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 Seats for Forklifts Oklahoma - The US state of Oklahoma is situated in the South Central region of the US. Based on the 2010 census, the state of Oklahoma has a projected 3,751,351 inhabitants, with a land area totaling 177,847 km2 or 68,667 square miles. The state of Oklahoma ranks as the 20th most densely inhabited state. The state's name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma, meaning "red people", and is known informally by its nickname, The Sooner State. Formed by the combination of Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory on November 16, the year 1907, the state of Oklahoma was the 46th state to enter the union. Its residents are referred to as Oklahomans or, informally, "Sooners" or "Okies", and its capital and biggest city is the city of Oklahoma.
A major producer of agriculture, natural gas and oil, the state of Oklahoma depends on an economic base of aviation, energy, biotechnology and telecommunications. It has one of the fastest growing economies in the US, ranking amongst the top states in per capita income growth and gross domestic product growth. Oklahoma City and Tulsa serve as the primary economic anchors of Oklahoma, with nearly 60 percent of Oklahomans residing within their metropolitan statistical areas.
With eastern forests, small mountain ranges and prairies, most of the state of Oklahoma lies in the Great Plains and the U.S. Interior Highlands, an area particularly prone to severe climate. As well as having a prevalence of German, Irish, English, Scottish and Native American ancestry, over 25 Native American languages are spoken in Oklahoma, the most of any state. It is situated on a confluence of three major American cultural areas and historically served as a destination for southern settlers, a route for cattle drives, and a government-sanctioned territory for Native Americans. Part of the Bible Belt, widespread belief in evangelical Christianity makes it one of the most politically conservative states, though the state of Oklahoma has more voters registered with the Democratic Party than with whatever other party.
Based in the sectors of energy, aviation, transportation equipment, food processing, telecommunications and electronics, Oklahoma is an important producer of aircraft, food and natural gas. The state ranks 2nd in the United States for production of natural gas, and is the 27th-most agriculturally productive state, ranking 5th in production of wheat. Four Fortune 500 companies and two Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered within the state of Oklahoma, and it has been rated among the most business-friendly states within the United States, with the 7th-lowest tax burden in 2007. In the year 2010, Oklahoma City-based Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores ranked 18th on the Forbe's list of largest private businesses, Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby ranked 198th and Tulsa-based QuikTrip ranked 37th in 2010 report. From the years 2006 to 2010, the gross domestic product of the state of Oklahoma grew from $131.9 billion to $147.5 billion, a jump of 10.6 percent. The gross domestic product per capita of Oklahoma was $35,480 in 2010, that was ranked 40th among the states. Although oil has historically dominated Oklahoma's economy, a collapse in the energy business during the 1980s resulted in the loss of practically 90,000 energy-related jobs between 1980 and 2000, severely damaging the local economy. Oil accounted for 17 percent of Oklahoma's economic impact in 2005, and employment within Oklahoma's oil business was outpaced by five other businesses during 2007.
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