Oregon

Oregon

Became a state: February 14, 1859 (33rd state)

Area: 98,466 sq mi (ranked 9th in size)

Population: 3,421,399 (ranked 28th in population)

Capital: Salem

Largest City: Portland (population 538,544)

Bordering States: California, Idaho, Nevada, Washington

Origin of state name: The origin of the state name is uncertain, but "Oregon" might have been derived from a 1715 French map which refers to the Wisconsin River as "Ouaricon-sint." Another opinion is that the name "Oregon" stems from an English army officer's proposal for a trip in 1765, in which he refers to "the River called by the Indians Ouragon."

State Nickname: The Beaver State

State Bird: Western Meadowlark

State Flower: Oregon Grape

State Tree: Douglas Fir

State Gemstone: Oregon Sunstone

Trivia: The International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather. New rose varieties are continually sent to the garden from many parts of the world and are tested for color, fragrance, disease resistance and other attributes. It is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States and exemplifies Portland's nickname of the City of Roses.

Abbreviation: OR

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