Oregon ACLS Certification and Recertification

OREGON ACLS CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION

About Oregon

Oregon became the 33rd state in 1859. The state capitol of Oregon is Salem with a population of 148,751 people (2005 Census). Portland is the largest city in the state, with 533,427 people (2005 Census). The total population of Oregon is 3,831,074 people (2010 Census). Oregon is comprised of 95,997 square miles of rugged coastline in the west, fertile river valley to the south and east, Cascade Mountain ranges and volcanic peaks to the east of the valley, and plateaus in the remaining portions of the state. The state flower is the Oregon grape, which is unusual compared to most states. The state bird is the popular western meadowlark. The state insect of Oregon is the swallowtail butterfly.

During the 1500’s and 1600’s both Spanish and English explorers visited the area. Captain James Cook charted portions of the coastline in 1778. Captain Robert Gray, Captain of the Columbia, discovered the river that would eventually be named after his ship (The Columbia River), and claimed the area for the United States. Lewis and Clark further explored the area in 1805. In 1811, John Jacob Astor founded a fur depot in Astoria. There was a great dispute over the control of Oregon between the Hudson Bay Company and American settlers; such disputes were resolved under the Oregon Treaty in 1846, when Great Britain relinquished their claim to the area. Oregon has been a large producer of lumber and wood products for many years.

Today, Oregon’s lumber industry tops $3.3 billion, and paper tops $859 million. Other top industries are Salmon fishing, crops such as various berries, mint, beans, etc. The large dams in the state provide a great deal of low-cost electricity, which makes Oregon a continually developing manufacturing state. Tourism is also a growing industry. Bonneville Dam, Mount Hood, and Crater Lake National Park are among the state’s top tourist sites. Other sites include various national monuments, river areas, forests, and more. Prominent historical figures and famous people from Oregon include Robert Gray, James Beard, Sally Struthers, Raymond Carver, Abigail Scott Duniway, and others.