Oregon

Oregon, also known as the Beaver State, entered the Union as the thirty-third state on February 14, 1859. It is the tenth-largest state in America, with a total area of 97,073 square miles (251,418 square kilometers). Located on the Pacific coast of the northwestern United States, Oregon is surrounded by Washington , Idaho , Nevada , California , and the Pacific Ocean.

Historians believe the first European to visit Oregon was Francis Drake (c. 1540–1596) in 1578. In 1778, British captain James Cook (1728–1779) explored the Northwest and named numerous Oregon capes. The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled to Oregon and spent the winter of 1805–6 there. The first permanent white residents established a trading post at the mouth of the Columbia River in 1811, and Oregon became a popular hunting ground for beaver.

Oregon's population grew steadily in the twentieth century and the state became a leading lumber producer. After World War II (1939–45), the state's economy grew due to expansion of the aluminum and tourism industries as well as the development of an electronics industry. Despite these changes, state revenue still remained largely dependent upon Oregon's natural resources.

In the late 1990s, Oregonians suffered from high unemployment rates (the third highest in the nation) because the state had been counting on the construction of high-technology plants to boost the economy. When those plans fell through, poverty rose from less than 10 percent in 1990 to over 15 percent in 1999.

The 1990s saw a decline in logging, which heavily impacted Oregon's rural regions and resulted in a major decrease in tax money for education. By 2003, the state was facing a $2.5 billion budget deficit. Environmental protection had become a major concern as the state's forests were not being renewed or sustained. By 2005, unemployment was still higher than the national average.

Oregon's total population in 2006 was just over 3.7 million. Portland was the biggest city, followed by the capital city of Salem. The population is overwhelmingly white (86.8 percent); 9.9 percent is Hispanic or Latino and 3.6 percent is of Asian descent.

Almost half (48 percent) of Oregon is covered in forests; more than 60 percent of those forests are publicly owned. The state's abundance of natural features and recreational opportunities make it a major tourist attraction. In fact, travel and tourism combined is the state's third-largest employment sector. Visitors enjoy fishing on the coast and in many of the 225 state park systems.