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'''[[About the OKLAHOMA WIKI]]'''

'''[http://editthis.info/oklahoma/Special:Recentchanges Recent Changes on Oklahoma Wiki]

'''Featured Articles'''

* [[McClain County, Oklahoma|McClain County]] - includes information about the county's biggest city, [[Newcastle, Oklahoma|Newcastle]]

* [[Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty]]

* [[Oklahoma City Sonic Boom Tests]]

* [[Pine Ridge, Oklahoma|Pine Ridge, Oklahoma]]

* [[Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform]] (an article that was previously censored by Wikipedia)

* [[Tri-point]] - a place where the borders of three states touch (Oklahoma has six tri-points)

* [[Flag of Oklahoma]]


----

 
'''Oklahoma''' is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the southern Great Plains and Eastern Woodlands regions of the United States. It is sometimes called "Native America" and the "Sooner State", and is part of a region commonly known as the American "[[Heartland]]."  [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]] is the state's capital and largest city.  The Congressional Quarterly and Census report place Oklahoma in the Southern United States.  However, since Oklahoma is near the geographic center of the U.S., the regional influences add to Oklahoma's unique character.  

Oklahoma became the 46th state in the Union on November 16th, 1907.  The state's name comes from the [[Choctaw]] words ''okla'' meaning people and ''homma'' meaning red, literally meaning "red people"
([http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/stinfo2.html see Oklahoma State History and Information]) and was chosen by [[Allen Wright]], Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation between 1866 and 1870. <ref name="">{{cite web | last=Merserve | first=John | year=1941 | month=December | url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/chronicles/v019/v019p314.html | title=Chief Allen Wright | work=Chronicles of Oklahoma | language=English | accessdate=2006-06-07}}</ref>  It is a state with a colorful history, including its days as a frontier state, it being a destination of recently freed slaves looking for opportunity and equality, and being at the heart of the oil boom in the early 20th century.  

Most notably, Oklahoma has the nation's second largest [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] population. In honor of its large American Indian population, and for tourism purposes, Oklahoma is called "Native America."  Oklahoma's early history is intertwined with the [[Trail of Tears]], which was the forced removal of the [[Five Civilized Tribes]] from the southeastern United States to present-day Oklahoma.   As a testament to the state's western and American Indian heritage, Oklahoma ([[Tulsa]]) is the home of the world-renowned [[Gilcrease Museum]], which houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of [[American West]]ern art and artifacts, as well as an unparalled collection of American Indian, Central and South American art, artifacts, documents, and maps. 

== Geography ==
see also|[[list of Oklahoma counties]]|[[list of Oklahoma townships]]|[[lakes in Oklahoma]]

Oklahoma is one of the six states on the [[Frontier Strip]]. It is bounded on the east by [[Arkansas]] and [[Missouri]], on the north by [[Kansas]] and northwest by [[Colorado]] (both at 37°N), on the far west by [[New Mexico]] (at 103°W), and on the south and near-west by [[Texas]]. The [[panhandle|panhandle's]] southern boundary is at 36.5°N, then turning due south along 100°W to the southern fork of the [[Red River (Mississippi watershed)|Red River]]), completing the round trip back to Arkansas. 

Oklahoma's four main mountain ranges include the [[Ouachita Mountains|Ouachitas]], [[Arbuckle Mountains|Arbuckles]], [[Wichita Mountains|Wichitas]], and the Kiamichis. In addition to several smaller ranges, Oklahoma also notably encompasses a portion of the [[Ozarks]].

The state's highest peak, 4,973 feet (1,515&nbsp;m) [[Black Mesa]], resides in the far northwestern corner of the panhandle near the town of Kenton. The lowest elevation in the state is in the far southeastern corner, near Idabel, at 324 feet (99 m). Oklahoma also has what is officially considered the highest hill in the world, Cavanal Hill, at 1,999 feet (609 m); this is considering the fact that a "mountain" is anything 2,000 feet or higher. It is located in Poteau, Oklahoma.<ref name="TravelOK">{{ cite web | url=http://www.travelok.com/about/index.asp | title=About Oklahoma | publisher=TravelOK.com | language=English | accessdate=2006-07-10 }}</ref>

With 200 man-made lakes, Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state and boasts over one million surface-acres of water and 2,000 more miles (3,200 km) of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined. Lake Eufaula is the largest lake in the state, covering 102,000 surface acres (413 km²) of water. <ref name="TravelOK">{{ cite web | url=http://http://www.travelok.com/about/index.asp | title=About Oklahoma | publisher=TravelOK.com | language=English | accessdate=2006-07-10 }}</ref>

[[Image:National-atlas-oklahoma.PNG|thumb|300px|right|Map of Oklahoma]]
[[Image:Oklahoma_population_map.png|thumb|300px|right|Oklahoma Population Density Map]]

=== Regions ===
From an ecoregional perspective, Oklahoma is recognized by the [[Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] as having 12 different [[ecoregion]]s (one of only five U.S. states to have 10 or more ecoregions). These ecoregions are: [[Western High Plains]], [[Southwestern Tablelands]], [[Central Great Plains]], [[Flint Hills]], [[Cross Timbers]], [[East Central Texas Plain]], [[Piney Woods]], [[Ouachita Mountains]], [[Arkansas Valley]], [[Boston Mountains]], [[Ozark Highlands]], and [[Central Irregular Plains]].

