Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central area of the United States. It is bounded on all sides by the states of Texas (south and west), Kansas (north), Missouri (northeast), Arkansas (east), New Mexico (west), and Colorado (northwest). It is the 20th largest state in terms of geographical area and the 28th most populated state out of the 50 that make up the United States. Part of its location is in the most western part of the Upland South. The people who live there are referred to as Oklahomans (or more informally as "Okies"), and Oklahoma City is both the state capital and the biggest city in the state.

The name of the state comes from two Choctaw words: okla, which means "people," and humma, which means "red." The Choctaw people originally inhabited the area. The settlers who arrived in Oklahoma before the official opening date of lands in the western Oklahoma Territory or before the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889, which increased European-American settlement in the eastern Indian Territory, gave the state its nickname, "The Sooner State." This moniker is a reference to the fact that the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 increased European-American settlement in the eastern Indian Territory. On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state to join the union, and with its admission, it absorbed both the Oklahoma Territory and the Indian Territory. This made Oklahoma the state's geographical centre.

The majority of Oklahoma is located in the Great Plains, Cross Timbers, and U.S. Interior Highlands, which are all areas that are prone to experiencing extreme weather. This area includes old mountain ranges, grassland, mesas, and eastern woodlands. The state of Oklahoma is at the intersection of three of the most significant cultural areas in the United States. Throughout its history, it has played several important roles, including those of a government-sanctioned territory for Native Americans relocated west of the Mississippi River, a path for cattle drives coming from Texas and other related regions, and a destination for migrant settlers from the South. Current estimates place the number of Native American languages still spoken in Oklahoma at twenty-five.

In addition to being a significant producer of oil, natural gas, and agricultural goods, Oklahoma's economy is supported by the state's aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology industries. Nearly two-thirds of Oklahomans call the metropolitan statistical regions of Oklahoma City and Tulsa home, making these two cities the state's key economic pillars.