| Census Bureau Report |
| Time Zone: Central |
| Capital: Oklahoma City |
| Statehood Date: 11/16/1907 |
| Statehood Order: 46 |
| Flower: Mistletoe |
| Bird: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher |
| Land: 68679 Sq. Miles |
| Water: 1224 Sq. Miles |
| Rank In Area Size: 20 |
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| The name Oklahoma comes from two Choctaw Indian words, okla, which means "people," and humma, which means "red." In 1889, Congress opened up 2 million acres for white settlement (it was previously open only to Native Americans who were forced to leave their homelands), and the first of a number of land runs began. Some of the state's settlers were called "Sooners" because they had already staked their land claims before the land was officially opened for settlement. |
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