During Oregon's history it has adopted many electoral reforms proposed during the Progressive Era, through the efforts of William S. U'Ren and his Direct Legislation League. Under his leadership, the state overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in 1902 that created the initiative and referendum processes for citizens to directly introduce or approve proposed laws or amendments to the state constitution, making Oregon the first state to adopt such a system. Today, roughly half of U.S. states do so.[18] In following years, the primary election to select party candidates was adopted in 1904, and in 1908 the Oregon constitution was amended to include recall of public officials. More recent amendments include the nation's only doctor-assisted suicide law,[19] called the Death with Dignity law (which was challenged, unsuccessfully, in 2005 by the Bush administration in a case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court), legalization of medical cannabis, and among the nation's strongest anti-urban sprawl and pro-environment laws. More recently, 2004's Measure 37 reflects a backlash against such land use laws. However, a further ballot measure in 2007, Measure 49, curtailed many of the provisions of 37.

Of the measures placed on the ballot since 1902, the people have passed 99 of the 288 initiatives and 25 of the 61 referendums on the ballot, though not all of them survived challenges in courts. During the same period, the legislature has referred 363 measures to the people, of which 206 have passed.

Oregon pioneered the American use of postal voting, beginning with experimentation authorized by the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1981 and culminating with a 1998 ballot measure mandating that all counties conduct elections by mail.

Oregon has supported Democratic candidates in the last six presidential elections. Democrat Barack Obama won the state in 2008 by a margin of 14 percentage points, with 56 percent of the popular vote.

Economy

The Oregon State version of the U.S. quarter features Crater Lake

.

A grain elevator storing grass seed, one of the state's largest crops.

The fertile land in the Willamette Valley is the source of a wealth of agricultural products, including potatoes, peppermint, hops, apples and other fruits.

Oregon is one of four major hazelnut-growing regions in the world and produces 95 percent of the domestic hazelnuts in the United States. While the history of the wine production in Oregon can be traced to before Prohibition, it became a significant industry beginning in the 1970s. In 2005, Oregon ranked third among U.S. states with 303 wineries.[20] Due to regional similarities in climate and soil, the grapes planted in Oregon are often the same varieties found in the French regions of Alsace and Burgundy. In the northeastern region of the state, particularly around Pendleton, both irrigated and dry land wheat is grown. Oregon farmers and ranchers also produce cattle, sheep, dairy products, eggs and poultry.

Vast forests have historically made Oregon one of the nation's major timber production and logging states, but forest fires (such as the Tillamook Burn), over-harvesting, and lawsuits over the proper management of the extensive federal forest holdings have reduced the amount of timber produced. Even the shift in recent years toward finished goods such as paper and building materials has not slowed the decline of the timber industry in the state. The effects of this decline have included the decline of former lumber company towns. Despite these changes, Oregon still leads the United States in softwood lumber production.

High-technology industries and services have been a major employer since the 1970s. Tektronix was the largest private employer in Oregon until the late 1980s. Intel's creation and expansion of several facilities in eastern Washington County continued the growth that Tektronix had started. Intel, the state's largest private employer, operates four large facilities. The spinoffs and startups that were produced by these two companies led to the establishment in that area of the so-called Silicon Forest. The recession and dot-com bust of 2001 hit the region hard; many high-technology employers reduced the number of their employees or went out of business. Recently, biotechnology giant Genentech purchased several acres of land in Hillsboro in an effort to expand its production capabilities.[21]

Oregon is also the home of large corporations in other industries. The world headquarters of Nike, Inc. is located near Beaverton.

Oregon has one of the largest salmon-fishing industries in the world, although ocean fisheries have reduced the river fisheries in recent years. Tourism is also strong in the state; Oregon's evergreen mountain forests, waterfalls, pristine lakes (including Crater Lake National Park), and scenic beaches draw visitors year round.

Oregon is home to a number of smaller breweries, and Portland has the largest number of breweries of any city in the world.[22]

Portland reportedly has more strip clubs per capita than both Las Vegas and San Francisco.[23]

Oregon's gross state product is $132.66 billion as of 2006, making it the 27th largest GSP in the nation.[24]

Oregon is one of only five states that have no sales tax.[25] Oregon voters have been resolute in their opposition to a sales tax, voting proposals down each of the nine times they have been presented.[26] The last vote, for 1993's Measure 1, was defeated by a 72–24% margin.[27]

The state also has a minimum corporate tax of only $10 per year, amounting to 5.6% of the General Fund in the 2005–2007 biennium.[28] As a result, the state relies almost entirely on property and income taxes for its revenue. Oregon has the fifth highest personal income tax per person in the nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Oregon ranked 41st out of the 50 states in taxes per person in 2005.[29] The average paid of $1,791.45 is higher than only nine other states.[29]

Oregon is one of six states with a revenue limit.[30] The "kicker law" stipulates that when income tax collections exceed state economists' estimates by 2 percent or more, all of the excess must be returned to taxpayers.[31] Since the inception of the law in 1979, refunds have been issued for seven of the eleven biennia.[32] In 2000, Ballot Measure 86 converted the "kicker" law from statute to the Oregon Constitution, and changed some of its provisions.

