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State of Nebraska

Flag of Nebraska Seal of Nebraska
State nickname: Cornhusker State
Official languages	English
Capital	Lincoln
Largest city	Omaha
Governor	Dave Heineman (R)
Senators	Chuck Hagel (R) Ben Nelson (D)
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 16th 200,520 km² 0.7
Population  - Total (2000)  - Density	Ranked 38th 1,711,263 8.6/km² (42nd)
Admission into Union	March 1, 1867 (37th)
Time Zone	Central: UTC-6/-5 (eastern) Mountain: UTC-7/-6 (western)
Coordinates  - Latitude  - Longitude  - Width  - Length	40°N to 43°N 95°25'W to 104°W 340 km 690 km
Elevation  - Highest point  - Mean  - Lowest point	1,653 m 790 m 256 m
Abbreviations  - USPS  - ISO 3166-2	NE US-NE
Web site	www.nebraska.gov

Nebraska is a Great Plains state of the United States. Nebraska gets its name from a Native American (Oto) word meaning "flat water", after the Platte River that flows through the state. Once considered part of the Great American Desert, it is now a leading farming state. Nebraskans have practiced scientific farming to turn the Nebraska prairie into a land of ranches and farms. Much of the history of the state is the story of the impact of the Nebraska farmer. Nebraskans are sometimes colloquially referred to as "Cornhuskers" (which is derived from the state nickname).

Contents 1 History 1.1 "Rural flight" 2 Law and Government 2.1 History 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 5.1 Race and ancestry 5.2 Religion 6 Transport 6.1 Railroads 6.2 Roads and highways 7 Major cities and urban areas 7.1 Largest cities 7.2 Urban areas 8 Education 8.1 Colleges and universities 9 Sports teams 10 Climate 11 Notable residents 12 Miscellaneous information 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links

History

The Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854; it established the U.S. territories of Nebraska and Kansas. The territorial capital of Nebraska was Omaha.

In the 1860s, the first great wave of homesteaders poured into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government. Many of the first farm settlers built their homes out of sod because they found so few trees on the grassy land.

Nebraska became the 37th state in 1867, shortly after the Civil War. At that time, the capital was moved from Omaha to Lancaster, later renamed Lincoln after the recently assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

Arbor Day began in Nebraska, and the National Arbor Day Foundation is still headquartered in Nebraska City.

Prohibition in the U.S. was adopted in 1918, with Nebraska as the thirty-sixth state necessary to make the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution [1].

"Rural flight"

Nebraska, in common with five other Midwest states (Kansas, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, and Iowa), has experienced a decades-long population decline in rural areas, although Nebraska is the fastest growing of the five. Eighty-nine percent of the cities in those states have fewer than 3000 people; hundreds have fewer than 1000. Between 1996 and 2004, almost half a million people, nearly half with college degrees, left the six states. "Rural flight", as it is called, has led to offers of free land and tax breaks as enticements to newcomers. As an example in Nebraska, Monowi, which in the 1930s had a population of 150, now has a population of one (as of 2005).

Law and Government

Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a unicameral legislature; that is, a legislature with only one house. Although this house is officially known simply as the "Legislature", and more commonly called the "Unicameral", its members still call themselves "senators". Nebraska's Legislature is also the only one in the United States that is nonpartisan. The senators are elected with no party affiliation next to their names on the ballot, and the speaker and committee chairs are chosen at large, so that members of any party can be (and often are) chosen for these positions. The Nebraska legislature can also override a governor's veto with a three-fifths majority, in contrast to the two-thirds majority required in some other states.

History

For years, United States Senator George Norris and other Nebraskans encouraged the idea of a unicameral legislature, and demanded the issue be decided in a referendum. Norris argued:

…The constitutions of our various states are built upon the idea that there is but one class. If this be true, there is no sense or reason in having the same thing done twice, especially if it is to be done by two bodies of men elected in the same way and having the same jurisdiction.

