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Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States bordering the Pacific Ocean, California, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. Its northern border lies along the Columbia River and the east along the Snake River. Two north-south mountain ranges - the Coastal Range and the Cascade Mountain Range - form the two boundaries of the Willamette Valley, one of the most fertile and agriculturally productive regions in the world. Oregon has some of the most diverse landscapes of the fifty states. It is well known for its forests and its Pacific coastline. Less well known are the semiarid scrublands, prairies, and deserts that cover approximately half the state in eastern and north-central Oregon. The state's name is properly pronounced /'?r.?.g(?)n/. The pronunciation /'?r.?.?g?n/ is also common, but considered incorrect by residents, who have been known to sport T-shirts and bumper stickers spelling the name "Orygun" in order to educate visitors. Its population in 2000 was 3,421,399, a 20.4% increase over 1990. The Census Bureau estimated Oregon's population to have reached 3,594,586 by 2004. Oregon's geography may be split roughly into six areas: the Coast Range, the Willamette Valley, the Cascade Mountains the Klamath Mountains, the Columbia Plateau, and the Basin and Range Region. The state varies from rain forest in the Columbia Gorge to barren desert in the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a frontier. Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south at longest distance, and 395 miles (475 km) east to west at longest distance. In terms of land and water area, Oregon is the ninth largest state, covering 97,073 square miles (254,418 km²). Its highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,239 ft (3,428 m). As a West Coast state, its lowest point is sea level. Its mean elevation is 3,300 ft (1 km). Crater Lake National Park is Oregon's only national park, and home to Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,932 ft. Similar federally-owned, protected recreation areas that are entirely in Oregon include: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Newberry National Volcanic Monument, and Oregon Caves National Monument. Areas that are partly in Oregon and partly in neighboring states include: California National Historic Trail, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Lewis and Clark National Historical Parks, Nez Perce National Historical Park, Oregon National Historic Trail.
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