Oregon
Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest, stretching from the Pacific coast across the Cascade Range to the high desert.
Cascade Range: A volcanic mountain range extending from British Columbia through Washington and Oregon into northern California. The range divides Oregon’s wetter western side from its drier interior.
Portland, Oregon: Oregon’s largest city, located near the Willamette River’s confluence with the Columbia River. Portland anchors the state’s population, commerce, and cultural life.
Indigenous peoples of Oregon: The many Native nations and communities with ancestral homelands in present-day Oregon. Their histories long predate the state and remain central to Oregon’s identity.
Oregon Ballot Measure 91: The 2014 Oregon ballot measure that legalized recreational marijuana for adults under state law. Its passage made Oregon an early state adopter of regulated adult-use cannabis.
California: A U.S. state south of Oregon, extending along the Pacific coast from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest. Its larger population and different climate and economy provide a useful regional comparison.
Willamette Valley: A broad, fertile valley in western Oregon between the Coast Range and Cascade Range. Most Oregonians live in this valley, including the state’s largest city.
Oregon wine: Wine produced in Oregon, especially Pinot noir from the Willamette Valley. The valley’s climate and soils support one of Oregon’s best-known agricultural industries.
Oregon Trail: A 19th-century emigrant route connecting the Missouri River region to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The trail brought thousands of settlers west and transformed the region’s population.
Oregon Bottle Bill: Oregon’s 1971 beverage-container deposit law, designed to encourage container returns and reduce litter. The law became a prominent model for deposit-based recycling programs.
Nevada: A landlocked U.S. state east of California, known for arid landscapes and the city of Las Vegas. Nevada shares Oregon’s dry eastern border region but has a distinct settlement pattern.