Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: theDissected Till Plains and theGreat Plains. The Dissected Till Plains region consists of gently rolling hills and contains the state's largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln. The Great Plains region, occupying most of western Nebraska, is characterized by treelessprairie. Eastern Nebraska has ahumid continental climate while western Nebraska is primarilysemi-arid. The state has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures; the variations decrease in southern Nebraska. Violentthunderstorms andtornadoes occur primarily during spring and summer, and sometimes in autumn. TheChinook wind tends to warm the state significantly in the winter and early spring.
Nebraska's name is the result ofanglicization of the archaicOtoeÑí Brásge (contemporary Otoe:Ñíbrahge; pronounced[ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ]), or theOmahaNí Btháska, (pronounced[nĩbɫᶞasꜜka]), meaning "flat water", after thePlatte River which flows through the state.[19]
Indigenous peoples lived in the region of present-day Nebraska for thousands of years beforeEuropean colonization. The historic tribes in the state included theOmaha,Missouria,Ponca,Pawnee,Otoe, and various branches of theLakota (Sioux), some of which migrated from eastern areas into the region. When European exploration, trade, and settlement began, bothSpain andFrance sought to control the region. In the 1690s, Spain established trade connections with theApache, whose territory then included western Nebraska. By 1703, France had developed a regular trade with native peoples along theMissouri River in Nebraska, and by 1719 had signed treaties with several of these peoples. After war broke out between the two countries, Spaindispatched an armed expedition to Nebraska under Lieutenant General Pedro de Villasur in 1720. The party was attacked and destroyed near present-dayColumbus by a large force of Pawnee and Otoe, both allied with the French. The massacre ended Spanish exploration of the area for the remainder of the 18th century.[20][21][22]
In 1762, during theSeven Years' War, France ceded the Louisiana territory to Spain. This left Britain and Spain competing for dominance along the Mississippi River; by 1773, the British were trading with the native peoples of Nebraska. Spain dispatched two trading expeditions up the Missouri River in 1794 and 1795; the second, under James Mackay, established the first European settlement in Nebraska near the mouth of the Platte River. Later that year, Mackay's party built a trading post, dubbed Fort Carlos IV (Fort Charles), near present-dayHomer.[20][23][24]
In the 1860s, after the U.S. government forced many of theAmerican Indian tribes to cede their lands and settle onreservations, it opened large tracts of land to agricultural development byEuropean immigrants andAmerican settlers. Under theHomestead Act, thousands of settlers migrated into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government. Because so few trees grew on theprairies, many of the first farming settlers built theirhomes of sod, as had Native Americans such as the Omaha. The first wave of settlement gave the territory a sufficient population to apply for statehood.[28] Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867, and the capital was moved from Omaha to the center at Lancaster, later renamedLincoln after the recently assassinated President of the United States,Abraham Lincoln. The battle ofMassacre Canyon, on August 5, 1873, was the last major battle between thePawnee and theSioux.[29][30]
During the 1870s to the 1880s, Nebraska experienced a large growth in population. Several factors contributed to attracting new residents. The first was that the vast prairie land was perfect for cattle grazing. This helped settlers to learn the unfamiliar geography of the area. The second factor was the invention of several farming technologies. New agricultural innovations such as barbed wire, windmills, and the steel plow, combined with fair weather, enabled settlers to transform Nebraska into prime farming land. By the 1880s, Nebraska's population had soared to more than 450,000 people.[31] TheArbor Day holiday was founded inNebraska City by territorial governorJ. Sterling Morton. TheNational Arbor Day Foundation is still headquartered inNebraska City, with some offices in Lincoln.
