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Nebraska:
Nebraska is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Western United States. Nebraska probably gets its name from the archaic Otoe words Ñí Brásge, or the Omaha Ní Btháska, 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 and ranching state. Native American tribes in Nebraska have included the Iowas, Omahas, Missourias, Poncas, Pawnees, Otoes, and various branches of the Sioux.
State History:
The history of the U.S. state of Nebraska dates back to its formation as a territory by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed by the United States Congress on May 30, 1854. The Nebraska Territory was settled extensively under the Homestead Act during the 1860s, and on March 1, 1867, was admitted to the Union as the 37th U.S. state.
Early Explorers:
Several explorers from across Europe explored the lands that became Nebraska. In 1682 René-Robert Cavelier first claimed the area when he claimed all the territory drained by the Mississippi River and its tributaries for France, callling it the Louisiana Territory. In 1714 Etienne de Bourgmont traveled from the mouth of the Missouri River to the mouth of the Platte River, which he called the Nebraskier River, becoming the first person to approximate the state’s name.
In 1720, Spaniard Pedro de Villasur led an overland expedition that followed an Indian trail from Santa Fe to Nebraska. In a battle with the Pawnees, Villasur and 34 members of his party were killed near the juncture of the Loup and Platte Rivers just south of present-day Columbus, Nebraska. Marking a major defeat for Spanish control of the region, a monk was the only survivor from the party, apparently left alive as a warning to the colony of New Spain. With the goal of reaching Sante Fe by water, a pair of French-Canadian explorers named Pierre and Paul Mallet reached the mouth of what they named the Platte River in 1739. They ended up following the south fork of the Platte into Colorado.
In 1762, the Treaty of Fontainebleau led France to cede lands west of the Mississippi River to Spain, causing the future Nebraska to become part of New Spain. In 1795, Jacques D’Eglise traveled the Missouri River Valley on behalf of the Spanish crown. Searching for the elusive Northwest Passage, D'Eglise did not go any further than central North Dakota.
Statehood:
A constitution for Nebraska was drawn up in 1866. There was some controversy over Nebraska's admission as a state, with some controversy over a provision in the 1866 constitution that restricted suffrage to white voters; eventually, on February 8, 1867, the United States Congress voted to admit Nebraska as a state provided that suffrage was not denied to non-white voters. The bill admitting Nebraska as a state was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, but the veto was overridden by a supermajority in both Houses of Congress.
Political Change:
Under the original constitution, the Nebraska Legislature was bicameral. However, following a 1931 visit to Australia, Nebraska legislator George Norris campaigned for the abolition of the bicameral system, following the example of the Australian state of Queensland which had adopted a unicameral system ten years previously; he also argued that the bicameral system was based on the "inherently undemocratic" British House of Lords. In 1934, a state constitutional amendment was passed introducing a single-house legislature, and also introducing non-partisan elections (where members do not stand as members of political parties).
The Trails of Exploration:
Landmarks in the Nebraska Territory were often related to their proximity to the several trails that crossed the area. The Oregon and California Trails entered the Territory from the Kansas Territory Kansas at Gage County. They continue east/northeasterly across present-day Nebraska. The Mormon Trail entered the Nebraska Territory at Cutler's Park, across the Missouri River from Kanesville, Iowa. It continued easterly along the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers.
Nebraska's Geography:
The state is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. The state has 93 counties; it occupies the central portion of the Frontier Strip. Nebraska is split into two time zones. The Central Time Zone comprises the eastern two-thirds of the state, while the western third observes Mountain Time. Three rivers cross the state from west to east. The Platte River runs through the heart, the Niobrara River flows through the northern tier, and the Republican River traverses the southern part of the state.
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 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 majority of western Nebraska. The Great Plains itself consists of several smaller, diverse land regions, including the Sandhills, the Pine Ridge, the Rainwater Basin, the High Plains and the Wildcat Hills. Panorama Point in Kimball County, at 5,424 feet, is the highest point in Nebraska; despite its name and elevation, it is merely a low rise near the Colorado and Wyoming borders. Nebraska's lowest point is 840 feet of elevation in the southeast corner of the state (Richardson County). The state gradually slopes from west to east, descending at a rate of about 7 feet per mile.
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 (which passes through Cozad), and Chimney Rock near Bayard. Nebraska is in fact a trebly landlocked state, as it does not border the ocean, nor do any of the states it borders, nor any that they border on. Nebraska also claims to have more miles of river than any other state.
