Outline of Nebraska
Nebraska is one of the leading farming states in the United States. Yet it was once considered part of the ''Great American Desert.'' The people of Nebraska, with their determined pioneer spirit, made the Nebraska ''desert'' a land of ranches and farms. They built irrigation systems and practiced scientific farming. Where crops could not be grown, Nebraskans grazed cattle.
Farms make up 95 percent of the state's area - a greater percentage than in any other state. In the west, waving fields of golden wheat stretch as far as the eye can see. In north-central Nebraska, huge herds of beef cattle graze on enormous ranches. On the fertile farms of the east, farmers grow corn, soybeans, sorghum grain, and other crops. The farmers there also raise hogs and fatten cattle for market.
Nebraska is more than a farming state. Such service industries as finance and insurance play a major role in Nebraska's economy. Omaha is one of the Midwest's leading centers of finance and insurance. Manufacturing, especially food processing, is also important to the state's economy.
Much of the history of Nebraska is the story of the tough, strong-willed Nebraska farmer. Many of the first farm settlers built homes of Nebraska sod because they found few trees on this grassy land. In the 1860's, the first great wave of homesteaders poured into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government. Hard times, insect pests, and droughts discouraged many farmers, and they returned to the East or moved to the mining areas of Colorado and California.
Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States; and Malcolm X, a Black Muslim leader, were born in Omaha. Other famous Americans who have lived in Nebraska include political leader William Jennings Bryan; novelist Willa Cather; entertainers Johnny Carson and Henry Fonda; and Edward J. Flanagan, the Roman Catholic priest who founded Boys Town (now Girls and Boys Town).
Omaha, Nebraska's largest city, serves as the industrial and trade center of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Omaha is one of the nation's chief rail centers. Lincoln, the state's second largest city, is an educational, governmental, and retail shopping center. Bellevue, the state's third largest city, is a fast-growing suburb of Omaha. Grand Island is Nebraska's fourth largest city. It serves as an important manufacturing, food processing, and distribution center. Only 12 other Nebraska cities have more than 10,000 people. The metropolitan area of Sioux City, Iowa, extends into Nebraska
Every year, thousands of tourists drive along Nebraska highways that follow the historic Oregon and Mormon trails. Ruts left by the pioneers' covered wagons can still be seen along the roadsides. In western Nebraska, the forests and rugged rocks of the Pine Ridge are a camper's, bicyclist's, and hiker's paradise. Other scenic spots include the valleys of the Platte, Niobrara, Big Blue, Loup, and Republican rivers and the bluffs along the Missouri River. The lakes and streams of the Sand Hills area teem with fish. On the prairies, hunters bag pheasants, quail, and other birds as well as deer.
The name Nebraska comes from the Oto Indian word nebrathka. The word means flat water, and was the Indian name for Nebraska's chief river, the Platte. Nebraska's official nickname is the Cornhusker State. This nickname comes from corn, the state's leading crop, and from the cornhusking contests that were once held each fall in many rural communities. Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska, and Omaha is the largest city.