Federal payments to county governments, which were granted to replace timber revenue when logging in National Forests was restricted in the 1990s, have been under threat of suspension for several years. This issue dominates the future revenue of rural counties, which have come to rely on the payments in providing essential services.[33]

55% of state revenues are spent on public education, 23% on human services (child protective services, Medicaid, and senior services), 17% on public safety, and 5% on other services.[34]

Demographics

Source: Population Research Center[35]

As of 2005, Oregon has an estimated population of 3,641,056, which is an increase of 49,693, or 1.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 219,620, or 6.4%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 75,196 people (that is 236,557 births minus 161,361 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 150,084 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 72,263 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 77,821 people.

More than 42% of the state's population lives in the Portland Metropolitan area.

As of 2004, Oregon's population included 309,700 foreign-born residents (accounting for 8.7% of the state population) and an estimated 90,000 illegal immigrants (2.5% of the state population).

Population Growth by County, 2000-2007. Green counties grew faster than the national average, while purple counties grew more slowly or, in a few cases, lost population.
Demographics of Oregon (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 93.45% 2.17% 2.54% 3.75% 0.48%
2000 (Hispanic only) 7.63% 0.17% 0.32% 0.10% 0.05%
2005 (total population) 92.95% 2.38% 2.44% 4.25% 0.50%
2005 (Hispanic only) 9.38% 0.24% 0.34% 0.11% 0.05%
Growth 2000-2005 (total population) 5.85% 16.64% 2.45% 20.78% 10.87%
Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only) 3.63% 13.63% 0.62% 20.75% 10.26%
Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only) 30.84% 52.63% 15.25% 21.84% 16.42%

The largest reported ancestry groups in Oregon are: German (20.5%), English (13.2%), Irish (11.9%), American (6.2%), and Mexican (5.5%). Most Oregon counties are inhabited principally by residents of European ancestry. Concentrations of Mexican-Americans are highest in Malheur and Jefferson counties.

Oregon ranks 16th highest for population that is "white alone," with 86.1% in 2006.[36]

6.5% of Oregon's population were reported as less than 5 years old, 24.7% under 18, and 12.8% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.4% of the population.

Religion

The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 348,239; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 104,312; and the Assemblies of God with 49,357.[37]

Of the U.S. states, Oregon has the fourth largest percentage of people identifying themselves as "non-religious," at 21 percent, after Colorado, Washington, and Vermont.[38] However, 75-79% of Oregonians identify themselves as being Christian [1], and some hold deeply conservative convictions. During much of the 1990s a group of conservative Christians formed the Oregon Citizens Alliance, and unsuccessfully tried to pass legislation to prevent "gay sensitivity training" in public schools and legal benefits for homosexual couples.[39]

Oregon also contains the largest community of Russian Old Believers to be found in the United States.[40] Additionally, Oregon, particularly the Portland metropolitan area, has become known as a center of non-mainstream spirituality. The Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association, reported to be the largest such institution of its kind, is headquartered in Portland, and the popular New Age film What the Bleep Do We Know? was filmed and had its premiere in Portland. There are an estimated 6 to 10 thousand Muslims of various ethnic backgrounds in Oregon.[41]

2000–2003 population trends

Estimates released September 2004 show double-digit growth in Latino and Asian American populations since the 2000 Census. About 60% of the 138,197 new residents come from ethnic and racial minorities. Asian growth is located mostly in the metropolitan areas of Portland, Salem, Medford and Eugene; Hispanic population growth is across the state.

Education

Primary and secondary

As of 2005, there were 199 public school districts.[42] The five largest as of 2007 were: Portland Public Schools (46,262 students), Salem-Keizer School District (40,106), Beaverton School District (37,821), Hillsboro School District (20,401), and Eugene School District (18,025).[43]

Colleges and universities

OSU's Bell Tower.

The state has 199 public school districts, with Portland Public Schools as the largest. There are 17 community colleges, and seven publicly financed colleges in the Oregon University System. Oregon State University in Corvallis and the University of Oregon in Eugene are the two flagship universities of the state, while Portland State University has the largest enrollment.

Oregon State University is located in Corvallis holds the distinction of being the state's flagship in science, engineering and agricultural research and academics.

The state has three regional universities: Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Southern Oregon University in Ashland, and Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. Portland State University is Oregon's largest. The Oregon Institute of Technology has its campus in Klamath Falls. The affiliate Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) comprises a medical, dental, and nursing school in Portland and a science and engineering school in Hillsboro.

