Oklahoma

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State of Oklahoma

Flag of Oklahoma Seal of Oklahoma Nickname(s): Sooner State Motto(s): Labor omnia vincit
Official language(s)	None
Capital	Oklahoma City
Largest city	Oklahoma City
Area	Ranked 20th
- Total	69,960 sq mi (181,196 km²)
- Width	230 miles (370 km)
- Length	298 miles (480 km)
- % water	1.8
- Latitude	33°35'N to 37°N
- Longitude	94°29'W to 103°W
Population	Ranked 27th
- Total (2000)	3,450,654 [1]
- Density	50.3 [1]/sq mi  30.5/km² (35th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Black Mesa Mountain[2] 4,973 ft  (1,515 m)
- Mean	1,296 ft  (395 m)
- Lowest point	Little River[2] 289 ft  (88 m)
Admission to Union	November 16, 1907 (46th)
Governor	C. Brad Henry (D)
U.S. Senators	James M. Inhofe (R) Thomas A. Coburn (R)
Time zones
- most of state	Central: UTC-6/-5
- Kenton	Mountain: UTC-7/-6
Abbreviations	OK Okla. US-OK
Web site	www.ok.gov

Oklahoma is a state located in the south-central region of the United States. Its nickname is the "Sooner State", and is part of a region commonly known as the American "Heartland." Oklahoma City is the state's capital and largest city. The Congressional Quarterly and Census report places Oklahoma in the Southern United States.

Oklahoma became the 46th state in the Union on November 16th, 1907. The state's name comes from the Choctaw words okla meaning people and homma meaning red, literally meaning "red people"^[3] and was chosen by Allen Wright, Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation during the 1866 treaty negotiations. ^{[4] [5]} Oklahoma was almost named Sequoyah in honor of Sequoyah, the Cherokee who created the Cherokee syllabary, which gave the Cherokees a way to write and read their own language.

It is a state with a colorful history, including as a frontier state, as the destination of recently freed slaves looking for opportunity and equality, and as the heart of the oil boom in the early 20th century.

The state's early history is dominated by the Trail of Tears, the forced removal of the Five Civilized Tribes from the southeastern United States to then Indian Territory. The western and native American heritage of the state is a large part of its cultural identity; for example, Tulsa is the home to the largest, most comprehensive collection of American Western art and artifacts in the world, housed in the Gilcrease Museum.

Today, Oklahoma contains more native American tribal headquarters than any other state, as well as the nation's second largest American Indian population. ^[6]

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Terrain 1.2 Regions 1.3 Climate 2 History 3 Law and government 3.1 State government 3.2 Local governance 3.3 National politics 4 Economy 5 Transportation 6 Education 7 Culture 8 Sports 9 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Other Important Cities 9.1 Oklahoma City 9.2 Tulsa 9.3 Lawton 9.4 Other important cities 10 Demographics 10.1 Religion 11 State emblems and honorary positions 12 Trivia 13 See also 14 Further reading 15 References 16 External links

[edit] Geography

See also: list of Oklahoma counties, list of Oklahoma townships, and lakes in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is one of the six states on the Frontier Strip. It is bounded on the east by Arkansas and Missouri, on the north by Kansas and northwest by Colorado (both at 37°N), on the far west by New Mexico (at 103°W), and on the south and near-west by Texas. The panhandle's southern boundary is at 36.5°N, then turning due south along 100°W to the southern fork of the Red River), completing the round trip back to Arkansas.

Oklahoma has four primary mountain ranges: Ouachitas, Arbuckles, Wichitas, and the Kiamichis. In addition to several smaller ranges, Oklahoma also notably encompasses a portion of the Ozarks.

Along with the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Ozarks and the Ouachita Mountains are the only major highland regions between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians.

The state's highest peak, 4,973 feet (1,516 m)Black Mesa, lies in the far northwestern corner of the panhandle near the town of Kenton. The lowest elevation is in the far southeastern of the state, near Idabel, at 324 feet (99 m). Oklahoma also has what is officially considered the highest hill in the world, Cavanal Hill, at 1,999 feet (609 m); this is considering the fact that a "mountain" is anything 2,000 feet or higher. It is located in Poteau, Oklahoma.^[7]

Oklahoma has six tripoints. (see list of Oklahoma tri-points)

With 200 man-made lakes, Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state and boasts over one million surface-acres of water and 2,000 more miles (3,200 km) of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined. Lake Eufaula is the largest lake in the state, covering 102,000 acres (413 km²) of water. ^[7]

[edit] Terrain

According to the EPA, Oklahoma has the most diverse terrain in the United States. ^[8] The EPA recognizes Oklahoma as one of only four U.S. states to have more than 10 distinct ecological regions, with 11 within its borders. The high number of ecoregions coupled with the state's relative size and a durastic change in climate progressively from the northwest to southeast makes each Oklahoma region greatly distinctive from the the next.

