Oklahoma (OK).

• Region: Midwest
• Population: 4,019,800 (ranked 28th) (2022 estimate)
• Capital: Oklahoma City (pop. 694,800) (2022 estimate)
• Largest city: Oklahoma City (pop. 694,800) (2022 estimate)
• Number of counties: 77
• State nickname: Sooner State
• State motto: Labor omnia vincit (Labor conquers all things)
• State flag: Blue field with American Indian shield bearing six red crosses, seven eagle feathers, a peace pipe, and an olive branch, with the name “Oklahoma” below

Situated in the southwestern region of the United States, Oklahoma is bordered by New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas. Oklahoma is one of the nation's leaders in beef and oil production. Its colorful history includes cattle drives, oil booms, and land rushes, as well as many chapters of American Indian history. Oklahoma became the forty-sixth state to join the Union on November 16, 1907.

State Name: Two Choctaw words are the source of the name Oklahoma—okla, meaning "people," and humma, meaning "red." The term was coined by a White missionary. Oklahoma is nicknamed the "Sooner State" in reference to the land run of 1889, when lands were opened to White settlement; settlers who arrived ahead of the designated time to make their claims were called "sooners." Its nickname the "Boomer State" also refers to the land boom.

Capital:Oklahoma City is both the state's largest city and one of the largest cities in the United States in terms of area, covering 647 square miles. Oklahoma City originated as a direct result of the land rush; founded on April 22, 1889, the city grew to a population of ten thousand in one day. Oklahoma City is located near the geographic center of the state.

Flag: Adopted in 1925, the Oklahoma flag was designed to honor the state's American Indian groups. A battle shield decorated with eagle feathers in the center is that of an Osage warrior; the shield is crossed by a calumet (peace pipe) and an olive branch, both symbolic of peace. The blue field is the same as that of a flag carried by Choctaw soldiers in the Civil War.

The state seal, adopted in 1907, portrays a White settler and an American Indian shaking hands in front of the figure of Justice. In the points of a large star are symbols of each of the Five Civilized Tribes that were moved to Oklahoma Territory by the US government during the nineteenth century. The seal also features the state motto, "Labor Omnia Vincit" (Labor conquers all things).

Official Symbols

• Flower: Oklahoma rose
• Bird: Scissor-tailed flycatcher
• Tree: Redbud
• Animal: Bison
• Fish: White or sand bass
• Song: "Oklahoma!" by Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers

State and National Historic Sites

• Cabin Creek Battlefield Historic Site (Big Cabin)
• Honey Springs Battle Historic Site (Checotah)
• Fort Gibson Historic Site (Fort Gibson)
• Fort Smith National Historic Site (Fort Smith)
• Fort Supply Historic Site (Fort Supply)
• Fort Towson Historic Site (Fort Towson)
• Fort Washita Historic Site (Durant)
• Guthrie Historic District (Guthrie)
• Oklahoma City National Memorial (Oklahoma City)
• Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
• Washita Battlefield National Historic Site (Cheyenne)

State-Specific Holidays

• Bird Day, May 1
• Cherokee Strip Day, September 16
• Oklahoma Day, April 22
• Oklahoma Heritage Week, Week of November 16
• Oklahoma Historical Day, October 10
• Thomas Jefferson's Birthday, April 13
• Will Rogers Day, November 4

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 4,019,800 (ranked 28th) (2022 estimate)
• Population density: 57.7/sq mi (2020 estimate)
• Urban population: 64.6% (2020 estimate)
• Rural population: 35.4% (2020 estimate)
• Population under 18: 23.7% (2022 estimate)
• Population over 65: 16.4% (2022 estimate)
• White alone: 73.0% (2022 estimate)
• Black or African American alone: 7.9% (2022 estimate)
• Hispanic or Latino: 12.1% (2022 estimate)
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 9.5% (2022 estimate)
• Asian alone: 2.6% (2022 estimate)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.3% (2022 estimate)
• Two or More Races: 6.7% (2022 estimate)
• Per capita income: $30,976 (ranked 43rd; 2021 estimate)
• Unemployment: 3.0% (2022 estimate)

American Indians: Oklahoma has one of the largest American Indian populations in the country, largely a legacy of the federal government's forced relocation of various tribes to reservations in the area. Some Plains Indians inhabited what is now Oklahoma long before White settlers arrived; these cultures included Apache, Comanche, Kiowa, and Osage in the western region and the Wichita in the east. However, many of the state's American Indians are descendants of the sixty-seven tribes that were forcibly relocated to the Indian Territory from lands east of the Mississippi River during the nineteenth century. These include the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole (known as the Five Civilized Tribes), as well as the Delaware and Shawnee.