Unicameral supporters also argued that a bicameral legislature had a significant undemocratic feature in the committees that reconciled Assembly and Senate legislation. Votes in these committees were secretive, and would sometimes add provisions to bills that neither house had approved. Nebraska's unicameral legislature today has rules that bills can contain only one subject, and must be given at least five days of consideration.

Finally, in 1934, due in part to the budgetary pressure of the Great Depression, Nebraska's unicameral legislature was put in place by a state initiative. In effect, the Assembly (the house) was abolished; as noted, today's Nebraska state legislators are commonly referred to as "Senators."

Since 1991, two of Nebraska's five electoral votes are awarded based on the winner of the statewide election; the other three go to the highest vote-getter in each of the state's three congressional districts. For the last ten elections, Republicans have won all of Nebraska's electoral votes, and no Democrat has carried the state since Lyndon Johnson. In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won the state's five electoral votes by the overwhelming margin of 33 percentage points (the fourth most Republican vote among states) with 65.9% of the vote; only Thurston County voted for John Kerry.

Despite the current Republican domination of Nebraska politics, the state has a long tradition of electing centrist members of both parties to state and federal office; examples include George Norris, J. James Exon, and Bob Kerrey. This tradition is illustrated by Nebraska's current United States senators: Republican Senator Chuck Hagel is a maverick within his party, while Democratic Senator Ben Nelson is the most conservative member of his party in the Senate.

The Nebraska legislature is housed in the third Nebraska State Capitol building, which was built between 1922 and 1932.

Geography

Nebraska is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa and Missouri to the east, across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. Nebraska has 93 counties; it also occupies the central portion of the Frontier Strip.

Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The easternmost fifth of the state was scoured by Ice Age glaciers; the Dissected Till Plains were left behind after the glaciers retreated. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of gently rolling hills; Omaha and Lincoln are located within this region.

The Great Plains occupy the western four-fifths of Nebraska. The Great Plains itself is comprised of several smaller, diverse land regions, including the Sand Hills, the Pine Ridge, the Rainwater Basin, the High Plains and the Wildcat Hills. Panorama Point, at 5,424 feet (1,653 m), is the highest point in Nebraska; despite its name and elevation, it is merely a low rise near the Colorado and Wyoming borders.

A past Nebraska tourism slogan was "Where the West Begins"; locations given for the beginning of the "West" include the Missouri River, the intersection of 13th and O Streets in Lincoln (where it is marked by a red brick star), the 100th meridian, and Chimney Rock.

Economy

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates of Nebraska's gross state product in 2004 was $68 billion. Per capita personal income in 2004 was $31,339, 25th in the nation.

Nebraska has a large agriculture sector, and is a national leader in the production of beef, pork, corn (maize), and soybeans. Other important economic sectors include freight transport (by rail and truck), manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, and insurance.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census year	Population
1860	28,841
1870	122,993
1880	452,402
1890	1,062,656
1900	1,066,300
1910	1,192,214
1920	1,296,372
1930	1,377,963
1940	1,315,834
1950	1,325,510
1960	1,411,330
1970	1,483,493
1980	1,569,825
1990	1,578,385
2000	1,711,263

According to the Census Bureau, as of 2004, the population of Nebraska was 1,747,214. This includes about 84,000 foreign-born residents (4.8% of the population).

Race and ancestry

The racial makeup of the state and comparison to the prior census:

Census year: 2000 1990 White 89.6% 93.8% Black 4.0% 3.6% Asian 1.3% 0.8% Native American 0.9% 0.8% Other race 2.8% 1.0% Mixed race 1.4% * White, non-Hispanic 87.3% 92.5% Hispanic‡ 5.5% 2.3%

Notes: * Not available; mixed race was first reported in the census of 2000. ‡ Hispanics may be of any race and are included in applicable race categories.

The five largest ancestry groups in Nebraska are German (38.6%), Irish (12.4%), English (9.6%), Swedish (4.9%), and Czech (4.9%).