Located primarily in the northwest part of the state, the Southwest Tablelands Ecoregion is far more indicitive of the American-Southwest than the rest of Oklahoma, containing mesa ranges such as Black Mesa and the Glass Mountains, as well as canyons and grasslands, such as the Rita Blanca National Grassland. The Northwestern section of Oklahoma, including most of the panhandle, also contains nearly all of the state's "true plains," terrain indicitive of the Great Plains ecoregion, which contains few natural forests and rolling to flat semi-arid landscape.

Partial plains interrupted by small mountain ranges such as the Antelope Hills and the rocky Wichita Mountains near Lawton make up the state's southwest quarter, while Central Oklahoma transitions to rolling more forested terrain and marks the eastern extent of the Great Plains in Oklahoma. Most of the region is dominated by the Cross Timbers ecoregion, which is a combination of prairie and forest which transitions to the wetter eastern third of the state.

A portion of the prairie-covered Flint Hills stretching from Kansas, creeps into north-central Oklahoma and holds the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie in the world at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska.

Eastern Oklahoma recieves for more rain than the western parts of the state and contains large number of Oklahoma's 200 man-made lakes, including large-scale water destinations such as Lake Eufalla and Grand Lake O' the Cherokees.

Most of the Ouachita Mountains in Oklahoma are located in the southeast quarter of the state and hold the popular Talemina National Scenic Drive, which travels through the Ouachita National Forest. The heavily-wooded Ozark Mountains and their foothills dominate most of northeastern Oklahoma from the immediate Tulsa vicinity south and eastward towards the Arkansas border, containing heavy forests of pine and deciduous trees.

[edit] Regions

The Oklahoma Tourism Department divides the state down into six regions for tourism promotion purposes: Red Carpet Country (Northwestern Oklahoma and The Panhandle), Great Plains Country (Southwestern Oklahoma, including the Lawton Metropolitan area), Frontier Country (Central Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area), Green Country (Northeastern Oklahoma, including the Tulsa Metropolitan area), Kiamichi country (Southeastern Oklahoma), and Lake & Trail Country (South Central Oklahoma).

Popular but "unofficial" regional designations include "Green Country" (deemed "unofficial" when used outside of its official Tourism definition, such as refering to all of Eastern Oklahoma or the Tulsa Metropolitan Area), Little Dixie (Southeastern Oklahoma), Western Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Panhandle.

[edit] Climate

Oklahoma is a state dominated by contrasting cold and warm air masses which collide east of the Rocky Mountains. As can be expected, this results in a wide range of weather throughout the state, ranging from a borderline humid subtropical climate zone near the southeast part of the state to a semi-arid climate in the High Plains of the panhandle. While there is some variation in temperature in the state, with the south portion on the Texas border averaging an annual mean temperature of 62 °F (17 °C), and the panhandle averaging under 54 °F (12 °C), the main climatic difference in Oklahoma is precipitation. The southeast corner of the state near the Ouachita Mountains averages over 52 inches (1,321 mm) of precipitation a year. Moving west from that point, the precipitation decreases rapidly- for each 10 miles (16 km) traveled west, the precipitation is approximately 1 inch (25 mm) less. The driest part of the state is the extreme western panhandle with less than 16 inches (406 mm) annually.

The most notable feature of Oklahoma's climate is its thunderstorms. While Oklahoma averages from 40-60 days of thunderstorms throughout the entire state, which is less frequent than thunderstorm activity in parts of the Southeast United States and the central Colorado Rockies, Oklahoma thunderstorms, which occur in what locals call a "fifth season" from April through July tend to be among the most severe in the world. During this "fifth season" colliding cold and warm air masses turn the entire state, especially the central part, into the heart of Tornado Alley. Central Oklahoma is the most tornado-prone area in the world, not only in terms of number of tornadoes (which exceeds 10 per 10,000 square miles), but also in terms of intensity.^[9] Some of the most severe tornadoes in history have occurred in Oklahoma, and it is no accident that the National Severe Weather Forecast Center is located in Norman. While central Oklahoma is the epicenter of Tornado Alley, other parts of the state are not immune. The highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was measured during the 3 May 1999 tornado outbreak. 318 mile per hour (512 km/h) winds hit areas near Oklahoma City during this outbreak.