The state's first newspaper, the Cherokee Advocate, began publication in 1844, in both English and Cherokee. In the twenty-first century, at least thirty-five different federally recognized tribes have their tribal headquarters in Oklahoma.

ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY

• Total area: 69,899 sq mi (ranked 20th)
• Land area: 68,595 sq mi (98.1% of total area)
• Water area: 1,304 sq mi (1.9% of total area)
• National parks: 3
• Highest point: Black Mesa (4,973 feet)
• Lowest point: Little River (289 feet)
• Highest temperature: 120° F (Poteau; Altus, August 10, 1936; August 12, 1936)
• Lowest temperature: -31° F (Nowata, February 10, 2011)

Topography: Oklahoma's landscape is made up of expansive plains and prairie lands, as well as areas of rolling hills and low mountains. The Panhandle region of northwestern Oklahoma features the flat grasslands of the High Plains. The state's highest point, Black Mesa, is located in this area. The Red Beds Plains cover the center section of the state, stretching north to south from Kansas to Texas; these are also largely grassland with fertile soil for growing wheat. The southern border area along the Red River features prairies, forestland, and fertile, sandy soils that are well suited for growing cotton and peanuts.

Several regions of hills and low mountains dot Oklahoma's landscape. Three mountain groups are located in the southern areas of the state: the granite peaks of the Wichita Mountains, the strange erosion-carved formations of the Arbuckle Mountains, and the rough sandstone of the Ouachita Mountains. The Glass Mountains, west of the Red Beds Plains, are so named because of the way their gypsum sparkles in the sunlight.

The eastern part of the state comprises the Ozark Plateau, with sharp-cut river valleys; the farmlands of the Prairie Plains; and the forests of the Sandstone Hills.

Major Lakes

• Eufala Lake
• Fort Gibson Lake
• Hudson Lake
• Kaw Lake
• Keystone Lake
• Lake O' the Cherokees
• Lake Texoma
• Oologah Lake

Major Rivers

• Arkansas River
• Blue River
• Canadian River
• Cimarron River
• Chikaskia River
• Illinois River
• Kiamichi River
• Little River
• Mountain Fork River
• Neosho River
• Poteau River
• Red River
• Salt Fork River
• Verdigris River
• Washita River

State and National Parks: The National Park Service (NPS) oversees three sites in Oklahoma: Chickasaw National Recreation Area (Sulphur), Washita Battlefield National Historic Site (Cheyenne), and the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The Santa Fe and Trail of Tears national historic trails also pass through the state. Oklahoma is also home to many state parks and state resort parks that feature a wide variety of outdoor activities; these include Black Mesa (Kenton), Roman Nose (Watonga), and Robbers Cave (Wilburton).

Natural Resources: Oklahoma is rich in mineral resources, including some of the largest petroleum reserves in the country. Both petroleum and natural gas can be found in almost all areas of Oklahoma. Other mineral resources include clay, coal, gravel, gypsum, limestone, salt, and sand.

The fertile soils, water, and good climate are key resources for agriculture, making Oklahoma a major food-producing state.

Plants and Animals: As of 2019, approximately 26 percent of the state's area is wooded, but the major forests used for commercial purposes are located in the eastern part of the state. Common trees include ash, elm, hickory, oak, pine, sweet gum, and walnut. The plains provide rich grassland for cattle ranching; grasses include the tall bluestem, Indian, and sand grass, as well as short buffalo, grama, and wire grass. Mesquite and sagebrush also grow on the prairies. Wildflowers include anemone, black-eyed Susan, goldenrod, petunia, phlox, primrose, spiderwort, sunflower, verbena, violet, and wild indigo.