Nebraska has the largest Czech-American population (as a percentage of the total population) in the nation. German-Americans are the largest ancestry group in most of the state, particularly in the eastern counties. Thurston County (comprised entirely of the Omaha and Winnebago reservations) has a Indian majority, and Butler County is one of only two counties in the nation with a Czech-American plurality.

Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are shown in the table below:

• Christian – 90%
  • Protestant – 61%
    • Lutheran – 16%
    • Methodist – 11%
    • Baptist – 9%
    • Presbyterian – 4%
    • Other Protestant – 21%
  • Roman Catholic – 28%
  • Other Christian – 1%
• Other religions – 1%
• Non-religious – 9%

Transport

Railroads

Nebraska has a rich railroad history. The Union Pacific Railroad, headquartered in Omaha, was incorporated on July 1, 1862 in the wake of the Pacific Railway Act of 1862. The route of the original transcontinental railroad runs through the state.

Other major railroads with operations in the state are: Amtrak; BNSF Railway; Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad; and Iowa Interstate Railroad.

Roads and highways

The Interstate Highways in Nebraska are:

• 76, 80, 129, 180, 480, 680

The U.S. Highways in Nebraska are:

• 6, 20, 26, 30, 34, 73, 75, 77, 81, 83, 136, 138, 159, 183, 275, 281, 283, 385

Major cities and urban areas

All population figures are 2004 Census Bureau estimates.

Largest cities

100,000+ population	10,000+ population
Omaha - 409,416 Lincoln - 236,146	Bellevue - 47,347 Grand Island - 44,287 Kearney - 28,640 Fremont - 25,272 Norfolk - 24,072 North Platte - 23,944 Hastings - 23,404	Columbus - 20,881 Papillion - 19,497 Scottsbluff - 14,767 La Vista - 14,685 Beatrice - 12,963 South Sioux City - 12,142 Lexington - 10,056

Urban areas

Metropolitan areas	Micropolitan areas
Omaha-Council Bluffs - 683,705 (Nebraska portion) Lincoln - 275,820 Sioux City, Iowa - 26,722 (Nebraska portion)	Grand Island - 69,685 Kearney - 50,286 Norfolk - 49,964 Hastings - 37,691 Scottsbluff - 37,393	North Platte - 36,213 Fremont - 36,066 Columbus - 31,245 Lexington - 26,566 Beatrice - 23,436

Other areas

• Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney comprise the “Tri-Cities” area.
• The northeast corner of Nebraska is part of the Siouxland region.

Education

Colleges and universities

University of Nebraska system University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Nebraska at Kearney University of Nebraska at Omaha University of Nebraska Medical Center Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Nebraska State College System Chadron State College Peru State College Wayne State College

Private colleges/universities Bellevue University Clarkson College College of Saint Mary Concordia University Creighton University Dana College Doane College Grace University Hastings College Midland Lutheran College Nebraska Christian College Nebraska Methodist College Nebraska Wesleyan University Platte Valley Bible College Union College York College

Nebraska Community College Association Central Community College Little Priest Tribal College Metropolitan Community College Mid-Plains Community College Nebraska Indian Community College Northeast Community College Southeast Community College Western Nebraska Community College

Sports teams

• Professional sports
  • Lincoln Capitols – National Indoor Football League
  • Lincoln Saltdogs – American Association (independent minor league baseball)
  • Lincoln Thunder – American Basketball Association
  • Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights – American Hockey League (Calgary Flames farm team)
  • Omaha Beef – United Indoor Football
  • Omaha Royals – Pacific Coast League (AAA minor league baseball)
• NCAA Division I college sports
  • Creighton Bluejays
  • Nebraska Cornhuskers
  • Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks – ice hockey (in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association) only
• Junior-level sports
  • Lincoln Stars – United States Hockey League
  • Omaha Lancers – United States Hockey League (home games played in Council Bluffs, Iowa)
  • Tri-City Storm – United States Hockey League

