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With a history going back to the Trail of Tears and the second-largest Native American population in the U.S., Oklahoma is a land apart, deeply tied to its heritage. Land grabs and back-room deals are also a prominent in Oklahoma’s tradition, making this vibrant land the perfect place for opportunists from swashbuckling oil men to cattle ranchers.

Oklahoma’s colorful modern history begins with the forced relocation of the Five Civilized Tribes (the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole) from the eastern U.S. to Indian Territory in the early 1800s. This painful migration placed Oklahoma at the center of Native American life in the U.S., a bittersweet legacy that lives on in the state to this day.

With the United States’ continued expansion and population growth, pressure to open up the sparsely populated Indian Territory culminated in a huge land run in 1889. This land run was marked by widespread cheating – the nickname Sooners was given to those who claimed their parcels before the land officially opened for settlement – and was the first of many subsequent land runs during Oklahoma’s transition from Indian land to full-fledged U.S. territory and later statehood.

The discovery of oil in the early 20th century led to a population explosion and prosperity. This period saw the rise of many of Oklahoma’s most prominent families as oil and ranching came to dominate the state’s economy. Today, Oklahoma is still one of the nation’s leaders in food and fuel production. Oklahoma City is the state’s economic hub, while Tulsa is also an important center for the energy, aerospace and telecommunications sectors.

Oklahoma has the most diverse terrain in the United States on a per-mile basis, with elevations ranging from 300 to nearly 5,000 feet – Black Mesa, the state’s highest point, tops out just under that mark. The state is crisscrossed by multiple mountain ranges, most notably the Ouchitas, Arbuckles, Wichitas, and Kiamichis. This topographical diversity has resulted in a wide variety of climactic conditions throughout the state, spurring the formation of strong regional identities.

Oklahoma’s climate ranges from the subtropical in the southeast to the semi-arid in the state’s Panhandle region. While its changes in elevation influence temperatures, precipitation is the primary factor varying from region to region in the Sooner State. Average annual rainfall decreases rapidly as one moves westward across the state, heavily impacting native flora and fauna as well as agricultural production.

Central Oklahoma is at the very heart of Tornado Alley. In both frequency and violence, this is the most tornado-affected region in the world. The rest of the state is also prone to violent storms, be they tornadoes or spectacular early summer thunderstorms.