Oregon ('ɒrɨɡən) is a state in the
Pacific Northwest region of the
United States. It is located on the
Pacific coast, with
Washington to the north,
California to the south,
Nevada on the southeast and
Idaho to the east. The
Columbia and
Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern boundaries, respectively. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers, and settlers who formed an autonomous government in
Oregon Country in 1843. The
Oregon Territory was created in 1848, and Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859.
Oregon is the
9th most expansive and the
27th most populous of the
50 United States.
Salem is the state's capital and third-most-populous city;
Portland is the most populous. Portland is the 29th-largest U.S. city, with a population of 593,820 (2011 estimate) and a metro population of 2,262,605 (2011 estimate), the 23rd-largest U.S. metro area. The
valley of the
Willamette River in western Oregon is the state's most densely populated area and is home to eight of the ten most populous cities.
Oregon contains a diverse landscape including the windswept
Pacific coastline, the volcanoes of the rugged and glaciated
Cascade Mountain Range, many waterfalls (including
Multnomah Falls),
dense evergreen forests,
mixed forests and
deciduous forests at lower elevations, and
high desert across much of the eastern portion of the state, extending into the
Great Basin. The tall
Douglas firs and
redwoods along the rainy
Western Oregon coast contrast with the lower density and fire-prone
pine tree and
juniper forests covering portions of the
eastern half of the state.
Alder trees are common in the west and
fix nitrogen for the conifers;
aspen groves are common in eastern Oregon. Stretching east from
Central Oregon, the state also includes semi-arid
shrublands,
prairies,
deserts,
steppes, and meadows.
Mount Hood is the highest point in the state at 11249 ft.
Crater Lake National Park is the only national park in Oregon.