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OklahomaCapital: Oklahoma City State abbreviation/Postal code: Okla./OK Governor: Brad Henry, D (to Jan. 2011) Lieut. Governor: Jari Askins, D (to Jan. 2011) Senators: Tom Coburn, R (to Jan. 2011); James Inhofe, R (to Jan. 2009) U.S. Representatives: 5 Historical biographies of Congressional members Secy. of State: M. Susan Savage, D (to Jan. 2011) Treasurer: Scott Meacham, D (to Jan. 2011) Atty. General: W. A. Drew Edmondson, D (to Jan. 2011) Organized as territory: May 2, 1890 Entered Union (rank): Nov. 16, 1907 (46) Present constitution adopted: 1907 Motto: Labor omnia vincit (Labor conquers all things) State symbols: | flower | mistletoe (1893) | | tree | redbud (1937) | | bird | scissor-tailed flycatcher (1951) | | animal | bison (1972) | | reptile | mountain boomer lizard (1969) | | stone | rose rock (barite rose) (1968) | | colors | green and white (1915) | | song | “Oklahoma” (1953) | | beverage | milk | | butterfly | black swallowtail | | fish | white or sand bass | | folk dance | square dance | | furbearer | raccoon | | game animal | white-tailed deer | | grass | Indiangrass | | insect | honeybee | | musical instrument | fiddle | | poem | “Howdy Folks,” David Randolph Milsten | | waltz | “Oklahoma Wind” | | wildflower | Indian blanket |
Nickname: Sooner State Origin of name: From two Choctaw Indian words meaning “red people” 10 largest cities (2005 est.): Oklahoma City, 531,324; Tulsa, 382,457; Norman, 101,719; Lawton, 90,234; Broken Arrow, 86,228; Edmond, 74,881; Midwest City, 54,890; Moore, 47,697; Enid, 46,416; Stillwater, 40,906 Land area: 68,667 sq mi. (177,848 sq km) Geographic center: In Oklahoma Co., 8 mi. N of Oklahoma City Number of counties: 77 Largest county by population and area: Oklahoma, 684,543 (2005); Osage, 2,251 sq mi. State parks: 50 Residents: Oklahoman 2005 resident population est.: 3,547,884 2000 resident census population (rank): 3,450,654 (27). Male: 1,696,895 (49.1%); Female: 1,754,759 (50.9%). White: 2,628,434 (76.2%); Black: 260,968 (7.6%); American Indian: 273,230 (7.9%); Asian: 46,767 (1.4%); Other race: 82,898 (2.4%); Two or more races: 155,985 (4.5%); Hispanic/Latino: 179,304 (5.2%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 74.1; 65 and over: 13.2; median age: 35.5. See additional census data Area codes Tourism office |
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado first explored the region for Spain in 1541. The U.S. acquired most of Oklahoma in 1803 in the Louisiana Purchase from France; the Western Panhandle region became U.S. territory with the annexation of Texas in 1845. Set aside as Indian Territory in 1834, the region was divided into Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory on May 2, 1890. The two were combined to make a new state, Oklahoma, on Nov. 16, 1907. On April 22, 1889, the first day homesteading was permitted, 50,000 people swarmed into the area. Those who tried to beat the noon starting gun were called “Sooners,” hence the state's nickname. Oil made Oklahoma a rich state, but natural-gas production has now surpassed it. Oil refining, meat packing, food processing, and machinery manufacturing (especially construction and oil equipment) are important industries. Minerals produced in Oklahoma include helium, gypsum, zinc, cement, coal, copper, and silver. Oklahoma's rich plains produce bumper yields of wheat, as well as large crops of sorghum, hay, cotton, and peanuts. More than half of Oklahoma's annual farm receipts are contributed by livestock products, including cattle, dairy products, swine, and broilers. Tourist attractions include the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, the Cherokee Cultural Center with a restored Cherokee village, the restored Fort Gibson Stockade near Muskogee, the Lake Texoma recreation area, pari-mutuel horse racing at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, and Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw. See more on Oklahoma:
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National Public Radio Stations Selected famous natives and residents:
- L. Gordon Cooper astronaut;
- Owen K. Garriott astronaut;
- Mary Kay Place actress and writer;
- Thomas P. Stafford astronaut;
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