The plains are home to such animals as armadillo, coyote, prairie dog, and rabbit. The forest provides habitats for deer, mink, opossum, raccoon, gray and red foxes, and gray and fox squirrels.

Bird species commonly found in Oklahoma include the blue jay, cardinal, crow, dove, house sparrow, meadowlark, mockingbird, robin, and scissor-tailed flycatcher, the state bird. Oklahoma's lakes, rivers, and streams are home to bass, buffalo fish, carp, catfish, crappie, drumfish, paddlefish, and sunfish.

Climate: Oklahoma's climate is typically warm and dry. Precipitation ranges broadly across the state, with averages of fifty inches in the southeastern areas and fifteen inches in the western Panhandle. However, the Panhandle region receives the most snowfall. Average temperatures range around 37 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 82 degrees in summer. Oklahoma is located in the area known as "Tornado Alley," a swath stretching across midwestern and southern states that features the highest incidence of tornadoes anywhere in the world.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Major Colleges and Universities

• Bacone College (Muskogee)
• East Central University (Ada)
• Langston University (Langston)
• Northeastern State University (Tahlequah)
• Northwestern Oklahoma State University (Alva)
• Oklahoma City University (Oklahoma City)
• Oklahoma State University (Stillwater)
• Oral Roberts University (Tulsa)
• Rogers State University (Claremore)
• Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Durant)
• Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Weatherford)
• University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond)
• University of Oklahoma (Norman)
• University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (Chickasha)
• University of Tulsa (Tulsa)

Major Museums

• Cherokee National History Museum (Tahlequah)
• Gilcrease Museum (Tulsa)
• Museum of the Great Plains (Lawton)
• National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (Oklahoma City)
• Oklahoma City Art Museum (Oklahoma City)
• Oklahoma History Center (Oklahoma City)
• Philbrook Museum of Art (Tulsa)
• Southern Plains Indian Museum and Crafts Center (Anadarko)
• Science Museum Oklahoma (Oklahoma City)
• Woolaroc Museum (Bartlesville)

Major Libraries

• Oklahoma City Metropolitan Library (Oklahoma City)
• Oklahoma Historical Society Library (Oklahoma City)
• Tulsa City-County Library (Tulsa)
• Bizzell Memorial Library, University of Oklahoma (Norman)

Media

Oklahoma's largest papers are the Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) and the Tulsa World. Several other periodicals are published in the state as well. The state is home to about twenty commercial television stations and numerous radio stations.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Gross domestic product (in millions $USD): 240,534.3 (ranked 30th) (2022 estimate)
• GDP percent change: 1.0%

Major Industries: According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Oklahoma's largest industries in terms of GDP include government and government enterprises; mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; and finance, insurance, real estate, and rental. Oklahoma is among the leading states in petroleum and natural gas production. Other mined products include coal, gravel, gypsum, iodine, sand, and stone.

Billions of dollars worth of products are manufactured in Oklahoma each year, including computer and electronic equipment. Other manufactured items include machinery for the construction and oil industries, and refrigeration and heating equipment. Fabricated metal products, fertilizers, aircraft and aerospace equipment, and rubber and plastic products are also manufactured in the state.

Tourism: Tourism is a growing industry in Oklahoma, generating billions of dollars in direct spending each year. Visitors are drawn to the state's wide range of outdoor activities and historical attractions.

Energy Production: Oklahoma is a top producer of natural gas, which is the main source of electricity for the state. It also produces a significant amount of crude oil. Hydropower and other renewable sources have also grown in importance in Oklahoma; the state is among the top wind power producers in the country, with wind generating about 44 percent of the state's electricity in 2022.

Agriculture: The majority of land in Oklahoma is used for farming and ranching. Beef cattle ranching dominates Oklahoma's agricultural sector, and other livestock income is derived from chickens, dairy cattle, hogs, turkeys, and farm-raised catfish.

The state’s top-producing field crops are hay and wheat/winter wheat. Other major crops include corn, cotton, soybeans, sorghum, and pecans. Agricultural products from greenhouses and nurseries are also important.

