The US state of Oregon is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the country. The State Capital is Salem, whereas Portland is the most populous city. Oregon State is bounded by California towards the south, Washington towards the north, Idaho State to the east and Nevada State to the southeast. The Snake River delineates the eastern boundary and the Columbia River delineates the northern boundary.
Oregon's landscape is really diverse, encompassing the rainy Pacific coast with forests of Douglas firs and redwoods, the rugged Cascade Mountain Range with lakes and waterfalls, and the high desert of the eastern part of the state, extending into the Great Basin. The eastern part of Oregon has prairies, deserts, semi-arid shrublands, steppes, and meadows. The highest elevation in Oregon State is 11,249 feet at Mount Hood.
Prior to the European settlers arrived; indigenous tribes initially inhabited the area. An autonomous government was formed in the county of Oregon during the year 1843 and the Oregon Territory was created during the year 1848. In the year 1859, Oregon became a state.
The population of Oregon State is approximately 3.8 million, with nearly all of these residents found in the valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon. Portland's population is 583,776.
Crater Lake National Park is the state's only national park. Crater Lake is amongst the world's deepest lakes.
Deposits of lake sediment on the valley floor provided by Glacial Lake Missoula within western Montana feed the fertile region of the Willamette Valley. Oregon is a top wine-producing region with more than 300 wineries. Wine production has been a substantial business for about 40 years. The area has the same soil qualities and weather to those found in the Alsace and Burgundy regions of France. Cranberry production is situated along the Southern shoreline covering about 27,000 acres within southern Coos and northern Curry counties, all-around the city of Bandon.
Dry and irrigated land wheat is grown in the northeastern region of Oregon, specifically around Pendleton. Oregon likewise produces dairy products, cattle, eggs, sheep and poultry.
Oregon State used to be one of the country's main timber producers because of its extensive forests. Some factors have contributed to a steep decline in the amount of timber harvested from federal lands. Legal struggles over management of federal holdings, forest fires and over-harvesting have reduced timber production.