Interesting facts

1. Oregon is the only U.S. state to feature a two-sided flag: the state seal is on the front, and a beaver is on the reverse. 2. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, reaching a depth of 1,943 feet. 3. Oregon has no state sales tax. 4. Portland is home to Mill Ends Park, officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the smallest park in the world (24 inches across). 5. All 362 miles of the Oregon coastline are free and open to the public. 6. Oregon produces roughly 99% of the commercial hazelnut crop in the United States. 7. Hells Canyon, located on the Oregon-Idaho border, is the deepest river gorge in North America (deeper than the Grand Canyon). 8. The world's largest living organism by area, a honey fungus (Armillaria ostoyae) spanning over 2,300 acres, is located in the Malheur National Forest. 9. The city of Portland is famously nicknamed the "City of Roses." 10. The Oregon Trail brought an estimated 400,000 pioneers to the West in the mid-19th century. 11. Sea Lion Caves on the Oregon coast is the largest sea cave in the Americas. 12. Oregon was admitted to the Union on Valentine's Day—February 14, 1859. 13. In 1971, Oregon became the first state to pass a law requiring deposits on beverage containers (the Bottle Bill). 14. The "Silicon Forest" in the Portland metro area is a major hub for technology and semiconductor development. 15. Nike was founded in Eugene, Oregon, by University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman and athlete Phil Knight. 16. Powell's City of Books in downtown Portland is the world's largest independent bookstore. 17. Mount Hood is a dormant stratovolcano and the highest point in Oregon at 11,249 feet. 18. The state motto is "Alis Volat Propriis," which translates to "She Flies With Her Own Wings." 19. Fort Clatsop, near modern-day Astoria, was the winter encampment for the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805-1806. 20. Oregon was the first U.S. state to conduct all of its elections strictly by mail.