The Oklahoma Tourism Department divides the state down into six "countries" for tourism promotion purposes: [[Red Carpet Country]] (Northwestern Oklahoma and The Panhandle), Great Plains Country (Southwestern Oklahoma), Frontier Country (Central Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area), [[Green Country]] (Northeastern Oklahoma, including the Tulsa Metropolitan area), [[Kiamichi country]] (Southeastern Oklahoma), and [[Lake & Trail Country]] (South Central Oklahoma).

Popular but "unofficial" regional designations include [[Green Country]] (most often used to refer to Northeastern Oklahoma, but used by some to refer to either all of Eastern Oklahoma or just the Tulsa Metropolitan Area), Little Dixie (Southeastern Oklahoma), Western Oklahoma, and the [[Oklahoma Panhandle]].

===Climate===
Oklahoma is a state dominated by contrasting cold and warm [[air mass]]es which collide east of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. As can be expected, this results in a wide range of weather throughout the state, ranging from a borderline [[humid subtropical climate]] zone near the southeast part of the state to a [[semi-arid]] climate in the [[High Plains]] of the panhandle. While there is some variation in temperature in the state, with the south portion on the Texas border averaging an annual mean temperature of 62 °F, and the panhandle averaging under 54 °F, the main climatic difference in Oklahoma is precipitation. The southeast corner of the state near the Ouachita Mountains averages over 52 inches of precipitation a year. Moving west from that point, the precipitation decreases rapidly- for each 10 miles traveled west, the precipation is approximately 1 inch less. The driest part of the state is the extreme western panhandle with less than 16 inches annually. 

The most notable feature of Oklahoma's climate is its thunderstorms. While Oklahoma averages from 40-60 days of thunderstorms throughout the entire state, which is less frequent than thunderstorm activity in parts of the [[Southeast United States]] and the central Colorado Rockies, Oklahoma thunderstorms, which occur in what locals call a "fifth season" from April through July tend to be among the most severe in the world. During this "fifth season" colliding cold and warm air masses turn the entire state, especially the central part, into the heart of [[Tornado Alley]]. Central Oklahoma is the most tornado-prone area in the world, not only in terms of number of tornadoes(which exceeds 10 per 10,000 square miles), but also in terms of intensity.<ref name= "Annual average number of tornadoes"> [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif] NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on October 24, 2006. </ref>
Some of the most severe tornadoes in history have occurred in Oklahoma, and it is no accident that the National Severe Weather Forecast Center is located in Norman. While central Oklahoma is the epicenter of Tornado Alley, other parts of the state are not immune.

Snowfall is common in Oklahoma every winter, although it is not extreme, ranging from an average of less than 4 inches in the southern part of the state to just over 20 inches on the Colorado border in the panhandle.

== History ==
[[History of Oklahoma]]

== Law and government ==
{{OKGovernment}}
=== State government ===
{{Main|Government of Oklahoma}}
The [[capital]] of the state is [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]] and the [[Governor of Oklahoma]] is [[Brad Henry]] (Democrat). Other Executive Branch elected officials include [[Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma]] [[Jari Askins]] (Democrat), [[Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector|State Auditor]] [[Jeff McMahan (politician)|Jeff McMahan]] (Democrat), [[Attorney General of Oklahoma|Attorney General]] [[Drew Edmondson]] (Democrat), [[State Treasurer of Oklahoma|State Treasurer]] [[Scott Meacham]] (Democrat), [[Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction|State School Superintendent]]  [[Sandy Garrett]] (Democrat), Labor Commissioner [[Lloyd Fields]] (Democrat), Insurance Commissioner [[Kim Holland]] (Democrat), and the three member State Corporation Commission which currently consists of [[Bob Anthony]] (Republican), [[Jeff Cloud]] (Republican), and [[Denise Bode]] (Republican).  The Secretary of State, [[Secretary of State of Oklahoma]] [[M. Susan Savage]] (Democrat), is appointed by the Governor.

As a result of the 2006 elections, the Lieutenant Governor will be Jari Askins (Democrat) and the new Labor Commissioner will be Loyd Fields. They take office on January 8, 2007.

[[Image:Oklahoma State Capitol.jpg|thumb|350px|left|The state capitol building of Oklahoma, located in eastern [[Oklahoma City]].]]

The [[Oklahoma Legislature|Legislature of Oklahoma]] consists of the [[Oklahoma Senate|Senate]] and the [[Oklahoma House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. The Senate has 48 members serving four-year terms, while the House has 101 members with two year terms. The state has term limits for their legislature that restrict any one person to a total of twelve years service in both the House and Senate. In the 2007&ndash;2008 state legislature, the Republicans control the House of Representatives (57 to 44) and the Senate is currently evenly divided (24 to 24). This changes the government's make-up; before the 2004 election the Democrats had controlled both chambers since 1921. Republicans have never controlled the State Senate outright.