Airports: There are about 150 regional and municipal airports located around the state of Oklahoma. Principal among them are Tulsa International Airport and Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.

GOVERNMENT

• Governor: Kevin Stitt (Republican)
• Present constitution date: 1907
• Electoral votes: 7
• Number of counties: 77
• Violent crime rate: 458.6 (per 100,000 residents) (2020 estimate)
• Death penalty: Yes

Constitution: The state's current constitution was adopted in 1907, the same year Oklahoma achieved statehood. Amendments to the constitution may be proposed by the legislature or by voters via petition.

Branches of Government

Executive: The governor serves as the state's chief executive officer and is elected every four years. An individual may serve an unlimited number of terms but no more than two in a row. The governor is responsible for appointing the secretary of state and department heads of the budget and revenue departments; other department heads are selected by commission.

The state's other popularly elected executives include the lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, auditor, insurance commissioner, labor commissioner, and corporation commissioner. All are elected to four-year terms.

Legislative: The Oklahoma legislature is made up of a 48-member senate and a 101-member House of Representatives. Senators serve four-year terms, while representatives serve two-year terms; no legislator may serve for more than twelve years.

Judicial: The supreme court is the highest court in the state. It comprises nine justices who are appointed by the governor with the help of a judicial nominating commission. Voters approve each appointment at the next general election, and the justice then serves a six-year term. The justices elect a chief justice from among their ranks. In addition to the supreme court, the judicial system is made up of a court of civil appeals and a court of criminal appeals. The judges for these courts are selected in the same manner as those on the supreme court.

HISTORY

500–1300 People known as the Mound Builders occupy settlements in area that is now eastern Oklahoma. The Osage peoples settle in forest areas of northeastern Oklahoma.

1541 Western Oklahoma is part of the region explored by Spaniard Francisco Vásquez de Coronado as he searches the Southwest for gold and the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola.

1601 Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate's expedition treks through what will become southwestern Oklahoma.

1650 Spanish explorer Diego del Castillo prospects for gold and silver in the Wichita Mountains.

1682 French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, claims Oklahoma as part of Louisiana.

1762 Spain gains Louisiana, including the area of present-day Oklahoma, from France.

1800 France regains claim to the Louisiana territory.

1803 The United States acquires the area of Oklahoma, with the exception of the Panhandle region, as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

1804 Indiana territorial governor William Henry Harrison is given jurisdiction over the District of Louisiana, including most of present-day Oklahoma.

1808 The Osage tribe cedes its lands in the eastern Oklahoma region north of the Arkansas River to the United States.

1812 Congress creates Missouri Territory, which includes the region of Oklahoma previously designated part of the District of Louisiana.

1818 The Quapaw tribe cedes its lands south of the Arkansas River in what is now Oklahoma and Arkansas.

1819 Oklahoma, still excepting the Panhandle, is designated part of the Arkansas Territory.

1824 Fort Gibson and Fort Towson, the first military posts, are established.

1830–42 The Five Civilized Tribes (Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole) are forcibly moved to Oklahoma from their homes on lands east of the Mississippi River to the area of eastern Oklahoma designated Indian Territory. The Cherokee refer to their relocation during the winter of 1838–39 as the "Trail of Tears."

1859 The first oil well is drilled in Oklahoma. The driller strikes "black gold" by accident when drilling a water well.

1861 After the outbreak of the Civil War, the Indian Territory sides with the Confederacy.

1865 American Indian troops fighting for the Confederacy surrender to Union Army.

1866 The Five Civilized Tribes are forced to sign treaties, freeing those that they had enslaved and ceding the western portion of Indian Territory to the United States.

1868 A village of Southern Cheyenne on the Washita River is destroyed by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer's Fifth US Cavalry in a dawn attack on November 27. Over one hundred men, women, and children, including Peace Chief Black Kettle, are killed.

1870–72 Construction of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad takes place through Oklahoma.

1872 Coal mining begins near McAlester, marking the first commercial mining in the region.

1879 Settlers organized by David L. Payne and nicknamed "Boomers" urge that land designated for American Indians be opened for non–American Indian settlement.

