18 interesting Oregon facts
- Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
- Capital: Salem
- Total Area: 10th among States, 251,571 sq km (97,132 sq mi).
- Oregon is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east.
- In 1905, the largest log cabin in the world was built in honor of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
- Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859.
- In 1971 Oregon became the first state to ban the use of non-returnable bottles and cans.
- Salem is the state's capital and third-most-populous city; Portland is the most populous.
- Formed more than 6,500 years ago, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It is the only lake to be formed in the remains of a volcano and its crystal-blue waters are known around the world.
- Mount Hood is the highest point in the state at 11,249 feet (3,429 m).
- The Tillamook Cheese Factory is the largest cheese factory in the world.
- Oregon is the United States' leader in forest fires; in 2007 the state had more than 1,000 of them.
- Oregon’s state flag is the only state flag to carry two separate designs, with a beaver on its reverse side.
- At 8,000 feet deep, Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America.
- The origin of the name "Oregon" is unknown. One theory is that the name comes from the French word "ouragan" (hurricane).
- Eugene was the first city to have one-way streets, and is quoted by “Bicycling Magazine” as one of the top ten cycling communities in the United States.
- Precipitation in the state varies widely: the deserts of eastern Oregon, such as the Alvord Desert (in the rain shadow of Steens Mountain), get as little as 200 mm (8 inches) annually, while some western coastal slopes approach 5000 mm (200 inches) annually
- The Carousel Museum contains the world’s largest collection of carousel horses.
