Nebraska
Nebraska (/nəˈbræskə/ ⓘ nə-BRASS-kə)[17] is a triply landlocked state[18] in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. Nebraska is the 16th largest state by land area, with just over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km2). With a population of over 1.9 million, it is the 37th most populous state and the 7th least densely populated. Its capital is Lincoln, and its most populous city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River. Nebraska was admitted into the United States in 1867, two years after the end of the American Civil War. The Nebraska Legislature is unlike any other American legislature in that it is unicameral, and its members are elected without any official reference to political party affiliation.
This article is about the U.S. state. For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation).
Nebraska
March 1, 1867 (37th)
Jim Pillen (R)
Joe Kelly (R)
Deb Fischer (R)
Pete Ricketts (R)
1: Mike Flood (R)
2: Don Bacon (R)
3: Adrian Smith (R) (list)
77,327[1] sq mi (200,356 km2)
76,796[1] sq mi (199,099 km2)
531[1] sq mi (1,247 km2) 0.7%
430 mi (690 km)
210 mi (340 km)
2,600 ft (790 m)
5,424 ft (1,654 m)
840 ft (256 m)
1,961,504[3]
24.94/sq mi (9.62/km2)
$59,970[4]
Nebraskan
Neb., Nebr.
95° 19′ W to 104° 03′ W
Welcome to NEBRASKAland where the West begins[7]
Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The Dissected Till Plains region consists of gently rolling hills and contains the state's largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln. The Great Plains region, occupying most of western Nebraska, is characterized by treeless prairie. Eastern Nebraska has a humid continental climate while western Nebraska is primarily semi-arid. The state has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures; the variations decrease in southern Nebraska. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes occur primarily during spring and summer, and sometimes in autumn. Chinook wind tends to warm the state significantly in the winter and early spring.
Indigenous peoples, including Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, Pawnee, Otoe, and various branches of the Lakota (Sioux) tribes, lived in the region for thousands of years before European discovery and exploration. The state is crossed by many historic trails, including that of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through Nebraska and passage of the Homestead Acts led to rapid growth in the population of American settlers in the 1870s and 1880s and the development of a large agriculture sector for which the state is known to this day.
Etymology[edit]
Nebraska's name is the result of anglicization of the archaic Otoe Ñí Brásge (contemporary Otoe: Ñíbrahge; pronounced [ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ]), or the Omaha Ní Btháska, (pronounced [nĩbɫᶞasꜜka]), meaning "flat water", after the Platte River which flows through the state.[19]
Taxation[edit]
Nebraska has a progressive income tax. The portion of income from $0 to $2,400 is taxed at 2.56%; from $2,400 to $17,500, at 3.57%; from $17,500 to $27,000, at 5.12%; and income over $27,000, at 6.84%. The standard deduction for a single taxpayer is $5,700; the personal exemption is $118.[72]
Nebraska has a state sales and use tax of 5.5%. In addition to the state tax, some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax, in 0.5% increments, up to a maximum of 1.5%. Dakota County levies an additional 0.5% county sales tax.[73] Food and ingredients that are generally for home preparation and consumption are not taxable.[74] All real property within the state of Nebraska is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Since 1992, only depreciable personal property is subject to tax and all other personal property is exempt from tax. Inheritance tax is collected at the county level.
