Oklahoma is centrally located in the heart of the United States. Until 1907, the present state was an independent Native American territory. Today representatives from 38 tribes live in the state.
- Oklahoma became the 46th state member of the USA in 1907.
- Large parts of the state are still indigenous territories to this day.
- Politically, Oklahoma is considered the Republicans’ safe bank.
Oklahoma City – At the intersection of the Ozark Plateau in the east and the endless expanses of the Great Plains in the west lies one of the youngest and most unusual states in the USA: Oklahoma, the territory of the indigenous people who make up 8. 7% of the population here.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: Overview of state Oklahoma, including major cities and most commonly used abbreviations of Oklahoma.
The history of Oklahoma
In 1830 the “Indian Removal Act” came into force, which provided for the forced relocation of around 60, 000 Native Americans of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee and Seminole tribes to the largely unpopulated area of what is now Oklahoma. Many did not survive the long hikes to the new Indian Territory as “Trail of Tears” in the story came in the United States.
In 1889 large areas were opened to white settlers. Because many stormed across the border early on, they were called “Sooners” and gave Oklahoma its current nickname “The Sooner State”. At the end of the 19th century, the Oklahoma Territory and the Indian Territory coexisted before they were merged to form the new state in 1907. With the establishment of Oklahoma, the last independent Native American territory was lost.
With the discovery of oil, Oklahoma began a rush of new settlers. The now second largest city Tulsa boasted for a long time as the “Oil Capital of the World”. Between 1930 and 1940, heat waves and severe drought led to the agricultural disaster known as the “Dust Bowl”, during which around 3. 5 million people in need emigrated from the Great Plains to California.
Oklahoma: Economy and Big Cities
Oklahoma still benefits from its natural resources to this day. The state is the third largest gas producer and fifth largest crude oil producer in the United States. Agriculture (livestock and arable farming), biotechnology, and the aviation industry also play important roles in the state’s economy.
According to COUNTRYAAH.COM, the capital and largest city is Oklahoma City with approx. 655, 000 inhabitants. The city hit the headlines around the world in 1995 when terrorist Timothy McVeigh bombed 168 people and injured over 680.
Other larger cities are:
- Tulsa on the Arkansas River with 401, 000 residents
- Norman with 122, 000 inhabitants
Oklahoma: Geography and Population
The fertile northeast of Oklahoma is of great importance to agriculture. The foothills of the Ozark Plateau merge into the central lowlands and the Great Plains. Other parts of the state belong to Tornado Alley – the area of the USA in which cyclones are particularly frequent.
Two-thirds of the population live in the urbanized areas around Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and another third is in rural areas, which make up 98% of the state. These include the semi-autonomous indigenous territories, including approximately 18, 000 square kilometers of the Cherokee Nation and 28, 000 square kilometers of the Choctaw Nation.
72% of the Oklahoma population consider themselves white. The natives make up 8. 7%, 7. 4% are black.
Oklahoma and the elections
In the first decades after its founding, the state of Oklahoma was considered a bastion of the Democrats. This changed with the “Southern Strategy” of the Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon from 1968. His “Law and Order” policy was just as popular as the focus on the economy. In the last election in 2016, Donald Trump won 65% of the vote, while his rival Hillary Clinton only received 29%.