Snowfall is common in Oklahoma every winter, although it is not extreme, ranging from an average of less than 4 inches (102 mm) inches in the southern part of the state to just over 20 inches on the Colorado border in the panhandle.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Oklahoma

[edit] Law and government

Oklahoma

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Oklahoma

Constitution

State government Governor - Brad Henry Lieutenant Governor - Jari Askins Secretary of State - M. Susan Savage State Auditor - Jeff McMahan Attorney General - Drew Edmondson State Treasurer - Scott Meacham State School Superintendent - Sandy Garrett Labor Commissioner - Lloyd Fields Insurance Commissioner - Kim Holland Corporation Commission State Cabinet Legislature Senate President of the Senate - Jari Askins President pro tempore - Mike Morgan Co-President pro tempore - Glenn Coffee House of Representatives Speaker - Lance Cargill Court System Supreme Court Court on the Judiciary Court of Impeachment Nominating Commission Political Parties Democratic Republican Minor parties Counties Federal government United States Senate James Inhofe (R) Tom Coburn (R) United States House John Sullivan (R) Dan Boren (D) Frank Lucas (R) Tom Cole (R) Mary Fallin (R) Politics of the United States

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[edit] State government

Main article: Government of Oklahoma

The capital of the state is Oklahoma City and the Governor of Oklahoma is Brad Henry (Democrat). Other Executive Branch elected officials include Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma Jari Askins (Democrat), State Auditor Jeff McMahan (Democrat), Attorney General Drew Edmondson (Democrat), State Treasurer Scott Meacham (Democrat), State School Superintendent Sandy Garrett (Democrat), Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields (Democrat), Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland (Democrat), and the three member State Corporation Commission which currently consists of Bob Anthony (Republican), Jeff Cloud (Republican), and Denise Bode (Republican). The Governor appoints the Secretary of State, currently M. Susan Savage (Democrat).

As a result of the 2006 elections, the Lieutenant Governor became Jari Askins (Democrat) and the new Labor Commissioner became Lloyd Fields. They took office on January 8, 2007.

The Legislature of Oklahoma consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 48 members serving four-year terms, while the House has 101 members with two year terms. The state has term limits for their legislature that restrict any one person to a total of twelve years service in both the House and Senate. In the 2007–2008 state legislature, the Republicans control the House of Representatives (57 to 44) and the Senate is currently evenly divided (24 to 24). This changes the government's make-up; before the 2004 election the Democrats had controlled both chambers since 1921. Republicans have never controlled the State Senate outright.

The state's judicial branch consists of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and 77 District Courts which serve one county apiece. The Oklahoma judiciary also contains two independent courts: a Court of Impeachment (which is the Senate sitting) and the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary. Oklahoma is unusual in that it has two courts of last resort, the state Supreme Court hears civil cases, and the state Court of Criminal Appeals hears criminal cases (the state of Texas uses a similar system). Judges of those two courts, as well as the Court of Civil Appeals are appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the state Judicial Nominating Commission, and are subject to a non-partisan retention vote on a six-year rotating schedule.

Due to Oklahoma's restrictive ballot access laws (deemed by many to be the most restrictive in the nation).^{[citation needed]}, third parties have very limited access to the primary ballots. However, the state does have the following active third parties: Oklahoma Libertarian Party, Green Party of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Constitution Party. There are also organizers from the Communist Party USA working in the state.

See also: Governor of Oklahoma

See also: Oklahoma Legislature

See also: Oklahoma Supreme Court

[edit] Local governance

The state is divided into 77 counties which deliver local government. Each is governed by a three member commission. Other county elected officials are the tax assessor, clerk, court clerk, treasurer, and sheriff.

Cities and towns are established under the rights granted in the Oklahoma statutes (in comparison, Oklahoma gives municipal governments a great deal of latitude in chartering new governments). Towns are municipalities of under 1000 residents, while cities have more than 1000 residents. Major cities are also allowed to form "charter governments," in which the voters choose the form of government they want to use in place of the statutory forms.

Other local government units in Oklahoma include independent and dependent school districts, Technology Center Districts (known as CareerTech), community college districts, rural fire departments, rural water districts, and other special use districts.

