Discover

(//) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon borders the Pacific Ocean on the west, Washington on the north, Idaho on the east, and California and Nevada on the south. The Columbia and Snake Rivers form, respectively, much of its northern and eastern borders. Between two north-south mountain ranges in western Oregon—the Oregon Coast Range and the Cascade Mountain Range—lies the Willamette Valley, the most densely populated and agriculturally productive region of the state.
Oregon has one of the most diverse landscapes of any state in the U.S. It is well known for its tall, dense forests; its accessible and scenic Pacific coastline; and its rugged, glaciated Cascade volcanoes. Other areas include semiarid scrublands, prairies, and deserts that cover approximately half the state in eastern and north-central Oregon.
Oregon's population in 2000 was about 3.5 million, a 20.3% increase over 1990. It is estimated to have reached 3.7 million by 2006.^[2]

Contents

History

Name of the state

Geography

Major cities and towns

Climate

Law and government

State government

Federal government

Elections

Economy

Taxes and budgets

Demographics

Religion

2000–2003 population trends

Education

Colleges and universities

Public

Private

Community colleges

Sports

State symbols

References

Further reading

External links

History

Although there is considerable evidence that humans lived in the Pacific Northwest 15,000 years ago, the first record of human activity in present day Oregon came from archaeologist Luther Cressman's 1938 discovery of sage bark sandals near Fort Rock Cave that places human habitation in Oregon as early as 13,200 years ago.^[3] By 8000 B.C. there were settlements across the state, with the majority concentrated along the lower Columbia River, in the western valleys, and around coastal estuaries.
By the 16th century Oregon was home to many Native American tribes, including the Bannock, Chasta, Chinook, Kalapuya, Klamath, Molalla, Nez Perce, and Umpqua.^[4][5][6][7]
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. In 1811, New York financier John Jacob Astor established Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River as a western outpost to his Pacific Fur Company.^[8] Fort Astoria was the first permanent white 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, their 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 with considerable wealth, with no apparent heir, and no system to probate his estate. A meeting followed Young's funeral at which a probate government was proposed. Doctor Ira L. Babcock of Jason Lee's Methodist Mission was elected Supreme Judge. Babcock chaired two meetings in 1842 at Champoeg (half way between Lee's mission and Oregon City) to discuss wolves and other animals of contemporary concern. These meetings were precursors to an all-citizen meeting in 1843, which instituted a provisional government headed by an executive committee made up of David Hill, Alanson Beers, and Joseph Gale. This government was the first acting public government of the Oregon Country before American annexation.

The Oregon Trail infused the region with new settlers, starting in 1842–1843, after the United States agreed to jointly settle the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom. The border was resolved in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty after a period during which it seemed that the United States and the United Kingdom would go to war for a third time in 75 years. Cooler heads prevailed, and the Oregon boundary dispute 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 population to Indian reservations in Oregon. The state was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859.
At the outbreak of the American Civil War, regular U.S. troops were withdrawn and sent east. Volunteer cavalry were recruited in California and were 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 of 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 1943 on the Columbia River. The power, food, and lumber provided by Oregon helped fuel the development of the West, although the periodic fluctuations in the nation's building industry have hurt the state's economy on multiple occasions.
The state has a long history of polarizing conflicts: Native Americans vs. British fur trappers, British vs. settlers from the U.S., 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, ranging from varying parts of the population on all sides of the political spectrum attempting to form other states and even other countries. (See: State of Jefferson, State of Klamath, State of Shasta, Cascadia and Ecotopia.)
Oregon state ballots often include politically conservative proposals (e.g. anti-gay, pro-religious measures) side-by-side with politically liberal ones (e.g. drug decriminalization), illustrating the wide spectrum of political thought in the state.

