Information AboutNebraska |
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| states of the united states | |
| 1867 establishments | |
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Nebraska is a Great Plains State of the United States . 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 portion of the state was scoured by Ice Age Glacier s; 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 majority of western Nebraska. The Great Plains itself is comprised of several smaller, diverse land regions, including the Sandhills , 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 . Areas under the management of the National Park Service include:
Climate Two major , 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 inches (800 mm) in the southeast corner of the state to about 13.8 inches (350 mm) in the Panhandle . Snowfall across the state is fairly even, with most of Nebraska receiving between 25 and 35 inches (650 to 900 mm) of snow annually. {Link without Title} Nebraska is located in Tornado Alley ; Thunderstorm s are common in the spring and summer months. The Chinook Wind s from the Rocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in western Nebraska during the winter months. ( [http://www.tcdne.org/climate.htm ) HISTORY The Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 28 , 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 Homesteader s 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 American Civil War . At that time, the capital was moved from Omaha to Lancaster, later renamed Lincoln after the recently assassinated President Of The United States 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 {Link without Title} . DEMOGRAPHICS As of 2005, Nebraska has an estimated population of 1,758,787, which is an increase of 11,083, or 0.6%, from the prior year and an increase of 47,522, or 2.8%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 52,104 people (that is 132,394 births minus 80,290 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 4,007 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 22,199 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 26,206 people. As of 2004, the population of Nebraska included 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: 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 an Indian majority, and Butler County is one of only two counties in the nation with a Czech-American plurality. 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 declining of the six. 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 2006 ). Religion The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are shown in the table below:
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. 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. Nebraska has a large Agriculture sector, and is a national leader in the production of Beef , Pork , Corn (maize) , and Soybean s. Other important economic sectors include Freight Transport (by Rail and Truck ), Manufacturing , Telecommunications , Information Technology , and Insurance . Nebraska has 4 personal Income Tax brackets, ranging from 2.56 percent to 6.84 percent. Nebraska has a state Sales Tax of 5.5 percent. In addition to the state tax, some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax, up to a maximum of 1.5 percent. All Real Property located within the state of Nebraska is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Since 1992, only depreciable personal property is subject to tax and all other personal property is exempt from tax. Inheritance Tax is collected at the county level. TRANSPORTATION 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 Highway s in Nebraska are: The U.S. Routes in Nebraska are: LAW AND GOVERNMENT Nebraska's government operates under the framework of the Nebraska Constitution, adopted in 1875 and is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Executive branch The head of the executive branch is the Governor ; the current governor of Nebraska is Dave Heineman . Other elected officials in the executive branch are the Lieutenant Governor (elected on the same ticket as the Governor), the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and the State Auditor. All elected officials in the executive branch serve four-year terms. Legislative branch 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. The Nebraska Legislature meets in the third Nebraska State Capitol building, built between 1922 and 1932.
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