[edit] National politics

After the 2000 census the Oklahoma delegation to the U.S. House was reduced from six to five representatives. For the 110th Congress (2007–2009) there are no changes in party strength, and the delegation has four Republicans and one Democrat. Oklahoma's two U.S. senators are Jim Inhofe (Republican) and Tom Coburn (Republican). The U.S. Representatives are John Sullivan (Republican) of District 1, Dan Boren (Democrat) of District 2, Frank D. Lucas (Republican) of District 3, Tom Cole (Republican) of District 4, and Mary Fallin (Republican) of District 5.

Although there are more registered Democrats in Oklahoma than registered Republicans,^{[citation needed]} it has become a solidly Republican state in presidential elections, voting for the Republican in every election from 1968 forward. (The 1976 Carter-Ford race was close, however.) In 2004, George W. Bush carried every county in the state and 65.6% of the statewide vote.

[edit] Economy

Oklahoma is a major fuel and food-producing state; thousands of oil and natural gas wells dot the Oklahoma landscape, and the state is among the highest food producing states in the nation. Its main agricultural outputs are soy, wheat, cattle, dairy, poultry, and cotton. Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation in the production of all wheat, fourth in cattle and calf production; fifth in the production of pecans; sixth in peanuts and eighth in peaches. Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment, machinery, electric products, rubber and plastic products, and food processing. Its 1999 total gross state product was $86 billion, placing it 29th in the nation. The state's 2000 per capita personal income was $23,517, 43rd in the nation. However, Oklahoma's cost of living index also among the lowest in the nation. ^[10] Oklahoma City suburb Nichols Hills is ranked first on Oklahoma locations by per capita income at $73,661.

Oklahoma City is one of the primary economic engines of the state, centered on the finance, retail, governance, entertainment, and tourism sectors. The city has numerous manufacturing and processing plants as well as a growing biotech research and health center. Oklahoma City has a large aviation market and its location at the intersection of I-35, I-40, and I-44 makes Oklahoma City an important distribution point.

Oklahoma City is home to many corporate and regional headquarters including Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy, Sonic Drive-In, AT&T, The Hertz Corporation, BancFirst, OGE Energy, Midfirst Bank, Hobby Lobby, Dobson Communications, Express Personnel Services, Oklahoma Publishing Company, Spectro Wire & Cable, Inc., Rainbo Manufacturing, Globe Life and Accident Insurance, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., and Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce.

Tulsa is another primary economic engine of the state, centered on energy, aerospace, telecommunications, and transportation. The city has the nation's most inland sea port and Oklahoma's only connection to the ocean, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa [3], which connects the state with international ocean trade routes through the Arkansas River and Mississippi River. Despite an oil bust that plagued the entire state in the 1980's, Tulsa is still among the top cities in the nation for the number of oil and energy related company headquarters. Tulsa is also home to an extensive aviation market, exemplified by its American Airlines maintenance center, the largest airline maintenance base in the world.

Recently, Forbes magazine rated Tulsa as second in the nation in job income growth, and one of the best 50 cities to do business in the country. ^[11]

Companies based in Tulsa include The NORDAM Group, BOK Financial Corporation (BOKF), Bank of Oklahoma, Williams Companies, Oneok, Wiltel, QuikTrip, Public Service of Oklahoma, Mazzio's Corporation, RibCrib, SemGroup, Dollar-Thrifty, Hilti USA, and Vanguard.

Both of Oklahoma's major metropolitan areas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, are engaged in large-scale economic development and tourism initiatives.

[edit] Transportation

Oklahoma is an integral point on the U.S. Interstate Network. Three major interstates connect at a point in Oklahoma City known as "The Crossroads of America." These interstates are: Interstate 35, Interstate 40, and Interstate 44.

Interstate 35 traverses the state from north to south across the center of the state. Interstate 40 runs thorugh the center of Oklahoma in a bisecting fashion, traversing in a east/west direction. Interstate 44 runs through Tulsa, bisecting the state from the northeast to the southwest. Interstate 44 is a turnpike for most of its duration through the state, with exceptions within the cities of Tulsa and Oklahoma City. In addition, the state has 10 major turnpikes.

Oklahoma also has the longest drivable stretch of Route 66 in the country.

The state is connected to the nation's rail network via the Heartland Flyer, an Amtrak-operated rail line which stretches from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas. There are also plans to connect the Heartland Flyer to Tulsa.