1887 The Dawes Act does away with tribal landholdings. The Dawes Commission is created by Congress five years later to oversee the Five Civilized Tribes and to organize the allocation of lands for individual rather than tribal ownership.

1889 The unassigned lands to the west of Indian Territory are opened to White settlement. The official opening to homesteaders begins with a land rush at noon on April 22; those who try to get in before that time are known as "Sooners."

1890 Congress creates the Oklahoma Territory, with the borders including the Panhandle region. Guthrie is named the territorial capital.

1893 The Cherokee Outlet is opened for White settlement.

1901 All American Indians in the Indian Territory are declared citizens of the United States by an act of Congress.

1907 Oklahoma achieves statehood on November 16. Guthrie is the state capital, and Charles N. Haskell is elected the first governor.

1910 Oklahoma City becomes the new state capital.

1920 Oil fields in Osage County begin production.

1921 Dick Rowland, a young Black shoe-shiner, is accused of attacking a White woman; a White lynch mob clashes with Black Oklahomans, and rioting erupts in Tulsa on May 31. Early the next morning, crowds of White rioters ravage the Greenwood District, a Black neighborhood. More than one thousand homes are destroyed by fire, more than eight hundred people are injured, and some three hundred are killed in the nation's worst race riot.

1923 Governor Jack Calloway Walton is impeached and removed from office after serving just nine months.

1928 The Oklahoma City oil field begins production.

1929 Governor Henry Simpson Johnston is impeached and removed from office.

1930s "Dust bowl" conditions brought about by major drought devastate farming and cause many people to move away. Those who migrate to California looking for work become known as "Okies."

1959 Oklahoma, founded as a "dry" state in 1907, repeals the prohibition law, making the sale and consumption of alcohol legal.

1963 Henry Bellmon is elected as the first Republican governor in state history.

1965 Oklahoma City marks the opening of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center.

1967 Will Rogers World Airport Terminal opens in Oklahoma City.

1973 On July 27, a riot breaks out at the state prison in McAlester. The rioters loot and burn prison buildings and take prison personnel as hostages. The riot results in four deaths and about $20 million in damage.

1990 Oklahoma initiates term limits for state legislators, becoming the first state to do so.

1991 After investigating a uranium leak for more than a year, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission closes down the Sequoyah Nuclear Fuel Plant in Gore.

1995 The terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City kills 168 people, including 19 children.

2000 The Oklahoma City National Memorial is dedicated on the fifth anniversary of the bombing. The memorial was constructed at the site of the bombing to commemorate the victims, survivors, and rescuers involved in the tragedy.

2004 In the November election, a bill is passed to allow the first statewide lottery in the history of the state.

2007 Jordan Tang of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation discovers why a certain gene makes people predisposed to Alzheimer's disease. His findings are published in the April 2007 edition of The Journal of Neuroscience.

2008 The Seattle Supersonics, a professional basketball organization in the NBA, move to Oklahoma City, renaming themselves the Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder become the state’s first team from one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States.

2010 Tornadoes and heavy rainstorms kill two people and injure hundreds of others. Over 1,400 homes and businesses are severely damaged.

2016 The strongest earthquake in the state's history occurs near Pawnee, part of a large cluster of earthquakes in the state since 2009, attributed by scientists to the injection underground of wastewater from oil extraction activities.

2018 In April, tens of thousands of elementary and high school teachers go on strike because of a lack of funding for education and teachers' salaries. The increase in teachers' pay caused by the strike moves Oklahoma from forty-ninth to thirty-fourth in the ranking of best paid teachers in the country.

2020 The US Supreme Court rules in McGirt v. Oklahoma that the reservations of the Five Tribes are still considered Indian country for the purposes of criminal law.

2022 The US Supreme Court decides in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta that state, local, and tribal authorities each have shared jurisdiction when prosecuting non–American Indians that commit crimes on American Indian land.

2023 The Oklahoma legislature passes a controversial bill banning gender-affirming care for minors.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Johnny Bench, 1947– (Oklahoma City) , Baseball player.

John Berryman, 1914–72 (MacAlester) , Poet.