Name of the state

Main articles: Oregon (toponym)

The origin of the name "Oregon" is unknown. One account, advanced by George R. Stewart in a 1944 article in American Speech, was endorsed as the "most plausible explanation" in the book ''Oregon Geographic Names''. 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". Other theories find the roots in the Spanish language, from words like Orejón ("big ear") or Aragón.
The pronunciation of the name "Oregon" is a matter of local pride; Oregonians (pronounced or-i-GO-nee-inz^[9]) pronounce the name as / (see also: IPA), and dutifully correct those from elsewhere, who often emphasize the third syllable.^[10][11]

Geography

National parks and historic areas in Oregon

Entity	Location
Crater Lake National Park	Southern Oregon
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument	Eastern Oregon
Newberry National Volcanic Monument	Eastern Oregon
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument	Southern Oregon
Oregon Caves National Monument	Southern Oregon
California National Historic Trail	Southern Oregon, California
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site	Western Oregon, Washington
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail	IL, MO, KS, IA, NE, SD, ND, MT, ID, 'OR', WA
Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks	Western Oregon, Washington
Nez Perce National Historical Park	MT, ID, 'OR', WA
Oregon National Historic Trail	MO, KS, NE, WY, ID, 'OR'

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
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.
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.

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 97,073 square miles (251,418 km²).
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. 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).^[12]
Oregon claims the D River is the shortest river in the world,^[13] though the American state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River.^[14] Oregon is also home to Mill Ends Park (in Portland)^[15], the smallest park in the world at 452 square inches (about 3 square feet, or 0.29 m²).

Major cities and towns

Map of Oregon's population density.

'Ten Most Populous Cities in Oregon'[16]
'City'	'Population'
1. Portland	562,690
2. Salem	149,305
3. Eugene	148,595
4. Gresham	97,745
5. Hillsboro	84,445
6. Beaverton	84,270
7. Bend	75,290
8. Medford	73,960
9. Springfield	57,065
10. Corvallis	53,900

Oregon's population is largely concentrated in the Willamette Valley, which stretches from Eugene (home of the University of Oregon, 3rd largest city) through Salem (the capital, 2nd largest) and Corvallis (home of Oregon State University) to Portland (Oregon's largest city.)^[17]
Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River, was the first permanent settlement west of Rockies. Oregon City was the Oregon Territory's first incorporated city, and its first capital (from 1848 until 1852, when the capital was moved to Salem.) It was also the end of the Oregon Trail and the site of the first public library established west of the Rocky Mountains, stocked with only 300 volumes. Bend, near the geographic center of the state, is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States.^[18] To the Southern part of the state, the Medford area is a rapidly growing metro area and culturally rich part of the state. It it home to The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport, the third busiest airport in the state. Further to the south, near the California-Oregon border, is the community of Ashland, home of the Tony Award winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

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 wet and soggy, while the high deserts of Central and Eastern Oregon are much drier.

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Oregon Cities^[19]

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Astoria	48/37	51/38	53/39	56/41	60/45	64/50	67/53	68/53	68/50	61/44	53/40	48/37
Burns	35/14	40/19	49/25	57/29	66/36	75/41	85/46	84/44	75/35	62/26	45/21	35/15
Eugene	46/33	51/35	56/37	61/39	67/43	73/47	82/51	82/51	77/47	65/40	52/37	46/33
Medford	47/31	54/33	58/36	64/39	72/44	81/50	90/55	90/55	84/48	70/40	53/35	45/31
Pendleton	40/27	46/31	55/35	62/40	70/46	79/52	88/58	87/57	77/50	64/41	48/34	40/28
Portland	46/34	50/36	56/39	60/42	67/48	73/53	79/57	80/57	75/52	63/45	52/40	45/35
Salem	47/34	51/35	56/37	61/39	68/44	74/48	82/52	82/52	77/48	64/41	52/38	46/34

Law and government

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

The Oregon Country functioned as an independent republic with a three-person executive office and a chief executive until August 13,1848, when Oregon was annexed by the United States, at which time a territorial government was established. Oregon maintained a territorial government until February 14, 1859, when it was granted statehood.^[20]