Two major airports serve Oklahoma: Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City and Tulsa International Airport. There are also numerous other regional and general aviation airports. See List of airports in Oklahoma for further information. In addition, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, the nation's most inland seaport, is the state's primary connection to international ocean trade routes.

[edit] Education

Main articles: List of Oklahoma school districts by county, List of school districts in Oklahoma, List of private schools in Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, and List of colleges and universities in Oklahoma

[edit] Culture

Because of Oklahoma's central location in the United States, the cultures of the Midwest, the Southwest, the West, and the Southeast all have a distinct impact.

For example, Guymon, in the state's panhandle, hosts one of the largest rodeos in the nation^[12], typifying western Oklahoma's Southwest cultural influence. Meanwhile, Northeast Oklahoma is influenced in large by midwestern and western cultures, while Southeast Oklahoma is known as Little Dixie because of its heavy southern cultural influence.

Most of Oklahoma, furthermore, shares some degree of Native American cultural influence, dating to pre-statehood Indian Territory. The various government sponsored arts, community, and tourism programs emphasize Oklahoma's Native American heritage heavily. There are many central areas of Native American heritage in Oklahoma, including one of the most notable, Tahlequah which is near Muskogee in eastern Oklahoma. Native American culture runs deep in the lives of Oklahomans and one may experience it through various cultural programs including pow wows, the Tsa-La-Gi village in Tahlequah, and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Oklahoma is a center for Native American culture with a rich history before and after statehood in 1907, quickly developing a tradition of strongly embracing the state's roots, and there are 10 Native American languages with over 10,000 speakers.^{[citation needed]}

Other ethnic celebrations include those of the large Irish-American community, most notably during the month of March for St. Patrick's Day, also Yukon and Prague (celebrating the towns' Czech heritage of some early immigrants), Tulsa's Greek Holiday, the Tulsa Scottish Games, Shalomfest (in Tulsa) celebrates Jewish culture, Tulsa's German Oktoberfest, the Mennonite Relief Sale (in Enid) but Mennonite communities are located in the northwest and eastern parts of the state, Italian festivals and neighborhoods in the McAlester and Krebs area, traditional Asian (East Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern), African American, and Hispanic (Mexican and other Latin American) celebrations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, as well as the Oklahoma City pride parade and festival in the city's GLBT district, and the Juneteenth African American celebrations found all across the state.

[edit] Sports

Because of the devastation of New Orleans, Louisiana in 2005, the NBA's New Orleans Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City and are currently known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The Hornets are the first major professional sports league franchise to play in the state. The owner of the Hornets announced in December of 2006, that the team would be returning to New Orleans for the 2007-2008 season.

The recent purchase of the Seattle Supersonics NBA Basketball team, by a group of Oklahoma businessmen, has led to speculation that the team will be relocated to Oklahoma City in the near future.

However, Tulsa had the Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL in 1983-85 and Oklahoma City had the Arena Football Oklahoma Wranglers in 2000-02.

The minor league baseball teams are:

• Oklahoma RedHawks (AAA in Oklahoma City)
• Tulsa Drillers (AA in Tulsa)

Other Oklahoma City teams include

• Oklahoma City Blazers (Ice Hockey: CHL)
• Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (Arena Football League: AF2)
• Oklahoma City Lightning (Women's Football: NWFA)
• New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (National Basketball Association)

Other Enid teams include

• Oklahoma Storm (Basketball: United States Basketball League)

Other Tulsa teams include

• Tulsa Oilers (Ice Hockey: CHL)
• Tulsa Talons (Arena Football: AF2)
• Tulsa 66ers (Basketball: NBA Development League)
• Tulsa Black Widows (Football): (Women's Pro Football League) are made up of female football players. Tulsa had the WPFL Oklahoma Tornado in the 1990's.

Oklahoma's major college teams are

• the Oklahoma State Cowboys (Oklahoma State University)
• the Oklahoma Sooners (University of Oklahoma)
• the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (University of Tulsa)
• the ORU Golden Eagles (Oral Roberts University)

According to Major League Soccer, Oklahoma is a possible site for a future professional soccer team, in Tulsa, which was home of the Tulsa Roughnecks of the Major American Soccer League in 1983 and 1984.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Other Important Cities

[edit] Oklahoma City

Main article: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, the capital of Oklahoma has a population of 523,303 in the immediate city limits^[8] and 1.1 million in the metro area,^[13] is the principal city of the eight-county Oklahoma City Metroplex and is Oklahoma's largest urbanized area. As of 2000, it was the 47th largest metro in the nation.^[14] Some of the major cities comprising the Oklahoma City Metro include Norman, Edmond, Guthrie, Moore, Mustang, Yukon, Shawnee, Del City, Midwest City.