Garth Brooks, 1962– (Tulsa) , Singer and musician.

Leroy Gordon Cooper, 1927–2004 (Tulsa) , Astronaut.

Ralph Ellison, 1914–94 (Tulsa) , Author.

Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd, 1901–34 (Akins) , Criminal.

James Garner, 1928–2014 (Tulsa) , Actor.

Vince Gill, 1951– (Norman) , Singer and musician.

Chester Gould, 1900–85 (Pawnee) , Cartoonist.

Woody Guthrie, 1912–67 (Okemah) , Singer; composer.

Paul Harvey, 1918–2009 (Tulsa) , Radio personality.

Tony Hillerman, 1925–2008 (Sacred Heart) , Author.

S. E. Hinton, 1948– (Tulsa) , Author.

Ron Howard, 1954– (Duncan) , Actor; director.

Kicking Bird, 1835?–75 (current southwestern Oklahoma) , Kiowa leader.

Jeane Kirkpatrick, 1926–2006 (Duncan) , Diplomat.

Mickey Mantle, 1931–95 (Spavinaw) , Baseball player.

Reba McEntire, 1955– (McAlester) , Singer.

Shannon Miller, 1977– (Edmond) , Olympic gymnast.

Leona Mitchell, 1949– (Enid) , Opera singer.

Bill Moyers, 1934– (Hugo) , TV journalist, author.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan, 1927–2003 (Tulsa) , US senator from New York.

Oral Roberts, 1918–2009 (Ada) , Evangelist.

Will Rogers, 1879–1935 (Oologah) , Humorist.

Satanta, 1820–78 (current western Oklahoma) , Kiowa tribal leader.

Willie Stargell, 1940–2001 (Earlsboro) , Baseball player.

Maria Tallchief, 1925–2013 (Fairfax) , Ballet dancer; choreographer.

Jim Thorpe, 1888–1953 (Prague) , Athlete.

Grace Thorpe, 1921–2008 (Yale) , American Indian activist.

Sam Walton, 1918–92 (Kingfisher) , Businessman; entrepreneur.

TRIVIA

• The world's first parking meter was put into operation in July 1935 in Oklahoma City.
• Thanks to its annual Pecan Festival, Okmulgee has held the world records for largest pecan pie, largest pecan cookie, largest pecan brownie, and biggest ice cream and cookie party.
• The shopping cart was invented by Oklahoma native Sylvan Goldman.
• On July 5, 1943, a B-17 Bomber from Dalhart Army Air Base dropped six practice bombs on Boise City, giving the small town the distinction of being the only city in the United States to be bombed during World War II.
• The Pensacola Dam, constructed in 1940, is the longest multiple-arch dam in the world.
• WKY was the first radio station to transmit from a location west of the Mississippi River.
• The "Yield" traffic sign, designed by Clinton Riggs, was first put to the test on the streets of Tulsa.
• Oklahoma has more human-made lakes than any other state.
• Largely because of Oklahoma's large American Indian population, with over fifty-five distinct tribes, there are more than fifty languages spoken in the state.
• In 2014, there were more than twice as many earthquakes recorded in Oklahoma as in California, making Oklahoma the most seismically active state in the continental United States that year.
• In 2023, Oklahoma's softball team claimed the record for the most consecutive wins, at forty-eight, in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I history.

Bibliography

Fernandez, Anthony, III. "Remembering the Oklahoma City Bombing." Journal of American History, vol. 94, no. 1, 2007, pp. 179–82. Academic Search Premier, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=25498524&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 30 Apr. 2013.

"Oklahoma." Quick Facts, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2022, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/OK/PST045222. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

"Oklahoma: State Profile and Energy Estimates; Profile Analysis." US Energy Information Administration, 15 June 2023, www.eia.gov/state/?sid=OK. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

"Oklahoma: 2020 Census." United States Census Bureau, 25 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/oklahoma-population-change-between-census-decade.html. Accessed 13 Oct. 2022.

"State BEARFACTS." Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce, apps.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

"Unemployment Rates for States, 2022 Annual Averages." Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Mar. 2022, www.bls.gov/lau/lastrk22.htm. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

Melissa Sherman