The state's judicial branch consists of the [[Oklahoma Supreme Court]], the Court of Criminal Appeals, and 77 District Courts which serve one county apiece. The Oklahoma judiciary also contains two independent courts: a Court of [[Impeachment]] (which is the Senate sitting) and the [[Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary]]. Oklahoma is unusual in that it has two courts of last resort, the state Supreme Court hears civil cases, and the state Court of Criminal Appeals hears criminal cases (the state of [[Texas]] uses a similar system). Judges of those two courts, as well as the Court of Civil Appeals are appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the state Judicial Nominating Commission, and are subject to a [[non-partisan]] retention vote on a six-year rotating schedule.

Due to Oklahoma's restrictive ballot access laws (deemed by many to be the most restrictive in the nation), third parties have very limited access to the primary ballots, however the state does have the following active third parties: [[Oklahoma Libertarian Party]], [[Green Party of Oklahoma]], [[Oklahoma Constitution Party]]. There are also organizers from the [[Communist Party USA]] working in the state. Oklahoma's Major political parties are the [[Oklahoma Democratic Party]] and the [[Oklahoma Republican Party]].

{{seealso|Governor of Oklahoma}}
{{seealso|Oklahoma Legislature}}
{{seealso|Oklahoma Supreme Court}}

=== Local governance ===
The state is divided into 77 counties which deliver local government. Each is governed by a three member commission. Other county elected officials are the tax assessor, clerk, court clerk, treasurer, and sheriff.

Cities and towns are established under the rights granted in the Oklahoma statutes (in comparison, Oklahoma gives municipal governments a great deal of latitude in chartering new governments). Towns are municipalities of under 1000 residents, while cities have more than 1000 residents. Major cities are also allowed to form "charter governments," in which the voters choose the form of government they want to use in place of the statutory forms.

Other local government units in Oklahoma include independent and dependent school districts, Technology Center Districts (once known as VOTECH), community college districts, rural fire departments, rural water districts, and other special use districts.

=== National politics ===
After the [[United States Census Bureau|2000 census]] the Oklahoma delegation to the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]] was reduced from six to five representatives. For the [[110th United States Congress|110th Congress]] (2007&ndash;2009) there are no changes in party strength, and the delegation has four [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and one [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]. Oklahoma's two U.S. senators are [[Jim Inhofe]] (Republican) and [[Tom Coburn]] (Republican). The U.S. Representatives are [[John Sullivan (U.S. Rep)|John Sullivan]] (Republican) of District 1, [[Dan Boren]] (Democrat) of District 2, [[Frank D. Lucas]] (Republican) of District 3, [[Tom Cole]] (Republican) of District 4, and [[Mary Fallin]] (Republican) of District 5.

Although there are more registered Democrats in Oklahoma than registered Republicans, it has become a solid Republican state in presidential elections, voting for the Republican in every election from 1968 forward (however the 1976 Carter-Ford race was close). In 2004, [[George W. Bush]] carried every county in the state and 65.6% of the vote.

=== Issue-based activism ===
There are many groups active in social causes and issue-based activism work. Some of these groups include (this list is incomplete and will be updated as time goes by):

* [[Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty]]

== Economy ==
Oklahoma is a major fuel and food-producing state; thousands of oil and natural gas wells dot the Oklahoma landscape, and the state is among the highest food producing states in the nation.
Its main agricultural outputs are soy, wheat, cattle, dairy, poultry, and cotton. Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation in the production of all wheat, fourth in cattle and calf production; fifth in the production of pecans; sixth in peanuts and eight in peaches.
Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment, machinery, electric products, rubber and plastic products, and food processing.
Its 1999 total gross state product was $86 billion, placing it 29th in the nation.
Its 2000 per capita personal income was $23,517, 43rd in the nation.
Oklahoma City suburb [[Nichols Hills, Oklahoma|Nichols Hills]] is ranked first on [[Oklahoma locations by per capita income]] at $73,661.

[[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]] is a primary economic engine of the state, centered on the finance, retail, governance, entertainment, and tourism sectors. The city has numerous manufacturing and processing plants as well as a growing biotech research and health center. Oklahoma City has a large aviation market and its location at the intersection of [[I-35]], [[I-40]], and [[I-44]] makes Oklahoma City an important distribution point. 

Oklahoma City is home to many corporate and regional headquarters including [[Devon Energy]], [[Chesapeake Energy]], [[Sonic Drive-In]], [[AT&T]], [[The Hertz Corporation]], BancFirst, [[OGE Energy]], Midfirst Bank, [[Hobby Lobby]], [[Dobson Communications]], Express Personnel Services, Oklahoma Publishing Company, Spectro Wire & Cable, Inc., Rainbo Manufacturing, Globe Life and Accident Insurance, [[Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.]], and [[Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce]].

