Towns and Cities in Nebraska, USA

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state that lies both in the Great Plains and in the Midwestern United States. It is bordered by South Dakota in the north, Iowa and Missouri in the east, Kansas in the south, Colorado in the south and west, and Wyoming in the west. Its capital is Lincoln, and its largest city is Omaha. With a population of almost 1.9 million, Nebraska is the 37th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Its governor is Pete Ricketts.

The state’s name comes from Native American words that mean “flat water”. This phrase refers to the Platte River, which runs through the state. Indeed, rivers have been important to Nebraska’s geography and settlement. A majority of Nebraskans live close to the Missouri and Platte rivers, leaving much of the state lightly populated.

In 1854, the federal government created a reservation for Native Americans from Nebraska, but also for other Native Americans from other states who were forced to move to Nebraska.

Nebraska’s climate has two major climatic zones: The eastern two-thirds of the state have a humid continental climate, although the southwest of this region may be classified as a humid subtropical climate showing temperatures as low as 26.6 °F or −3 °C. The larger Great Plains region is subject to extremes in temperature, wind speeds, and precipitation.

Nebraska was the first state in the country to celebrate Arbor Day in 1872, and nowadays is home to the Nebraska National Forest in west-central Nebraska, which resulted from a human effort to plant trees on the barren plains.

Nebraska has a large agricultural sector, and is a major producer of beef, pork, corn, soybeans, and sorghum. Other important economic sectors include freight transport (by rail and truck), manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, and insurance.