State government

Oregon state government has a separation of powers similar to the federal government. It 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. The Secretary of State serves as Lieutenant Governor for statutory purposes. The other statewide officers are Treasurer, Attorney General, Superintendent, and Labor Commissioner. The biennial Oregon Legislative Assembly consists of a thirty-member Senate and a sixty-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, having no sales tax, 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 resulting from economic downturns, bringing to a head the need for more frequent legislative sessions.
The state maintains formal relationships with the nine federally recognized tribal governments in Oregon:

★ Burns Paiute Tribe

★ Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians

★ Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde

★ Confederated Tribes of Siletz

★ Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

★ Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

★ Coquille Tribe

★ Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians

★ Klamath Tribes
Oregon is currently seen as a moderate Democratic-leaning state, which has voted for that party in every presidential election since 1988. The base of Democratic support is highly concentrated in the urban centers of the Willamette Valley, as illustrated by the last two Presidential elections: in both 2000 and 2004, the Democratic candidate won Oregon, but did so with majorities in only eight of Oregon's 36 counties. Governor Ted Kulongoski defeated Republicans in 2002 and 2006, defeating conservative Kevin Mannix and the more moderate Ron Saxton respectively. Also in the 2006 elections, Democrats gained fours seats in the Oregon House of Representatives, earning a majority in that house for the first time since the 1990s, and retained majorities in the Oregon State Senate, and in its Congressional delegation.

Oregon's 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.^[21]
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.
Entering the Union at a time when the status of "Negroes" 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.

Federal government

Like all U.S. states, Oregon is represented by two U.S. Senators. Since the 1980 census Oregon has had five Congressional districts.
After Oregon was admitted to the Union, it began with a single member in the House of Representatives (La Fayette Grover, who served in the 35th United States Congress for less than a month). Congressional apportionment led to the addition of new members following the censuses of 1890, 1910, 1940, and 1980. A detailed list of the past and present Congressional delegations from Oregon is available.
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon hears Federal cases in the state. Oregon (among other western states and territories) is in the 9th judicial circuit.

Elections

Oregon 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.^[22]
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,^[23] 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 marijuana, and among the nation's strongest anti-sprawl and pro-environment laws. More recently, 2004's Measure 37 reflects a backlash against such land use laws.
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 (see ''Pierce v. Society of Sisters'', for an example). 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.
In the U.S. Electoral College, Oregon casts seven votes. Oregon has supported Democratic candidates in the last five elections. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry won the state in 2004 by a margin of four percentage points, with 51.4% of the popular vote.

Economy

The Oregon State Quarter features Crater Lake.

A warehouse in Halsey storing grass seed, one of the state's largest crops.

