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Oklahoma: State Flag, Bird and Facts

Oklahoma's state bird is the scissor-tailed flycatcher, and the Oklahoma rose is the state flower.

Capital
Oklahoma City
Nickname
Sooner State
State bird
Scissor-tailed flycatcher
State flower
Oklahoma rose
State tree
Eastern redbud
Admitted
November 16, 1907
Population
3,959,353 (2020 census)
Motto
Labor omnia vincit
Region
South
Area
181,195 km² (69,960 sq mi)
Highest point
Black Mesa (4,975 ft)

About Oklahoma

The name Oklahoma joins two Choctaw words, okla for people and humma for red. The Sooner State nickname refers to settlers who staked claims on former American Indian lands before the Land Rush of 1889 officially opened them. Earlier, the region served as a territory for tribes moved from east of the Mississippi. Today 25 Indigenous languages are spoken, and 14.2 percent of residents identified as American Indian in 2020.

Most of Oklahoma lies on the Great Plains, in the Cross Timbers and in the Interior Highlands, all areas prone to severe weather. Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city. The sky blue flag carries an Osage war shield marked with six crosses, with seven eagle feathers hanging from it. A peace pipe and an olive branch lie across the shield, and the state name runs below in white capitals.

Did you know?

  • Black Mesa is the highest point in Oklahoma, at 4,975 feet.
  • Native America is the slogan used on Oklahoma license plates.
  • The eastern redbud serves as Oklahoma's official state tree.

Questions about Oklahoma

What is on the Oklahoma flag?

An Osage war shield marked with six crosses and hung with seven eagle feathers, topped by a peace pipe and an olive branch, on a sky blue field.

When did Oklahoma become a state?

Oklahoma was admitted on November 16, 1907.

Other South states

Sources

Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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