Climate:
Two major climates are represented in Nebraska: the eastern half of the state has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa), and the western half of the state has a semi-arid continental steppe climate (Koppen BSk). The entire state experiences wide seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation. Average temperatures are fairly uniform across Nebraska with hot summers and generally cold winters, while average annual precipitation decreases east to west from about 31.5 inches (800 mm) in the southeast corner of the state to about 13.8 inches (350 mm) in the Panhandle. Humidity also decreases significantly from east to west. Snowfall across the state is fairly even, with most of Nebraska receiving between 25 and 35 inches (650 to 900 mm) of snow annually.
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.
Demographics:
As of 2008, Nebraska has an estimated population of 1,783,432, which is an increase of 8,891, or 0.5%, from the prior year and an increase of 72,169, or 4.2%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 77,995 people (that is 187,564 births minus 109,569 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 9,319 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 27,398 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 36,717 people.
The center of population of Nebraska is located in Polk County, in the city of Shelby.
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 (made up entirely of the Omaha and Winnebago reservations) has a Native American majority, and Butler County is one of only two counties in the nation with a Czech-American plurality.
Rural Flight:
Eighty-nine percent of the cities in Nebraska have fewer than 3,000 people. Nebraska shares this characteristic with five other Midwest and Southern states (Kansas, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, and Iowa). Hundreds of towns have a population of fewer than 1,000. Fifty-three of Nebraska's 93 counties reported declining populations between 1990 and 2000, ranging from a 0.06% loss (Frontier County) to a 17.04% loss (Hitchcock County). While many areas of the state continue to suffer, others have experienced substantial growth. In 2000, the city of Omaha had a population of 390,007; in 2005, the city's estimated population was 414,521,(427,872 including the recently annexed city of Elkhorn) a 6.3% increase over five years. The city of Lincoln had a 2000 population of 225,581 and a 2005 estimated population of 239,213, a 6.0% change.
This rural flight has also had an impact on schools with many schools needing to consolidate in order to survive.
Religion:
The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are:
1. Christian – 90% (Protestant 61%, Roman Catholic 28%, other Christian 1%). The breakdown of Protestants was: Lutheran 16%, United Methodist 11%, Baptist 9%, Presbyterian 4%, other Protestant 21%).
2. Other religions – 1%
3. Non-religious – 9%
The largest single denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Catholic Church 372,791, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 128,570, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 117,419 and the United Methodist Church 117,277.
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 an important producer of beef, pork, corn and soybeans. Other important economic sectors include freight transport (by rail and truck), manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, and insurance.
Nebraska has four personal income tax brackets, ranging from 2.56% to 6.84%. Nebraska has a state sales tax of 5.5%. In addition to the state tax, some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax, up to a maximum of 1.5%. One county in Nebraska, Dakota County, levies a sales tax. 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.
Industry:
Kool-Aid was created in 1927 by Edwin Perkins in the city of Hastings, which celebrates the event the second weekend of every August with Kool-Aid Days. Kool-Aid is the official soft drink of Nebraska. CliffsNotes were invented in Rising City, Nebraska, by Clifton Hillegass. His pamphlets were based on the original Canadian idea, "Coles Notes."
Omaha is home to Berkshire Hathaway, whose CEO, Warren Buffett, was ranked in March 2008 by Forbes magazine as the richest person in the world. This city is also home to InfoUSA, TD Ameritrade, West Corporation, Valmont Industries, Woodmen of the World, Kiewit Corporation, and Union Pacific Railroad. UNIFI Companies, Sandhills Publishing Company and Duncan Aviation reside in Lincoln while The Buckle is based out of Kearney. Sidney is the national headquarters for Cabela's, a specialty retailer of outdoor goods.
The world's largest train yard, Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, is located in North Platte. The Vise-Grip is a copy of The MOLE wrench invented he MK Tool Compan of Birmingham, UK, manufactured in Newport, UK and is still manufactured in De Witt. Memorial Stadium on the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln holds 85,157 people. During football games, it holds almost twice the population of Bellevue (47,954) the third-most populous city in the state. The second-largest Powerball payout was on February 18, 2006. It was $365 million and was split 8 ways by workers from a Lincoln food plant operated by ConAgra.
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; Canadian Pacific Railway; and Iowa Interstate Railroad.
Law & 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.
