Oklahoma

Nicknamed the "Sooner State," Oklahoma is located in the South Central region of the United States. It is bordered to the East by Arkansas and Missouri, to the North by Kansas, to the Northwest by Colorado, to the far West by New Mexico and to the South by Texas. Dotted with small mountain ranges, forests and stretches of prairie, Oklahoma lies in the Great Plains and U.S. Interior Highlands, a region prone to severe weather conditions.

Fast Facts

1. Capital: Oklahoma City
2. Governor: Brad Henry
3. Population: 3,579,212 (2006)
4. Founded: November 16, 1907
5. Time zones: Central Standard
6. Major cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman
7. Official state items: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (bird), American Buffalo (animal), White or Sand Bass (fish), Mistletoe (flower), Redbud (tree), Rose Rock (rock)
8. Nickname: Sooner State

History

Despite the presence of a native population, Oklahoma was claimed by French explorers in the 1700s. The state remained under French rule until 1803, when the territory was purchased by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

Thousands of Native Americans, removed from their lands in Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, were transported to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. The land was designated "Indian Territory" by the Indian Removal Act of 1830. With an increasingly number of white settlers using the land, a state was eventually formed. On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma was formed from the former Indiana Territory. It was the 46th state to enter the union.

Industry

Oklahoma's economic base is supported by the production of natural gas, oil and food with the aviation, energy, biotechnology and telecommunications industries employing a large percentage of the population. Oklahoma boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the United States, ranking third in per capital income growth.

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