In the late 19th century, African Americans migrated from the South to Nebraska as part of theGreat Migration. Eventually, they moved primarily toOmaha which offered working-class jobs inmeat packing, the railroads and other industries. Omaha has a long history ofcivil rights activism. Blacks encountered discrimination from other Americans in Omaha and especially from recent European immigrants who were also competing for the same jobs as well.[32]
During the early 20th century, In 1912, African Americans founded the Omaha chapter of theNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People to work for improved conditions in the city and state. During theOmaha Race Riots in 1919, many white rioters protested throughout Omaha due to there being an incident in which a black man was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman.The Great Depression also had greatly affected the residents of Nebraska at the time. From 1930 to 1936 the dust bowl was common in the state due to there being a drought, wind, and dirt being dug up throughout all of theMidwestern United States. Residents in Nebraska had passed an initiative in 1934, then the first session in theunicameral was held in 1937.Kay Orr was elected Nebraska's first female governor on November 4, 1986.[33]
The first Constitution of Nebraska in 1866 described Nebraska's boundaries as follows (The description of the Northern border is no longer accurate, since theKeya Paha River and theNiobrara River no longer form the boundary of the state of Nebraska. Instead, Nebraska's Northern border now extends east along the forty-third degree of north latitude until it meets theMissouri River directly.):
The State of Nebraska shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at a point formed by the intersection of the western boundary of the State of Missouri, with the fortieth degree of north latitude; extending thence due west along said fortieth degree of north latitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-fifth degree of longitude west from Washington [the Southern border]; thence north along said twenty-fifth degree of longitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence west along said forty-first degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington; thence north along said twenty-seventh degree of west longitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the forty-third degree of north latitude [the Western border, which is the Panhandle]; thence east along said forty-third degree of north latitude to the Keya Paha river; thence down the middle of the channel of said river, with its meanderings, to its junction with the Niobrara River; thence down the middle of the channel of said Niobrara River, and following the meanderings thereof to its junction with the Missouri River [the Northern border]; thence down the middle of the channel of said Missouri River, and following the meanderings thereof to the place of beginning [the Eastern border, which is the Missouri River].[34]
Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: theDissected Till Plains and theGreat Plains. The easternmost portion of the state was scoured byIce Ageglaciers; the Dissected Till Plains were left after the glaciers retreated. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of gently rolling hills;Omaha andLincoln are in this region. The Great Plains occupy most of western Nebraska, with the region consisting of several smaller, diverse land regions, including theSandhills, thePine Ridge, theRainwater Basin, theHigh Plains and theWildcat Hills.Panorama Point, at 5,424 feet (1,653 m), is Nebraska's highest point; though despite its name and elevation, it is a relatively low rise near theColorado andWyoming borders. A past tourism slogan for the state of Nebraska was "Where the West Begins" (it has since been changed to "Honestly, it's not for everyone").[35] Locations given for the beginning of the "West" in Nebraska include the Missouri River, the intersection of 13th and O Streets in Lincoln (where it is marked by a red brick star), the100th meridian, andChimney Rock.
Two major climatic zones are represented in Nebraska. The eastern two-thirds of the state has ahumid continental climate (KöppenDfa), although the southwest of this region may be classed as ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) using the −3 °C or 26.6 °F near the Kansas state line, analogous to the predominantlyhumid subtropical climate of Kansas andOklahoma. Western Nebraska, includingThe Panhandle and adjacent areas bordering Colorado have asemi-arid climate (KöppenBSk). The entire state experiences wide seasonal variations in both temperature and precipitation. Average temperatures are fairly uniform across Nebraska, with hot summers and generally cold winters. However,chinook winds from theRocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in the state's western portion during the winter.[36][37] Thus, average January maximum temperatures are highest at around 43 °F or 6.1 °C in southwesternDundy County, and lowest at about 30 °F or −1.1 °C aroundSouth Sioux City in the northeast.
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 (0.64 and 0.89 m) of snow each year.[38] Nebraska's highest-recorded temperature was 118 °F (48 °C) inMinden on July 24, 1936. The state's lowest-recorded temperature was −47 °F (−44 °C) inCamp Clarke on February 12, 1899.
Nebraska is located inTornado Alley.Thunderstorms are common during both the spring and the summer. Violent thunderstorms andtornadoes happen primarily during those two seasons, although they also can occur occasionally during the autumn.
Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Nebraska[39]
Eighty-nine percent of the cities in Nebraska have fewer than 3,000 people. Nebraska shares this characteristic with five other Midwestern states:Kansas,Oklahoma,North Dakota andSouth Dakota, andIowa. Hundreds of towns have a population of fewer than 1,000. Regional population declines have forced many rural schools to consolidate.
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).
Omaha, Nebraska's largest city
More urbanized areas of the state have experienced substantial growth. In 2000, the city ofOmaha had a population of 390,007; in 2005, the city's estimated population was 414,521 (427,872 including the recently annexed city ofElkhorn), a 6.3% increase over five years. The 2010 census showed that Omaha has a population of 408,958. The city ofLincoln had a 2000 population of 225,581 and a 2010 population of 258,379, a 14.5% increase.
Lincoln, Nebraska's capital city
As of the 2010 census, there were 530 cities and villages in the state of Nebraska. There are five classifications of cities and villages in Nebraska, which are based upon population. All population figures are 2017Census Bureau estimates unless flagged by a reference number.
Second Class Cities (800–4,999) and Villages (100–800) make up the rest of the communities in Nebraska. There are 116 second-class cities and 382 villages in the state.
Nebraska has the largestCzech American and non-MormonDanish American population (as a percentage of the total population) in the nation. Nebraska is also home to the largestPolish American population in the Great Plains.German Americans are the largest ancestry group in most of the state, particularly in the eastern counties.Thurston County (made up entirely of theOmaha andWinnebago reservations) has anAmerican Indian majority, andButler County is one of only two counties in the nation with a Czech-American plurality.
In recent years, Nebraska has become home to many refugee communities. In 2016, it welcomed more refugees per capita than any other state.[52] Nebraska, and in particular Lincoln, is the largest home ofYazidis refugees andYazidi Americans in the United States.[53][54][55]
Note: For 2013–2015, births in table don't add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number. Since 2016, data for births ofWhite Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in oneHispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are predominantly Christian, according to a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center. At the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 73% of the population identified as Christian.[70] At the 2014 Pew Research Center's survey, 20% of the population were religiously unaffiliated; in 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 22% of the population became religiously unaffiliated.
