Omaha

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The side of the Riley Building in Downtown Omaha.
The side of the Riley Building in Downtown Omaha.

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles (30 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha is the anchor of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, with Council Bluffs, Iowa sitting adjacent to Omaha across the Missouri River. According to the 2008 estimate by the United States Census Bureau, Omaha's population was 432,921. The city is the nation's 42nd-largest, according to 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates; along with its suburbs Omaha formed the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2000, with an estimated population of 829,890 residing in eight counties. There are more than 1.2 million residents within a 50 mile (80 km) radius of the city's center.

Omaha's pioneer period began in 1854 when the city was founded by speculators from neighboring Kanesville, Iowa. The city was founded along the Missouri River, and a crossing called Lone Tree Ferry earned the city its nickname, the "Gateway to the West." During the 19th century Omaha's central location in the United States caused the city to become an important national transportation hub. Throughout the rest of the 19th century the transportation and jobbing sectors were important in the city, along with its railroads and breweries. In the 20th century the Omaha Stockyards and meatpacking plants gained local and national prominence.

The city is the home to five Fortune 500 companies: ConAgra Foods, Union Pacific Corporation, Peter Kiewit and Sons, Inc., Mutual of Omaha Companies, and Berkshire Hathaway, the company headed by legendary investor and so-called Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, the richest person in the world according to Forbes Magazine in 2008. [1] The Gallup Organization, TD Ameritrade, PayPal and LinkedIn all have major operations or headquarters in Omaha. The city also is the home to three of the top 30 architectural and engineering firms in the world: Leo A. Daly Co., HDR, Inc. and DLR Group.

Today the economy of Omaha is diverse and built on skilled knowledge jobs. In 2001 Newsweek identified Omaha as one of the Top 10 high-tech havens in the nation. Six national fiber optic networks converge in Omaha. Tourism in Omaha benefits the city's economy greatly, with the annual College World Series providing important revenue and the city's Henry Doorly Zoo serving as the top attraction in Nebraska.

The historic preservation movement in the city has led to a number of historic structures and districts being designated Omaha Landmarks or listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city has a number of ethnic groups represented in its population. Race relations in the city have included a number of riots, lynchings, and recently, gang violence. The diverse culture of Omaha includes a variety of performance venues, museums, and musical heritage, including the historically-significant jazz scene in North Omaha and the modern and influential "Omaha Sound." Sports have been important in Omaha for more than a century, and the city currently hosts four professional sports teams. Omaha also has a number of recreational trails and parks located throughout the city.

Omaha Public Schools is the largest public school district in Nebraska, and the city has a number of Catholic schools. There are eleven colleges and universities among Omaha's higher education institutions, including the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Omaha's Creighton University is ranked the top non-doctoral regional college in the Midwestern United States by U.S. News and World Report. The city's strong mayor form of government has gone through transitions in the city's history, and Omaha is currently considering consolidating with Douglas County. Completed in 2002, the 45 story First National Bank Tower in Downtown Omaha is the tallest building in Omaha.

[edit] Major events

Major events in Omaha's history include:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/05/richest-people-billionaires-billionaires08-cx_lk_0305billie_land.html
  2. ↑ Larsen, L and Cotrell, B.J. (1997) The Gate City: A history of Omaha. University of Nebraska Press. p 6.
  3. ↑ Peterson, J. "A short history of the early development of Omaha", HistoricOmaha.com. Retrieved 5/28/08.
  4. ↑ "American Experience: People & Events: Thomas Clark Durant (1820-1885)". PBS.org. Retrieved 5/28/08.
  5. ↑ Larsen, L. and Cottrell, B.J. (1997) The Gate City: A history of Omaha. University of Nebraska Press. p. 73
  6. ↑ Larsen, L. and Cottrell, B.J. (1997) The Gate City: A history of Omaha. University of Nebraska Press. p. 43.
  7. ↑ "A horrible lynching," NebraskaStudies.org. Retrieved 5/28/08.
  8. ↑ Gratz, R.B. (1996) Living City: How America's Cities Are Being Revitalized by Thinking Small in a Big Way. John Wiley and Sons. p v.
  9. ↑ 2008 Olympia Team Trials. USASwimming.org. Retrieved 5/27/08.
This article uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Omaha, Nebraska. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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