Land in the Willamette Valley owes its fertility to the Missoula Floods, which deposited extra soil from Eastern Washington onto the valley floor.Pacific Lowland Mixed Forest This soil is the source of a wealth of agricultural products, including cattle, dairy products, potatoes, peppermint, hops, and apples and other fruits. Irrigation in the Willamette Valley, , Richard M., Highsmith, Jr., Geographical Review, Oregon is also one of four major world hazelnut growing regions, and produces 95% 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.^[24] 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 dryland wheat is grown.
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. According to the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, between 1989 and 2001 the amount of timber harvested from federal lands dropped some 96%, from 4,333 million to 173 million board feet (10,000,000 to 408,000 m³), although harvest levels on private land have remained relatively constant.^[25] Even the shift in recent years towards 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 Weyerhaeuser's acquisition of Portland-based Willamette Industries in January 2002, the relocation of Louisiana Pacific's corporate headquarters from Portland to Nashville, and the decline of former lumber company towns such as Gilchrist. Despite these changes, Oregon still leads the United States in softwood lumber production; in 2001, 6,056 million board feet (14,000,000 m³) was produced in Oregon, compared to 4,257 million board feet (10,050,000 m³). in Washington, 2,731 million board feet (6,444,000 m³) in California, 2,413 million board feet (5,694,000 m³) in Georgia, and 2,327 million board feet (5,491,000 m³) in Mississippi.^[26] The effect of the forest industry crunch is still extensive unemployment in rural Oregon and is a bone of contention between rural and urban Oregon.
Oregon occasionally hosts film shoots. Movies wholly or partially filmed in Oregon include ''The Goonies'', ''National Lampoon's Animal House'', ''Stand By Me'', ''Kindergarten Cop'', ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'', ''Paint Your Wagon'', ''The Hunted'', ''Sometimes a Great Notion'', ''Elephant'', ''Bandits'', ''The Ring'', ''The Ring 2'', ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3'', ''Short Circuit'', ''Come See the Paradise'', ''The Shining'', ''Drugstore Cowboy'', ''My Own Private Idaho'', ''The Postman'', ''Free Willy'', ''Free Willy 2'', ''1941'', and ''Swordfish''. Oregon native Matt Groening, creator of ''The Simpsons'', has incorporated many references from his hometown of Portland into the TV series.^[27] Oregon's scenic coastal and mountain highways are frequently seen in automobile commercials.

'Largest Public Corporations Headquartered in Oregon'[28]
'Corporation'	'Headquarters'	'Market cap'
1. Nike, Inc.	Beaverton	$29,466 million
2. Precision Castparts Corp.	Portland	$16,688
3. FLIR Systems	Wilsonville	$3,066
4. StanCorp Financial Group, Inc.	Portland	$2,802
5. Tektronix	Beaverton	$2,648
6. Columbia Sportswear	Beaverton	$2,493
7. Portland General Electric	Portland	$1,715
9. Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.	Portland	$1,442
9. Umpqua Holdings Corporation	Portland	$1,360
10. Northwest Natural Gas	Portland	$1,246

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, with Ronler Acres, Jones Farm and Hawthorn Farm all located in Hillsboro. 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. OSDL made news in 2004 when they hired Linus Torvalds, developer of the Linux kernel. Recently, biotechnology giant Genentech purchased several acres of land in Hillsboro in an effort to expand its production capabilities.^[29]
Oregon is also the home of large corporations in other industries. The world headquarters of Nike, Inc. are located in Beaverton. Medford is home to two of the largest mail order companies in the country: Harry and David Operations Corp. which sells gift items under several brands, and Musician's Friend, an international catalog and Internet retailer of musical instruments and related products.Medford is also home to the national headquarters of the Fortune 1000 company, Lithia Motors. Portland is home to one of the West's largest trade book publishing houses, Graphic Arts Center Publishing.
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. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, held in Ashland, is a tourist draw which complements the southern region of the state's scenic beauty and opportunity for outdoor activities.
Oregon is home to a number of smaller breweries and Portland has the largest number of breweries of any city in the world.
Oregon's gross state product is $132.66 billion as of 2006, making it the 27th largest GSP in the nation .^[30]

Taxes and budgets

Oregon's biennial state budget, $42.4 billion as of 2007, comprises General Funds, Federal Funds, Lottery Funds, and Other Funds. Personal income taxes account for 88% of the General Fund's projected funds.^[31]
The Lottery Fund, which has grown steadily since the lottery was approved in 1984, exceeded expectations in the 2007 fiscal years, at $604 million.^[32]
Oregon is one of only five states that have no sales tax. House gets behind rainy day fund Oregon voters have been resolute in their opposition to a sales tax, voting proposals down each of the 9 times they have been presented.^[33] The last vote, for 1993's Measure 1, was defeated by a 72–24% margin.^[34]
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; data about what businesses pay the minimum is not available to the public.^[35] As a result, the state relies almost entirely on property and income taxes for its revenue. Oregon has the 5th highest personal income tax per person in the nation. It has the lowest taxes per person of any western state,^[36] and the 9th lowest total tax burden in the nation.^[37]
Some local governments levy sales taxes on services: the city of Ashland, for example, collects a 5% sales tax on prepared food.^[38]
Oregon is one of 6 states with a revenue limit.^[39] 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.^[40] Since the inception of the law in 1979, refunds have been issued for seven of the eleven biennia.^[41] 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 revenues 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.^[42]
Most of state revenues are spent on public education.^[43]