Nebraska has aprogressive income tax. The portion of income from $0 to $2,400 is taxed at 2.56%; from $2,400 to $17,500, at 3.57%; from $17,500 to $27,000, at 5.12%; and income over $27,000, at 6.84%. The standard deduction for a single taxpayer is $5,700; the personal exemption is $118.[72]
Nebraska has a state sales and use tax of 5.5%. In addition to the state tax, some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax, in 0.5% increments, up to a maximum of 1.5%.Dakota County levies an additional 0.5% county sales tax.[73] Food and ingredients that are generally for home preparation and consumption are not taxable.[74] Allreal property within the state of Nebraska is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Since 1992, only depreciablepersonal property is subject to tax and all other personal property is exempt from tax.Inheritance tax is collected at the county level.
Lincoln's Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing is the only Kawasaki plant in the world to produce theJet Ski,all-terrain vehicle (ATV), andMULE product lines. The facility employs more than 1,200 people.
TheSpade Ranch, in theSandhills, is one of Nebraska's oldest and largest beef cattle operations.
Nebraska has been the nation's second-largest producer of ethanolbiofuels. It has few fossil-fuel resources except for crude oil from theNiobrara Formation which underlays a portion of the state's western region. It hosts one uranium leach mining operation near its northwest border with Wyoming. It has an abundance of renewable generation resources, including untapped biomass generation potential from its productive agriculture industry. It has been a top-ten state for per-capita energy consumption due in large part to its energy-intensive agriculture, meat packing, and food processing industries.[84]
Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a 'single-house'unicameral legislature.[97] Although this house is officially known simply as the "Legislature", and more commonly called the "Unicameral", its members call themselves "senators". Nebraska's Legislature is also the onlystate legislature in the United States that is officiallynonpartisan. The senators are elected with no party affiliation next to their names on the ballot, and members of any party can be elected to the positions of speaker and committee chairs.[98] The Nebraska Legislature can also override the governor's veto with a three-fifths majority, in contrast to the two-thirds majority required in some other states.
When Nebraska became a state in 1867, its legislature consisted of two houses: a House of Representatives and a Senate. For years, U.S. SenatorGeorge Norris (Senator 1913–1943) and other Nebraskans encouraged the idea of a unicameral legislature and demanded the issue be decided in areferendum. Norris argued:[97]
The constitutions of our various states are built upon the idea that there is but one class. If this be true, there is no sense or reason in having the same thing done twice, especially if it is to be done by two bodies of men elected in the same way and having the same jurisdiction.
Unicameral supporters also argued that abicameral legislature had a significant undemocratic feature in the committees that reconciled House and Senate legislation. Votes in these committees were secretive, and would sometimes add provisions to bills that neither house had approved.[99] Nebraska's unicameral legislature today has rules that bills can contain only one subject,[100] and must be given at least five days of consideration. In 1934, due in part to the budgetary pressure of theGreat Depression, Nebraska citizens ran a state initiative to vote on a constitutional amendment creating a unicameral legislature, which was approved, which, in effect, abolished the House of Representatives (the lower house).[97]
The Legislature meets in the thirdNebraska State Capitol building, built between 1922 and 1932. It was designed byBertram G. Goodhue. Built from Indiana limestone, the capitol's base is a cross within a square. A 400-foot (122 m) domed tower rises from this base. The Sower, a 19-foot (5.8 m) bronze statue representing agriculture, crowns the building.
Nebraska is one of two states (Maine is the other) that allow for a split in the state's allocation ofelectoral votes inpresidential elections.[114] Under a 1991 law, two of Nebraska's five votes are awarded to the winner of the statewide popular vote, while the other three go to the highest vote-getter in each of the state's threecongressional districts.
For most of its history, Nebraska has been a solidlyRepublican state. Republicans have carried the state in all but one presidential election since1940: the1964 landslide election ofLyndon B. Johnson. In the2004 presidential election,George W. Bush won the state's five electoral votes by a margin of 33 percentage points (making Nebraska's the fourth-strongest Republican vote among states) with 65.9% of the overall vote; onlyThurston County, which is majority-Native American, voted for hisDemocratic challengerJohn Kerry. In2008, the state split its electoral votes for the first time: RepublicanJohn McCain won the popular vote in Nebraska as a whole and two of its three congressional districts; the second district, which includes the city of Omaha, went for DemocratBarack Obama. Since then, the state has split its electoral vote twice, with the second district going for the Democratic Party candidatesJoe Biden in2020 andKamala Harris in2024.
Despite the current Republican domination of Nebraska politics, the state has a long tradition of electingcentrist members of both parties to state and federal office; examples includeGeorge W. Norris (who served a few years in the Senate as an independent),J. James Exon,Bob Kerrey, andChuck Hagel. Voters have tilted to the right in recent years, a trend evidenced when Hagel retired from the Senate in 2008 and was succeeded by conservative RepublicanMike Johanns to the U.S. Senate, as well as with the 2006 re-election ofBen Nelson, who was considered the most conservative Democrat in the Senate until his retirement in 2013. Johanns retired in 2015 and was succeeded byBen Sasse, while Nelson retired in 2013 and was succeeded byDeb Fischer, both conservative Republicans.
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