[[Image:Downtown Tulsa.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Tulsa is a major economic center for the state.]]

[[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]] is another primary economic engine of the state, centered on energy, aerospace, telecommunications, and transportation. The city has the nation's most inland sea port and Oklahoma's only connection to the ocean, the [[Tulsa Port of Catoosa]] [http://www.tulsaport.com/], which connects the state with international ocean trade routes through the [[Arkansas River]] and [[Mississippi River]]. Despite an oil bust that plagued the entire state in the 1980's, Tulsa is still among the top cities in the nation for the number of oil and energy related company headquarters. Tulsa is also home to an extensive aviation market, exemplified by its [[American Airlines]] maintenance center, the largest airline maintenance base in the world. 

Recently, Forbes magazine rated Tulsa as second in the nation in job income growth, and one of the best 50 cities to do business in the country. <ref name="forbestop50">{{cite web | date=2006 | url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/1/2813.html | title= Tulsa, OK: Best Places to do Business 2006 | format=web | work=Forbes Magazine| pages=1 | publisher= Forbes Magazine| language=English | accessdate=2006-07-23}}</ref>

Companies based in Tulsa include The NORDAM Group, BOK Financial Corporation (BOKF), [[Bank of Oklahoma]], [[Williams Companies]], Oneok, Wiltel, [[QuikTrip]], Public Service of Oklahoma, [[Mazzio's]] Corporation, [[RibCrib]], [[SemGroup]], [[Thrifty Car Rental|Dollar-Thrifty]], [[Hilti]] USA, and [[Vanguard]]. 

Both of Oklahoma's major metropolitan areas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, are engaged in large-scale economic development and tourism initiatives.

== Transportation ==
Primary interstate highways in Oklahoma include [[I-35]], which traverses the state from north to south, [[I-40]], which traverses the state from east to west, and [[I-44]], which enters Oklahoma in the southwest and leaves the state in the northeast corner. These highways all run through Oklahoma City.

The state's other interstate highways are Interstates 235, 240, 244 and (unsigned) 444. [[Interstate 235 (Oklahoma)|I-235]] (Centennial Expressway) is a north-south freeway connecting I-35 and I-44 through the center of Oklahoma City. [[Interstate 240 (Oklahoma)|I-240]] (South Bypass) is an east-west freeway serving as a southern bypass of Oklahoma City. [[I-244]] (Crosstown Expressway/MLK Expressway) is a loop that connects downtown Tulsa to I-44, and [[I-444]], which is unsigned, forms the south and east sides of the "Inner Dispersal Loop" in downtown Tulsa.

Oklahoma is served by two major airports:

*[[Will Rogers World Airport]], Oklahoma City
*[[Tulsa International Airport]]

There are also numerous other regional and general aviation airports:

See: [[List of airports in Oklahoma]]

Amtrak also operates a daily train between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas, the [[Heartland Flyer]]. 
*[http://www.heartlandflyer.com/index.htm Heartland Flyer] Official Website

== Education ==

* [[List of Oklahoma school districts by county]]
* [[List of school districts in Oklahoma]]
* [[List of private schools in Oklahoma]]
* [[List of CareerTech centers in Oklahoma]]
* [[List of colleges and universities in Oklahoma]]

== Culture ==
[[Image:OklahomaPrairie.jpg|thumb|250px|Oklahoma Prairie]]

The various government sponsored arts, community, and tourism programs emphasize Oklahoma's Native American heritage heavily. There are many central areas of Native American heritage in Oklahoma, including one of the most notable, Tahlequah, which is near Muskogee in Eastern Oklahoma. Native American culture runs deep in the lives of Oklahomans and one may experience it through various cultural programs including pow wows, the Tsa-La-Gi village in Tahlequah, OK and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

Other ethnic celebrations include those of [[Yukon, Oklahoma|Yukon]] & Prague (celebrating the Czech heritage of some early immigrants), [[Tulsa]]'s Greek Holiday, the Tulsa Scottish Games, Shalomfest (in Tulsa), Tulsa's German Oktoberfest, the Mennonite Relief Sale (in Enid, OK), Italian festivals and neighborhoods in the McAlester and Krebs area, traditional [[Asian]], [[African American]], and [[Hispanic]] celebrations in [[Oklahoma City]] as well as the [[pride parade]] and festival in the city's [[39th GLBT|GLBT]] district, and the [[Juneteenth]] Celebrations found all across the state.

==Sports==
Because of the [[Hurricane Katrina|devastation]] of [[New Orleans, Louisiana]] in 2005, the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s New Orleans Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City and are currently known as the [[New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets]]. The Hornets are the first [[major professional sports league]] franchise to play in the state.  The owner of the Hornets announced in December of 2006, that the team would be returning to New Orleans for the 2007-2008 season.

The recent purchase of the Seattle Supersonics NBA Basketball team, by a group of Oklahoma businessmen, has led to speculation that the team will be relocated to Oklahoma City in the near future.