Demographics

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.
The center of population of Oregon is located in Linn County, in the city of Lyons.^[44]
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 aliens (2.5% of the state population).
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.
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

Of the U.S. states, Oregon has the third largest percentage of people identifying themselves as "non-religious" (tied with Colorado at 21 percent), after Washington and Vermont.^[45]

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, and Eugene; Hispanic population growth is across the state.

Education

Colleges and universities

Public

The Oregon University System supports seven public universities and one affiliate in the state. The University of Oregon in Eugene is Oregon's flagship liberal arts institution,^[46] while Oregon State University in Corvallis is the flagship science, engineering and agricultural school. The State also 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 (both graduate-only).
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.^[47]

Private

Oregon is home to a wide variety of private colleges. The University of Portland and Marylhurst University are Catholic institutions in the Portland area. Concordia University, Lewis & Clark College, Multnomah Bible College, Reed College, Warner Pacific College, Cascade College, and the National College of Natural Medicine are also in Portland. Pacific University is in the Portland suburb of Forest Grove.
There are also private colleges further south in the Willamette Valley. McMinnville has Linfield College, while nearby Newberg is home to George Fox University. Salem is home to two private schools, Willamette University (the state's oldest, established during the territorial period) and Corban College. Eugene is home to two private colleges: Northwest Christian College and Eugene Bible College.

Community colleges

The state supports seventeen regional community colleges around the state. They offer community education as well as two-year degrees. Colleges belonging to the state are:

★ Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton

★ Central Oregon Community College in Bend

★ Chemeketa Community College in Salem

★ Clackamas Community College in Oregon City

★ Clatsop Community College in Astoria

★ Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles

★ Klamath Community College in Klamath Falls

★ Lane Community College in Eugene

★ Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, with a campus in Corvallis

★ Mount Hood Community College in Gresham

★ Oregon Coast Community College in Newport

★ Portland Community College in Portland

★ Rogue Community College in Medford and Grants Pass

★ Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay

★ Tillamook Bay Community College in Bay City

★ Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario

★ Umpqua Community College in Roseburg

Sports

The only major professional sports team in Oregon is the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. Traditionally, they have been one of the most successful teams in the NBA in terms of both win-loss record and attendance. However, the team has run into personnel and financial issues in recent seasons, and the team's popularity has declined. The Blazers play in the Rose Garden in Portland's Lloyd District. The Rose Garden's other tenants include the Portland Winter Hawks, a longstanding and popular Western Hockey League team, and the Portland LumberJax, an expansion National Lacrosse League team.
In addition to the Winter Hawks and LumberJax, Portland has two more minor-league sports teams who play at PGE Park. The Portland Timbers of the USL First Division are a very popular soccer team, and the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Portland has actively pursued a Major League Baseball team.
Eugene and Salem also have minor-league baseball teams. The Eugene Emeralds and the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes both play in the Single-A Northwest League. Oregon also has four teams in the fledgling International Basketball League: the Portland Chinooks, Central Oregon Hotshots, Salem Stampede, and the Eugene Chargers.
The Oregon State Beavers and the University of Oregon Ducks football teams meet once a year at the Civil War (college football game) which has been an ongoing tradition since 1894.

