Portal:Oklahoma/Intro

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Oklahoma is a state in the United States, lying mostly in the Southern Great Plains and Eastern Woodlands regions. Oklahoma became the 46th state in the Union in 1907. As of 2000, the population is 3,450,654. The state's name comes from the Choctaw words okla meaning people and humma meaning red, literally meaning "red people" and was chosen by Allen Wright, Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation between 1866 and 1870.

Oklahoma has the nation's second largest Native American population. Oklahoma's early history is forever tied to the Trail of Tears, which was the forced removal of the Five Civilized Tribes from the southeastern United States to present-day Oklahoma. As a testament to the state's western and Native American heritage, Tulsa is the home of the world-renowned Gilcrease Museum, which houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West as well as Native American art, artifacts, manuscripts, documents, and maps.

The Congressional Quarterly report, the US Census, and national political parties place Oklahoma in the Southern United States. However, due to its geographic location, Oklahoma is privy to Southwestern, Midwestern, and Southern influences. This combination of regional influences is especially highlighted in Tulsa, Oklahoma's second largest city, which has a reputation for being a "cosmopolitan" city. The strongest Southern influence can be found in the state's southeastern region, which was settled by many who migrated from the Southern states. Since the Southern influence becomes less apparent as you move north and west of the state's southeastern region, Oklahoma is considered by most a Southwestern and not a Southern state.