The [[minor league baseball]] teams are:
*[[Oklahoma RedHawks]] ([[Minor league baseball|AAA]] in Oklahoma City)
*[[Tulsa Drillers]] ([[Minor league baseball|AA]] in Tulsa)

Other [[Oklahoma City]] teams include
*[[Oklahoma City Blazers]] ([[Ice Hockey]]: [[Central Hockey League|CHL]])
*[[Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz]] ([[Arena Football League]]: [[AF2]])
*[[Oklahoma City Lightning]] ([[Women's Football]]: [[National Women's Football Association|NWFA]])
*[[New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets]] ([[National Basketball Association]])

Other [[Enid]] teams include
*[[Oklahoma Storm]] ([[Basketball]]: [[United States Basketball League]])

Other [[Tulsa]] teams include
*[[Tulsa Oilers (hockey team)|Tulsa Oilers]] ([[Ice Hockey]]: [[Central Hockey League|CHL]])
*[[Tulsa Talons]] ([[Arena Football]]: [[AF2]])
*[[Tulsa 66ers]] ([[Basketball]]: [[NBA Development League]])

Oklahoma's major college teams are
*the [[Oklahoma Sooners]] ([[University of Oklahoma]])
*the [[Oklahoma State Cowboys]] ([[Oklahoma State University]])
*the [[Tulsa Golden Hurricane]] ([[University of Tulsa]])

== Important cities and metropolitan areas==
===Oklahoma City ===
{{Main|Oklahoma City, Oklahoma}}
[[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]], with a population of 523,303 in the immediate city limits<ref name="Oklahoma City (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau">{{ cite web | date=2006-01-12 | url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40/4055000.html | title=Oklahoma City (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau | work=State & County QuickFacts | publisher=U.S. Census Bureau | language=English | accessdate=2006-09-16 }}</ref> and 1.3 million in the metro area,<ref>[http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Profiles/Single/2003/ACS/Narrative/380/NP38000US5880.htm Population and Housing Profile:  Oklahoma City, OK MSA (2003)] Retrieved September 16, 2006</ref> is the principal city of the eight-county [[Oklahoma City Metroplex]] and is Oklahoma's largest urbanized area.  As of 2000, it was the 47th largest metro in the nation.<ref name="US Census - Metro ranks 2000">{{cite web | date=2003-12-30 | url=http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t29/tab03a.pdf | title=Population in Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Ranked by 2000 Population for the United States and Puerto Rico: 1990 and 2000 | format=PDF | work=United States Census 2000 | pages=3 | publisher=United State Census Bureau | language=English | accessdate=2006-06-08}}</ref>  Some of the major cities comprising the Oklahoma City Metro include [[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]], [[Edmond, Oklahoma|Edmond]], [[Guthrie, Oklahoma|Guthrie]], [[Moore, Oklahoma|Moore]], [[Mustang, Oklahoma|Mustang]], [[Yukon, Oklahoma|Yukon]], [[Shawnee, Oklahoma|Shawnee]], [[Del City, Oklahoma|Del City]], [[Midwest City, Oklahoma|Midewest City]].

Oklahoma City is the capital of Oklahoma, as well as its main civic, business, and arts and entertainment hub. Oklahoma City is steadily recovering from the oil bust that destroyed the city's identity{{fact}}.

===Tulsa===
{{main|Tulsa, Oklahoma}}
[[Tulsa]] is the second largest city in Oklahoma, with 387,807 within the city limits<ref name="Oklahoma City (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau">{{ cite web | date=2006-09-16 | url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40/4075000.html | title=Tulsa (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau | work=State & County QuickFacts | publisher=U.S. Census Bureau | language=English | accessdate=2006-06-07 }}</ref> and 890,000 in the statistical metropolitan area.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Profiles/Single/2003/ACS/Narrative/380/NP38000US8560.htm Population and Housing Profile:  Tulsa, OK MSA (2003)] Retrieved September 16, 2006</ref>. The city is an important Southern and Midwest regional economic hub, and is the architectural center of the state. It is Oklahoma's second largest urbanized area.  As of 2000, it was the 53rd largest metropolitan area in the nation.<ref name="US Census - Metro ranks 2000"/>

===Other important cities===
*[[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]] (3rd Largest City)
*[[Lawton, Oklahoma|Lawton]] (4th Largest City)
*[[Broken Arrow, Oklahoma|Broken Arrow]] (5th Largest City)
*[[Edmond, Oklahoma|Edmond]] (6th Largest City)
*[[Midwest City, Oklahoma|Midwest City]] (7th Largest City)
*[[Enid, Oklahoma|Enid]] (8th Largest City)
*[[Moore, Oklahoma|Moore]] (9th Largest City)
*[[Stillwater, Oklahoma|Stillwater]] (10th Largest City)
*[[Bartlesville, Oklahoma|Bartlesville]]
*[[Claremore, Oklahoma|Claremore]]
*[[Owasso, Oklahoma|Owasso]]
*[[Sand Springs, Oklahoma|Sand Springs]]
*[[Jenks, Oklahoma|Jenks]] 
*[[Ponca City, Oklahoma|Ponca City]]
*[[Muskogee, Oklahoma|Muskogee]]

