The Possibilities Are Endless In Nebraska

The State of Nebraska is located in the Midwest United States and is considered part of the Great Plains. The state encompasses an area of 77,421 square miles and is bordered by six neighboring states. South Dakota is to the north, Iowa and Missouri to the east, Kansas to the south, Colorado to the southwest and Wyoming to the west.

Population
The capital city of Nebraska is Lincoln, but the largest city is Omaha. Nebraska now has almost 1.9 million residents, most of which are concentrated near the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. The state is divided into 93 counties, many of which are classified as rural. Almost 90 percent of the towns in Nebraska have fewer than 3,000 residents, with hundreds of towns having less than 1,000. This characteristic is only shared with five other states. More than half of the counties in Nebraska have reported declining populations in the last decade. The state capital of Lincoln saw an increase of residents and now has a population of more than 250,000 and Omaha has a population of more than 400,000 residents.

Industry
Nebraska's largest industry sector is agriculture. The state plays a large role in the production of beef, pork, soybeans and corn. Some of the state’s other industries include manufacturing, information technology, insurance and freight transportation, both by truck and railway. Union Pacific's Bailey Yard in North Platte is the world's largest train yard.

The city of Omaha is home to many large national and international companies, including Berkshire Hathaway, whose CEO, Warren Buffet, was ranked among the richest people in the world. Other companies with headquarters in Omaha include Union Pacific Railroad, ConAgra, TD Ameritrade, InfoUSA, Valmont Industries and the West Corporation. Cabela's, a large retailer of outdoor goods, is headquartered in Sidney, Nebraska.

History
Before Nebraska became the 37th state to join the Union on March 1, 1867, the territory was created by the Kansas-Nebraska Act on May 30, 1854. The original capital was Omaha, but was moved to Lancaster, which was later renamed Lincoln after the assassinated U.S. president. The area first became populated in the 1860's after federal government granted free land to settlers. The first farmers to the area constructed homes made of sod, due to the lack of trees available for wood.

State Insignia
Nebraska is nicknamed the "Cornhusker State," and its state slogan is, "Nebraska, possibilities...endless." Nebraska has a history of Civil Rights activism and has created a motto for the states actions, "Equality Before the Law."