Oregon has historically struggled to fund higher education. Recently, Oregon has cut its higher education budget over 2002–2006 and now Oregon ranks 46th in the country in state spending per student. However, 2007 legislation forced tuition increases to cap at 3% per year, and funded the OUS far beyond the requested governor's budget.[44] The state also supports 17 community colleges. Oregon is home to a wide variety of private colleges.

The Rose Garden, home of the Portland Trail Blazers

State symbols

The Oregon-grape, Oregon's state flower.
Columbia River Gorge near Crown Point, Oregon, looking upstream into the gorge, past the Vista House, from Portland Women's Forum Viewpoint (Chanticleer Point

Oregon has 23 official state symbols.[45] They are:

State flower: Oregon-grape (since 1899)
State song: "Oregon, My Oregon" (written in 1920 and adopted in 1927)
State bird: Western Meadowlark (chosen by the state's children in 1927)
State tree: Douglas-fir (since 1939)
State fish: Chinook salmon (since 1961)
State rock: Thunderegg (like a geode but formed in a rhyolitic lava flow; since 1965)
State animal: American Beaver (since 1969)
State dance: Square dance (Adopted in 1977)
State insect: Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio oregonius; since 1979)
State fossil: Metasequoia (since 2005)
State gemstone: Oregon sunstone, a type of feldspar (since 1987)
State nut: Hazelnut (sometimes called the Filbert) (since 1989)
State seashell: Oregon hairy triton (Fusitriton oregonensis, a gastropod in the ranellidae family; since 1991)
State mushroom: Pacific Golden Chanterelle (since 1999)
State beverage: Milk (since 1997)
State fruit: Pear (since 2005)
State motto: Alis Volat Propriis, Latin for "She Flies With Her Own Wings" (since 1987; This was the original motto of Oregon, but had been changed to "The Union" in 1957.)[46]
State hostess: Miss Oregon (since 1969)
State team: Portland Trail Blazers of 1990–1991 (since 1991)
State father: Dr. John McLoughlin (since 1957)[47]
State mother: Tabitha Brown (since 1987)[47]
Statehood pageant: Champoeg Historical Pageant (since 1987)
State nickname: Beaver State

Notes

  1. Oregon Fast Facts
  2. Western States Data Public Land Acreage
  3. United States—States; and Puerto Rico: GCT-PH1-R. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 28, 2008.
  4. Elevations and Distances in the United States. U.S Geological Survey (29 April 2005). Retrieved November 7, 2006.
  5. Crater Lake National Park. U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
  6. D River State Recreation Site. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
  7. World's Shortest River. Travel Montana. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
  8. Mill Ends Park. Portland Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
  9. Beale, Bob. 10 April 2003. Humungous fungus: world's largest organism? at Environment & Nature News, ABC Online. Accessed January 2, 2007.
  10. Robbins, William G. (2005). Oregon: This Storied Land. Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0987595-286-0. 
  11. Oregon History: Great Basin. Oregon Blue Book. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  12. Oregon History: Northwest Coast. Oregon Blue Book. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  13. Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde: Culture. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  14. Oregon History: Columbia Plateau. Oregon Blue Book. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  15. Loy, Willam G. and Stuart Allan, Aileen R. Buckley, James E. Meecham (2001). Atlas of Oregon. University of Oregon Press, 12–13. ISBN 0-87114-102-7. 
  16. Constitution of Oregon (Article V). Oregon Blue Book. State of Oregon (2007). Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  17. Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Oregon Justice System. The Oregon Supreme Court Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Issues in the Judicial System. Accessed 8 March, 2008.
  18. State Initiative and Referendum Summary. State Initiative & Referendum Institute at USC. Retrieved 2006-11-27.
  19. Eighth Annual Report on Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act (PDF). Oregon Department of Human Services (March 9, 2006). Retrieved 2007-06-11.
  20. Industry Facts (PDF). Oregon Winegrowers Association. Retrieved 2006-11-23.
  21. Genentech Selects Hillsboro. Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  22. Oregon's Beer Week gets under way.. Knight-Ridder Tribune News Service (2005-07-05). Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  23. Moore, Adam S.; Beck, Byron (November 8, 2004). Bump and Grind. Willamette Week. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
  24. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, 2006. Bureau of Economic Analysis - U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  25. State Sales Tax Rates. Federation of Tax Administrators (January 1, 2008). Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  26. 25th Anniversary Issue: 1993. Willamette Week. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
  27. Initiative, Referendum and Recall: 1988–1995. Oregon Blue Book. State of Oregon. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
  28. Charles, "As Maryland Goes, So Should Oregon", Salem News, March 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  29. 29.0 29.1 Oregon ranks 41st in taxes per capita (html). Portland Business Journal (March 31, 2006). Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  30. Oregon's 2% Kicker (PDF). Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  31. Cain, Brad (March 2, 2006). Kicker tax rebate eyed to help school and state budgets. KATU.com. Retrieved 2006-06-10.
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Coordinates: 44°00′N 120°30′W / 44, -120.5

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