{{seealso|List of cities in Oklahoma|List of towns in Oklahoma}}

== Demographics ==
{{Histpop
| [[United States Census, 1890|1890]] | 258,657   |    -
| [[United States Census, 1900|1900]] | 790,391   |  206%
| [[United States Census, 1910|1910]] | 1,657,155 |  110%
| [[United States Census, 1920|1920]] | 2,028,283 |   22%
| [[United States Census, 1930|1930]] | 2,396,040 |   18%
| [[United States Census, 1940|1940]] | 2,336,434 |   -2%
| [[United States Census, 1950|1950]] | 2,233,351 |   -4%
| [[United States Census, 1960|1960]] | 2,328,284 |    4%
| [[United States Census, 1970|1970]] | 2,559,229 |   10%
| [[United States Census, 1980|1980]] | 3,025,290 |   18%
| [[United States Census, 1990|1990]] | 3,145,585 |    4%
| [[United States Census, 2000|2000]] | 3,450,654 |   10%
}}

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, Oklahoma has an estimated population of 3,547,884, which is an increase of 24,338, or 0.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 97,232, or 2.8%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 80,753 people (that is 264,324 births minus 183,571 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 21,128 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 36,546 people, and migration within the country produced a net decrease of 15,418 people.

The [[center of population]] of Oklahoma is located in [[Lincoln County, Oklahoma|Lincoln County]], in the town of [[Sparks, Oklahoma|Sparks]] [http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt].
{{US Demographics}}
The five largest ancestry groups in Oklahoma are [[German American|German]] (14.5%), American (13.1%), [[Irish American|Irish]] (11.8%), [[British American|English]] (9.6%), [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] (7.9%, with Cherokees as the largest tribe).

German-Americans are present in the northwestern part of the state. American Indians predominate in eastern Oklahoma. Oklahomans of British ancestry dominate Tulsa and some other areas. Americans of African descent are a plurality in Lawton and Oklahoma City, while Pittsburg county has many Irish-Americans. Oklahoma City has the largest [[Asian]] and [[Asian American]] populations. A few western counties have significant [[Mexican American]] populations.

6.8% of Oklahoma's population was reported as under 5, 25.9% under 18, and 13.2% was 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.9% of the population.

Descendants of these people still live in Oklahoma today.
Counties with the names of these tribes also exist. Oklahoma has the second highest number of Native Americans/Amerindians in the country estimated at 395,219 as of 2003. Only California has a higher Amerindian population at 682,720 [http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/states/ST-EST2002-ASRO-04.php]. Oklahoma also has the second highest concentration of Native Americans/Amerindians in the nation with 11.4% of the state's population, topped only by Alaska at 19% of that state's population. [http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kbr01-15.pdf]. 39 of the Amerindian tribes currently living in Oklahoma are headquartered in the state.

=== Religion ===
The people of Oklahoma participate in 73 major religious affiliations ranging from the Southern Baptist Convention with 1578 churches and 967,223 members to the Holy Orthodox Church in North America, 1 church, 6 members. 

The 10 most popular religious affiliations (including "none") account for more than 90% of all Oklahomans:<ref>[http://thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/state/40_2000.asp Association of Religion Data Archives]</ref>
* No religious affiliation - 39.24%
* [[Southern Baptist]] – 28.03%
* [[United Methodist Church]] – 9.35%
* [[Roman Catholic|Catholic Church]] – 4.89%
* [[Assemblies of God]] – 2.56%
* [[Churches of Christ]] – 2.41%
* [[Disciples of Christ]] - 1.56%
* [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Christian Churches]] - 1.24%
* [[Church of the Nazarene]] - 1.06
* [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]] - 1.02%
<sup>'''Note:''' Terms shown are the ones used by ARDA; ''Catholic Church'', for instance, versus ''Roman Catholic Church''. The ARDA also notes that their data undercounts traditionally-black churches.</sup>