[edit] Tulsa

Main article: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second largest city in Oklahoma, with 387,807 within the city limits^[8] and 890,000 in the statistical metropolitan area.^[15]. The city is an important Southern and Midwest regional economic hub, and is the architectural center of the state. It is Oklahoma's second largest urbanized area. As of 2000, it was the 53rd largest metropolitan area in the nation.^[14]

[edit] Lawton

Main article: Lawton, Oklahoma

Lawton is the 4th largest city in Oklahoma and is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city limits contain a population of 92,757 and a metropolitan population of 114,916, making Lawton the smallest of the 3 Oklahoma urbanized areas and the 342nd largest metropolitan area in the nation.

[edit] Other important cities

• Norman (3rd Largest City)
• Broken Arrow (5th Largest City)
• Edmond (6th Largest City)
• Midwest City (7th Largest City)
• Enid (8th Largest City)
• Moore (9th Largest City)
• Stillwater (10th Largest City)
• Muskogee (11th Largest City)
• Bartlesville
• Shawnee
• Claremore
• Owasso
• Sand Springs
• Stilwell
• Durant
• Tahlequah
• Ardmore
• Ponca City

See also: List of cities in Oklahoma and List of towns in Oklahoma

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	258,657		–
1900	790,391		205.6%
1910	1,657,155		109.7%
1920	2,028,283		22.4%
1930	2,396,040		18.1%
1940	2,336,434		-2.5%
1950	2,233,351		-4.4%
1960	2,328,284		4.3%
1970	2,559,229		9.9%
1980	3,025,290		18.2%
1990	3,145,585		4.0%
2000	3,450,654		9.7%

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2006, Oklahoma has an estimated population of 3,579,212, which is an increase of 35,770, or 1.0%, from the prior year and an increase of 128,558, or 3.6%, since the year 2000. This does not include the natural increase since the last census in 2005 of 80,753 people (that is 264,324 births minus 183,571 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 21,128 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 36,546 people, and migration within the country produced a net decrease of 15,418 people.

The center of population of Oklahoma is located in Lincoln County, in the town of Sparks [4].

Demographics of Oklahoma (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)	82.59%	8.31%	11.39%	1.71%	0.15%
2000 (Hispanic only)	4.73%	0.19%	0.37%	0.05%	0.02%
2005 (total population)	82.20%	8.55%	11.31%	1.92%	0.16%
2005 (Hispanic only)	6.10%	0.24%	0.35%	0.06%	0.03%
Growth 2000-2005 (total population)	2.33%	5.76%	2.04%	15.49%	9.51%
Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only)	0.50%	5.17%	2.22%	15.19%	9.47%
Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only)	32.58%	31.44%	-3.27%	25.17%	9.69%

The five largest ancestry groups in Oklahoma are German (14.5%), American (13.1%), Irish (11.8%), English (9.6%), African Americans (8.1%) and Native American (7.9%, with Cherokees as the largest tribe, although the total number of Oklahoma's American Indian tribes is 50).^{[citation needed]} Descendants of these people still live in Oklahoma today. There are estimates of over a quarter of Oklahoma's white (and black) populations have a certain degree of American Indian ancestries.^{[citation needed]}

Counties with the names of these tribes also exist. Oklahoma has the second highest number of Native Americans/Amerindians in the country estimated at 395,219 as of 2003. Only California has a higher Amerindian population at 682,720 [5]. Oklahoma also has the second highest concentration of Native Americans/Amerindians in the nation with 11.4% of the state's population, topped only by Alaska at 19% of that state's population. [6]. 39 of the Amerindian tribes currently living in Oklahoma are headquartered in the state. American Indians predominate in eastern Oklahoma, there are predominantly American Indian communities and towns.

In ethnic diversity, German Americans are present in the northwestern part of the state. Oklahomans of British (English or Scottish) ancestry dominate Tulsa and some other areas. African Americans are a plurality in Lawton and Oklahoma City, but have their own communities in Central parts of the state and the historic Black community of Greenwood inside the city of Tulsa.^{[citation needed]}. While Pittsburg county has many Irish Americans and North-central areas have some Swedish Americans, there are small close-knit Italian American and Slavic American (i.e. Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Czech and Slovak) communities (Enid, McAlester, Prague and Fort Gibson) in the state's eastern parts.