State symbols

Oregon has a total of 19 official state symbols.^[48] 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 butterfly (''Papilio oregonius''; since 1979)
:State fossil: Metasequoia (since 2005)
:State gemstone: Oregon sunstone, a type of feldspar (since 1987)
:State nut: Hazelnut (since 1989)
:State seashell: Oregon hairy triton (''Fusitriton oregonensis'', a gastropod in the cymatiidae 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.)^[49]
:State hostess: Miss Oregon (since 1969)
:State team: Portland Trail Blazers of 1990–1991 (since 1991)
:State father: Dr. John McLoughlin (since 1957) Oregon Legislature Kids Page
:State mother: Tabitha Brown (since 1987)

References

1. English as Oregon's official language? It could happen Calvin Hall
2. U.S. Census Bureau - State & County QuickFacts - Oregon
3. Oregon: This Storied Land, , William G., Robbins, Oregon Historical Society Press, , ISBN 0987595-286-0
4. Oregon History: Great Basin
5. Oregon History: Northwest Coast
6. Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde: Culture
7. Oregon History: Columbia Plateau
8. Atlas of Oregon, , Willam G., Loy, University of Oregon Press, , ISBN 0-87114-102-7
9. http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/oregon
10. Occurs among speakers where the horse-hoarse merger has occurred, which include the majority of native Oregonians.
11. Oregon
12. Crater Lake National Park
13. D River State Recreation Site
14. World's Shortest River
15. Mill Ends Park
16. Population Research Center
17. 2004 Population Report
18. Bend web site, quoting U.S. Census 2005.
19. http://www.ustravelweather.com/weather-oregon/
20. A Brief History of the Oregon Territorial Period Oregon Secretary of State
21. See Summary of 2006 ballot measures
22. State Initiative and Referendum Summary
23. Eighth Annual Report on Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act
24. Industry Facts
25. Oregon Forest Facts: 25-Year Harvest History
26. Forest Economics and Employment
27. Matt Groening’s Portland Don Hamilton
28. The Oregonian Top 50 Julie Tripp
29. Genentech Selects Hillsboro
30. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, 2006
31. Government Finance: State Government
32. Your loss is state's record game Janie Har
33. 25th Anniversary Issue : 1993
34. Initiative, Referendum and Recall: 1988–1995
35. As Maryland Goes, So Should Oregon Charles
36. http://www.leg.state.or.us/schrader/pr_020807.pdf
37. 2007 Oregon Public Finance Basic Facts
38. Food and Beverage Tax
39. Oregon's 2% Kicker
40. Kicker tax rebate eyed to help school and state budgets
41. 2 Percent Surplus Refund (Kicker) History
42. County may scrub income tax Matt Cooper
43. 2006 Oregon full-year resident tax form instructions
44. Population and Population Centers by State: 2000
45. American Religious Identification Survey, Key Findings, Exhibit 15 Mayer, Egon
46. [Wood, Shelby Oppel. UO weighs new diversity plan amid simmering racial tensions. The Oregonian, May 1, 2006.]
47. Higher Education Get Higher Priority
48. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 186
49. Oregon State Motto Timeline

Further reading

★ ''Excursion to the Oregon'' by John Kirk Townsend

★ ''New map of Texas, Oregon and California with the regions adjoining, compiled from the more recent authorities'' by Samuel Augustus Mitchell

★ ''Accompaniment to Mitchell's New map of Texas, Oregon, and California, with the regions adjoining'' by Samuel Augustus Mitchell

External links

★ State of Oregon website

★ TravelOregon.com an official website of the Oregon Tourism Commission

★ Oregon Blue Book, the online version of the state's official directory and fact book

★ Oregon Historical Society

★ Oregon History Project

★ USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Oregon

★ U.S. Census Bureau

★ Oregon Newspapers

★ Oregon or the Grave

★ Oregon Economic Community & Development Department

★ County Maps Oregon Full color county maps. List of cities, towns, county seats

★ Oregon State Facts

★ The Oregon Explorer Digital Library of information about Oregon's natural resources