==Trivia==
*[[Watonga]], Oklahoma is the birth place of [[Clarence Nash]], better known as the voice of [[Donald Duck]].  Nash captured the ears of a young [[Walt Disney]] with his voice imitation of a duck.  Nash provided Donald Duck's world famous voice exclusively until his death in [[1985]]
*Oklahoma is one of only two states whose capital city's name includes the state name. The other is [[Indianapolis, Indiana]].
*The first YIELD sign was used in a trial basis in Tulsa.
* Oklahoma was the last state in the Union to legalize tattooing as of November 1, 2006. [http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=9b33bed6-0abe-421a-0028-8c1b4cab1a2e&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf ]
* The world's first installed parking meter was in Oklahoma City, on July 16, 1935. Carl C. Magee, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is generally credited with originating the parking meter. He filed for a patent for a "coin controlled parking meter" on May 13, 1935.
* Vinita is the oldest incorporated town on Oklahoma [[Route 66]], having been established in 1871. Vinita was the first town in Oklahoma to enjoy electricity. Originally named Downingville. The town's name was later changed to Vinita, in honor of Vinnie Ream, the sculptress who created the life-size statue of Lincoln at the [[United States Capitol]].
* Rural Oklahoma, similar to problems faced by other Plains states ([[Nebraska]], [[Kansas]], [[North Dakota]], [[South Dakota]] and [[Iowa]]), is seeing populations fall in many communities. Between 1996 and 2004 nearly 500,000 people, half of them with college degrees, left the six states. The effects of rural flight in Oklahoma have mostly been felt in Western Oklahoma.
* The Amateur Softball Association of America - a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, OK - was founded in 1933 and has evolved into the strongest softball organization in the country. 
* [[Boise City, Oklahoma]] was the only city in the continental United States to be bombed during [[World War II]]. On Monday night, July 5, 1943, at approximately 12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base (50 miles to the south of Boise City) dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town. 
* An Oklahoman, [[Sylvan Goldman]], invented the first shopping cart. 
* In Guthrie, nearly 20,000 lighters and "fire starters" are displayed at the National Lighter Museum. It is the nation's only museum devoted to the collection of lighters.
* Oklahoma has approximately 11,611 miles of shoreline, slightly less than the estimated combined general (nontidal) coastline of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and Arctic Coasts which has 12,383 miles.<ref>Oklahoma Water Resources Board, [http://www.owrb.state.ok.us/util/waterfact.php ''Oklahoma Water Facts'']: "Oklahoma has approximately 11,611 miles of shoreline ...". (Retrieved August 3, 2006)</ref>
* In recent years, Oklahoma has become the second largest natural gas-producing state in the nation. Only Texas surpasses Oklahoma in natural gas production.

===Oklahoma state symbols===

{| align="center" style="text-valign: center;"
|-
!colspan=3|Flora
|-
|[[Floral emblem]]
||[[Mistletoe]]
|-
|[[Wildflower]]
||[[Indian Blanket]] <small> ''Gaillardia pulchella''
||1910
|-
|[[Tree]]
||[[Redbud]] <small> ''Cercis canadensis''
||1971
|-
|[[State grass|Grass]]
||[[Indian Grass]] <small>''Sorghastrum nutans''
||1972
|-
|[[State flower|Flower]]
||Oklahoma Rose
||2004
|-
!colspan=3|Fauna
|-
|[[List of U.S. state birds|Bird]]
||[[Scissor-tailed Flycatcher]] <small>''Muscivora forficata''
||1951
|-
|[[State reptile|Reptile]]
||[[Common Collared Lizard|Collared Lizard]] <small>(Mountain Boomer) ''Crotaphytus collaris)''
||1969
|-
|[[State mammal|Mammal]]
||[[Bison]] <small>''Bison bison''
||1972
|-
|[[State fish|Fish]]
||[[White bass]] <small>(Sand bass) ''Morone chrysops''
||1974
|-
|[[State furbearer animal|Furbearer Animal]]
||[[Common Raccoon]] <small>''Procyon lotor''
||1989
|-
|[[State insect|Insect]]
||[[Western honey bee|European honey bee]] <small>''Apis mellifera''
||1992
|-
|[[State game animal|Game Animal]]
||[[White-tail deer]] <small>''Odocoileus virginians''
||1990
|-
|[[State game bird|Game Bird]]
||[[Wild Turkey]] <small>''Meleagris gallopavo''
||1990
|-
|[[State butterfly|Butterfly]]
||[[Black Swallowtail]] <small>''Papilio polyxenes''
||1996
|-
|[[State amphibian|Amphibian]]
||[[Bullfrog]] <small>''Rana catesbeiana''
||1997
|-
|[[State fossil|Fossil]]
||[[Allosaurid|Allosaurid dinosaur]] <small>''Saurophaganax maximus''
||2000
|-
|[[State flying mammal|Flying Mammal]]
||[[Mexican Free-Tailed Bat]] <small>''Tadarida brasiliensis''
||2006
|-
|[[State dinosaur|Dinosaur]]
||[[High Spined Lizard]] <small>''Acrocanthosaurus atokensis''
||2006
|-
!colspan=3|Music
|-
|[[State waltz|waltz]]
||"''Oklahoma Wind''"
|-
|[[Anthem]]
||"[[Oklahoma! (song)|Oklahoma!]]"<br>lyrics: [[Oscar Hammerstein II]]<br>music: [[Richard Rodgers]]
||1953
|-
|[[state song|Song]]
||"[[Oklahoma Hills]]"<br>lyrics: [[Woody Guthrie]]<br>music: [[Woody Guthrie]]
||
|-
|[[Instrument|Musical Instrument]]
||[[Musical styles (violin)#Fiddle|Fiddle]]
||1984
|-
|[[Country and Western|Country and Western Song]]
||"Faded Love"<br>by [[John Willis]]<br>and [[Bob Wills]]
||1988
|-
|Folk Dance
||[[Square Dance]]
||1988
|-
|[[Percussion|Percussive Musical Instrument]]
||[[Drum]]
||1993
|-
|Children's Song
||"Oklahoma, My Native Land"<br>by Martha Kemm Barrett
||1996
|-
|Western Band
||The Sounds of the Southwest
||1997
|-
|Folk Song
||"[[Oklahoma Hills]]"<br>by [[Woody Guthrie]]<br>and [[Jack Guthrie]]
||2001
|-
!colspan=3| Other
|-
|[[Colors]]
||[[Green]] and [[White]]
||1915
|-
|[[State rock|Rock]]
||[[Rose Rock]] <small> (Barite rose)
||1968
|-
|[[Theatre]]
||Lynn Riggs Players of Oklahoma, Inc.
||1971
|-
|[[Poem]]
||"Howdy Folks" by David Randolph Milsten
||1973
|-
|[[Pin]]
||"OK" pin
||1982
|-
|[[State beverage|Beverage]]
||[[Milk]]
||1985
|-
|[[State soil|Soil]]
||[[Port Silt Loam]] <small> ''Cumulic haplustolls''
||1987
|-
|[[Meal]]
||Fried okra,<br> [[Squash (fruit)|squash]],<br> [[cornbread]],<br> [[barbecue pork]],<br> [[biscuits]],<br> [[sausage and gravy]],<br> [[grits]],<br> [[maize|corn]],<br> [[strawberry|strawberries]],<br> [[chicken fried steak]],<br> [[pecan pie]],<br> and [[black-eyed peas]].
||1988
|-
|[[Poet Laureate]]
||biennial gubernatorial appointment
||1994
|-
|[[Tartan]]
||Oklahoma Tartan
||1999
|-
|}

