OKLAHOMA THE SOONER STATE Oklahoma Oklahoma is a land of great contrasts There are windswept plains in the west and green forested hills in the east Farmers harvest seemingly endless fields of wheat while cowboys on horseback wrangle vast herds of cattle Oil workers pump black gold from deep under the Oklahoma soil Bustling cities rise from the prairie making Oklahoma a fast growing state that is home to many vital industries including electronics aviation and energy For much of the 1800s Oklahoma was known as Indian Territory It was a place where tens of thousands of Native Americans came to live after being forced off their lands in the East In 1889 the United States government began opening much of the land to white settlers During these land runs settlers weren't allowed to claim their land until a certain date Many chose not to wait and staked their claims sooner That is why Oklahoma is nicknamed The Sooner State The statue Sacred Rain Arrow honors Oklahoma's Native American culture It shows an Apache shooting an arrow into the sky as a prayer for rain OKLAHOMA 4
Longhorn cattle thrive in Oklahoma's vast grasslands
OKLAHOMA QUICK FACTS Name Oklahoma is a Choctaw Native American word that roughly means land of the red people State Capital Oklahoma City population 620 602 Date of Statehood November 16 1907 46th state Population 3 911 338 28th most populous state Area Total Land and Water 69 899 square miles 181 038 sq km 20th largest state Largest City Oklahoma City population 620 602 Nickname The Sooner State Motto Labor omnia vincit Labor conquers all things State Bird Scissor Tailed Flycatcher OKLAHOMA
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA State Flower Oklahoma Rose State Rock Barite Rose State Tree Redbud State Song Oklahoma Highest Point Black Mesa 4 973 feet 1 516 m Lowest Point Little River 289 feet 88 m Average July High Temperature 94°F 34°C Record High Temperature 120°F 49°C near Altus on August 12 1936 Black Mesa Average January Low Temperature 26°F 3°C Record Low Temperature 31°F 35°C in Nowata on February 10 2011 Low Point Little River Average Annual Precipitation 36 inches 91 cm Number of U S Senators 2 Greetings from Number of U S Representatives 5 U S Postal Service Abbreviation OK QUICK FACTS