Oklahoma City has the largest Asian and Asian American populations. A few western counties have significant Mexican American populations, while since 1990, immigrants from Latin America settled down in sections of Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Arab Americans became a sizable ethnic group in the state's urban areas since the first wave of immigrants in the 1970s, the majority came from the oil-rich Persian Gulf countries.

6.8% of Oklahoma's population was reported as under 5, 25.9% under 18, and 13.2% was 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.9% of the population. The state has an above-average birth rate than most of the United States.

Oklahoma has dealt with many socioeconomic issues, as the state's rank of annual household income is 36th in the 2000 US Census, below national average and the state's poverty rate exceeds 15 percent, higher in rural areas.

[edit] Religion

Known loosely as the center of the "Bible Belt", Oklahoma is in the primarily Evangelical Protestant region spans across the Southeast and Midwest states, also known for strong politically and socially conservative views.^{[citation needed]}

The people of Oklahoma participate in 73 major religious affiliations ranging from the Southern Baptist Convention with 1578 churches and 967,223 members to the Holy Orthodox Church in North America with 1 church and 6 members. The state has a large Methodist population at over 300,000 members.^{[citation needed]}

Oklahoma has a comparably small Jewish community concentrated in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and a growing Muslim population from recent immigrants from the Middle East also resides in the state's major cities.^{[citation needed]}

Oklahoma has over 10,000 Native American members in the American Indian Church, but most Native Americans are practicing Christians, the majority are Baptists and Methodists, and some Catholics of French and Spanish influences like the Seminole and Quapaw tribes.

The 10 most popular religious affiliations (including "none") account for more than 90% of all Oklahomans:^[16]

• Other or no religious affiliation - 39.24%
• Southern Baptist – 28.03%
• United Methodist Church – 9.35%
• Roman Catholic – 4.89%
• Assemblies of God – 2.56%
• Church of Christ – 2.41%
• Disciples of Christ - 1.56%
• Evangelical Christian Churches - 1.24%
• Church of the Nazarene - 1.06
• Presbyterian Church (USA) - 1.02%

^{Note: Terms shown are the ones used by ARDA; Catholic Church, for instance, versus Roman Catholic Church. The ARDA also notes that their data undercounts traditionally-black churches.}

[edit] State emblems and honorary positions

For a complete list of both official and unofficial symbols, including those named by Oklahoma Senate or House of Representative resolutions, see list of Oklahoma state symbols.

Oklahoma's official state emblems and honorary positions are codified by state law.[7] For special events and to benefit organizations, the Oklahoma Senate or House of Representatives may, from time to time, adopt resolutions designating others.

Category	Emblem	Authority
Animal	American Bison	–	Bird	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Muscivora forficata)	25 O.S.3§98
Butterfly	Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)	25 O.S.3§98.5
Colors	Green and White	25 O.S.3§93
Cartoon Character	GUSTY©	25 O.S.3§98.9
Children's Song	"Oklahoma, My Native Land"	25 O.S.3§94.5
Crystal	Hourglass Selenite Crystal	25 O.S.3§98.8
Dinosaur	Acrocanthosaurus atokensis	25 O.S.3§98.14
Drink	Milk	25 O.S.3§98.7
Fish	Sandbass (Morone chrysops)	25 O.S.3§98.2
Floral Emblem	Mistletoe	25 O.S.3§92
Flower	Oklahoma Rose	25 O.S.3§92
Flying Mammal	Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)	25 O.S.3§98.11
Folk Song	"Oklahoma Hills"	25 O.S.3§94.8
Fossil	Saurophaganax Maximus[17]	25 O.S.3§98.6
Fruit	Strawberry	25 O.S.3§98.10
Game Bird	Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)	25 O.S.3§98.13
Percussive Musical Instrument	Drum	25 O.S.3§98.3
Poet Laureate	biennial gubernatorial appointment	25 O.S.3§98.4
Song & Anthem	"Oklahoma!"	25 O.S.3§94.1
Rock	Barite Rose Rock	25 O.S.3§98.1
Tree	Redbud	2 O.S.1§16-69
Wildflower	Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)	25 O.S.3§92.1

