America

PHYSICAL AND HUMAN GEOGRAPHY. THE LAND.Relief. Climate. Plant and animal life. The people. The economy. Administration and social conditions. Government. Education. Health and welfare. Cultural life. Admited to the Union as the 33rd state on Feb. 14, 1859, Oregon comprises an area of startling physical diversity, from the moist rain forests, mountains, and fertile valleys of its western third to the naturally arid and climatically harsh eastern deserts. Mountains, plateus, plains, and valleys of different geologic ages and materials are arrayed in countless combinations, including such natural wonders as the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Caves National Monument, Crater Lake National Park, the majestic snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range, and the “moon country” of central Oregon. The name Oregon is thought to be Indian in orgin.