===See also===

* [http://www.50states.com/facts/okla.htm More Oklahoma Trivia]
* [http://www.kfor.com/Global/story.asp?S=5084612 Full Auto Shoot]

== See also ==

* [[Cavanal Hill]], World's tallest hill
* [[List of people from Oklahoma]]
* [[List of casinos#Oklahoma|Partial list of Oklahoma casinos]]
* [[List of Oklahoma numbered highways]]
* [[Scouting in Oklahoma]]
* [[Okie]]
* [[Oklahoma Highway Patrol]]

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last=Baird|first=W. David|coauthors=and Danney Goble|title=The Story of Oklahoma|year=1994|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|id=ISBN 0-8061-2650-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Dale|first=Edward Everett|coauthors=and Morris L. Wardell|title=History of Oklahoma|year=1948|publisher=Prentice-Hall|location=New York|url=http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=9570550}}
*{{cite book|last=Gibson|first=Arrell Morgan|title=Oklahoma: A History of Five Centuries|year=1981|edition=2nd ed.|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|id=ISBN 0-8061-1758-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Goble|first=Danney|title=Progressive Oklahoma: The Making of a New Kind of State|year=1980|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|id=ISBN 0-8061-1510-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Stephen|title=Oklahoma Politics in State and Nation|year=1974|edition=vol. 1 (1907-62)|publisher=Haymaker Press|location=Enid, Okla.}}
*{{cite book|last=Joyce|first=Davis D. (ed.)|title=An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before: Alternative Views of Oklahoma History|year=1994|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|id=ISBN 0-8061-2599-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Anne Hodges|coauthors=and H. Wayne Morgan (eds.)|title=Oklahoma: New Views of the Forty-sixth State|year=1982|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|id=ISBN 0-8061-1651-X}}
*{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=David R.|coauthors=Robert E. England, and George G. Humphreys|title=Oklahoma Politics and Policies: Governing the Sooner State|year=1991|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|location=Lincoln|id=ISBN 0-8032-3106-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Morris|first=John W.|coauthors=Charles R. Goins, and Edwin C. McReynolds|title=Historical Atlas of Oklahoma|year=1986|edition=3rd ed.|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|id=ISBN 0-8061-1991-8}}
*{{cite book|last=Wishart|first=David J. (ed.)|title=Encyclopedia of the Great Plains|year=2004|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|location=Lincoln|id=ISBN 0-8032-4787-7}}

==References==
<div class="references-small">
* [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
** [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40000.html Oklahoma QuickFacts]. Geographic and demographic information.
** [http://www.census.gov/population/documentation/twps0056/tab51.pdf Oklahoma - Race and Hispanic Origin: 1890 to 1990] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]])
<references/>
</div>

== External links ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma ''Wikipedia'' "Oklahoma"]
* [http://www.ok.gov/ Oklahoma's Official Web Site]
* [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40000.html U.S. Census Bureau]
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/OK.htm Oklahoma State Facts]
* [http://www.oklatourism.gov Oklahoma Tourism Official Website]

{{Oklahoma}}
{{United_States}}

[[Category:Oklahoma|*]]
[[Category:1907 establishments]]
[[Category:Kappler's Indian Affairs citations]]