Oregon (United States)

How is the land laid out?

This area lies entirely with the Western Cordillera, divided between the Pacific Mountain System and the Intermontane Plateaus. The west is further divided into the Pacific Border Province and the Cascades, none of which top 4000 meters in this state. The east is divided into the Columbia Plateau in the north, and the Basin and Range Province in the south. The Columbia River's lower course forms most of the state border with Washington.

Who lives there?

Oregon is in the part of North America in which English-speakers and Christians are the majority.

Portland is at the junction of the Willamette with the Columbia in the Puget Trough.

Who was there before?

Among the mix of languages on or near the coast was Tillamook, one of the Salishan languages. Secret societies were part of the local former religion. In the late 18th century smallpox, and in the early 19th century, influenze, reduced indiginous populutions in this area.

The Penutian languages--in the narrower sense(1) were spoken in western and northeast Oregon. Smallpox and measles in the early 19th century killed many. There are few or no current speakers.

One Uzo-Aztecan language was spoken in southeastern Oregon and beyond: Northern Paiute; there are a few thousand speakers still in the United States.

English-speaking Americans conquered the area piece by piece in the 19th century.

north
east
southeast
south of the western part of the state
west

Other broad topics

United States of America
North America

Footnotes

(1) Excluding the Mayan, Mixe-Zaquean and Totonacan families, and excluding Zuni and Huave. It includes the Sahoptin-Nez Pierce Group.