There are about two weeks left in the legislative session. Final bills are being passed after working out differences between House and Senate versions, and the budget is in the process of being finalized. In the meantime, let’s look at some interesting facts about our amazing state:
Oklahoma has 11,611 miles of shoreline, more than the combined coasts of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.
The state motto is “Labor Omnia Vincit,”which is Latin for “Labor Conquers All Things.”
Oklahoma is the only state that produces iodine. We also produce more gypsum than any other state, and are one of only three states that produce helium.
Dinosaur fossils are found in two places: near Atoka and in the Panhandle.
Eastern Oklahoma gets an average of 56 inches of precipitation a year, while the Panhandle averages only 17 inches.
The record for single-day rainfall is 15.68 inches. On October 11, 1973, Enid recorded 12 of those inches in three hours. It took another 10 hours for the rest to fall.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Oklahoma was 120 degrees in Tipton on June 27, 1994. The lowest temperature was minus 31 in Nowata on February 10, 2011.
Vinita was the first city in Oklahoma to have electricity.
The Poteau River is the only river in Oklahoma that flows north.
Red dirt is found in 33 counties. It is red because of the weathering of sands, siltstone and shale.
The world’s largest deposit of alabaster is at Alabaster Caverns, near Freedom.
Edward Roberts, a 1968 Oklahoma State University graduate in electrical engineering, is credited with inventing the personal computer—and he gave software giant Bill Gates his first job in the industry.
The honey bee is our official state insect.
Thanks for allowing me to serve as your state representative. I can be reached at dougcox@okhouse.gov or 405-557-7415
Oklahoma Facts – Cox’s Corner by State Representative Doug Cox, M.D.
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