[edit] Trivia

• LUCIANA Oklahoma is home to the world's largest paintball game, Oklahoma D-Day
• Watonga, Oklahoma is the birthplace of Clarence Nash, better known as the voice of Donald Duck. Nash captured the ears of a young Walt Disney with his voice imitation of a duck. Nash provided Donald Duck's world famous voice exclusively until his death in 1985
• Oklahoma is one of only two states whose capital city's name includes the state name. The other is Indianapolis, Indiana.
• The first YIELD sign was used in a trial basis in Tulsa.
• Oklahoma was the last state in USA to legalize tattooing as of November 1, 2006. [8]
• The world's first installed parking meter was in Oklahoma City, on July 16, 1935. Carl C. Magee, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is generally credited with originating the parking meter. He filed for a patent for a "coin controlled parking meter" on May 13, 1935.
• Vinita is the oldest incorporated town on Oklahoma Route 66, having been established in 1871. Vinita was the first town in Oklahoma to enjoy electricity. Originally named Downingville. The town's name was later changed to Vinita, in honor of Vinnie Ream, the sculptress who created the life-size statue of Lincoln at the United States Capitol.
• Rural Oklahoma, similar to problems faced by other Plains states (Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa), is seeing populations fall in many communities. Between 1996 and 2004 nearly 500,000 people, half of them with college degrees, left the six states. The effects of rural flight in Oklahoma have mostly been felt in Western Oklahoma.
• The Amateur Softball Association of America - a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, OK - was founded in 1933 and has evolved into the strongest softball organization in the country.
• During World War II, Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the continental United States to be bombed during. A B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base dropped six practice bombs. The practice bombs were intended to be dropped on a range Conlen, Texas.^[18]
• An Oklahoman, Sylvan Goldman, invented the first shopping cart.
• In Guthrie, nearly 20,000 lighters and "fire starters" are displayed at the National Lighter Museum. It is the nation's only museum devoted to the collection of lighters.
• Oklahoma has approximately 11,611 miles of shoreline, slightly less than the estimated combined general (nontidal) coastline of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and Arctic Coasts which has 12,383 miles.^[19]
• In recent years, Oklahoma has become the second largest natural gas-producing state in the nation. Only Texas surpasses Oklahoma in natural gas production.
• In January 2007 the United States Postal Service issued the Oklahoma Statehood Stamp to celebrate the 100th birthday of Oklahoma's statehood (Oklahoma became the 46th state on November 16, 1907). [9]
• Claremore Oklahoma is home to the J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum, which is the largest arms museum in the world. [10]

[edit] See also

• Cavanal Hill, advertised as the "world's tallest hill"
• List of people from Oklahoma
• Partial list of Oklahoma casinos
• List of Oklahoma numbered highways
• List of hospitals in Oklahoma
• Scouting in Oklahoma
• "Okie" (term for someone from Oklahoma)
• Oklahoma Highway Patrol

[edit] Further reading

• Baird, W. David; and Danney Goble (1994). The Story of Oklahoma. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2650-7. 
• Dale, Edward Everett; and Morris L. Wardell (1948). History of Oklahoma. New York: Prentice-Hall. 
• Gibson, Arrell Morgan (1981). Oklahoma: A History of Five Centuries, 2nd ed., Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-1758-3. 
• Goble, Danney (1980). Progressive Oklahoma: The Making of a New Kind of State. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-1510-6. 
• Jones, Stephen (1974). Oklahoma Politics in State and Nation, vol. 1 (1907-62), Enid, Okla.: Haymaker Press. 
• Joyce, Davis D. (ed.) (1994). An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before: Alternative Views of Oklahoma History. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2599-3. 
• Morgan, Anne Hodges; and H. Wayne Morgan (eds.) (1982). Oklahoma: New Views of the Forty-sixth State. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-1651-X. 
• Morgan, David R.; Robert E. England, and George G. Humphreys (1991). Oklahoma Politics and Policies: Governing the Sooner State. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-3106-7. 
• Morris, John W.; Charles R. Goins, and Edwin C. McReynolds (1986). Historical Atlas of Oklahoma, 3rd ed., Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-1991-8. 
• Wishart, David J. (ed.) (2004). Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-4787-7. 

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Find more information on Oklahoma by searching Wikipedia's sister projects
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• Oklahoma travel guide from Wikitravel
• Oklahoma's official web site
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Oklahoma
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Oklahoma facts
• Oklahoma Tourism Board
• United States Postal Service description of the Oklahoma Statehood Stamp
• Oklahoma Frequently Asked Questions
• Oklahoma discussion list

	State of Oklahoma Oklahoma City (capital)
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Coordinates: 35.5° N 98° W