Nebraska, located on the “Great Plains” of the Midwestern region of the U.S.A was the thirty-seventh state in the United States, joining the Union on March 1, 1867. Nebraska is the sixteenth biggest state in The U.S.A and the thirty-eighth most populous. The state capital is Lincoln and the largest city is Omaha. Nebraska is bordered by the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Wyoming. The major rivers are the Missouri River, Niobrara River, Platte River and Republican River and the major lakes are Lewis and Clark Lake, Harlan County Lake and Lake C.W. McConaughty. Nebraska is also the Presidential birthplace of Gerald Rudolph Ford who was the thirty-eighth U.S President, serving from 1974-1977.
The name Nebraska is derived from the Otoe words Ni Brasge meaning, “flat water,” after the “Platte River” that runs across the state. Nebraska was once considered part of the “Great American Desert,” but is now a leading farming and ranching state. The state nickname is 'Cornhusker State'. This name is derived from the nickname for the University of Nebraska athletic teams, the "Cornhuskers", which was coined in 1900 by Charles S. "Cy" Sherman, a sportswriter for the Nebraska State Journal in Lincoln. The term 'cornhusker' also comes from the method of harvesting or "husking" corn by hand, which was common in Nebraska before the invention of husking machinery.
The state bird is the Western Meadowlark and the state flower, the Goldenrod. Nebraska's state flag was adopted in 1925. The flag has a deep blue field with the state seal in the center. The state seal, which is pictured in gold and silver, illustrates a blacksmith hammering on an anvil, a settler's cabin, sheaths of wheat, a steamboat on a river, and the transcontinental railroad, with mountains in the background. The state motto, "Equality Before the Law," is on a banner above the landscape.
The first Europeans to visit the state of Nebraska were French fur traders, arriving in the late 1600's. These people however, did not settle the land. In 1803, Nebraska was sold to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The U.S government decided to set out and explore the land they had just attained. So in 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through Nebraska on its way to the Missouri, and then returned in 1806.
In 1812-13, Robert Stuart pioneered the Oregon Trail across Nebraska and the first permanent white settlement was established at Bellevue in 1823. There were many native's living in the land at this time. The government negotiated treaties with the tribes, reserved land for them, and encouraged European settlement on the Great Plains.
In the 1860's the Federal government offered free land in the state of Nebraska. Many people flowed to the state and took possession of this land. However, many of these people had no choice but to build their houses from sod, as there were very few trees in the area.
The major industries in Nebraska are the farming of corn, wheat and sorghum, grain processing, meat-packing and the Air Force Strategic Air Command. Its agriculture sector is quite big and is a very important producer of beef, pork, soybeans and corn maize. Some other important economic sectors include freight transport, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, and insurance.
The climate in Nebraska is separated into two parts. The east part of the state experiences a humid continental climate, and the west has a semi-arid continental steppe climate. The state experiences wide seasonal variations in temperature. Common weather conditions in the state are violent thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Nebraska is home to approximately 1.8 million Americans. The center of population of Nebraska is located in Polk County, in the city of Shelby. There are quite a few religions in the state. The most popular is the Christian religion, which makes up 90% of the population. Other religions are Protestant and Roman Catholic.
Some of the popular attractions to be found in Nebraska are Chimney Rock National Historic Site, the State Capitol in Lincoln, the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Museum of Nebraska History in Lincoln and the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery. There are also a few outdoor recreational activities including rails, lakes, parks and wildlife areas.
Source:
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