The head of the executive branch is Governor Dave Heineman. Other elected officials in the executive branch are Lieutenant Governor Rick Sheehy (elected on the same ticket as the Governor), Attorney General Jon Bruning, Secretary of State John A. Gale, State Treasurer Shane Osborn, and State Auditor Mike Foley. All elected officials in the executive branch serve four-year terms.
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 state legislature 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 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 debt-free between 1922 and 1932.
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".The judicial system in Nebraska is unified, with the Nebraska Supreme Court having administrative authority over all Nebraska courts. Nebraska uses the Missouri Plan for the selection of judges at all levels. The lowest courts in Nebraska are the county courts, above that are 12 district courts (containing one or more counties). The Court of Appeals hears appeals from the district courts, juvenile courts, and workers' compensation courts. The Nebraska Supreme Court is the final court of appeal.
In 2009, Nebraska adopted lethal injection as its means of capital punishment, due to a 2008 Nebraska Supreme Court ruling that declared the use of electrocution to be in conflict with the state constitution. (Prior to this ruling, Nebraska was the last place in the world that used electrocution as the sole method of execution.) However, executions in Nebraska have been infrequent; none had been carried out in the 21st century, and in the last few decades the state had strongly flirted with the idea of a moratorium on, or complete abolition of, capital punishment.
Federal Government Representation:
Nebraska's U.S. senators are Mike Johanns (R) and Ben Nelson (D). Nebraska has three representatives in the House. They are: Jeff Fortenberry (R, NE-1); Lee Terry (R, NE-2); and Adrian Smith (R, NE-3).
Nebraska is one of two states (the other being Maine) that allow for a split in the electoral vote. Since 1991, two of Nebraska's five electoral votes are awarded based on the winner of the statewide election while the other three go to the highest vote-getter in each of the state's three congressional districts. In 2008, four of Nebraska's electoral votes went to Senator John McCain (R), while one electoral vote went to Senator Barack Obama (D) making the split the first in the 18-year old system.
Nebraska Politics:
For most of its history, Nebraska has been a solidly Republican state, but Nebraskans like to mix it up where the U.S. Senate and the governor's office are concerned, having put the GOP in office only slightly more than Democrats since World War II.
Republicans have carried the state in all but one presidential election since 1940—the 1964 landslide election of Lyndon B. Johnson. In the 2008 presidential election, John McCain won the popular vote with 452,979 (57 percent) while Barack Obama tallied 333,319 votes (42 percent). The GOP has dominated Nebraska's seats in the House of Representatives over the years.
Despite the current Republican flavor of Nebraska politics, the state has a long tradition of electing centrist members of both parties to state and federal office; examples include Republican George Norris (who served his last few years in the Senate as an independent), and Democrats J. James Exon and Bob Kerrey, both of whom were elected governor and then U.S. Senator.
Population - Important Cities and Towns:
All population figures are 2006 Census Bureau estimates.
Largest Cities:
* Omaha - 432,921
* Lincoln - 241,167
* Bellevue - 47,594
* Grand Island - 44,632
* Kearney - 29,385
* Fremont - 25,417
* Hastings - 25,144
* North Platte - 24,386
* Norfolk - 23,896
* Columbus - 21,414
* Papillion - 21,271
* La Vista - 16,041
* Scottsbluff - 14,738
* Beatrice - 12,921
* South Sioux City - 12,137
* Lexington - 10,251
Nebraska's Urban Areas:
Metropolitan Areas:
* Omaha-Council Bluffs - 700,991 (Nebraska portion); 822,549 (total for Nebraska and Iowa)
* Lincoln - 283,970
* Sioux City, Iowa - 26,757 (Nebraska portion); 143,474 (total for Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota)
Micropolitan Areas:
* Grand Island - 70,245
* Kearney - 50,655
* Norfolk - 49,413
* Hastings - 39,749
* Scottsbluff - 37,329
* North Platte - 37,111
* Fremont - 36,171
* Columbus - 31,962
* Lexington - 26,996
* Beatrice - 23,365
Nebraska Distinctives:
1. Arbor Day was founded by J. Sterling Morton. The National Arbor Day Foundation has its headquarters near his home in Nebraska City.
2. Nebraska's Unicameral Legislature (see above), which makes state laws, is the nation's only one-house legislature.
3. University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football influences many of Nebraska's residents. On football game days, Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, with a capacity of more than 85,000, becomes Nebraska's third-largest city.
4. Job's Daughters was founded in Omaha in 1920 by Ethel T. Wead Mick. There are now bethels in Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Phillipeans.
Attractions and Events:
1.Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is located at 3701 South 10th Street, is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education.
