Oklahoma is a state in the South Central region of the United States. It’s known for its diverse landscape, from the rolling plains to tallgrass prairies, forests and mountains. The state has been home to many Native American tribes throughout history, including the Cherokee Nation–the largest tribe in Oklahoma today.
Oklahoma was also once part of Spain’s Louisiana Territory until it became part of Mexico after winning independence from Spain in 1821.
After Texas won its independence from Mexico later that year (and became part of the United States), Americans began settling in what would become Oklahoma territory during this time period as well; however they were not allowed access until 1850 when Congress passed legislation allowing them access through Texas land grants called “empresario contracts.
You can read Oklahoma trivia questions for better understanding of the state’s history.
Fact #1
Oklahoma is the only state in the U.S. that produces iodine.
Iodine is a chemical element that is essential for human health. It is used in a variety of industries, including medicine, photography, and electronics. Oklahoma is home to the largest iodine production facility in the world, located in the city of Okarche. The facility produces over 30% of the world’s iodine supply.
Fact #2
Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state in the U.S.
Oklahoma is home to over 200 man-made lakes, which provide a variety of recreational opportunities such as fishing, boating, swimming, and camping. The largest of these lakes is Lake Eufaula, which covers over 100,000 acres and has over 800 miles of shoreline. Other popular lakes in Oklahoma include Lake Texoma, Lake Murray, and Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees.
Fact #3
Oklahoma is home to the world’s largest ball of twine.
The importance of this fact cannot be overstated. It’s one thing for a state to have an official state question, or even an official state bird (the scissor-tailed flycatcher). But when it comes down to it, what really matters? What makes a place unique? For me, it’s knowing that Oklahoma has an enormous ball of twine at its center–and that this ball is bigger than any other in existence anywhere else on Earth. This fact alone gives me hope for our collective future as human beings: If we can build something so big together as a species, anything seems possible.
Fact #4
Fact #4: Oklahoma is the only state with a diamond-shaped flag.
The flag of Oklahoma was designed by Clara Ione Wells, wife of famed cattleman and politician Charles N. Haskell. She chose to include symbols from both Native American and European cultures in her design, which features a sunflower at its center–a symbol of peace between these two groups. The four white stars represent each of the original tribes that lived in Oklahoma before European settlement: Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek and Chickasaw (the last three are represented by their respective tribal flags). The red stripe represents courage; blue stands for loyalty; white signifies purity; while gold represents prosperity and yellow honors bravery on the battlefields during World War II when many young men from this state gave their lives fighting against fascism overseas
Fact #5
Fact #5: Oklahoma has a state dinosaur.
The Oklahoma state dinosaur is the Hadrosaurusfoulkii, which was discovered in 1858 by William Parker Foulke. This creature lived during the Cretaceous Period and was about 30 feet long and weighed about 3 tons. It had a long tail, large teeth and claws on its front legs that helped it dig for food in swamps where it lived.
Nathaniel Moran