Climate

Two major climates are represented in Nebraska: the eastern two-thirds of the state has a hot summer continental climate, and the western third of the state has a semiarid steppe climate. The entire state experiences wide seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation. Average temperatures are fairly uniform across Nebraska, while average annual precipitation decreases from about 31.5 in (800 mm) in the southeast corner of the state to about 13.8 in (350 mm) in the Panhandle. Snowfall across the state is fairly even, with most of Nebraska receiving between 25 and 35 in (650 to 900 mm) of snow annually. [2]

Nebraska is located in Tornado Alley; thunderstorms are common in the spring and summer months. The chinook winds from the Rocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in western Nebraska during the winter months. ([3], [4])

Monthly temperature and precipitation data for two cities in Nebraska are shown in the tables below (source):

Lincoln
Month	Temperature			Precipitation
	Mean	Maximum	Minimum
January	-5.9 °C (21.3 °F)	0.2 °C (32.4 °F)	-12.2 °C (10.1 °F)	14 mm (0.54 in)
February	-3.0 °C (26.6 °F)	3.3 °C (37.9 °F)	-9.4 °C (15.1 °F)	18 mm (0.72 in)
March	3.7 °C (38.6 °F)	10.2 °C (50.3 °F)	-2.9 °C (26.8 °F)	53 mm (2.09 in)
April	10.9 °C (51.7 °F)	18.0 °C (64.4 °F)	3.8 °C (38.9 °F)	70 mm (2.76 in)
May	16.7 °C (62.1 °F)	23.4 °C (74.2 °F)	10.0 °C (50.0 °F)	99 mm (3.90 in)
June	22.5 °C (72.5 °F)	29.3 °C (84.7 °F)	15.7 °C (60.2 °F)	99 mm (3.89 in)
July	25.7 °C (78.2 °F)	32.2 °C (90.0 °F)	19.1 °C (66.3 °F)	81 mm (3.20 in)
August	23.9 °C (75.0 °F)	30.4 °C (86.7 °F)	17.4 °C (63.3 °F)	87 mm (3.41 in)
September	18.5 °C (65.3 °F)	25.1 °C (77.2 °F)	11.8 °C (53.2 °F)	88 mm (3.48 in)
October	12.0 °C (53.6 °F)	19.3 °C (66.7 °F)	4.7 °C (40.5 °F)	54 mm (2.12 in)
November	3.8 °C (38.8 °F)	10.1 °C (50.2 °F)	-2.6 °C (27.3 °F)	32 mm (1.27 in)
December	-3.6 °C (25.6 °F)	2.1 °C (35.8 °F)	-9.2 °C (15.4 °F)	22 mm (0.88 in)
Annual	10.5 °C (50.9 °F)	17.0 °C (62.7 °F)	3.9 °C (39.0 °F)	718 mm (28.26 in)

Scottsbluff
Month	Temperature			Precipitation
	Mean	Maximum	Minimum
January	-3.9 °C (24.9 °F)	3.3 °C (37.9 °F)	-11.2 °C (11.8 °F)	13 mm (0.50 in)
February	-1.0 °C (30.2 °F)	6.4 °C (43.6 °F)	-8.4 °C (16.8 °F)	12 mm (0.47 in)
March	2.3 °C (36.2 °F)	10.2 °C (50.3 °F)	-5.5 °C (22.1 °F)	28 mm (1.09 in)
April	8.1 °C (46.5 °F)	16.3 °C (61.4 °F)	-0.3 °C (31.5 °F)	40 mm (1.58 in)
May	13.6 °C (56.4 °F)	21.6 °C (70.9 °F)	5.4 °C (41.8 °F)	70 mm (2.77 in)
June	19.6 °C (67.3 °F)	27.8 °C (82.0 °F)	11.5 °C (52.7 °F)	67 mm (2.64 in)
July	23.4 °C (74.2 °F)	32.1 °C (89.7 °F)	14.8 °C (58.7 °F)	52 mm (2.06 in)
August	22.0 °C (71.6 °F)	30.7 °C (87.2 °F)	13.3 °C (56.0 °F)	27 mm (1.07 in)
September	16.3 °C (61.4 °F)	25.1 °C (77.2 °F)	7.5 °C (45.6 °F)	28 mm (1.10 in)
October	9.8 °C (49.6 °F)	18.6 °C (65.5 °F)	0.9 °C (33.7 °F)	21 mm (0.81 in)
November	2.4 °C (36.3 °F)	10.1 °C (50.2 °F)	-5.3 °C (22.4 °F)	16 mm (0.62 in)
December	-3.2 °C (26.2 °F)	4.2 °C (39.5 °F)	-10.6 °C (12.9 °F)	14 mm (0.56 in)
Annual	9.2 °C (48.5 °F)	17.2 °C (63.0 °F)	1.1 °C (33.9 °F)	388 mm (15.27 in)

