Portal:Oregon

Coordinates: 44°00′N 120°30′W / 44°N 120.5°W / 44; -120.5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Oregon Portal

Oregon
State of Oregon
Map of the United States with Oregon highlighted
Map of the United States with Oregon highlighted

Oregon (/ˈɒrɪɡən, -ɡɒn/ ORR-ih-ghən, -⁠gon) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon is a part of the Western United States, with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada. The western boundary is formed by the Pacific Ocean.

Oregon has been home to many indigenous nations for thousands of years. The first European traders, explorers, and settlers began exploring what is now Oregon's Pacific coast in the early to mid-16th century. As early as 1564, the Spanish began sending vessels northeast from the Philippines, riding the Kuroshio Current in a sweeping circular route across the northern part of the Pacific. In 1592, Juan de Fuca undertook detailed mapping and studies of ocean currents in the Pacific Northwest, including the Oregon coast as well as the strait now bearing his name. The Lewis and Clark Expedition traversed Oregon in the early 1800s, and the first permanent European settlements in Oregon were established by fur trappers and traders. In 1843, an autonomous government was formed in the Oregon Country, and the Oregon Territory was created in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state of the U.S. on February 14, 1859.

Today, with 4.2 million people over 98,000 square miles (250,000 km2), Oregon is the ninth largest and 27th most populous U.S. state. The capital, Salem, is the third-most populous city in Oregon, with 175,535 residents. Portland, with 652,503, ranks as the 26th among U.S. cities. The Portland metropolitan area, which includes neighboring counties in Washington, is the 25th largest metro area in the nation, with a population of 2,512,859. Oregon is also one of the most geographically diverse states in the U.S., marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands. At 11,249 feet (3,429 m), Mount Hood is the state's highest point. Oregon's only national park, Crater Lake National Park, comprises the caldera surrounding Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States. The state is also home to the single largest organism in the world, Armillaria ostoyae, a fungus that runs beneath 2,200 acres (8.9 km2) of the Malheur National Forest. (Full article...)

Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene
Eugene is the county seat of Lane County, Oregon. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about 60 miles (97 km) east of the Oregon Coast. According to the official 2007 population figures Eugene is the second-largest city in Oregon, with an estimated population of 153,690, and the third-largest metropolitan population. Eugene was long the state's second-largest city after Portland, but was overtaken by Salem in terms of population from around 2004 to 2006. Eugene is named after its founder, Eugene Franklin Skinner, who in 1846 erected the first cabin in the area. The first post office was registered on January 8, 1850 and the city was incorporated in 1862. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon's main campus, which is downtown. The city is also noted for its natural beauty, activist political leanings, alternative lifestyles, recreation opportunities (especially bicycling, rafting, and kayaking), and arts focus. Eugene's motto is "The World's Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors." In addition to the university-owned cultural facilities, the city is home to the Hult Center for the Performing Arts and The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts. It is also referred to as "The Emerald Empire," "The Emerald City," "The People's Republic of Eugene," and "Track Town, USA" or "The Track Capital of the World." The Nike corporation had its beginnings in UO's track program. Eugene's largest industries are wood products manufacturing and recreational vehicle manufacturing, and the city is home to the corporate headquarters of employee-owned Bi-Mart.

Selected biography - show another

Paulus in 2008
LeGarrette Montez Blount (born December 5, 1986) is an American football running back in his senior year at the University of Oregon. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons in junior college. He then committed to the Oregon Ducks football program as a junior, for the 2008 season. That year, he ran for over 1,000 yards and scored a school record 17 touchdowns, but he was suspended indefinitely after the conclusion of the season. He was reinstated for the 2009 season by incoming coach Chip Kelly. After the opening game of the 2009 season, Blount was suspended again, after punching an opponent and angrily confronting fans immediately after the nationally televised season-opening loss. Though the suspension was initially announced to last for the entire season, he was reinstated after missing ten games. In his return in the 2009 Civil War, Blount had 9 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.

In this month

<< Previous month Next month >>

More did you know - load new batch

Inside Gill Coliseum
Inside Gill Coliseum

Did you know (auto-generated) - load new batch

General images - load new batch

The following are images from various Oregon-related articles on Wikipedia.

Selected image - show another

The former Galleria and Olds, Wortman and King Department Store
The former Galleria and Olds, Wortman and King Department Store
Credit: Ipoellet

The Galleria shopping center at night in downtown Portland with the Fox Tower in the background. The building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places under its historic name of Olds, Wortman and King Department Store.

Selected quote - show another

Darlene Hooley
Madam Speaker, although much work is left to be done as our communities start to recover from the severe storms that ravaged Oregon and Washington on December 2 and 3, 2007, we can reflect and be grateful for the hard work of the thousands of our fellow Pacific Northwesterners who helped neighbors, families, and complete strangers during the storms and their aftermath. ... We were all shocked by the devastating impact that these storms wreaked on Oregon. More than 10 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period with wind gusts ranging from 60 to 129 miles an hour. ... Thankfully, first responders and ordinary citizens moved quickly to help their fellow Oregonians cope with the storm. ... Selfless Oregonians from across the State came to help in what turned out to be a spectacular response effort. It has been incredible to see the extraordinary efforts of so many.

Selected panorama - show another

Painted Hills in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Painted Hills in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Credit: Cacophony

Main topics

Featured content

Extended content
See also: Good articles relating to Oregon

Featured articles

Featured lists

Good articles

Featured pictures

Featured portals

Picture of the day pictures

Featured topics

Subcategories

Category puzzle
Category puzzle
Select [►] to view subcategories

List articles

Culture

Education

Economy

Geography

Government

History

Law

Media

Natural history

Lighthouse of Cape Meares, Oregon

People

Protected areas

Transportation

State facts

State symbols:

American beaver
Western meadowlark
Chinook salmon
Oregon grape
Oregon Swallowtail butterfly
Douglas fir
Metasequoia
Sunstone
Thunderegg

Related portals

WikiProjects

Things you can do

Extended content
This month's Collaboration of the Month projects: Women's History Month: Create or improve articles for women listed at Oregon Women of Achievement (modern) or Women of the West, Oregon chapter (historical)

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

More portals

Purge server cache

44°00′N 120°30′W / 44°N 120.5°W / 44; -120.5