Oregon

Oregon is a state located on the United States' northwest, and bordering the Pacific Ocean, California, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. Its northern border lies along the Columbia River and the east along the Snake River. Two north-south mountain ranges - the Coastal Range and the Cascade Mountain Range - form the two boundaries of the Willamette Valley, one of the most fertile and agriculturally productive regions in the world. Oregon is known for its abundant rainfall, but only the western 35% of the state and a bit of northeastern Oregon is notably rainy; east of the Cascades the climate is much more arid. Nonetheless, 40% of the state is or was forested.

Trivia

• Before Oregon officially became a U.S. territory in 1848, the provisional government briefly encouraged the minting of $5 and $10 dollar "Beaver Coins" in order to make up for the lack of U.S. currency. Thus Oregon has the distinction of being one of the few U.S. areas to mint its own currency.
• Oregon is the only state in the United States with a flag that features a different obverse and reverse. It is one of the few official flags in the world that do so. The "front" of the flag shows the state seal, while the "back" features a small beaver, in honor of the official state animal.
• Oregon has the smallest park in the world: Mill Ends Park in Portland, Oregon.
• Oregon has no sales tax.
• Abbreviations for the state include OR (postal), Ore., and Oreg.
• Oregon is one of two states that prohibits self-service at its gas stations. The other is New Jersey.
• Movies filmed in Oregon include Animal House, Kindergarten Cop, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Sometimes a Great Notion, The Goonies, Elephant, Bandits, and Drugstore Cowboy.
• Oregon claims the D River is the shortest river in the world, while the American state of Montana makes the same claim of the Roe River. The Guinness Book of Records officially declared that the two rivers are the same length and can both claim the honor.
• The Kingsmen, who made the song Louie, Louie famous, are from Portland. There was an unsuccessful effort to make Louie, Louie Oregon's official state song.http://www.louielouie.net/05-louie-faq.htm
• In 1970 the Oregon Highway Division (now Oregon Department of Transportation) exploded a dead beached whale on a beach just outside Lane County. The results were not as expected and KATU Channel 2 news reporter Paul Linnman captured the results on film of the exploding whale.
• Herbert Hoover lived with his uncle in Newberg, Oregon for six years after his parents died.