Nebraska

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Nebraska

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\nState nickname: Cornhusker State\n
\n Other U.S. States
Capital	\nLincoln
Largest City	Omaha
Governor	Mike Johanns
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water  - % water\n	\nRanked 16th \n200,520 km² \n19,275 km² \n1,247 km² \n0.6%\n
Population \n  - Total (2000) \n  - Density	\nRanked 38th\n 1,711,263\n 8.5/km2
Admittance into Union\n  - Order\n  - Date	\n37th \nMarch 1, 1867
Time zone	\nCentral: UTC-6/-5 \nMountain: UTC-7/-6 \nEastern NE is Central, Western NE is Mountain\n
\nLatitude \nLongitude \n	\n40°N to 43°N \n95°25'W to 104°W\n
\nWidth \nLength \nElevation  \n-Highest  \n-Mean  \n-Lowest\n	\n340 km \n690 km   \n1,653 meters \n790 meters \n256 meters\n
ISO 3166-2:	US-NE

Nebraska is a midwestern State of the United States.\nNebraska gets its name from a Native American word meaning "flat water", after the Platte River that flows through the State.\nOnce considered part of the Great American Desert, it is now a leading farming state.\nNebraskans have practiced scientific farming to turn the Nebraska prairie into a land of ranches and farms.\nMuch of the history of the State is the story of the impact of the Nebraska farmer.

Table of contents

1 History 2 Law and Government 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Important cities and towns 7 Education 7.1 Colleges and universities 8 Sports teams 9 Miscellaneous information 9.2 Further reading 10 External links

History

\nThe Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854 which established the US territories of Nebraska and Kansas. The territorial capital of Nebraska was Omaha. In the 1860s, the first great wave of homesteaderss poured into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government.\nMany of the first farm settlers built their homes out of sod because they found so few trees on the grassy land. Nebraska became the 37th state in 1867, shortly after the Civil War. At that time, the capital was moved from Omaha to a town that was renamed Lincoln after the recently assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Arbor Day began in Nebraska.\nThe National Arbor Day Foundation is still headquartered in Nebraska City.

Law and Government

Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a unicameral legislature, that is a legislature with only one house. Although this house is known simply as the "Legislature", its members still call themselves "senators". Nebraska's Legislature is also the only one in the United States that is nonpartisan. The senators are elected with no party affiliation next to their names on the ballot, and the speaker and committee chairpersons are chosen at large, so that members of any party can be (and often are) chosen for these positions. See List of Nebraska Governors.

Geography

Nebraska is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa and Missouri to the east, across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest, and Wyoming to the west.\nThe largest city in Nebraska is Omaha, and the capital is Lincoln.\nThe state has 93 counties; see List of Nebraska counties. In regional terms, Nebraska is located in the Great Plains, at the westernmost extent of the Grain Belt.\nThe eastern portion of the State can be considered part of the "Midwest", while the western and central portions are part of the "West", although the distinction between these regions is somewhat fluid.\nIndeed, one of Nebraska's mottos is "Where the West begins", and a local legend even has it that the West begins precisely at the intersection of 13th and O Streets in Lincoln (where it is marked by a red brick star).

Economy

Nebraska is known for its agriculture, especially beef and corn (aka maize).

Demographics

Nebraska's population as of 2000 is 1,711,263.

Important cities and towns

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Largest cities and towns

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\n* 1.Omaha\n* 2.Lincoln\n* 3.Bellevue\n* 4.Grand Island\n* 5.Kearney\n* 6.Fremont\n

\n* 7.Hastings\n* 8.North Platte\n* 9.Norfolk\n* 10.Columbus\n* 11.Papillion\n* 12.Scottsbluff\n

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Largest urban areas

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\n* 1.Omaha Metro Area (including Bellevue, Papillion, and La Vista)\n* 2.Lincoln Metro Area\n* 3.Grand Island Area\n* 4.Kearney Area\n* 5.Fremont Area\n* 6.Hastings Area\n* 7.North Platte Area\n* 8.Scottsbluff-Gering Area\n* 9.Norfolk Area\n* 10.Columbus Area\n

Education

Colleges and universities

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\n* Bellevue University\n* Chadron State College\n* Clarkson College\n* College of Saint Mary\n* Concordia University, Nebraska\n* Creighton University\n* Dana College\n* Doane College\n* Grace University\n* Hastings College\n* Midland Lutheran College\n

\n* Nebraska Christian College\n* Nebraska Wesleyan University\n* Peru State College\n* Southeast Community College\n* Union College\n* University of Nebraska\n** University of Nebraska-Lincoln\n** University of Nebraska at Kearney\n** University of Nebraska at Omaha\n** University of Nebraska Medical Center\n* Wayne State College\n* York College\n

Sports teams

\n\n* Nebraska Cornhuskers, college football\n* Omaha Royals, minor league baseball\n* Lincoln Saltdogs, minor league baseball\n

Miscellaneous information

The USS Nebraska was named in honor of this State. Nebraska is also the name of a 1982 album by Bruce Springsteen, widely considered one of his best. Kool-Aid was created by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska. The world's largest train yard, Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, is located in North Platte, Nebraska

Further reading

• Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7.

External links

• http://nebraska.gov - Official government web site

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