Notable residents

Former President Gerald R. Ford, Vice President Dick Cheney, civil rights activist Malcolm X, and various celebrities including Adele and Fred Astaire, John Beasley, Marlon Brando, Dick Cavett, Montgomery Clift, Henry Fonda, Swoosie Kurtz, Larry the Cable Guy, Harold Lloyd, and Darryl F. Zanuck were born in the state. Other famous natives are film director Alexander Payne, singer/musician Conor Oberst, College Football Hall of Fame coach Dr. Tom Osborne, and athletes Gale Sayers, Bob Gibson, and Ahman Green. The world's second wealthiest person, billionaire investor Warren Buffett, was born and still resides in Nebraska. Comedian Johnny Carson grew up in Norfolk, and today the town of Wahoo is the "home office" for David Letterman's Late Show. Andrew Jackson Higgins, inventor of the Higgins Boat, was born in Columbus. Al Capone's brother, James Vincenzo Capone, moved to Nebraska from Brooklyn, in 1908 at the age of 16.

Miscellaneous information

Nebraska has 25 official state symbols, including the Platte River, the mammoth, and John Neihardt.

The USS Nebraska was named in honor of this state.

Kool-Aid was created by Edwin Perkins in the city of Hastings.

The world's largest train yard, Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, is located in North Platte.

References

• U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Nebraska QuickFacts. Geographic and demographic information.
  • Nebraska - Race and Hispanic Origin: 1860 to 1990 (PDF)

Further reading

• Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7.

External links

• Nebraska state government
• U.S. Census Bureau

Regions of Nebraska
Panhandle - Omaha-Council Bluffs Metro - Pine Ridge - Rainwater Basin - Sand Hills - Wildcat Hills
Largest cities
Alliance - Beatrice - Bellevue - Columbus - Fremont - Gering - Grand Island - Hastings - Kearney - La Vista - Lexington - Lincoln - McCook - Norfolk - North Platte - Omaha - Papillion - Scottsbluff - South Sioux City - York
Counties
Adams - Antelope - Arthur - Banner - Blaine - Boone - Box Butte - Boyd - Brown - Buffalo - Burt - Butler - Cass - Cedar - Chase - Cherry - Cheyenne - Clay - Colfax - Cuming - Custer - Dakota - Dawes - Dawson - Deuel - Dixon - Dodge - Douglas - Dundy - Fillmore - Franklin - Frontier - Furnas - Gage - Garden - Garfield - Gosper - Grant - Greeley - Hall - Hamilton - Harlan - Hayes - Hitchcock - Holt - Hooker - Howard - Jefferson - Johnson - Kearney - Keith - Keya Paha - Kimball - Knox - Lancaster - Lincoln - Logan - Loup - Madison - McPherson - Merrick - Morrill - Nance - Nemaha - Nuckolls - Otoe - Pawnee - Perkins - Phelps - Pierce - Platte - Polk - Red Willow - Richardson - Rock - Saline - Sarpy - Saunders - Scotts Bluff - Seward - Sheridan - Sherman - Sioux - Stanton - Thayer - Thomas - Thurston - Valley - Washington - Wayne - Webster - Wheeler - York

Political divisions of the United States

States Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Federal district District of Columbia Insular areas American Samoa | Baker Island | Guam | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Northern Mariana Islands | Palmyra Atoll | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Wake Island

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