Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United
States. It joined The Union on February 14, 1859 as the 33rd state.
Previously, the region was part of the Oregon Territory that was
created in 1848 after Euro-American settlement began in earnest
in the 1840s. The state lies on the Pacific coast between Washington
on the north and California and Nevada on the south; Idaho lies
to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers form much of its northern
and eastern boundaries, respectively. Salem, the state's third
most populous city, is the state capitol. The state's most populous
city is Portland.
