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Land of dense forests and beautiful coastlines, fertile valleys and barren deserts, Oregon is one of the most naturally diverse states in the United States. Oregon is also a crossroads where forest meets desert, and home to ranchers and hipsters, hippies and loggers. Most of its population and industry are centered on the fruitful Willamette Valley, but the Beaver State is best understood from the Pacific, which moderates temperatures and brings abundant rainfall to this verdant state.

Oregon's earliest inhabitants were several Native American tribes, including the Chinook, Klamath, and Nez Perce. Though James Cook explored the coast in 1778, seeking the mythical Northwest Passage, it took the Lewis and Clark expedition thirty years later to open up the territory for fur traders, primarily Britons from the Hudson Bay Company.

Oregon’s growth really began with the opening of the Oregon Trail in 1842, after the territory’s boundaries nearly caused a third war between Britain and the U.S. This was but one incident in the Beaver State’s long history of polarizing conflicts: Native Americans vs. British fur trappers, British vs. settlers from the U.S., ranchers vs. farmers, wealthy growing cities vs. established but poor rural areas, loggers vs. environmentalists, and native Oregonians vs. Californians (or outsiders in general, who have migrated to Oregon en masse in recent years).

The construction of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River in 1943 spurred Oregon’s industrial expansion. The state’s power, food, and lumber helped fuel the development of the west. Oregon’s maritime industries also grew rapidly around this time. Today Vancouver (on the Columbia river) & Portland (on the Willamette river at its confluence with the Columbia) are two of the largest & most important fresh-water ports in the world.

Oregon has one of the most varied landscapes of any U.S state. Well known for its tall, thick forests, accessible, scenic Pacific coastline and rugged, glaciated Cascade volcanoes (of which Crater Lake is the prime example), the state’s notable features also include semiarid scrublands, prairies, and deserts. The Pacific Coast Range and Cascade Mountains cut through Oregon North-to-South and account for much of the state’s geographic and climactic diversity.

From its miles of stunning coastline to the commanding heights of Mount Hood, from its arid southeast to the damp Columbia River Gorge, Oregon enchants with its elemental beauty. This bountiful nature has attracted all kinds to the Beaver State, be they farmers and ranchers or urbanites seeking a slower pace of life. Embracing the diverse elements that make up its history, Oregon continues to grow, at peace with the past and poised for the future.