Oklahoma

Oklahoma Forklift Parts - The US state of Oklahoma is located in the South Central part of the US. According to the 2010 census, Oklahoma has an estimated 3,751,351 inhabitants, with a land area totaling 68,667 square miles or 177,847 km2. The state of Oklahoma ranks as the 20th most populous state. The state's name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma, meaning "red people", and is known informally by its nickname, The Sooner State. Formed by the combination of Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory on the 16th of November, 1907, the state of Oklahoma was the 46th state to enter the union. Its people are called Oklahomans or, informally, "Okies" or "Sooners", and its largest and capital city is the city of Oklahoma.

A major producer of natural gas, oil and agriculture, the state of Oklahoma depends on an economic base of energy, aviation, biotechnology and telecommunications. It has among the fastest growing economies in the US, ranking among the top states in gross domestic product growth and per capita income growth. Tulsa and Oklahoma City serve as Oklahoma's primary economic anchors, with just about 60 percent of Oklahomans living within their metropolitan statistical areas.

Most of Oklahoma sits in the Great Plains, which is a region which is prone to severe conditions. There are also prairies, eastern forests and small mountain ranges, making up the topography of Oklahoma. There are more 25 Native American languages being spoken in the state of Oklahoma, which is more than any other US state; in addition to the strong prevalence of German, Irish, English, Scottish people. It is situated on a confluence of three major American cultural areas and historically served as a route for cattle drives, a destination for southern settlers, and a government-sanctioned territory for Native Americans. Part of the Bible Belt, widespread belief in evangelical Christianity makes it among the most politically conservative states, though Oklahoma has more voters registered with the Democratic Party than with any other party.

The economy of the state is based on the sectors of energy, aviation, food processing, transportation equipment, electronics, and telecommunications. The state is a major producer of food, natural gas and aircraft. In natural gas production, the state ranks 2nd, while it ranks 27th in the production of agricultural products, although it is the 5th largest producer of wheat within the United States. Two Fortune 1000 companies and four Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Oklahoma, and it has been rated one of the most business-friendly states within the country, with the 7th-lowest tax burden during the year 2007. During the year 2010, Oklahoma City-based Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores ranked 18th on the Forbe's list of largest private companies, Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby ranked 198th and Tulsa-based QuikTrip ranked 37th in 2010 report. From 2006 to 2010, the gross domestic product of the state of Oklahoma grew from $131.9 billion to $147.5 billion, a jump of 10.6 percent. The gross domestic product per capita of Oklahoma was $35,480 in 2010, that was ranked 40th among the states. Although oil has historically dominated the economy of Oklahoma, a collapse in the energy industry during the 1980s resulted in the loss of practically 90,000 energy-related types of work between the years 1980 and 2000, severely damaging the local economy. 17% of the economic impact in the state of Oklahoma in the year 2005 was a result of oil production, and supplied the 6th highest number of jobs within the oil industry during the year 2007.