Oklahoma

Oklahoma
Oklahumma (Choctaw)
ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ (Cherokee)
State of Oklahoma
Nicknames
  • Native America (official)
  • Land of the Red Man
  • Sooner State
Motto(s)
Labor omnia vincit
(English: Work conquers all)
Anthem: "Oklahoma" and
"Oklahoma Hills"
Map of the United States with Oklahoma highlighted
Map of the United States with Oklahoma highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehood
Admitted to the UnionNovember 16, 1907 (1907-11-16) (46th)
Capital
(and largest city)
Oklahoma City
Largest county or equivalentOklahoma
Largest metro and urban areasGreater Oklahoma City
Government
 • GovernorKevin Stitt (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorMatt Pinnell (R)
LegislatureOklahoma Legislature
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
JudiciaryOklahoma Supreme Court (civil)
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (criminal)
U.S. senators
U.S. House delegation5 Republicans (list)
Area
 • Total69,898 sq mi (181,038 km2)
 • Land68,595 sq mi (177,660 km2)
 • Water1,304 sq mi (3,377 km2)  1.9%
 • Rank20th
Dimensions
 • Length468 mi (756 km)
 • Width230 mi (370 km)
Elevation
1,300 ft (400 m)
Highest elevation4,975 ft (1,516 m)
Lowest elevation289 ft (88 m)
Population
 (2023)
 • Total4,053,824
 • Rank28th
 • Density55.20/sq mi (21.30/km2)
  • Rank35th
 • Median household income
$50,051[2]
 • Income rank
43rd
Demonym(s)Oklahoman;
Okie (colloq., historically derogatory);
Sooner (historically)
Language
 • Official languageEnglish, Choctaw, Cherokee[b][3][4][5]
Time zones
entire state (legally)UTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
Kenton (informally)UTC−07:00 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
USPS abbreviation
OK
ISO 3166 codeUS-OK
Traditional abbreviationOkla.
Latitude33°37' N to 37° N
Longitude94° 26' W to 103° W
Websitewww.ok.gov

Oklahoma (/ˌkləˈhmə/ OHK-lə-HOH-mə;[6] Choctaw: Oklahumma, pronounced [oklahómma];[7] Cherokee: ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, Okalahoma, pronounced [ògàlàhǒːmã́])[8] is a landlocked state in the South Central region of the United States.[9] It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northeast, Arkansas to the east, New Mexico to the west, and Colorado to the northwest. Partially in the western extreme of the Upland South, it is the 20th-most extensive and the 28th-most populous of the 50 United States. Its residents are known as Oklahomans and its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City. The state's name is derived from the Choctaw words okla, 'people' and humma, which translates as 'red'.[10] Oklahoma is also known informally by its nickname, "The Sooner State", in reference to the Sooners, settlers who staked their claims in formerly American Indian-owned lands until the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 authorized the Land Rush of 1889 opening the land to white settlement.

With ancient mountain ranges, prairie, mesas, and eastern forests, most of Oklahoma lies in the Great Plains, Cross Timbers, and the U.S. Interior Highlands, all regions prone to severe weather.[11] Oklahoma is at a confluence of three major American cultural regions. Historically, it served as a government-sanctioned territory for American Indians moved from east of the Mississippi River, a route for cattle drives from Texas and related regions, and a destination for Southern settlers. There are currently 26 Native American languages spoken in Oklahoma.[12] According to the 2020 U.S. census, 14.2 percent of Oklahomans identify as American Indians, the highest indigenous population by percentage in any state.[13]

A major producer of natural gas, oil, and agricultural products, Oklahoma relies on an economic base of aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology.[14] Oklahoma City and Tulsa serve as Oklahoma's primary economic anchors, with nearly two-thirds of Oklahomans living within their metropolitan statistical areas.[15]

  1. ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  2. ^ "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  3. ^ "Keetoowah Cherokee is the Official Language of the UKB" (PDF). Keetoowah Cherokee News: Official Publication of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. April 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  4. ^ "UKB Constitution and By-Laws in the Keetoowah Cherokee Language" (PDF). United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference CARLA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Oklahoma". Dictionary.com. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  7. ^ "New Choctaw Dictionary" (PDF). Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  8. ^ "Cherokee Dictionary". Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference regdiv was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Choctaw place names in "Oklahumma"". Chahta Anumpa Aiikhvna School of Choctaw Language. Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Oklahoma Terrain was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference languages was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "Detailed Data of Hundreds of American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes". U.S. Bureau of the Census. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Oklahoma's Economy 1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (csv) on September 14, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2007.


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