Welcome to Nebraska
"The Cornhusker State" During Nebraska's homesteading wave of the 1860s, the Great Plains state was so devoid of trees that many built their homes out of sod. The rarity of trees apparently created a greater appreciation for them; the National Arbor Day Foundation is headquartered in Nebraska City, and the holiday originated in the state. While Nebraska may be flat, it's certainly not barren—an important agricultural center, "The Cornhusker State" produces plentiful beef, pork, corn (appropriately), and soybeans. Other significant industries include manufacturing and insurance; Omaha is home to food packaging giant ConAgra and insurance titan Mutual of Omaha. Nebraska's largest city is also home to the conglomerate-holding company Berkshire Hathaway, whose CEO, Warren Buffet, was cited as the second-richest person in the world in 2009. The rest of the state doesn't exactly share in Buffet's massive wealth. Per-capita income is only 25th in the nation, and Nebraska's consistent population decline, due to a phenomenon called "rural flight," likely won't lead to a gross state product (GSP) increase anytime soon. The largely white, largely Catholic population of Nebraska is generally politically conservative. Although the state legislature (the only unicameral legislature in the 50 states) is technically nonpartisan, unofficial party affiliation ranks twice as many Republicans as Democrats. It's a safe bet, though, that Nebraskans of all political stripes share childhood memories of summer thirsts quenched by the state's official soft drink, Kool-Aid, created in Hastings in 1927. State Name: Nebraska State Nickname: "The Cornhusker State" State Motto: "Equality before the law"  Name for Residents: Nebraskan Abbreviation: NE Time Zone: Central (most of state), GMT/UTC -6 / -5 (Daylight Savings Time) Mountain (panhandle), GMT/UTC -7 / -6 (Daylight Savings Time) Capital City: Lincoln Date of Statehood: March 1, 1867  Statehood Rank: 37th State Area: 77,421 square miles (200,520 km²) Area Rank: 16 of 50 Number of Counties: 93 State Population: 1,783,432 (2008 estimate) Largest Cities:     Omaha - 438,646 (2008)     Lincoln - 251,624 (2008)     Bellevue - 49,699 (2008) Major Rivers:     Missouri River - Length: 2,540 mi (4,090 km)     Niobrara River - Length: 430 mi (692 km)     Platte River - Length: 310 mi (500 km) Highest Point: Panorama Point, 5,424 ft (1,653 m) Lowest Point: Missouri River, 840 ft (256 m) Bordering States and Countries:     South Dakota (North)     Iowa (East)     Missouri (Southeast)     Kansas (South)     Colorado (Southwest)     Wyoming (West) Record High Temperature:     118°F (48°C)     July 24, 1936 at Minden Record Low Temperature:     -47°F (-44°C)     February 12, 1899 at Camp Clarke
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	Author: World Trade Press