Geographic Facts About Oregon

Geographic Facts About Oregon Oregon is a state located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is north of California, south of Washington and west of Idaho. Oregon has a population of 3,831,074 people (2010 estimate) and a total area of 98,381 square miles (255,026 sq km). It is most known for its diverse landscape that includes a rugged coastline, mountains, dense forests, valleys, high desert and large cities such as Portland. Oregon Fast Facts Population: 3,831,074 (2010 estimate)Capital: SalemLargest City: PortlandArea: 98,381 square miles (255,026 sq km)Highest Point: Mount Hood at 11,249 feet (3,428 m) Interesting Info to Know About the State of Oregon Scientists believe that humans have inhabited the region of present-day Oregon for at least 15,000 years. The area was not mentioned in recorded history however until the 16th century when Spanish and English explorers spotted the coast. In 1778 Captain James Cook mapped part of Oregon’s coast while on a journey looking for the Northwest Passage. In 1792 Captain Robert Gray discovered the Columbia River and claimed the region for the United States.In 1805 Lewis and Clark explored the Oregon region as part of their expedition. Seven years later in 1811 John Jacob Astor established a fur depot called Astoria near the mouth of the Columbia River. It was the first permanent European settlement in Oregon. By the 1820s the Hudson’s Bay Company became the dominant fur traders in the Pacific Northwest and it established a headquarters at Fort Vancouver in 1825. In the early 1840s, Oregon’s population grew considerably as the Oregon Trail brought many new settlers into th e region.​In the late 1840s, the United States and British North America had a dispute about where the border between the two would be. In 1846 the Oregon Treaty set the border at the 49th parallel. In 1848 the Oregon Territory was officially recognized and on February 14, 1859, Oregon was admitted into the Union. Today Oregon has a population of over 3 million people and its largest cities are Portland, Salem, and Eugene. It has a relatively strong economy that depends on agriculture and various high-tech industries as well as natural resource extraction. The major agricultural products of Oregon are grain, hazelnuts, wine, assorted types of berries and seafood products. Salmon fishing is a major industry in Oregon. The state is also home to large companies such as Nike, Harry and David and Tillamook Cheese.Tourism is also a major part of Oregon’s economy with the coast being a major travel destination. The state’s large cities are also tourist destinations. Crater Lake National Park, the only national park in Oregon, averages about 500,000 visitors per year.As of 2010, Oregon had a population of 3,831,074 people and a population density of 38.9 people per square mile (15 people per square kilometer). Most of the state’s population, however, are clustered around the Portl and metropolitan area and along the Interstate 5/ Willamette Valley corridor. Oregon, along with Washington and sometimes Idaho, is considered a part of the United States’ Pacific Northwest and it has an area of 98,381 square miles (255,026 sq km). It is famous for its rugged coastline that stretches 363 miles (584 km). The Oregon coast is divided into three regions: the North Coast that stretches from the mouth of the Columbia River to Neskowin, the Central Coast from Lincoln City to Florence and the South Coast that stretches from Reedsport to the state’s border with California. Coos Bay is the largest city on the Oregon coast.Oregon’s topography is highly varied and consists of mountainous regions, large valleys such as the Willamette and Rogue, high elevation desert plateau, dense evergreen forests as well as redwood forests along the coast. The highest point in Oregon is Mount Hood at 11,249 feet (3,428 m). It should be noted that Mount Hood, like most of the other tall mountains in Oregon, is a part of the Cascade Mountain Range    a volcanic range stretching from northern California into British Columbia, Canada. In general Oregon’s varied topography is normally divided into eight different regions. These regions consist of the Oregon Coast, the Willamette Valley, the Rogue Valley, the Cascade Mountains, the Klamath Mountains, the Columbia River Plateau, the Oregon Outback and the Blue Mountains ecoregion.Oregon’s climate varies throughout the state but it is generally mild with cool summers and cold winters. The coastal regions are mild to cool year round while eastern Oregon’s high desert areas are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. High mountain areas such as the region around Crater Lake National Park have mild summers and cold, snowy winters. Precipitation generally occurs year-round in much of Oregon. Portland’s average January low temperature is 34.2ËšF (1.2ËšC) and its average July high temperature is 79ËšF (26ËšC).

Positions for and Against Abortion

Positions for and Against Abortion Many points come up in the abortion debate. Heres a look at abortion from both sides: 10 arguments for abortion and 10 arguments against abortion, for a total of 20 statements that represent a range of topics as seen from both sides. Pro-Life Arguments Since life begins at conception, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking human life. Abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human lifeNo civilized society permits one human to intentionally harm or take the life of another human without punishment, and abortion is no different.Adoption is a viable alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result. And with 1.5 million American families wanting to adopt a child, there is no such thing as an unwanted child.An abortion can result in medical complications later in life; the risk of ectopic pregnancies doubles and the chance of a miscarriage and pelvic inflammatory disease also increases.In the instance of rape and incest, proper medical care can ensure that a woman will not get pregnant. Abortion punishes the unborn child who committed no crime; instead, it is the perpetrator who should be punished.Abortion should not be used as another form of contraception.For women who dema nd complete control of their body, control should include preventing the risk of unwanted pregnancy through the responsible use of contraception or, if that is not possible, through abstinence. Many Americans who pay taxes are opposed to abortion, therefore its morally wrong to use tax dollars to fund abortion.Those who choose abortions are often minors or young women with insufficient life experience to understand fully what they are doing. Many have lifelong regrets afterward.Abortion frequently causes intense psychological pain and stress. Pro-Choice Arguments Nearly all abortions take place in the first trimester when a fetus is attached by the placenta and umbilical cord to the mother. As such, its health is dependent on her health, and cannot be regarded as a separate entity as it cannot exist outside her womb.The concept of personhood is different from the concept of human life. Human life occurs at conception, but fertilized eggs used for in vitro fertilization are also human lives and those not implanted are routinely thrown away. Is this murder, and if not, then how is abortion murder?Adoption is not an alternative to abortion because it remains the womans choice whether or not to give her child up for adoption. Statistics show that very few women who give birth choose to give up their babies; less than 3 percent of white unmarried women and less than 2 percent of percent black​ unmarried women.Abortion is a safe medical procedure. The vast majority of women (88 percent) who have an abortion do so in their first trimester. Me dical abortions have less than 0.5 percent risk of serious complications and do not affect a womans health or future ability to become pregnant or give birth. In the case of rape or incest, forcing a woman made pregnant by this violent act would cause further psychological harm to the victim. Often a woman is too afraid to speak up or is unaware she is pregnant, thus the morning after pill is ineffective in these situations.Abortion is not used as a form of contraception. Pregnancy can occur even with responsible contraceptive use. Only 8Â  percent of women who have abortions do not use any form of birth control, and that is due more to individual carelessness than to the availability of abortion.The ability of a woman to have control of her body is critical to civil rights. Take away her reproductive choice and you step onto a slippery slope. If the government can force a woman to continue a pregnancy, what about forcing a woman to use contraception or undergo sterilization?Taxpayer dollars are used to enable poor women to access the same medical services as rich women, and abortion is one of these services. Funding abortion is no differ ent from funding a war in the Mideast. For those who are opposed, the place to express outrage is in the voting booth. Teenagers who become mothers have grim prospects for the future. They are much more likely to leave school; receive inadequate prenatal care; rely on public assistance to raise a child; develop health problems; or end up divorced.Like any other difficult situation, abortion creates stress. Yet the American Psychological Association found that stress was greatest prior to an abortion and that there was no evidence of post-abortion syndrome.