Henry Doorly Zoo is nationally renowned for its leadership in animal conservation and research. Evolving from the public Riverview Park Zoo established in 1894, today the Zoo includes several notable exhibits. It features the largest cat complex in North America; "Kingdoms of the Night" is the world's largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the Lied Jungle is the world's largest indoor rainforest, and the "Desert Dome" is the world's largest indoor desert, as well as the largest geodesic dome in the world. The Zoo is Nebraska’s number one paid attendance attraction and has welcomed more than 25 million visitors over the past 40 years.
As of October 2004, the zoo had 130 acres (0.53 km²), more than 17,000 animals; 962 species; 276 species of birds and 1626 specimens; 184 species of mammals and 2025 specimens; 181 species of fish and 7600 specimens; 176 species of reptiles and 598 specimens; 103 species of invertebrates and 5000 specimens; 42 species of amphibians and 487 specimens; 44 endanged species (listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Animals), and; 7 threatened species.
2. The College World Series (CWS) Baseball National Championship:
The College World Series or CWS is a baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The final eight team double elimination tournament takes place in June of each year.
3. Cabela's - The World's Larget Outfitters:
Cabela's (NYSE: CAB) is a Sidney, Nebraska-based direct marketer and specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. It also has "Trophy Properties LLC (a real estate market), "Outdoor Adventures (hunting and fishing trips), and the "Gun Library" (where people can buy and sell new and used firearms). Its direct marketing operation is one of the largest in the United States. The company went public in 2004, with that fiscal year's revenue reaching $1.56 billion, a 50% growth since 2001.
Cabela's mail-order catalogs are shipped to all 50 states and 120 countries. More than 120 million catalogs were mailed in its first year as a public company.
4. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics:
a. Football:
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 21 varsity teams in 14 sports.
The Husker football team began competitive play in 1890 and has claimed 46 conference championships and part or all of five national championships: 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, and 1997. The latter three marking one of only two times that a team has won three NCAA Division I-A national football championships in four seasons. The other was Notre Dame in 1946, 1947 and 1949. Over the past 25 years, the Huskers' three Division I national championships are the second most of any Division I university, behind only the University of Miami, which has won five.
The coach who engineered the most wins in Cornhusker history is Tom Osborne, who led the team for 25 seasons, from 1973 to 1997; his final record at Nebraska was 255-49-3. During his tenure, the team won three national titles, including one in his final season. Tom Osborne is currerntly the Athletic Director for UNL.
Nebraska's home games always open with the Tunnel Walk, which signifies the entry of the team onto the field. When the Cornhuskers play at home in Memorial Stadium, the stadium holds more people than Bellevue (the third-largest city in Nebraska). They currently hold the NCAA record for the most consecutive sold out home games; the sellout streak dates back to November 3, 1962.
b. Volleyball:
Nebraska is home to one of the nation's most storied collegiate women's volleyball programs. The Nebraska women's volleyball team has won three NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championships, in 1995, 2000, and 2006 and has had three NCAA National Runner-Up finishes in 1986, 1989, and 2005 as well as 5 other NCAA National Semifinal (Final Four) appearances in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2001, and 2008 bringing the program total to 11 NCAA Final Four appearances. The Nebraska program is second only to Stanford in all-time NCAA Tournament wins, all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage, number of NCAA National Semifinal (Final Four) appearances, and in the number of NCAA National Championships won. Nebraska has made an NCAA Tournament appearance in every year of the tournament's existence except for the tournament's first year in 1981. Nebraska has had more combined AVCA 1st and 2nd team All-Americans than any other program, tops the nation in the number of AVCA, and has produced 4 AVCA National Player of the Year award winners. Nebraska also is one of only three programs east of the west coast to have won a NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship.
Nebraska volleyball is a very popular spectator sport in the state. In 2008, AVCA Kathy DeBoer described Nebraska as "the epicenter of volleyball fandom". The four largest ever NCAA volleyball crowds, and seven of the top ten largest NCAA volleyball crowds, were in the state of Nebraska, including the largest ever crowd of 17,209 for the 2006 National Championship game between Nebraska and Stanford. In 2005, an NCAA volleyball-record 13,252 tickets were pre-sold for the NCAA regionals at the Qwest Center in Omaha. The majority of these record ticket sales have been attributed to Nebraska volleyball fans. The Huskers also have the ongoing NCAA record for consecutive home sellouts in a women's sport at the Nebraska Coliseum in Lincoln.
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